2021 Colorado Code
Title 33 - Parks and Wildlife
Article 6 - Law Enforcement and Penalties - Wildlife
Part 1 - General Provisions
§ 33-6-119. Pursuit of Wounded Game - Waste of Edible Game Wildlife - Use of Wildlife as Bait

1. 1. Except as provided in section 33-6-116 (1), it is unlawful for a person who shoots at, wounds, or may have wounded game wildlife to fail to make a reasonable attempt to locate the game wildlife suspected of injury and take it into the person's possession. A person who violates this subsection (1)(a) is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall, with respect to big game, be punished by a fine of two hundred dollars and an assessment of fifteen license suspension points or shall, with respect to small game, be punished by a fine of fifty dollars and an assessment of fifteen license suspension points.
   2. If wounded game goes onto private property, the person who wounded the game shall make a reasonable attempt to contact the landowner or person in charge of such land before pursuing the wounded game.
   3. If the hunter is unaware of the location of wildlife after shooting at it, failing to go immediately to the location of such wildlife when the shot was fired is not a reasonable attempt to locate game.

2. [ ] Except as otherwise provided in articles 1 to 6 of this title or by rule of the commission, it is unlawful for a person to fail to reasonably attempt to dress or care for and provide for human consumption the edible portions of game wildlife. A person who violates this subsection (2) is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall, with respect to big game, be punished by a fine of three hundred dollars and an assessment of fifteen license suspension points or shall, with respect to all other game wildlife, be punished by a fine of one hundred dollars and an assessment of ten license suspension points.
3. It is unlawful for any person to use wildlife as bait unless otherwise provided by rule of the commission. Any person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of two hundred dollars and an assessment of ten license suspension points.

(2) [ ] Except as otherwise provided in articles 1 to 6 of this title 33 or by rule of the commission, it is unlawful for a person to fail to reasonably attempt to dress or care for and provide for human consumption the edible portions of game wildlife. A person who violates this subsection (2) commits a class 2 misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall, with respect to big game, be punished by a fine of three hundred dollars and an assessment of fifteen license suspension points or shall, with respect to all other game wildlife, be punished by a fine of one hundred dollars and an assessment of ten license suspension points.

History. Source: L. 84: Entire article R&RE, p. 875, § 1, effective January 1, 1985. L. 2003: (1)(a) and (2) amended and (1)(c) added, p. 1032, § 10, effective July 1. L. 2019: (1)(a) and (3) amended,(HB 19-1026), ch. 423, p. 3695, § 10, effective July 1. L. 2021: (2) amended,(SB 21-271), ch. 462, p. 3260, § 558, effective March 1, 2022.

1. This section is similar to former § 33-6-107 as it existed prior to 1984.
2. Section 803(2) of chapter 462 (SB 21-271), Session Laws of Colorado 2021, provides that the act changing this section applies to offenses committed on or after March 1, 2022.

For the short title (“Respect the Great Outdoors Act”) and the legislative declaration in HB 19-1026, see sections 1 and 2 of chapter 423, Session Laws of Colorado 2019.

Persons hunting with valid hunting licenses not exempt from these provisions. People v. Gordon, 160 P.3d 284 (Colo. App. 2007).

The general assembly enacted different penal provisions for each offense, identified each with a different title, and, thus, intended to establish more than one offense; therefore, violations of this section and §§ 33-6-109 , 33-6-111 , and 33-6-117 constitute separate offenses. People v. Gordon, 160 P.3d 284 (Colo. App. 2007).