Warden Blotter: Cases from Adams, Wood, Juneau and Marathon counties
Stolen deer brings hefty citation; plus poaching, shining, spill among recent cases handled by Wisconsin River warden team
April 23, 2013
By: Bureau of Law Enforcement
Warden Bill Miller of Adams has been presented Warden of the Year award for 2012 from the Association of Midwest Fish and Game Law Enforcement Officers and the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
Warden Miller traveled to Kenosha to investigate a Larceny of Game case where a man took a deer belonging to another man, registered the deer in the other man’s name and butchered it. Miller seized the deer and issued the thief a $2,152.50 citation.
After a lengthy investigation into recent complaints, Warden Barry Fetting of Marshfield contacted a septic hauler after observing the operator applying residential holding tank waste to an agricultural field. Upon contact, Fetting noted several violations including: spreading on an unapproved field; records violations; failure to lime prior to application; failure to test PH prior to application; and, operating with an uncapped discharge pipe. Enforcement action was taken.
Warden Barry Fetting received a complaint from a concerned citizen who observed several bags of garbage, paint cans and other household waste discarded at a dead end road at the McMillan Marsh. Fetting located the responsible party returned the trash items for appropriate disposal and issued the subject a citation for litter.
Warden Fetting gave a presentation at the State Waterfowl Convention in Wausau where he spoke about hunter recruitment efforts related to an annual Learn to Waterfowl Hunt at the Mead.
Warden Fetting responded to a complaint in November from the Wood County Sheriff’s Department that a landowner observed late shining activity near his residence and confronted juveniles who were found in possession of freshly killed deer. The case was adjudicated this month in a Wood County court. Each subject was found guilty of several counts of illegal hunting which resulted in 3 years revocation of each subject’s hunting fishing and trapping privileges in addition to their fines.
Warden Mike Rader of Wausau coordinated the cleanup of a diesel spill east of Stratford with the responsible party, the Marathon County Sheriff’s Department, the Stratford Fire Department and the DNR Regional Spills Coordinator. A truck was found to have hit a tractor while attempting to pass the tractor on Highway 153. The truck’s fuel tank was ruptured causing diesel fuel to leak into the ditch.
Warden Ben Herzfeldt of Schofield attended a sentencing hearing for a felon that was hunting without a license and apprehended during the 2012 gun deer season. The person was found guilty on all counts and was ordered to pay approximately $1,400 in forfeitures, lost his DNR privileges/approvals for 3 years and had his gun confiscated. The individual was also ordered to 3 years of probation for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Warden Matt Weber of Necedah investigated a littering complaint in Necedah Township where garbage was dumped on the ice of the Yellow River. Warden Weber located the responsible party, took enforcement action and had him clean it up.
Warden Matt Weber attended a Learn to Hunt Turkey event sponsored by the Lemonweir Valley Longbeards Chapter at the New Lisbon Sportsman Club. Warden Weber gave a presentation on firearm safety and talked about the turkey hunting regulations.
Warden Wade Romberg of Adams County investigated an individual for shooting a deer in his backyard in early March. Investigation revealed that the suspect had killed 4 deer illegally, took trout without a stamp and during the closed season, killed geese in the month of February, and shot a turkey without a permit and also used a rifle for the harvest.
If you have information regarding natural resource violations, please call: VIOLATION HOTLINE: 1-800-TIP-WDNR or 1-800-847-9367. The hotline is in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Trained staff relay reported information to conservation wardens. Anyone who calls the Violation Hotline or provides information can remain anonymous.