Editor's note: This article contains details of suspected animal abuse.
FOND DU LAC COUNTY – A deer poaching investigation has led to the arrest of three 16-year-old Campbellsport boys and one 36-year-old Campbellsport woman.
Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt announced the arrests in a news release Oct. 11.
The names of the suspects were not released, but charges and civil Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources violations listed include 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; and obstructing a conservation warden.
The release said the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources referred numerous charges to the Fond du Lac County District Attorney’s Office, Washington County District Attorney’s Office and Fond du Lac County Juvenile Intake.
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According to the release, more than 100 deer are suspected to have been shot and/or killed between late spring 2023 and July 2024 as part of the deer poaching operation that spanned southeastern Fond du Lac County, northern Washington County and northeastern Dodge County.
Investigators from the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources conducted hundreds of combined hours of investigation into the suspected killing and mistreatment of whitetail deer and other wildlife over the past two months, the release said.
The alleged crimes, according to the release, occurred in the 200-square-mile region between Campbellsport, Waucousta, Lomira, Theresa, West Bend and Kewaskum.
Much of the activity occurred after dark and would continue well into the early morning hours of the following day, the sheriff’s office said.
Suspects drove around with a spotlight shining the fields, and when a deer was identified, suspects would fire a rifle from the vehicle at the deer. If they believed a deer was shot, suspects would enter the field to identify the sex of the deer.
Most of the deer they found dead would be left to rot where they lay. However, the heads of some bucks were removed by the suspects, particularly when the buck had large antlers. Other deer were wounded by gunshots but not killed. Many of these nighttime excursions involved shooting multiple deer in the outing.
Investigators, the release said, determined the suspects would also drive around with the intent of striking deer in the roadway with their vehicle. In one incident, the deer survived being struck by their vehicle but was severely wounded from the impact. The juvenile suspects picked the deer up and placed it in the trunk of their vehicle while recording video and taking “selfies” of and with the deer. They drove around to various locations with the deer still alive and suffering in the trunk or back seat and continued to produce video clips documenting their travels with the wounded deer. 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 being struck with the vehicle.
In another incident, this spring they found a newly born fawn alongside the road and captured it. The fawn was also placed in a vehicle and driven around, taken inside their residence, and was later released back into the wild.
In addition to capturing and/or killing deer, investigators obtained evidence suggesting the suspects also targeted and harassed other wildlife including geese, raccoons, possums and turtles, the sheriff’s office said. The animals would often be captured, held in captivity and harassed prior to release.
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Waldschmidt said his “best summation of the situation” is that it was “Senseless. Reckless. Indiscriminate.”
The release said 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.
Contact Brandon Reid at 920-686-2984 orbreid@gannett.com. Follow himon X (formerly Twitter) at@breidHTRNews.
