Four bull elk were illegally killed on four separate ranches in Las Animas County, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said on Wednesday. The elk were shot on Sept. 13, 26, and 27 near Stonewall and Picketwire, the agency said.

One of those elk was shot and left fully intact, another was wounded and had to be put down by wildlife officers, another had its backstraps removed, and another had its head removed with no meat taken from it.

"These were senseless and disgraceful acts which demonstrates a complete disregard for Colorado wildlife," Jim Hawkins, CPW's assistant chief of law enforcement and operation game thief coordinator, said in a news release.

Poaching is a crime that CPW says harms wildlife, outdoor enthusiasts, legal and ethical hunters, businesses, and taxpayers. When the animal ki

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