Investigators and animal-control officers inspect the scene where dozens of bison were shot and killed at a ranch near Hartsel. Katie O'Brien, the 11th Judicial District prosecutor in Fairplay, described a scene of carnage. "It wasn't pretty," she said. (THE DENVER POST | RJ SANGOSTI)
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By Howard Pankratz

The Denver Post

Authorities charged today that an Austin, Texas, businessman, frustrated because a neighbor's bison were wandering onto his land near Hartsel, first threatened and then organized a hunt that led to 32 bison deaths.

According to an arrest warrant, Jeffrey Scott Hawn wrote a letter to the hunters — members of the Aztlan Native Community of Gardner — on Feb. 25 telling them that he wanted them to "get started as quickly as possible."

"You may hunt or remove them or you may remove them live and take them to the location of your choice," Hawn wrote.

The 32 bison found dead in March belonged to longtime South Park rancher Monte Downare. Hawn owns a ranch near, but not

Bison Killed

  • Download documents, including the arrest affidavit for Jeff Hawn, a letter giving one of the hunters permission to kill the bison and a leatter from Hawn's lawyer threatening to kill the bison. (10 pg - PDF)
  • View a slide show of photos of the killed bison and investigators at the scene.
  • Discuss the killing of dozens of bison in Park County.
adjacent to, the Downare ranch, according to officials.

The loss in dollars to Downare caused by the slaughter was placed by investigators at $77,000.

The warrant said Hawn is wanted on one count of felony theft, one count of felony criminal mischief and 32 counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, a Class 6 felony.

Monte Gore, undersheriff for Park County, said charges might be filed against other individuals.

"We are leaving those options open," he said.

Gore said arrangements are being made for Hawn to turn himself in.

According to the warrant affidavit, three bison were killed on Hawn's ranch; eight on Bureau of Land Management property; four on U.S. Forest Service property; 14 on the property belonging to Catherine L. Primm; and three on the property of Robert Lemm.

Officials claim that Hawn himself was involved in killing some of the animals.

Antonino Salcedo of the Aztlan Native Community, who received the Feb. 25 letter, said that Hawn told him that he had killed two bison prior to Salcedo's arrival at the property.

Salcedo said that when he and his group arrived, they saw nine "wasted carcasses," which no one took responsibility for shooting.

Several witnesses said they saw Hawn on his

One of the casualties of the March shootings. (THE DENVER POST | RJ SANGOSTI)
property with a 30.06 rifle during the last week of February and first week of March.

Officers said that during a search of Hawn's house in South Park, they recovered a 30.06 rifle, seized empty 30.06 ammunition boxes, full boxes of 30.06 ammunition and a box with four cartridges missing.

The bison were shot after Hawn and his Denver attorney, Stephen E. Csajaghy, complained about Downare's bison damaging Hawn's property.

In a letter dated Jan. 28, Csajaghy told Downare that over the previous six weeks, there had been more than 1,000 head of Downare's bison on Hawn's property. Csajaghy said he had photographic proof that "your buffalo" had broken through gates and trespassed on more than 20 occasions over the previous two months.

"There has been extensive damage to Mr. Hawn's fences, to his trees and to the grass on his property," said Csajaghy.

And in the letter, Csajaghy threatened to kill the bison.

" We are considering alternate remedies, such as allowing a hunt of any buffalo that come onto Mr. Hawn's property," Csajaghy wrote. "However, we would certainly prefer to resolve this problem amicably without having to resort to such action."

Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939

or hpankratz@denverpost.com