Warden Blotter: Spooner Warden Team December 17, 2012
By: Bureau of Law Enforcement
Warden Dave Swanson of Minong and Warden Sue Miller of Hayward had a meeting with a local group of young waterfowl hunters. Complaints had been received and several had been cited for waterfowl violations. The educational proactive meeting was held to connect with the hunters and their parents. The wardens hope to see an improvement in ethics, safety and prevention of future violations.
Warden Paul Martin of Webster gave a fur collection presentation to the Webster Boy Scout Troop.
Warden Jon Hagen of Spooner assisted Washburn County Deputy Will Fisher on a complaint of hunters trespassing on ATVs. Upon contact with the group, Warden Hagen noticed a small fawn in a cart attached to the ATV. The deer was tagged with a unit 22 tag and Warden Hagen was standing in unit 15. Enforcement action was taken.
Warden Jesse Ashton of Luck received a complaint that a person hunting near Atlas had shot an illegal bobcat, and the complaint stated this happened while deer hunting the last night of gun-deer season. Ashton also had information that the subject was hunting over illegal bait. Warden Ashton, with the assistance of Minnesota Warden Todd Langevin, located the subject at his residence in Minnesota. Wardens confirmed that the subject shot an illegal bobcat without a tag or a nonresident furbearer license as well as four deer over illegal bait. Enforcement action taken and bobcat was seized.
Warden Jesse Ashton and Warden Chris Spaight of Grantsburg made contact with a subject near Atlas in Polk County who was illegally baiting deer. Warden Ashton had cited or arrested the subject for several serious offenses in the past 6 years. Warden Ashton also located marijuana in the subject’s residence. Enforcement action was taken and the marijuana was turned over to the Polk County Sheriff’s Department for felony charges.
Warden Jesse Ashton and Warden Shaun Tyznik of Amery responded to a call from a Polk County deputy who was out at a trespassing complaint. Wardens responded and through investigation found the subject had illegally baited his property with corn before gun-deer season. Wardens determined that the individual had shot several deer over bait and had killed three bucks and one doe for others who did not hunt and were not on the property when he killed the deer. Enforcement action was taken and four illegal deer were seized.
Warden Chris Spaight of Grantsburg assisted DNR Wildlife Staff and a Natural Resource Educator with presenting firearm safety information and hunting incident reports. Information also was posted in the deer registration building at Crex Meadows.
Warden Thomas Heisler of Winter had a court trial with an individual that was cited the spring of 2012 for hunting turkey over bait, possessing an untagged turkey, fail to register turkey, and hunt turkey without a valid permit. The individual was found guilty of all four counts. Fines totaled $1,262.60 and hunting privileges were revoked for one year.