Charges expected in elk farm shootings

Country Today ^ | 1-18-04

[SJackson]

EXELAND -- Charges are expected to be filed against two men, and possibly three, in an elk-shooting incident that left five farm elk dead and one wounded near Exeland during the deer gun season.

According to a criminal complaint prepared by the Birchwood police, two men, one from Minnesota and another from Ohio, said they mistook a small herd of farm elk for deer while driving along Fairman Road in the Town of Meteor east of Exeland on Nov. 23, at about 3:30 p.m.

The two men, after getting out of a pickup truck, shot from about 200 yards away at the animals, which were in a clearing on an elk farm and behind an 8-foot high fence. The fence was about 175 yards off the road and the shooters were about 20 feet from the road, according to the complaint.

A third man, from Rice Lake, was driving the truck and did not shoot, said Pete Weatherhead, a Birchwood police officer who investigated the incident.

The three men are related. The two shooters face possible criminal property damage charges in Sawyer County for shooting the farm elk, in addition to trespassing. The men could also be charged by the Department of Natural Resources with shooting from too close to a road -- hunters must be at least 50 feet from the road centerline.

Charges had not been filed as of Jan. 12 because the investigation is ongoing, according to the Sawyer County district attorney's office.

The elk were part of a herd of about 50 animals owned by three brothers, Dwayne, Don and Dan Arvold, who moved the herd to their Exeland farm from Emerald last summer.

Six elk were shot; three were found shortly after the shooting and had to be destroyed by one of their owners to prevent further suffering, according to the complaint. Two more wounded elk were found the next day and destroyed. In all, three bulls and two cows were killed. A sixth wounded cow also found the next day survived.

Investigator Pete Weatherhead said the men said they saw what they thought was a deer in a field and after traveling another 500 feet, saw what they thought were more deer in a clearing.

The two shooters told investigators they got out of the pickup, crossed an old fence line and began shooting at what they thought were deer while looking through "partially fogged" rifle scopes.

"They said they had a bunch of deer tags to fill," wrote Mr. Weatherhead, who said in his report that at least some of the elk were bedded down.

The two men said they thought they saw does. After they started shooting, some "big bucks" came into view, so they started shooting at them also. The men said they did not know how many "deer" they may have hit.

According to the complaint, the Rice Lake man told Mr. Weatherhead, "I guess we screwed up today."

Mr. Weatherhead said he found 11 shell casings where the men had fired their rifles. The two men admitted they did see and shoot at numerous "deer" but did not know how many they had hit, said the complaint.

[SJackson]

My thanks to the Birchwood police and the local prosecutor who I'm sure will see that they're not hunting "big bucks" for a few years.

[AngrySpud]

Musta been city slickers. Nobody who has hunted regularly would believe they just lucked onto a herd of wild "big deer".

[noutopia]

Idiots,if they cant tell the difference between an elk and a deer. In Idaho I knew a rancher that painted cow on his stock during elk season,because of the out of state hunters,mostly from California.

[Hugin]

Hold muh beer an' watch me shoot that big deer!

[11B3]

Californian: Damn! You should see the deer I just shot - it's gotta be a record breaking doe!!

Local Rancher: Yeah, that's just great. No go and get my saddle off of it.

We've seen "cow" painted in flourescent on the sides of the neighbor's cattle as well. (And his cattle are Jerseys.)

[Nebr FAL owner]

Lets see not have a Elk license, shooting from to close to a road,shooting Elk out of season=poaching Elk doubtful they will get prison county lock up maybe as well as loss of the firearms,fines, siezure of vehicle Gonna be a real interesting conversation across the dinner table when these goofs get back home & have to explain why the car is now missing & the savings account has been emptied.

[HP8753]

City Hunters !! Lock up your cows!!

[SJackson]

No elk season in WI, so no license violation. However there are elk, in the area they were hunting in, and a multitude of warnings not to mistake an elk for a deer, nor a wolf for a coyote, or pay the price. I'd guess they lucked out shooting game farm elk, road hunting and damage to property, rather than paying the cost to the people of the State of Wisconsin of an Elk. Runs $3000-$4000 for a whitetail, in addition to the fines, I can't imagine what they'd figure an Elk costs the state.

[ahadams2]

I dunno if it's still like this, but back when I lived in Wisconsin there was also a significant penalty for firing anywhere near a paved road...it's stuff like this that reminds me why I have a passionate dislike for city hunters...flatlander idjits...

[SJackson]

I dunno if it's still like this, but back when I lived in Wisconsin there was also a significant penalty for firing anywhere near a paved road

Still is, any road, not just paved. Note while his pals went "hunting", the local stayed in the truck.

[noutopia]

If these boyz wanted meat they should have went to the local Piggly Wiggly.

[Petronski]

The two men, after getting out of a pickup truck, shot from about 200 yards away at the animals, which were in a clearing on an elk farm and behind an 8-foot high fence. The fence was about 175 yards off the road and the shooters were about 20 feet from the road, according to the complaint.

I know kids 10-12 years old smarter than that.

Their claims of confusion should be rejected outright...no one is that stupid.

[umgud]

They shot at least six animals.......Even if legal, who hands out that many tags anyway? Pepole like this know exactly what they're doing and they are making it harder on the rest of us.

[ahadams2]

You wrote "Their claims of confusion should be rejected outright...no one is that stupid."

that is, I'm sorry to say, *not* true - when living in Marquette county in the early '80's one of our neighbors painted COW on the side of his cattle in blaze orange paint...he still had one shot by city hunters....

[Petronski]

LOL

[noutopia]

Waste of a lot of good meat. Elk tastes better than beef.

[Petronski]

But that is still not proof the shooters thought they were deer.

[farmfriend]

Rights, farms, environment ping.

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---

If this is taxes with reprsentation
Give me taxes without representation
I much prefer a tax on tea!
Instead of everything else.

[timberlandko]

This happened "just down the road" from me ... a couple dozen miles, and has been the subject of much local bar-and-coffee shop talk. Indeed, the shooters were city slickers. Due to an overabundance of deer hereabouts, its no problem to get plenty of deer tags; My wife and I both legally took more than one this year ourselves, in each of bow, gun, and black powder seasons, apart from two garnered out-of-season by vehicle hits (one hers, one mine). These boys is in big trouble, if the local buzz is any indication. It is the hunter's responsibility to verify his quarry before taking his shot, and they were too close to pavement, along with considerations of violating posted private property. I know the owner of the elk herd, and he's real perturbed. The Sheriff, an acquaintence and ex-neighbor of mine, ain't real pleased, either, though the final dithering is up to the champions of dithering, the Wisconsin DNR.

[kaboom]

Pleeease stop using the city slickers term for these guys. Even if these guys were from an urban area, chances are that they know what elk look like and couldn't have cared less at the time.

Why is it that when an unknown out-of-towner poaches, they are called a city slicker? Yet when a local guy poaches, he's just putting food on the table? (not that these guys are charged with poaching, but a similar deal)