Wisconsin deer-poaching scheme; charges referred for woman, teens

FOND DU LAC, Wis. - The Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources referred numerous charges on Friday against a 36-year-old woman and three 16-year-old boys in connection to an alleged deer-poaching scheme.

According to the sheriff's office, investigators have reason to believe that "well over" 100 deer were shot and/or killed from late spring 2023 to July 2024. The alleged crimes happened in the 200-square-mile region between Campbellsport, Waucousta, Lomira, Theresa, West Bend and Kewaskum.

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Most of the activity happened after dark and would continue well into the early morning hours of the next day, the sheriff's office said. The suspects drove around with a spotlight shining the fields; when a deer was spotted, the suspects would allegedly fire a rifle from the vehicle at the animal. Many of the excursions involved shooting multiple deer in one night.

If they believed a deer was shot, the sheriff's office said the suspects would go into the field to identify the sex of the deer. Most of the animals they found dead would be left to rot where they lay, but the heads of some bucks were removed – particularly when the buck had large antlers. Other deer were wounded but not killed. 

Wisconsin deer-poaching scheme

Investigators also determined the suspects would drive around with plans to hit deer in the roadway with their vehicle, according to the sheriff's office. In one incident, the deer survived but was severely wounded. The teens picked the deer up, placed it in the trunk of their vehicle and took "selfies" with the deer.

The sheriff's office said the teens drove around to various locations with the deer still alive and wounded in the trunk or back seat and continued to take videos. One of the videos showed the suspects holding the deer – "still alive but clearly suffering" – while walking around the inside of their home. The deer eventually died while in their captivity hours after it was struck.

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In another incident this spring, the sheriff's office said the suspects found and a fawn along the road and captured it. The fawn was also placed in a vehicle and driven around, taken inside their home and later released back into the wild.

The sheriff's office said, in addition to capturing and/or killing deer, investigators obtained evidence to believe the same suspects also targeted and harassed other animals – including geese, raccoons, possums and turtles. The animals would often be "captured, held in captivity and harassed" before they were released.

Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office

All four suspects are from Campbellsport. The sheriff's office provided the following list of alleged criminal and civil DNR violations involved in the investigation:

• 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

Charges were referred to the Fond du Lac County District Attorney's Office, Washington County District Attorney's Office and Fond du Lac County Juvenile Intake.

Statement from Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt:

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." 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. 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. 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.

I also want to personally thank the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for their diligent and collaborative efforts throughout this investigation. Their expertise was invaluable in determining the facts and identifying violations of law. Working together jointly on this investigation, our goal was to document and present the facts of this case that will lead to accountability for the senseless, reckless, and indiscriminate assault on Wisconsin wildlife – wildlife we all, as residents, share in the responsibility of managing and protecting.

With hunting season upon us, citizens are reminded they can call or text to report suspected DNR violations to the DNR Violation Hotline at 1-800-847-9367. If the violation potentially endangers other humans or property, 911 should be called.