Charges filed against local hunters

Big fines possible

Three local men are facing a series of charges for a hunting incident gone awry on Wednesday, October 17, across from the Crested Butte Country Club golf course. Two sets of charges are being considered through Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Mt. Crested Butte Police department.

CPW issued tickets last week to Gary Schaffer, Steve Snyder and Tom Dill, all of Crested Butte. All three received tickets for “Hunting in a careless manner” and “Illegal possession with special circumstances involving three or more animals.”
The fine for the illegal possession charge ranges from $1,370 to $10,000 per animal and could include one year in prison if levied to the maximum. Hunting and fishing privileges could also be suspended for life. The hunting in a careless manner charge could result in a potential fine of $100 to $1,000 if the men are convicted.
Snyder and Dill, who did the actual shooting in the incident, were also charged with “Failure to pursue wounded animal/waste of edible game” that comes with a $300 fine and “Not wearing required fluorescent orange,” which has a $50 fine. Shaffer did not shoot a gun during the incident but was charged with “Failure to tag an animal” for shooting an elk earlier in the week and failure to void a license. Both of those have $50 fines.
Mt. Crested Butte police chief Hank Smith said the CPW is handling all the charges connected to wildlife violations while his department is following up with the DUI and the “Prohibited use of a weapon under the influence of alcohol or drugs” charges against Schaffer.
According to a CPW notice, the district attorney has also requested the forfeiture of the defendants’ rifles. A court arraignment has been set for November 27 in Gunnison on the CPW charges. None of the charges are felonies.
“Unfortunately, this is giving all hunters a black eye,” commented CPW spokesperson Joe Lewandowski. “Sometimes people get pumped up when they see a bunch of animals but these guys all seem to be experienced hunters. They aren’t rookies. But they were shooting toward houses and toward Highway 135. It happened about 4 o’clock in the afternoon when traffic was picking up. We urge hunters to be more careful. Safety has to be the first priority. One moment of carelessness can result in a lifetime of consequences. Fortunately no one was hurt in this incident but it was a bad situation.”
Lewandowski said it appears the men were shooting into or near a herd of elk and that is where the most serious, “illegal possession” ticket came from. “There were multiple animals involved,” Lewandowski explained. “When multiple animals are on the ground, it shows the hunters weren’t really paying attention to what they were shooting at. That led to the special circumstances aspect of the charge. This was an egregious act. Most hunters don’t behave like this and unfortunately it leaves a bad impression with the general public. This was a very rare incident. Fortunately we have good wildlife protection laws in effect and there will be punishment for this.”
The men involved have said they felt the situation was safe and they were following safe hunting protocol. However, they admit, in hindsight, given the location of the property, it was not very sensitive to the non-hunters in the area and they would not take the same action again.