01/24/2026
Case closed – poachers convicted 🚨
They say you never know where the trail may lead you. For Wildlife Officer Deme Wright, the trail led to a successful conviction of several mule deer poachers in southern Colorado, thanks to her skills, passion and investigative work alongside partner law enforcement agencies.
When Wildlife Officer Wright got a tip about an abandoned mule deer buck that had been shot at Fort Carson, with the antlers cut off and much of the meat left behind, she knew she was up against a serious poaching case. Add to the mix several more deer, two more suspects and a daunting task of evidence collection.
This case was a tall order, but one Wildlife Officer Wright was up for.
From following tracks in the snow to recovering and preserving fragile evidence, Officer Wright led the way on solving the mystery. Officer Wright executed several warrants to collect valuable information, evidence that revealed the main poacher’s accomplices and the extent of their crimes. She used her forensic investigation skills to find both the bullet that killed the buck, and the spent rifle shell casing –– on an active military installation.
In total, the primary poacher faced 30 wildlife charges, was fined $19,005, issued 180 suspension points and forfeiture of his hunting rifle (which will be destroyed by Officer Wright now that the case has concluded. It will be traveling to the scrap metal pile by way of the band saw).
His co-conspirator faced 15 charges, was fined $8,817 and issued 65 suspension points. The third soldier who never pulled the trigger but helped destroy evidence, received a $900 fine. The charges against all three soldiers are misdemeanors.
Crimes like poaching hurt everyone – wildlife, and all of us. If you see something, say something. This case all started from someone calling in a suspicious find, and folks taking a cell phone picture of something that seemed out of place. Tips on poaching and suspicious activity can be reported anonymously to Operation Game Thief.
Read more about Officer Wright’s investigation and how she closed the case on these poachers: https://cpw.info/464BrJY
