The first wildlife check in 20 years on a major Colorado interstate netted citations for 13 hunters who were in possession of illegal game or didn’t have proof their game was legal.
Officers with the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Colorado State Patrol, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources and the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office carried out the check on I-70 near the Utah border west of Grand Junction in November. The vehicles of about 180 hunters or anglers were searched and 22 citations were issued to 13 hunters as a result.
“We were pleased but not surprised that a vast majority of the hunters and anglers we contracted were in compliance with the law,” said area wildlife manager JT Romatzke.
The check at the Colorado Department of Transportation’s port-of-entry weigh station involved five months of planning and 120 officers and pulled a total of 1,755 vehicles into the check station. Only the vehicles of hunters and anglers were checked.
Most of the citations involved big game, but one driver was cited for possessing 78 white bass. Another was ticketed for driving with a revoked license.
The checkpoint has been the subject of some online grumbling about infringement of rights and unecessary use of state resources.
“Obviously not everyone is going to be happy with a check station,” said DOW spokesman Mike Porras. “But a majority of sportsmen contacted were supportive of the check station.”
Nancy Lofholm: 970-256-1957 or nlofholm@denverpost.com
