Wisconsin Cuffs & Collars – August 23rd, 2013

District 1 — Ashland area

Warden Amie Egstad, of Bayfield, helped teach archery skills for kids ages 6 through 14 at the COPS (Concerns of Police Survivors) Summer Camp for Kids. The campers come from across the country and are survivors of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. Egstad also provided a ride-along for a Northland College student interested in learning about the warden profession.
Warden John Krull, of Superior, assisted the Superior Police Department with a complaint about two juveniles possibly breaking into parked cars at the Mariner Mall in Superior. Krull located the suspects and turned them over to Superior police officers.
Warden Matt Meade, of Mercer, followed up on a hotline tip regarding boaters trolling for walleyes on the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage. Meade made contact with the anglers, and enforcement action was taken.
Warden Burns investigated a complaint about an excavator being operated on a lake bed. The individual had used it to place some brush in the water for a fish crib. A warning was issued, and the individual removed the material that was illegally placed in the water.

District 2 — Cumberland area

No report available.

District 3 — Park Falls area

Wardens Dan Michels, of Park Falls, and Tom Heisler, of Winter, assisted with the Phillips Chain of Lakes event held at Lionite Park in Phillips. Michels and Heisler provided boat patrol assistance to protect swimmers swimming across Elk Lake.
Warden Kirk Konichek, of Ladysmith, made contact with three individuals fishing as they smoked marijuana from a pipe. Konichek also contacted the Rusk County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies handled the drug violations. Citations also were issued for fishing without a license.
Warden Andy Dryja, of White Lake, responded to a complaint about a possible illegal deer carcass at a rental property. Dryja found pieces of a deer and discovered drug and drug paraphernalia inside the residence. Langlade County deputies obtained a search warrant and found additional illegal drugs and drug-related items, resulting in two individuals being arrested. A third individual was arrested for scrapping the roof metal on a garage without the owner’s permission.

District 4 — Woodruff area

Warden Rich Thole, of Boulder Junction, and recruit warden Bryan Harrenstein patrolled lakes in Vilas County and assisted the Vilas County SWAT Team with tactical training exercises on Trout Lake. The wardens assisted the team with boat-to-boat contacts and tactical water-to-land contacts. Manitowish Waters Boat Patrol Officer Dan Cardinal also assisted the officers with the training exercises.
Wardens Thole, Kelly Crotty, of Florence, and Tim Price, of Eagle River, patrolled the Cisco Chain of Lakes on the Wisconsin/Michigan border with Michigan conservation officer Jason Wicklund. Enforcement action was taken for fishing without a license and operating an unregistered motorboat.
Warden Mike Sealander, of St. Germain, used the remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) to assist the Vilas County Sheriff’s Department with a report of a possible body in an area lake. No victim was found.
Wardens Sealander and Dave Walz assisted wildlife management staff with goose banding in July while the birds were flightless.
Warden Pat Novesky, of Three Lakes, responded to a boat crash that occurred at about 2:40 a.m. on the Three Lakes chain. The operator struck the shoreline, causing serious injury to himself and the passenger.  The operator is being charged with causing injury by intoxicated operation of a boat and operating a boat while intoxicated.
Warden Brad Dahlquist, of Crandon, gave a trapper education talk to students in the Florence area. He also assisted with a kids fishing outing near Laona, which was sponsored by the Boundary Waters Musky Club and the Titletown/Packerland Chapter of Muskies, Inc.

District 5 — Lower St. Croix area

Warden Wayne Flak, of Menomonie, assisted the local sheriff’s department in locating a disorderly subject who had damaged property at a private residence and then fled on a bicycle.
Warden Jim Cleven, of Colfax, was requested by the sheriff’s department to locate a mother who was floating the Red Cedar River with friends. The mother’s 4-year-old daughter had been involved in a serious accident and had been transported via helicopter to a hospital. Cleven located the mother on the river, and she was transported to her home.
Warden Cleven was contacted by the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department and requested to assist in locating a lost person floating on the Red Cedar River. Cleven and a deputy located the subject at the Russian Slough. Cleven transported the tuber back to her residence.
Warden Brad Peterson, of River Falls, assisted a Minnesota conservation officer with information on a Wisconsin resident who had been purchasing resident Minnesota hunting licenses. The Minnesota warden will be issuing citations for license fraud.

District 6 — Eau Claire area

No report available.

District 7 — Wisconsin Rapids area

No report available.

District 8 — La Crosse area

No report available.

District 9 — Black River Falls area

No report available.

District 10 — Wautoma area

No report available.

District 11 — Peshtigo area

No report available.

District 12 — Green Bay area and Northeast Operations Marine Unit

While checking for shore fishermen south of Sturgeon Bay, warden Chris Kratcha of Sturgeon Bay and recruit warden Nate Hoftender observed smoke coming from a grass field on property open to the public. The wardens drove to the area and found a spreading grass fire. Kratcha was able to put out the fire with his truck fire extinguishers and monitored the scene until the fire department arrived. The cause of the fire was unknown. The wardens’ observations likely prevented a widespread grass fire.
Warden Cara Kamke, of Green Bay, loaned life jackets to seven people in July. Kamke loaned out the PFDs to canoeists, kayakers, and fishermen who were about to launch their crafts without the required number of wearable PFDs on their craft.
Warden supervisor April Dombrowski, of Oshkosh, wardens Jason Higgins, of Oshkosh, and Tom Truman, of Winneconne, along with regional warden Byron Goetsch, of Green Bay, attended an instructor appreciation event in Winnebago County to recognize volunteer boat, snowmobile, ATV, hunter education, and trapper education instructors.
Warden Andy Lundin, of Green Bay, assisted the Brown County Sheriff’s Department with a complaint about a fawn in a city neighborhood. Lundin and Brown County Animal Control personnel took custody of the deer and moved it to a more suitable area.
Warden supervisor George Protogere, of Green Bay, responded to a serious traffic crash involving a tanker truck carrying more than 4,000 gallons of liquid manure and a farm truck in Manitowoc County. Also on the scene was the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Department, the county highway department, and the Wisconsin State Patrol. More than 3,000 gallons of liquid manure was spilled in the ditch and had to be cleaned up. Protogere documented the spill and ensured the area was properly cleaned.
Warden Kyle Lynch, of Kewaunee, received a complaint about an injured owl in a rural Kewaunee neighborhood. Lynch was able to locate the great horned owl that appeared to have an injured wing. Lynch captured the owl and transported it to Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary for rehabilitation.
Northeast Operations Marine Unit
No report available.

District 13 — Oshkosh area

Warden Jason Higgins, of Oshkosh, and deputy warden Sam Schroeder were patrolling south of Lake Winnebago in the dark and nearly collided with a boat that was being operated on plane without displaying any lights. The operator was cited for failing to display required navigation lights. Higgins explained to the operator that if his lights went out he should have made his way slowly toward shore instead of operating on plane through a bunch of boat traffic the night of the Oshkosh fireworks display.
Warden Jason Higgins and recruit warden Brandon Smith issued two citations to two separate individuals for possessing undersized flathead catfish on the Fox River in Oshkosh. The individual who was the subject of the complaint given to Higgins did not catch the flathead. Instead, the person was given the fish by another angler. That angler also was contacted and admitted to catching and keeping the fish. The subject was cited for the undersized flathead. Flathead catfish on the Winnebago system have a minimum size limit of 30 inches, and anything 36 to 42 inches must be released.
Wardens Tom Truman, of Winneconne, and recruit warden J.J. Redemann investigated a complaint about an individual catching and keeping a flathead catfish on Lake Poygan this past winter. The investigation showed the individual kept a flathead during the closed season. Meat from the fish was seized, and enforcement action was taken.
Wardens Truman and Redemann completed an investigation into individuals driving trucks and “mudding” on state lands, creating damage and mud holes on the state lands. The investigation revealed all individuals who were involved knew it was illegal to operate vehicles on state lands. Enforcement action was taken.
Wardens Truman and Redemann completed an investigation of an individual reported as taking turtles during the closed season in Green Bay. It was found that the individual had attempted to take turtles during the closed season and without a license. It also was found that the individual was in possession of an illegal-sized snapping turtle. The turtle was seized, and enforcement action was taken.
Warden Michael Disher, of Chilton, worked aquatic invasive species enforcement duties along the east shore of Lake Winnebago. Disher made multiple traffic stops of vehicles that were pulling boat trailers with large amounts of aquatic vegetation still attached. One vehicle operator told Disher he didn’t have far to travel and he usually cleans the weeds off at home. When asked for identification, it was discovered the operator lived near Milwaukee, a significant distance away, and had a revoked driver’s license. A short time later, another vehicle operator was stopped and was found to be under the influence of intoxicants. It was the operator’s second offense, and an 11-year-old boy was identified in the backseat. This operator was arrested for felony OWI and transported to the Calumet County jail. Enforcement action was taken for illegally transporting aquatic vegetation.
Wardens Ben Nadolski, of Waupun, Kyle Kosin, of Campbellsport, Tom Truman, of Winneconne, and Jason Higgins, of Oshkosh, responded to a call on July 4 on Lake Winneconne about a boater being thrown from his boat, and the boat was operating at full throttle in circles with no one on board. The operator was safely on shore. Officers placed ropes in the water that the boat ran over, causing the boat to slow significantly. The officers kept the public at a distance until the boat stopped. The boat was then taken to shore without incident.
Warden Ben Nadolski, of Waupun, responded to a call about a fawn that had found its way into the fenced area in the Ripon dog park, but it could not find its way back out. A park user had arrived early in the morning to find the gates open, and his dog quickly found the fawn. The fawn had exhausted itself trying to get out. The fawn was moved to a shady spot in the tall grass outside the park fences and the gates were then closed.
Warden Al Erickson, of Fond du Lac, was a guest speaker at a free seminar put on by Lake Winnebago Quality Improvement Association, with assistance from UW-Extension at the UW-Fond du Lac campus. The seminar was called, “On Your Side,” and brought together representatives from the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Department boat patrol, the DNR, and U.S. Coast Guard to discuss the different roles and jurisdictions each agency has when enforcing laws to protect the lake and the people who enjoy it.
Warden Ryan Propson, of Appleton, and recruit warden Lassila investigated a single-party fatal ATV accident that occurred outside of Appleton. Speed, operation on pavement, not wearing a helmet, and alcohol were all factors in the accident.
Wardens Propson and Lassila investigated a complaint about a loud ATV. It was found to be unregistered, and it had a loud aftermarket exhaust with no spark arrestor.

District 14 — Sheboygan area

No report available.

District 15 — Milwaukee area

Wardens Kaitlin Kernosky, Kyle Drake, and Mitch Groenier responded to a plane that crashed into Lake Michigan. They assisted in searching for the plane and any victims.
Warden Rick Reed checked a couple of fishermen in Walworth County who did not have licenses. One had a felony warrant, was arrested, and was turned over to the Walworth County Sheriff’s Department.
Wardens Matt Groppi and Doug Zeihen were checking anglers on Pewaukee Lake when they received a call to assist deputies with a fight at a home on the shoreline.
Warden Steve Sanidas assisted the Stone Bank Fire Department with a medical emergency during the Okauchee tie-up. Sanidas shuttled fire personnel from shore to the victim, who was located on a boat at “Party Island.” Sanidas then assisted with security as fire personnel evaluated the victim. The victim was transported to a hospital.

District 16 — Racine, Kenosha area

No report available.

District 17 — Madison area

Wardens Mike Dieckhoff and Boyd Richter, of Janesville, located a group of anglers fishing from a boat on the Rock River in Beloit. They had water and live fish from the Fort Atkinson area. A citation was issued for having illegally transported live fish, water, and aquatic plants.
Warden Dieckhoff located two anglers below the Beloit dam who were fishing for catfish and using dead and live panfish, which they brought from Illinois. The anglers were aware of regulations for AIS and VHS. One  angler was unlicensed, and they were both using illegal bait. A citation for transporting live fish and fishing without a license and many warnings for transport of fish and import of live fish were issued.
Warden Dieckhoff contacted an angler who had climbed over a chain link, locked gate and a posted a “no trespassing” sign in order to get to the Rock River to fish. During the license check, Dieckhoff located a package of synthetic marijuana. The individual also was on probation. Janesville police officers responded and found additional bags of synthetic marijuana, as well as a bag of M-800 fireworks, in the subject’s backpack. The angler was taken to jail on a probation hold and was issued charges from a Janesville police officer.
Wardens Kyle Dilley, of Madison, and Ryan Volenberg, of Poynette, contacted a group of campers on a Wisconsin River island. Two subjects were in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Another had provided alcohol to minors. The juvenile alcohol violations were turned over to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Department. Criminal charges will be filed by the wardens for the drug violations.
Madison-area wardens and Dane County Sheriff’s Department water patrol officers worked boating enforcement with high boat traffic during the annual Rhythm and Booms fireworks show. Four OWI arrests were made, in addition to several citations for various violations.
Warden Ryan Ellifson, of Jefferson, issued citations for waste-water violations to a private party for pumping his own septic tank without a license, and to a business in violation of NR 113.

District 18 — Poynette area

While working boating enforcement in July on Lake Wisconsin and the Wisconsin River, warden Volenberg arrested four individuals for boating OWI, and assisted with the arrest of a fifth individual. BACs ranged from .10 to .17 percent. The legal limit is .08.
In response to numerous complaints about loud boats on Lake Wisconsin, wardens Volenberg and Tyler Strelow, of La Crosse, issued six citations for boats exceeding the 86-decibel limit during the Fourth of July.
Warden Michael Green, of Wisconsin Dells, and deputy warden Samantha Koscher, of Poynette, worked the Upper Dells and Lake Wisconsin during the Fourth of July weekend. They observed two near-collisions of boats, and contacted both operators, who were then cited for boating OWI.
Warden Green received information about an individual pulling into a parking lot on the Dell Creek Wildlife Area with a truckload of tires in a location of repeated tire-dumping problems. An investigation showed the individual had dumped three loads of tires at three locations on different days on the Dell Creek properties in northern Sauk County. Citations will be issued for the violations.
Warden Paul Nadolski, of Portage, assisted with an outdoor skills day at the MacKenzie Education Center in Poynette.
Warden John Buss, of Sauk City, put on a shotgun-shooting clinic for the Amish community. Approximately 40 people attended and shot a clay target course. The event promoted shooting sports and was an excellent way to reach out to this community.

District 19 — Dodgeville area

Warden Mike Nice and deputy warden Mike Williams, of Richland Center, located fishermen with a lake sturgeon in their possession on the Wisconsin River. One man did not buy a license and another had a 40-inch lake sturgeon tied off on a stringer in a small pool with brush around it. The wardens revived the sturgeon and released it. Charges were filed.
Wardens Ryan Caputo, of New Glarus, and Mike Dieckhoff, of Janesville, stopped a boater who was exceeding the no-wake limit on Lake Waubesa. The operator was intoxicated and was cited for first-offense boating OWI.
Warden Dave Youngquist, of Spring Green, contacted an angler on the Wisconsin River who had kept a 30-inch lake sturgeon, thinking it was a sand sturgeon. Enforcement action was taken.