Warden Blotter: Wisconsin River Warden Team
December 26, 2012
By: Bureau of Law Enforcement
Wisconsin River Warden Team
Warden Paul Leezer inspected and certified wild ginseng for two ginseng dealers in the Marathon area. All wild ginseng harvested in Wisconsin must be inspected and certified prior to exportation from the state.
Warden Paul Leezer investigated a complaint of an illegal trap set near a beaver pond in Mead State Wildlife Area. Upon locating the traps, Leezer found that the trapper had set three 330-size Conibear-style body grip traps on dry land. Traps of this size are not allowed to be set unless one-half of the trap is under water. None of the traps were tagged as required. Leezer sat on the traps the next day until the trapper returned to tend the traps. Contact was made and enforcement action was taken.
Warden Mike Rader spoke to a Cub Scouts meeting at Hawthorne Hills Elementary School in Wausau about the work the conservation wardens perform. Rader brought his fur collection along to illustrate the importance of seasons, bag limits, habitat and the role of predators. Rader was impressed with the Scouts’ pelt identification skills and knowledge of furbearer habitat requirements.
Wardens Ben Herzfeldt, of Schofield, and Tim Otto, of Antigo, with assistance from the Marathon County Sheriff’s Department, investigated a group of hunters based off complaints of baiting, mentored hunting violations, and a convicted felon hunting with a firearm and without a deer license. All of the information was found to be true, with several subjects hunting over illegal bait and a 10 year old hunting with his mother and father (convicted felon), and each hunter in possession of a firearm. The convicted felon was found to be hunting and also had shot a deer last year and registered it in his wife’s name. A firearm was seized, several citations issued and criminal charges pending.
During the gun deer season, Wardens Scharbarth and Kruse received a call from the Portage County Sheriff’s Dept. regarding a group of teens that had shined and shot a buck. After all was said and done a spotlight, .270 rifle, and deer were seized and charges are pending for the illegal activity.
Wardens Jon Scharbarth, of Stevens Point, and Recruit Isaac Kruse received information from the Portage County Sheriff’s Dept. about a vehicle engaged in road hunting activities in western Portage County. Scharbarth and Kruse located a very fresh gut pile on the side of a road with a drag trail coming from a field and across the road. A short time later Scharbarth and Kruse located the suspect vehicle in the area and after a traffic stop located a freshly killed antlerless deer in the bed of the truck. Kruse was able to determine the vehicle operator had shot this deer illegally, field dressed it, left the gut pile on the side of the road, trespassed to retrieve it, and then left the area. Enforcement action was taken and the deer was seized.
Warden Barry Fetting, of Marshfield, responded to a complaint last month from the Wood County Sheriff’s Department that a landowner observed late shining activity near his residence and confronted two of the four male juveniles who were found in possession of freshly killed deer. Fetting and Wood County Deputies responded and initiated an investigation identifying the other two individuals involved. During the subsequent investigation, Fetting learned that the four juveniles shot multiple deer from vehicles in Wood County throughout the fall with .22 rifles at night and with the aid of artificial light. In most cases, wounded deer were not retrieved before the group would move to another field. Enforcement action was taken.
Warden Wade Romberg investigated several cases during the deer season where individuals shot from the vehicle or from the road. One case involved two individuals that shot from the vehicle with a .357 revolver, then finished off the deer with a .22 caliber rim fire pistol (not legal for deer hunting), and failed to attach a tag to the deer. All this was while trespassing and within a subdivision where firearms discharge is prohibited. Another case involved a driver of a truck that shot a .40 caliber handgun (again not a legal gun for deer hunting because of the barrel length) from the passenger window of the truck. He then drove away so fast that he ran stop signs and nearly ran a squad car off the road. Multiple citations were issued in both cases.
Wardens Bill Miller, of Adams, and Recruit Warden Tony Young were contacted about two men trespassing and believed to have shot a deer from the road. After a long interview, it was determined the men saw 5 deer cross the road in front of them. They pulled over and an unlicensed hunter shot one of the deer from the truck. When they were dragging the untagged deer to the vehicle, the land owner stopped them and reported the violation. Enforcement action was taken.
Warden Matt Weber, of Necedah, contacted an archery hunter who was hunting over a shelled corn/apple bait pile in Juneau County (a bait-ban county). During the contact, Warden Weber found a hole behind the cabin containing bloody toilet paper. The archery hunter stated his buddy had gashed himself with a chainsaw the weekend before and the bloody tissue was from him. Upon further investigation, the blood was from an illegal deer that had been buried behind the cabin. Enforcement action was taken on two hunters for archery hunting over illegal baits, borrowed/loan archery tags, failure to validate/attach carcass tag, and transport illegal deer.