Wisconsin deer-poaching scheme; Jessica Kroening pleads not guilty
Jessica Kroening
WEST BEND, Wis. - A Washington County judge entered not guilty pleas on Monday, Dec. 2 for Jessica Kroening, the adult charged along with three minors for allegedly illegally poaching more than 100 deer.
Kroening, 36, faces three misdemeanor counts in Washington County: contributing to the delinquency of a child, illegal shining of deer, and resisting a conservation warden. Three juveniles are also charged in the case in Fond du Lac County.
Judge Sandra Geirnoth set a $5,000 signature bond for Kroening, who was making her initial appearance. Kroening returns to court Dec. 30, when she is expected to appear with her attorney.
Jessica Kroening in court
Case details
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.
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.
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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.
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Suspected deer-poaching scheme; Fond du Lac County, DNR investigate
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public’s help in a potential deer-poaching scheme across different counties.
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.