Non-Resident Hunter Pleads Guilty to Firearms Charge After Taking an Elk Outside a Colorado Ski Town
An out-of-state hunter shot a bull elk on public land near Telluride’s Valley Floor last November, sparking outrage among the local community. Although officials determined the shot was legal, both hunters and non-hunters criticized the out-of-state hunter. The elk ran down into the Valley Floor and died, forcing the hunter to field-dress and quarter the animal in front of a small audience. Some expressed concerns about public safety due to discharging a firearm near a popular trail system, while others condemned the hunter’s unethical decision, stating that “just because you can doesn’t mean you should.” The fact that the bull was part of a resident elk herd living on the Valley Floor for most of the year worsened the public’s negative perception of the hunter.
When Outdoor Life covered this incident in November, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials confirmed that the hunter, Gerald R. Sanchez from Shallowater, Texas, legally took the bull on U.S. Forest Service land. GPS coordinates verified that both Sanchez and the elk were on a small piece of public land known as the “Wedge,” located uphill of the Valley Floor and part of Game Management Unit 70, when the hunter shot the animal on November 6.
However, recent news reveals that the hunter’s actions before and after the shot violated a local ordinance. The Town of Telluride charged Sanchez in February.
According to the Telluride Daily Planet, Sanchez violated Ordinance 1289 by carrying a firearm on the Valley Floor. The town accused Sanchez of breaking this ordinance twice: once while crossing the Valley Floor to access the Wedge, and another time when descending into the Valley Floor to field dress and pack out the elk. The Valley Floor, a privately owned open space on the outskirts of Telluride, is subject to strict conservation easements. These easements explicitly prohibit hunting, using the property to access hunting areas, disturbing wildlife, and killing wildlife on the Valley Floor.
Sanchez pled guilty to carrying a firearm on the Valley Floor, and he paid a $500 fine. The town dismissed trespassing charges for crossing the Valley Floor to reach the Wedge in exchange for a guilty plea for the hunting violation.
“This plea avoided the time and expense of a trial on all charges, but yielded the most desirable result—conviction for hunting on the Valley Floor,” said Allie Slaten, Telluride’s assistant town attorney, to the Daily Planet.
A skilled hunter, dedicated conservationist, and advocate for ethical practices. Respected in the hunting community, he balances human activity with environmental preservation.