Repeat Wisconsin Poacher Gets Jail Thanks to Alert Citizens
OutdoorHub 02.20.12
It was déjà vu all over for Warden Mike Stahl of Oconto Falls in the case of the deer poacher with the familiar name.
Stahl got a call around 4 p.m. on Nov. 14, 2010, from the Oconto County Sheriff’s Department after they took a call the Brown County Sheriff’s Department concerning a citizen call about Daniel Nelson of Pulaski.
“This was an anonymous complaint about deer poaching in the Pulaski area. The caller said two bucks were untagged at a residence in the Town of Chase in Oconto County,” Stahl said. “We’ve heard these types of things before. But this was specific as to who it was and the truck description.
“The caller also said this person had shot seven deer in the same area in the last two weeks – that’s the southwest corner of Oconto County.”
Plus, Stahl had heard this name before.
“This was the same guy who was shooting deer and lost his privileges (hunting and fishing licenses) for nine years. That was in 1994,” Stahl said of Daniel Nelson of Pulaski. “I also dealt with him when he was in prison and trying to buy fishing licenses while he was revoked on the 1994 charges. Nelson was in prison serving a sentence for a felony charge at the time.”
Stahl enlisted the help of fellow Warden Mark Schraufnagel of Shawano and the two headed for Nelson’s home. The wardens got the property owner’s permission to search the garage. That’s where they found the illegal deer.
“We found three deer under a tarp – and two partially butchered,” Stahl said. “And there was one more in the freezer – ready for a mount.”
Of the six found, one had an archery tag. There were no registration tags on any of them.
Eventually the two wardens were able to speak with Nelson and Dillion Muth, who also participated in the poaching.
The suspects offered different stories, recanted those and offered new ones about what eventually totaled 10 different bucks that were subjected to illegal shining — and then illegal poaching. The wardens found gut piles from deer – right where the suspects told them they’d be. While the wardens never recovered the firearm, there was enough evidence to charge Nelson for illegal possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
When it was all over, each man was charged with 16 criminal deer counts plus a charge of obstructing a conservation warden with false statements. Nelson also faced the additional firearm count for a total of 18 criminal charges.
The poached deer were taken in two counties – Oconto and Shawano. Robert Mraz, an Assistant District Attorney with the Oconto County District Attorney’s office prosecuted the case. “He did a great job on this case,” Stahl said, “It was a tough case trying to keep track of at least 10 different poaching incidents.”
Last August, Muth, 19, of Oconto Falls, was sentenced to 30 days in jail plus 3 years of revocation of his DNR privilegs on each of the 6 criminal deer counts for failure to attach a carcass tag. The other 11 charges were dismissed but read into the record. Muth’s sentences are to run concurrently, which means he will serve 30 days in jail and lose his DNR privileges for 3 years. He also was ordered to pay about $1,500 in court costs.
Nelson, 38, of Pulaski was sentenced in January to 180 days in jail – 30 days on six criminal deer charges for failure to attach a carcass tag. Each term is to be served consecutively. Nelson also lost his DNR license privileges for 18 years and was ordered to pay about $1,500 in court costs. The remaining 12 charges were dismissed and read into the record.
“In both instances, it started with a citizen complaint,” Stahl said, emphasizing how important citizen tips are. “I would ask citizens to not wait to call. The longer people wait, the harder it is for us to find evidence. Timely calls makes it easier to investigate. In this case, the callers were dead on – and it made all the difference.”
