Parks and Wildlife Commission upholds three license suspensions tied to alleged private‑land elk take
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Summary
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission unanimously upheld license suspensions for Deborah, Earl and Joseph Sherman after a hearing officer’s summary said investigators found footprints and drag marks indicating the elk was removed from private land; commissioners voted to affirm the hearing officer’s recommendations for each separate case.
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously on Nov. 14 to uphold three separate license suspensions connected to an October 2024 incident in which agency officers allege members of the Sherman family removed a bull elk from private land.
For the record, state hearing examiner Steve Cooley told the commission that on Oct. 27, 2024 a lessee of the 4 M Ranch reported a trespass after a hunting guide saw three people—later identified as Deborah, Earl and Joseph Sherman—shoot a bull elk without permission and then move the carcass. Wildlife officers found drag marks and footprints indicating the elk had been on private land when it died; the truck involved stopped at the public–private boundary. Cooley said the investigation could not determine whether the animal was shot on private or public land, but it did show that members of the Sherman party entered private land to remove the bull.
Cooley told the board that each of the three parties was cited for unlawfully entering private land to hunt wildlife under the statute he cited to the commission and that each paid the assessed penalty.
Chair Reeding called for separate votes on the three appeals. Commissioner Robinson moved to uphold the hearing officer’s decision in case CPW 2024180; Commissioner May seconded the motion and the commission approved it by voice vote. The commission then took separate motions and seconded votes to uphold the license suspensions in CPW 2024181 and CPW 2024182; the board approved both motions unanimously.
No representatives of the Sherman parties appeared at the hearing. Steve Cooley read into the record a written notice from Deborah Sherman saying the family could not attend. The commission proceeded on the written record and the hearing officer’s recommendation.
The commission’s action leaves the hearing officer’s recommended suspensions in place; the commission did not provide further public comment on sanction length or future remedies during the meeting.
The commission then moved to its public comment agenda.