2022 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
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- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- [ Editor's note: This version of subsection (2) is effective until March 1, 2022.] 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.
(2) [ Editor's note: This version of subsection (2) is effective March 1, 2022. ] 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.
- 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.
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.
Editor's note:- This section is similar to former § 33-6-107 as it existed prior to 1984.
- 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.
Cross references: 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.