Section 33-6-117 - Willful destruction of wildlife - legislative intent(1)(a) Except as is otherwise provided in articles 1 to 6 of this title or by rule of the commission, it is unlawful for a person: (I) To hunt or take, or to solicit another person to hunt or take, wildlife and detach or remove, with the intent to abandon the carcass or body, only the head, hide, claws, teeth, antlers, horns, internal organs, or feathers or any or all of such parts;(II) To intentionally abandon the carcass or body of taken wildlife; or(III) To take and intentionally abandon wildlife.(b) A person who violates this subsection (1), with respect to: (I) Big game, eagles, and endangered species, commits a class 5 felony and shall be punished as provided in section 18-1.3-401, C.R.S., and, in addition, shall be punished by a fine of not less than one thousand dollars nor more than twenty thousand dollars. For offenses committed on or after July 1, 1985, the fine shall be in an amount within the presumptive range set out in section 18-1.3-401 (1)(a)(III), C.R.S. Upon such conviction, the commission shall assess twenty license suspension points and suspend the wildlife license privileges for one year to life of the person convicted.(II) All other wildlife species, commits a class 2 misdemeanor and is assessed twenty license suspension points.(2) The purpose and intent of this section is to protect the wildlife of this state from wanton, ruthless, or wasteful destruction or mutilation for their heads, hides, claws, teeth, antlers, horns, internal organs, or feathers, from being taken and abandoned, or any or all of the foregoing, and the provisions of this section shall be so construed.Amended by 2021 Ch. 462, § 557, eff. 3/1/2022.L. 84: Entire article R& RE, p. 874, § 1, effective 1/1/1985. L. 85: (1)(a) amended, p. 659, § 12, effective July 1. L. 94: IP(1) amended, p. 1586, § 15, effective May 31. L. 2002: (1)(a) amended, p. 1544, § 295, effective October 1. L. 2003: IP(1), (1)(a), and (2) amended, p. 1029, § 3, effective July 1. L. 2008: (1) amended, p. 537, § 2, effective August 5. L. 2021: (1)(b)(II) amended, (SB 21-271), ch. 3260, p. 3260, § 557, effective 3/1/2022.(1) This section is similar to former § 33-6-106 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.
2021 Ch. 462, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3). For the legislative declaration contained in the 2002 act amending subsection (1)(a), see section 1 of chapter 318, Session Laws of Colorado 2002.