CWEPA Life Saving Award

On 11/21/24, Ian was checking hunters near Lost Park  Wilderness area. As we all do after checking a few folks, it was time to decide which way to go. He did the imaginary coin flip and decided to go north. As he drove further into the forest, he came to an area where he saw a truck parked and what looked like a person lying on the ground away from the truck. It was a very cold November morning and there was snow on the ground. When he pulled up to the truck, he realized that it was a person lying on the ground. He jumped out of the truck, surveyed the area around the truck and ran up to the person on the ground. It turned out to be a frail 87-year-old man. Ian quickly checked him for any injuries and got him up off the ground. Turns out his family left him at the truck to go hunt and they had been gone at least an hour, probably longer. The man had gotten out to stretch his legs and fell. He was unable to get back up or call for help. Needless to say, he was extremely cold and having difficulty moving. Ian helped him get back to the truck, checked him for any further injuries and got the truck started so he could warm up. There was no cell service where this happened. Once  he was feeling better, Ian left him with the advice of waiting in the truck until his family got back at lunch. Everyone was happy Ian's coin flip went the way it did.

CWEPA Medal of Valor Award

On April 13, 2024, Colorado Wildlife Officer Stuart Sinclair was on patrol near Delta when he observed a shed on fire on private property. Sinclair sped towards the fire, observing a shed fully engulfed in flames, a dog tied to the flaming shed, and no one around. Sinclair called for the fire department, freed the dog, and attempted to contact the homeowner by banging on the door. When Fire first arrived on scene, Stuart assisted the lone firefighter by operating the fire hose and assisting to extinguish the shed and keep the fire from spreading to the house. Homeowner Greg Conner later called to commend Sinclair for his actions and to express his gratitude. Conner stated that “if he had not stopped and taken action immediately, we would have lost our house that day.” Sinclair’s quick actions were the sole reason no one was injured and that the fire did not spread to the home. Conner wanted to make sure that Sinclair was recognized for his actions because he “was the hero of the day” and “he didn’t back away at all!” He described Sinclair as “tougher than cold blue steel” and said that Sinclair “jumped on board and really kicked some [expletive]” with his quick thinking and bravery. Sinclair saved life and property, risking his own safety in the process. Thankfully, he came away with only some singed boots, the dog had only some singed fur, and the home was saved. For this event, we nominate CWO Stuart Sinclair for the CWEPA Medal of Valor.

Jon Wangnild Memorial Wildlife Case of the Year

On Thanksgiving Day of 2023, Aaron Berschied set aside his big plate of food and time with his family to respond to a poaching call of a deer in Teller County. This case is still currently ongoing so not much will be said about that other than it was a late night for him and Travis Sauder doing game warden work. From this case, another tremendous case emerged. 

In December 2023, Areas 2 and 14 conducted a search warrant on a house in Area 2. Focused on a well-known podcaster, the warrant took all day where over 180 hard drives and SD cards were seized, not to mention three phones. The teams now faced months, if not years, of processing work. Aaron managed the communication with officers for assisting in reviewing the mountain of pictures and videos from the podcaster. Sam Perterson was one of the officers that raised his hand to watch weeks of hunting videos and pictures so the case could continue to move forward. 

While watching a video from 2022, Sam saw two individuals driving in a vehicle plus the cameraman. A large 6x5 bull elk was running down a road with the vehicle closely following. The vehicle stops, then a rifle shot rings out. The bull is clearly hit and the video cuts out. With a myriad of illegal issues surrounding the elk, Sam quickly followed up on this with Aaron realizing that the statute of limitations was approaching in only a few days. 

Tyson Floersheim stepped in and using his knowledge of his district, determined that the elk was running next to County Road 82 in Teller County. Officers also noticed a couple of interesting pictures of a large buck that was alive in the first picture then dead in the next. Tyson was also able to match the location to the landscape for the picture when the deer was alive. While working on their days off, the officers scrambled to make sure citations could be served before the statute of limitations was up. With just a day or two to spare, they managed to serve the citations to three parties. 

Aaron is a tenacious case officer who shepherds his cases through the judicial system as well as any officer. Due to his diligence the following plea deal was reached with the well known Wildlife Attorney Patrick Welsh on Dec. 2, 2024.

Jon Wangnild Memorial Wildlife Case of the Year

On Thanksgiving Day of 2023, Aaron Berschied set aside his big plate of food and time with his family to respond to a poaching call of a deer in Teller County. This case is still currently ongoing so not much will be said about that other than it was a late night for him and Travis Sauder doing game warden work. From this case, another tremendous case emerged. 

In December 2023, Areas 2 and 14 conducted a search warrant on a house in Area 2. Focused on a well-known podcaster, the warrant took all day where over 180 hard drives and SD cards were seized, not to mention three phones. The teams now faced months, if not years, of processing work. Aaron managed the communication with officers for assisting in reviewing the mountain of pictures and videos from the podcaster. Sam Perterson was one of the officers that raised his hand to watch weeks of hunting videos and pictures so the case could continue to move forward. 

While watching a video from 2022, Sam saw two individuals driving in a vehicle plus the cameraman. A large 6x5 bull elk was running down a road with the vehicle closely following. The vehicle stops, then a rifle shot rings out. The bull is clearly hit and the video cuts out. With a myriad of illegal issues surrounding the elk, Sam quickly followed up on this with Aaron realizing that the statute of limitations was approaching in only a few days. 

Tyson Floersheim stepped in and using his knowledge of his district, determined that the elk was running next to County Road 82 in Teller County. Officers also noticed a couple of interesting pictures of a large buck that was alive in the first picture then dead in the next. Tyson was also able to match the location to the landscape for the picture when the deer was alive. While working on their days off, the officers scrambled to make sure citations could be served before the statute of limitations was up. With just a day or two to spare, they managed to serve the citations to three parties. 

Aaron is a tenacious case officer who shepherds his cases through the judicial system as well as any officer. Due to his diligence the following plea deal was reached with the well known Wildlife Attorney Patrick Welsh on Dec. 2, 2024.

Jon Wangnild Memorial Wildlife Case of the Year

On Thanksgiving Day of 2023, Aaron Berschied set aside his big plate of food and time with his family to respond to a poaching call of a deer in Teller County. This case is still currently ongoing so not much will be said about that other than it was a late night for him and Travis Sauder doing game warden work. From this case, another tremendous case emerged. 

In December 2023, Areas 2 and 14 conducted a search warrant on a house in Area 2. Focused on a well-known podcaster, the warrant took all day where over 180 hard drives and SD cards were seized, not to mention three phones. The teams now faced months, if not years, of processing work. Aaron managed the communication with officers for assisting in reviewing the mountain of pictures and videos from the podcaster. Sam Perterson was one of the officers that raised his hand to watch weeks of hunting videos and pictures so the case could continue to move forward. 

While watching a video from 2022, Sam saw two individuals driving in a vehicle plus the cameraman. A large 6x5 bull elk was running down a road with the vehicle closely following. The vehicle stops, then a rifle shot rings out. The bull is clearly hit and the video cuts out. With a myriad of illegal issues surrounding the elk, Sam quickly followed up on this with Aaron realizing that the statute of limitations was approaching in only a few days. 

Tyson Floersheim stepped in and using his knowledge of his district, determined that the elk was running next to County Road 82 in Teller County. Officers also noticed a couple of interesting pictures of a large buck that was alive in the first picture then dead in the next. Tyson was also able to match the location to the landscape for the picture when the deer was alive. While working on their days off, the officers scrambled to make sure citations could be served before the statute of limitations was up. With just a day or two to spare, they managed to serve the citations to three parties. 

Aaron is a tenacious case officer who shepherds his cases through the judicial system as well as any officer. Due to his diligence the following plea deal was reached with the well known Wildlife Attorney Patrick Welsh on Dec. 2, 2024.

Jon Wangnild Memorial Case of the Year Runner Up

On October 3rd, 2023, Garrett Smith contacted a vehicle with elk antlers visibly present in the bed of a truck. No meat was present, so Garrett proceeded with an investigation into why only the head, antlers, and cape were in the defendant’s possession at the time of the contact. Initially told that the bull elk was killed the previous evening and not located until later that following morning, the defendant expressed that the elk meat was rotten and not salvageable when they found it. Garrett suspected that there was more to this story, and asked the defendant, along with those accompanying the defendant, to show him the carcass. The defendant’s guide expressed that the defendant was in a hurry to catch a flight home, out of state, but offered to show Garrett the elk carcass later that day, on the private ranch where it was killed. Garrett waited patiently for the guide to return, however, the guide never showed. Garrett was able to locate the elk carcass on his own and found that none of the meat smelled rotten or appeared to be spoiled. As a result, the hunter was initially charged with one count of Willful Destruction of Wildlife for removing only the head, antlers, and cape and abandoning the meat from the elk, which is a Class V Felony. Garrett collected several meat samples from various parts of the carcass and retained those samples in the area’s evidence collection freezer. Unfortunately, as this case was being litigated, the evidence freezer malfunctioned and shut off for multiple days, resulting in the deterioration of said evidence, further complicating the case. However, the prosecutor ultimately offered the defendant a deal, resulting in the defendant entering a plea of guilty to one count of Waste of Wildlife (big game), under a deferred judgement and sentence, as well as pay a $25,000.00 donation to Operation Game Thief (OGT), in addition to associated fines/costs and license suspension points. The defendant’s guide, a codefendant in this case, was also ordered to make an additional $25,000.00 donation to OGT as well. This case resulted in one of the largest donations ever made to Operation Game Thief, totaling $50,000.00, a truly astonishing result, considering all of the challenges that Garrett faced during both the investigation and subsequent prosecution of this case. This case was just one of several large cases that Garrett worked on during the last year, all taking a tremendous amount of time, investigative skills, effort, and dogged determination.

Horizon Award 

Nominated by Area 1 Staff (Mark Lamb, Jenny Campbell, Ian Petkash, Brance Anderson, Dawson Swanson, Scott Murdoch, Joe Nicholson, Tim Woodward, Joe Walter, Tyler Stoltzfus, Jacob Eggers, Bill Rivale, Ty Anderson), and Area 1 Investigator Eric Harper 

We are excited to nominate Jacob Sonberg for the prestigious Horizon Award within Colorado Parks and Wildlife/CWEPA. Throughout his time in our area, Jacob's exceptional contributions have been clearly evident, and his proactive approach has made a lasting impact on the agency’s mission. 

Jacob’s dedication to teamwork is unmatched. He consistently goes above and beyond by participating in physical conditioning sessions and offering assistance to his colleagues whenever needed. His willingness to step into any role requested demonstrates his true commitment to the team, helping to foster a supportive and collaborative work environment within our agency. He has also stepped up to work with challenging stakeholders and members of the community who hold different opinions on the way land or wildlife should be managed. A key highlight of Jacob’s work in the area was his handling of an important case involving a large 7x7 bull elk. Not only did he successfully resolve the case, but his leadership and discretion in dealing with the defendant were outstanding. His ability to make sound decisions in such a high-pressure situation earned praise from veteran officers, showcasing his professionalism and exceptional judgment. 

In addition to this success, Jacob’s attention to detail and astute observations led to the identification of a repeat offender in a trespass and illegal elk case near Genesee. Another officer sent Jacob photos of a vehicle involved in a crime and Jacob recognized that vehicle as one he had contacted in a neighboring GMU. The detailed questioning during the contact that was captured on body-worn-camera footage showed his meticulous approach to day-to-day hunter contacts. He obtained excellent admissions from the suspect, who stated that he didn’t have permission anywhere and that he knew he needed to get permission to hunt prior to hunting. Thanks to Jacob’s contact, officers were able to identify and cite the individual who demonstrated his knowledge of the law. 

Jacob has also played a key role in advancing the restoration of native greenback cutthroat trout in the Pine and Evergreen areas. Through his efforts in building strong partnerships between Colorado Parks and Wildlife and local landowners, Jacob has helped drive this critical conservation project forward. His proactive approach to collaboration not only supports the restoration of an important species but also strengthens relationships between stakeholders in the field of wildlife conservation. 

Jacob Sonberg’s leadership, decision-making skills, and commitment to collaborative conservation make him an invaluable asset to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. His achievements as a new officer reflect his unwavering dedication to the agency’s long-term mission. In conclusion, Jacob Sonberg’s exceptional performance, leadership, and contributions make him an ideal candidate for the Horizon Award. He has set a high standard for excellence and service within our agency and is deserving of recognition for his remarkable commitment to our mission. 

Cliff Coghill Career Achievement Award

Do you know the legend of Old Mose, the legendary Grizzly Bear that lived amongst the settlers of Park and Fremont counties over 120 years ago? If not,  you should take the time to read about this remarkable bear that met its demise in 1904 on Black Mountain northwest of Canon City. One hundred years later,  this Agency placed a man with the same character to roam Black Mountain. He is a towering figure, ferocious when necessary, but one who cares about his kind and will do anything for them. Bob Carochi continues to "cut the model" of the Colorado Game Warden and inspires others through his commitment to the Resource and his fellow officers. Bob started his career in Hot Sulphur Springs in 2000 as a Wildlife Property Technician. He received his commission that year while performing his property work throughout Middle Park. Bob was fortunate to work with outstanding game wardens who became mentors and set the standard, including Rob Firth, Bob Thompson, Jerry Classen, and Mike Crosby.  Bob transitioned to District Wildlife Manager in the Lake City district in late 2001, coming in after the tragic death of longtime game warden Phil Mason.  Bob brought his energy and enthusiasm to the new district and quickly developed connections with the community. His commitment to protecting the resource led to many big cases. 

Bob moved to “the” Canon City in 2004 and has been the Game Warden in the 263 district for the past 21 years. Working in the district where you grew up can be difficult, but Bob has been able to use his community connections to advocate for the resource. Bob is willing to put in the work and go the extra mile. His law enforcement ethic is exemplary and few cases go unsolved in his district. Bob understands that issuing a citation is only the beginning. He works well with the local court system, and submits well-reasoned case reports that lead to convictions.  Bob Carochi believes wholeheartedly in the multi-purpose game warden that focuses on the Resource. He understands this work and knows that an officer can’t just focus on one aspect of the job. He knows that land use, education, habitat work, outreach, customer service, and administrative tasks all have their importance. Bob is always looking for opportunities to improve his district. He is active in acquiring properties for wildlife recreation, increasing wildlife diversity, and improving the land on which wildlife depends. 

Bob has been keenly interested and active in the development of Wildlife Officers. As a Field Training Officer, Bob takes it upon himself every year to mentor and coach new officers. Bob’s unfettered approach to mentoring provides a reality check for anyone walking into this field. His honesty and straightforward demeanor are traits we often need more of. Although he can be gentle, he believes in making all of us, including himself, the best we can be. Often this requires confronting the harsh realities of what it takes to be a Game Warden and the sacrifices we endure for the Resource. As an active member of the Firearms Board, Bob is always looking out for our officers. He recognizes the need for adaptability and his opinions are based on reality knowing that our officers operate alone and far away from backup. You need people like Bob to bring balance and someone who asks the hard questions. We can try to solve everything with technology and the most current advancements in training, but it comes down to the person behind the gun that matters and that is where Bob keeps his focus. He is an active firearms instructor in Area 13 and takes his skills statewide hosting and teaching patrol rifle instructor courses. 

Bob served as the President of CWEPA during a pivotal time when CWEPA greatly improved legal coverage benefits for officers. Bob worked with agency leadership and membership to build support behind this effort, which has helped many officers who needed additional services. Bob Carochi is a dedicated husband and proud father of two daughters. His wife, Jonilea, has produced uniform items for game wardens across Colorado. His daughter, Toni, is a Daniels Scholarship recipient and competes in volleyball and track at Bethany College. His younger daughter, Domi, is an honor roll student and multi-sport athlete at Canon City High School. Bob has travelled all over the country supporting his family in their academic and athletic pursuits. He is a connoisseur of Disneyland as well. Bob also takes time to continue to hunt with his family and recently returned from a successful deer camp with his brothers and father. Being a Colorado Game Warden is a family affair for the Carochi family. This nomination can’t possibly highlight all of Bob’s character. It hasn’t always been easy for Bob, but he has earned it every step of the way. Bob Carochi is the 2012 John D. Hart Officer of the Year. That award inspired him to work even harder, and he continues to achieve that level of excellence every day of every year. From Bob himself, “If it was easy, everyone would do it.” 

And, of course, for those of you who have worked with Bob, look around on your equipment or truck and see if you can’t find “263 rulz” hidden somewhere.