Colorado
3 plead guilty in Colorado poaching case, face nearly $50,000 in fines
After a three-year, multi-state poaching investigation, three men pleaded guilty to a combined 19 hunting and wildlife violations in Jefferson and Adams counties, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Together, the three face nearly $50,000 in fines, state officials said in a news release.
“These defendants took deliberate actions to break dozens of laws with a complete disregard for the wildlife of the state; they were poachers, not hunters,” CPW officer Scott Murdoch said. “Hunters are those who act morally and legally when out in the field. Poachers are folks who actively take advantage of the laws and wildlife resources.”
Jeffrey Flaherty, 58, accepted a plea deal in September and pleaded guilty to 13 misdemeanors, including illegally possessing big game, baiting wildlife, hunting elk out of season and making false statements on license applications, according to court records.
The 58-year-old lied about being a Colorado resident to make it easier to obtain a hunting license and to pay lower licensing fees, state officials said. Investigators said Jeffrey Flaherty held an active Florida driver’s license and voted as a Florida resident in the 2020 election.
His plea deal dropped 14 additional charges — including multiple counts of baiting bears, providing false information on license applications and illegally possessing big game — from his case, according to court records.
As part of the plea deal, charges against two other defendants — Tyrrell Flaherty and Tiffany Flaherty — were also dismissed, state officials said in the release.
Together, the two faced an additional 16 misdemeanors, according to court records.
Jeffrey Flaherty was fined $42,787 and received two years of supervised probation, restricting his ability to hunt and fish in Colorado, state officials said. He also faces mandatory five-year license suspension through a separate CPW hearing.
The license suspension would extend to 48 other states, state officials said.
Andrew Flaherty, Jeffrey Flaherty’s 27-year-old son, pled guilty last December to three misdemeanors including illegal possession of wildlife, hunting bull elk with bait and hunting out of season, state officials said in the release.
State officials said trail cameras caught the father and son setting out food to illegally bait wildlife on multiple occasions and captured the two harvesting a mule deer near the bait.
The 27-year-old was fined $3,646 and will also undergo a hunting and fishing license suspension hearing, according to court records.
Kenneth Curtis, 75, pleaded guilty to three misdemeanors including baiting bears, illegally hunting wildlife with bait and failing to wear daylight fluorescent orange while hunting, state officials said.
Curtis was charged $1,646 in fines and his hunting and fishing privileges were suspended for one year, according to state officials.
In an interview with CPW officers, Curtis, who occasionally tended the Flaherty property and lives nearby, said he spoke with Jeffrey Flaherty about placing elk innards and pumpkins to attract a black bear.
State officials said Curtis admitted to using game meat to draw bears to the area, a violation of Colorado statutes, but officers did not find evidence Curtis harvested a bear.
“Baiting wildlife does not follow the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation,” CPW area wildlife manager Mark Lamb said. “It does not allow an animal the fair chase and lawful opportunity they deserve.”
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Colorado
Julian Lewis Says Deion Sanders’ Colorado ‘Wasn’t Really Looking at Defenses Much’ Last Season
Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis made a stunning admission that could explain the team’s 3-9 finish to the 2025 season.
While speaking to ESPNU at Big 12 media days, Lewis was asked what the biggest difference was between last year and this year, and he revealed that the Deion Sanders-coached Buffaloes typically didn’t watch film during his first season with the team.
“My play, I’m actually looking at the defenses now,” Lewis said. “Last year, we wasn’t really looking at defenses much, just kind of high school free-balling, just out there playing football. But it’s a lot bigger than that now, so it should be fun.”
Before taking a redshirt year, Lewis played in four games as a true freshman with two starts and threw for 589 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 55.3 percent of his passes. He should fare even better this season with the benefit of film study.
Lewis will enter the 2026 campaign as Colorado’s starting quarterback, so he will have the opportunity to show his improvements when the Buffaloes open the year against Georgia Tech on Sept. 3.
State and federal agencies are starting to reopen public lands, state wildlife areas and a segment of the Colorado River that were closed in light of the Snyder Fire in Mesa County.
Stage 2 fire restrictions — banning all open fire or flames, including charcoal grills and wood-burning stoves — remain in effect as extreme fire danger, spurred on by hot and dry conditions, persists across the region.
The Snyder Fire started on Friday, June 26, when several smaller fires burning on the Colorado-Utah border combined. As of July 7, the fire was 98% contained after burning over 30,200 acres and killing three wildland firefighters.
With fire activity decreasing and containment increasing, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Bureau of Land Management shared their plans Tuesday to reopen lands impacted by the wildfire.
Parks and Wildlife said in a news release that it, alongside the Bureau of Land Management, had lifted the closure for public access and downstream recreation on the Colorado River, starting at the James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park in Fruita and extending to the Utah state line. It also reopened the boat ramp at the Fruita section of the James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park in Fruita to downstream traffic.
The state agency’s Horsethief State Wildlife Area in Fruita and the Loma Boat Launch State Wildlife Area also reopened.
The BLM said in a news release that all lands within the perimeter of the Snyder Fire burn area remain closed to ensure public and firefighter safety.
“The burned landscape — including vegetation — remains dynamic and unpredictable as it naturally recovers from the fire impacts. This order is effective immediately and will remain in effect until the order is rescinded,” the BLM said.
Both agencies also warned that fire danger remains extremely elevated and Stage 2 fire restrictions are in place.
A map of current federal and state fire restrictions is available on the Rocky Mountain Area Interagency Fire Restriction Dashboard or by visiting DFPC.Colorado.Gov/sections/wildfire-information-center. The Colorado Trails Explorer (or COTREX) app also has wildfire closure alerts.
Under current conditions, Parks and Wildlife advised the following actions to prevent sparking wildfires:
- Use established rings: Where permitted, only build campfires inside permanent metal fire rings in designated campgrounds.
- Clear nearby debris: Remove all dry grass, leaves and pine needles within a 10-foot radius of any flame.
- Drown and stir: Extinguish fires completely with water, stir the ashes, and ensure the debris is cold to the touch.
- Watch campfires constantly: Never leave a fire or portable stove unattended. If you see an unattended fire, call 911.
- Keep vehicles off brush: Avoid parking or idling cars on tall, dry grass where hot exhaust systems can ignite a fire.
- Secure towing equipment: Ensure trailer safety chains do not drag and spark against asphalt. Check them at every stop.
The BLM added that under its Stage 2 restrictions, smoking is prohibited except in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
Gas-powered stoves or grills with a shut-off valve are still allowed in cleared areas under this stage.
Violating Stage 2 fire restrictions by lighting a campfire is a Class 2 misdemeanor. Violators face an immediate citation, a mandatory court appearance, steep fines and potential jail time. Additionally, you can be held financially liable for all fire suppression costs and property damage if the campfire sparks a wildfire.
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