Agencies combine to snare wolf trapper
When a Green Bay man pleaded no contest in Shawano-Menominee County Court last fall to illegally trapping and killing a gray wolf in violation of the Endangered Species Act, it capped off an intensive investigation.
The court fined Robert A. Roland, 35, a toal of $1,989 for unintentionally killing an endangered or threatened species and revoked his trapping privileges for two years, and his hunting and fishing privileges for one year.
Wisconsin’s maximum fine for unintentionally killing an endangered or threatened species is $2,000 plus cost.
Roland also faced charges in Menominee Tribal Court for possession of a wild animal carcass and trespassing on tribal land in possession of trapping equipment. He forfeited $1,000 to the tribal court on the possession charge and $500 on the trespassing charge.
The case began in early March 2005, when conservation warden Michael Stahl responded to a report by Shawano County DNR wildlife manager Kay Brockman-Medaras of a “mortality signal” from a radio-collared wolf. The mortality signal, which indicates a collared wolf has not moved for several hours, was obtained by a DNR pilot conducting aerial monitoring.
GPS coordinates led Stahl to a farm adjacent to the Menominee reservation where he learned that the wolf had been picked up by Menominee tribal biologist Don Reiter. He reported the wolf had been caught in a snare just inside the boundaries of the reservation.
Stahl, tribal warden Don Waukechon and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent agreed to conduct a joint investigation.
When confronted by Stahl and the special agent, Roland admitted to setting snares that trapped and killed the wolf.
The gray wolf is protected by the federal Endangered Species Act and is an endangered and threatened species in Wisconsin.
While the case was triggered by electronic tracking of wolves, Stahl said information from private citizens remains the DNR’s best tool for initiating investigations and reminds citizens they may call in violations of game laws to 1-800-TIP-WDNR.
Killing an endangered species, intentionally or unintentionally, is illegal.
Intentional killing of an endangered or threatened species is a criminal offense and fines are $2,000 to $5,000 and/or nine months in jail, plus a mandatory revocation of all hunting licenses for three years.