Hunter trespass and illegal take near Kremmling

by Marissa Lorenz
On Friday, October 30, 2020, three individuals received citations from Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) District Ranger Tom Davies, all related to violations concerning trespass and illegal take or possession of big game that occurred the day before in the area of Bear Mountain Ranch, north of Kremmling.

Bradley J. Gutknecht, 68, of Lakewood, Colorado, was charged with unlawful entry on private land without permission and unlawful use of an electronic device to communicate information furthering a crime. He was issued an additional warning for illegal possession of a bull elk.

B. Gutknecht paid $550.50 in fines, in the field, on October 30. Payment of fines issued as a result of legal citations require an admission of guilt and no court appearance is then necessary. However, any charge of unlawful entry necessitate s a mandatory administrative hearing with CPW to determine ongoing hunter privileges.

Colorado, was cited for unlawful entry on private land without permission, illegal possession of a bull elk, use of an electronic device to communicate information furthering a crime, and unlawful use of another person’s hunting license.

D. Craft paid $2,194.50 in fines at the time of citation.
Jeffrey A. Gutknecht, 65, of Aubrey, Texas, received a summons for multiple citations. He was charged with unlawful entry on private land without permission, three separate counts of unlawful take of bull elk, failure to provide evidence of sex, failure to prepare meat for consumption, and unlawful use of an electronic device to communicate information furthering a crime.

J. Gutknecht was summoned to appear before Judge Nicholas Catanzarite in Grand County Court on November 10, 2020.

The arraignment was postponed until December 7 at 9:00am. J. Gutknecht faces up to$12,346 in potential fines.

According to Grand County records, Brad Gutknecht and his wife Robin bought two properties in Rabbit Ears Village in 2016 and 2017, totalling 14.88 acres and including a 2,165-square-foot, four-bedroom home. The adjacent properties were granted into the Gutknecht

Trust in May of 2017. Both tracts back to the former Bear Mountain Ranch, now known as Diamond Peak Ranch.

CPW Public Information Officer Randy Hampton stresses that, in the state of Colorado, “it is the obligation of hunters to know where they are, to know that they’re on land they’re allowed to be on–public land or private land they have permission to be on. In Colorado, property owners are not required to sign or fence or otherwise identify property boundaries. It is the obligation of the person in the field to know where they are.”