Habitual wildlife violator cited
By Patricia Wolff
of The Northwestern
FREMONT - A Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources warden has issued 37 citations for illegal hunting and other infractions to a 30-year-old Fremont man he termed a habitual wildlife violator.
The warden issued the citations, which when combined carry fines of more than $10,000, to Cory E. Bartel, 9685 Rosa Road, in 2006, after an informant came forward describing long term illegal hunting and drug activity at the 43-acre Bartel property in Winnebago County.
Bartel was subsequently convicted of manufacturing/ delivering marijuana, a felony, and served a month in jail in addition to probation. Two other felony drug charges - possession and maintaining a drug trafficking place - were dismissed.
The DNR violations did not result in criminal charges.
DNR wardens and members of the Lake Winnebago Area MEG Unit executed a search warrant at the Bartel property Nov. 16, 2006. Bartel had blood on his hands and pants from cutting up deer meat when officers arrived on the scene, according to the warrant.
Film from cameras seized in the search, when processed, depicted various types of fish and game in Bartel's possession that appeared to have been killed over the course of several years. Photographs seized in the search were smeared with animal blood, according to the search warrant documents.
Also seized in the search were hunting equipment, deer antlers, turkey spurs, and 62 frozen packages of meat, believed to be venison from 2006 archery kill.
The citations issued to Bartel were for failing to register and tag deer, possessing game animals, illegal trapping, shooting song birds, hunting turkeys with a .22 caliber rifle, possessing deer over bag limit, hunting turkeys out of season, possessing of untagged turkeys, failing to register turkeys, wasting natural resources by dumping spoiled deer meat, possessing untagged deer killed by cars, taking possession of a protected bird (possession of red tail hawk feather), trapping animals by illegal methods/baiting, and taking protected wild birds.
Warden Jeffrey Knorr said he sought four or five DNR criminal misdemeanor counts against Bartel for illegal possession of deer and one count of obstructing an officer through the office of the Winnebago County district attorney but was unsuccessful.
Instead, Knorr issued the 37 citations. They are set for intake in Winnebago Circuit Court on Sept. 8.
Knorr said Bartel appeared to have a blatant disregard for the rules. The informant who contacted the DNR described a recklessness, which underscored Knorr's observation of Bartel. The search warrant produced evidence that included packages of venison in Bartel's freezer that listed Bartel's name, dates of the kills and what size animal the cuts of meat were from. Wardens conducted crosschecks to discover Bartel had not registered any deer during the period, according to the documents.
The informant told how Bartel referred to the deer as "sliders," for his method of sliding the illegal deer down into his basement steps for butchering. The informant described Bartel's methods for disposing of the animal carc***** in a pit on his property. Authorities found numerous bones in the pit.
"He doesn't appear to think the rules apply to him," Knorr said. "(His actions) were so egregious. He was blatantly breaking DNR rules to fill his freezer."
http://www.thenorth western.com/ article/20090809 /OSH0101/ 908090484/ 1987
And you thought the duck poachers were bad
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