Warden Blotter: Ashland, Sauk and Columbia warden teams
February 14, 2013
By: Bureau of Law Enforcement
Warden teams based out of north, south central Wisconsin
Ashland County
Warden Amie Egstad of Bayfield received a call about an injured bald eagle on the side of Friendly Valley Road. But a DNR Wildlife Biologist had already recovered the eagle before Egstad’s arrival. Unfortunately the eagle died shortly after being recovered. This was the second eagle within a month in the immediate area dying from lead poisoning.
Warden Egstad was working ice fishermen on Lake Superior when Egstad noticed several trucks parked in a state lot on the south end of Chequamegon Bay. The only tracks in the snow of ATV/snowmobiles leaving the trucks were right down a walking path on state land. In the middle of the path is a sign stating, no unauthorized motorized vehicle use in the boundaries of the property. Egstad waited and the fishermen came out on 3 ATVs and a snowmobile. Citations were issued for operating motorized vehicles on state property.
After locating a fresh drag trail, Warden John Krull of Superior backtracked to find a deer stand, bait pile and evidence of a fresh deer kill. Numerous attempts to contact a hunter at the site were unsuccessful. Krull received a citizen complaint of a second deer kill at the site and the next day was able to contact a subject in a ground-blind overlooking the bait pile. The subject attempted to conceal a .30-.30 rifle in the blind, but it was determined the rifle was used to harvest two deer at the site in an area closed to firearms hunting.
Warden Jill Schartner, of Drummond, investigated a slough area in Sawyer County where she had received a complaint of ice fishermen over bagging. Four subjects showed up to fish the area and Schartner documented they were using too many lines, which two of them were cited for. Three of the subjects were also arrested for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Warden Schartner spent many hours this month working both early morning and late evening hours checking local lakes and those out ice fishing at which time both warnings and citations were issued for persons fishing with too many lines, persons fishing with unattended lines, persons fishing without a fishing license and for possessing undersize walleye.
The Bayfield County Sheriff’s Department phoned Warden Schartner explaining a snowmobile accident occurred within miles of Schartner’s home. Schartner responded and met Deputy Runice who jumped in Schartner’s squad and they followed a member of the snowmobile party back to the accident scene. Schartner and Runice assisted the accident victim until the EMTs arrived. An investigation began at which time three of the four snowmobile party members were arrested and cited for alcohol related charges, including the accident victim.
Sauk and Columbia counties
Warden John Buss of Sauk received a call and a texted picture of a man that shot a bobcat in Sauk County. The person who received the text showed it to several people and Warden Buss received a call that the bobcat was illegally shot out of season. Warden Buss investigated the complaint and it turned out the suspect shot one of his barn yard cats that looked like a bobcat. Warden Buss did confirm that the cat was a barn cat.
Conservation Warden Mike Green of the Wisconsin Dells, Supervisor David Holmes and Supervisor Roy Zellmer were called and responded to work police and security at the State Capital for the state of the state address and in response to the bomb incident earlier in the day.
Warden Michael Green assisted Devil’s Lake State Park Ranger Ken Lane with a complaint of an ice shanty being broken into on Devil’s Lake where a wood stove was stolen. Warden Green assisted with taking photos and collecting basic information from the shanty owner.
Warden David Horzewski of Reedsburg worked fishing enforcement on the area lakes with the local sportsmen’s’ club's ice fisheree. Warden Horzewski contacted two fishermen below the old dam on the Baraboo River in La Valle. The two fishermen had nine lines in the water. Horzewski cited the fishermen for fishing with too many lines.
Warden Paul Nadolski of Portage and recruit Warden Kyle Lynch attended a Hunter Safety and a Snowmobile Safety class as well as a local sportsmen’s club meeting.
Wardens Paul Nadolski of Portage and Recruit Warden Kyle Lynch responded to a call of two subjects cutting firewood on the Swan Lake Wildlife Area. The wardens advised the subjects of the proper way to get a firewood cutting permit; however, one of the subjects was arrested on a warrant out of Columbia County.