Warden Blotter: Late winter cases from wardens in west-central counties
April 19, 2013
By: Bureau of Law Enforcement
Shining, hunting, fishing violations, captive wildlife, dumped deer remains and community education events among warden cases
Eau Claire County
Warden Scott Thiede of Eau Claire used his patrol truck and a tow strap to assist the operator of a truck stuck in a snow drift on Lake Altoona, and provided assistance to landowners to address snowmobile complaints.
Warden Thiede also spoke with the public and many exhibitors at the 2013 Eau Claire Sport Show, spoke to students at a hunter education class and assisted DNR Wildlife staff with a Learn-To-Hunt Turkey Field Day (training lectures, mock hunts in the woods and pattern shotguns) at the Eau Claire Rod & Gun Club.
Chippewa County
Warden Shaun Deeney of Chippewa Falls received a complaint about a deer carcass and beer cans that were littered in the public parking lot at the Tom Lawin State Wildlife Area. Information found at the scene identified a suspect. During the investigation, Deeney also found the deer was not properly registered. Enforcement action was taken.
Warden Deeney testified at a court trial in Chippewa County for a defendant who captured a live Great Horned Owl and kept it captive in a cage. The defendant was found guilty of possessing a protected species and was fined.
Warden Shaun Deeney of Chippewa Falls completed an investigation and is working with the district attorney’s office on penalties related to a juvenile case involving shining and shooting deer near Bloomer.
Clark County
Warden Adam Hanna investigated unpermitted fish cribs in the Lake Arbutus area. A cottage owner was directed to remove brush materials that were placed on the ice that would have impeded navigation on Arnold Creek.
Trempealeau County
Warden Robin Barnhardt assisted a Wyoming Game Warden with investigating hunting violations which occurred in Wyoming in the fall of 2012. A ranch owner in Wyoming had illegally transferred several of his resident licenses to members of a non-resident hunting party. One of the suspects in the case lived in Eau Claire. The wardens determined that the suspect from Eau Claire illegally shot an antelope without a license, and that the suspect’s son, who lives in Seattle, Wash., illegally shot a mule deer without a license. Enforcement action will be taken in Wyoming for the violations.
Jackson and Washburn counties
Warden Jake Donar received a complaint of a dead deer that had been shot off of South Road near Hatfield. Wardens Donar and Kurt Haas responded to this call and found a deer that had been shot in the head by a high powered rifle. The investigation is continuing.
Wardens Kurt Haas and Tim Werner observed illegal traps along a stream in Burnett County. On one side of the road in a stream, Haas and Werner observed two untagged foot-hold traps on a beaver dam next to private property. On the other side of the road in the stream, Haas and Werner located a 330-body grip trap without any tag on the trap. Enforcement action was taken.
Warden Kurt Haas and Tim Werner were checking fishermen on Spooner Lake in Washburn County. Enforcement action was taken in the case of two ice fishermen related to their bagging of fish in violation of the game fish season, which had closed.