Denver man fined $11,000 for poaching trophy elk

CRAIG, Colo. (AP) -- A Denver man has been fined $11,000 for illegally killing a trophy elk.

The Craig Daily Press reports that the man was sentenced Monday in Moffat County Court after pleading guilty to shooting the six-point bull elk in 2015. The man may lose hunting privileges in Colorado pending a review of the case by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

The usual fine for the charge is $1,000 but the man was fined an additional $10,000 because he poached an elk with at least six points on one antler beam.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Officer Mike Swaro says Game Management Unit 2, where the poaching took place, is managed for trophy elk and it can take more than 20 years to legally draw a tag to hunt in the area.