Braxton Taylor
Three juveniles and one adult have been charged in what law enforcement is calling a “senseless” and “indiscriminate” poaching spree that took place over the course of a year and resulted in over 100 deer being shot and killed.
In addition to the reckless killing, the suspects are also being charged with mistreating live deer on at least two occasions.
“After the initial media release in July, I was asked by a media outlet to describe what I felt about the accusations. My gut response was: ‘Senseless. Reckless. Indiscriminate,’” Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan F. Waldschmidt said in a statement. “Since that time, and after reading reports and observing video and photographic evidence obtained during this investigation, those words remain my best summation of the situation.”
The alleged crimes took place in Wisconsin in Fond du Lac, northern Washington, and northeastern Dodge Counties between the spring of 2023 and July of 2024. The juvenile suspects are all 16-year-old males and the adult is a 36-year-old female. All reside in the town of Campbellsport, WI.
Investigators say the suspects drove around at night with a spotlight and used a rifle to kill the deer they saw from the road. They left most of the animals to rot, but if they killed a buck, they would often cut off the head and take it home. Authorities say they would frequently shoot more than one deer in a single night.
They would also drive around at night with the hope of hitting deer with their car. If the animal survived, they would sometimes allow it to continue suffering and use it for their own amusement.
In one incident described in a press release from the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office, the juveniles wounded a deer so badly with their car that they were able to load it into the trunk. They recorded video and took selfies with the deer, and took it to various locations while it suffered in the trunk.
“One of the videos showed the suspects holding the deer, still alive but clearly suffering, while walking around the inside of their home,” the sheriff notes. “The deer eventually died while in their captivity hours after being struck with the vehicle.”
In another incident, the suspects captured a still-alive fawn, drove it around, and took it back home. They later released it back into the wild, but it’s unclear what happened to it.
“This type of animal cruelty is sickening and is the furthest thing from the actions of a true, ethical hunter,” Josh Bender told MeatEater. Bender owns property and hunts in this area of Wisconsin, and he reached out after hearing about this story first reported on Cal’s Week in Review.
“It is the repulsive actions of a few that do so much damage to the reputation of good, ethical, sportsmen and women,” Bender continued. “We need to continue to work hard to admonish these actions and promote the ethical practices of the majority and the value hunters have to keep and sustain wild places for wildlife in America.”
Deer weren’t the only targets for these individuals. Investigators also obtained evidence that they targeted and harassed geese, raccoons, possums, and turtles. These animals would oftentimes be captured, held in captivity, and harassed prior to release.
Officials haven’t named the suspects or explained their roles in the crimes. But they have released a non-exhaustive list of the civil and criminal charges they plan to level:
• Mistreating animals resulting in death
• 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 expectation of 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
“Wildlife and hunting are a deep part of Wisconsin’s heritage and history, and the horrific acts committed against these animals will shock the conscience of hunters and non-hunters alike,” Sheriff Waldschmidt continued. “We’re thankful for the observant citizen who took the time to report their observation of suspicious circumstances to our sheriff’s office. Their call initiated this significant investigation. We also want to thank the public who came forward with information that led to a more comprehensive investigation after our initial media release.”
Feature image via Adobe Stock.
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