An investigation by DNR and area law enforcement agencies into the large-scale poaching of wildlife in Washington and Fond du Lac Counties has resulted in the arrests of four suspects. Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt said that a 36-year-old woman and 3 sixteen-year-old boys, all from Campbellsport, were responsible for what was described as the “senseless, reckless and indiscriminate” killing of well over 100 deer and the capture and harassment of other wildlife including geese, raccoons, opossums and turtles. The crimes happened in a 200 square-mile region between Campbellsport, Waucousta, Lomira, Theresa, West Bend, and Kewaskum.
Most activity occurred overnights when deer would be either intentionally run-down, or shined and shot…often from vehicles…and mostly left where they lay, but sometimes with the heads of bucks removed. At one point, the Sheriff said, the suspects captured a newborn fawn, taking it to their residence and keeping it before eventually releasing it again.
The suspects now face charges of:
• Possession of a dangerous weapon
• Hunting deer with artificial light
• Hunting during the closed season
• Possession of a firearm while shining
• Possession of deer during the closed season
• Loading or discharging a firearm in or from a motorized vehicle
• Discharging a firearm from or across a highway or within 50 feet of the center of a roadway
• Hunting within 50 feet of a road’s center
• Transporting a loaded firearm in or on a moving vehicle
• Possession of game killed by unlawful or unknown means
• Hunting with weapon/ammunition of inherent design, or used in a manner, not reasonably capable of reducing target to possession (i.e. shooting an animal without the expectationof successfully harvesting the animal)
• Unauthorized taking of live wild animals from the wild
• Depositing or discharging solid waste on public or private property
• Obstructing a Conservation Warden
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