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Member
Posts: 1991
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Authorities search for snowmobiler who killed 57 ducks
BY RUSSELL PLUMMER • The Reporter • January 14, 2009
Brutality on open water left 57 mallard ducks dead Tuesday afternoon.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Warden Supervisor George Protogere of Green Bay said a call came in about 2 p.m. that the dead ducks were found in and around Fond du Lac River open water near the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
“It appears that some were struck by a snowmobile and some were run over,” Protogere said.
He added that the ducks were fine when the caller who reported the incident was near the area at 9 a.m. that day. In the afternoon, dead ducks were located in an ice hole and on both sides of the ice hole.
Protogere said the ice hole is created by hot water discharge from the plant and, occasionally, snowmobile drivers will perform “water skipping” over the ice hole.
“From what we see at the scene, it appears that two passes were made,” Protogere said.
He noted that Fond du Lac County Conservation Warden Kyle Kosin collected the dead ducks for evidence and tests will be done in an effort to learn if they had any diseases and to help determine the cause of death.
“I want to stress this is an act of one person who operated a snowmobile that killed these ducks,” Protogere said. “By no means do I want this to reflect on the snowmobiling community. … I don’t consider this person a snowmobiler.”
The dead ducks were 37 drakes and 20 hens.
Protogere said Kosin is canvassing the area around the Wastewater Treatment Plant to try to find anyone who may have seen the killings.
“I think (the killer) is a person that has no concern for life at all and decided to do a reckless act,” Protogere said.
Anyone with information on the killings of 57 ducks near where Fond du Lac River flows into Lake Winnebago can call the DNR Tip Line at 1-800-TIP-WDNR (1-800-847-9367) or the Fond du Lac Police Department Crime Alert Line at (920) 322-3740.
Outrage over the Saturday slaughter of five deer by snowmobiles in Waupaca County has built since authorities believe a group of snowmobilers herded the animals and proceeded to run them over.
When asked if Tuesday’s incident at Fond du Lac may involve a “copycat killer,” Protogere said he is focused on finding the driver.
“I really don’t know. Until we find out who did this and talk to them, it’s hard to speculate what the person’s motives were,” Protogere said.
He added that even though alcohol could not be ruled out, the fact that the killings occurred sometime between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. would make that possibility unlikely.
If the person who killed the ducks is located, Fond du Lac County District Attorney Dan Kaminsky will decide the charging decision. Protogere said cruelty to animals charges might be a result and allegations of DNR violations could be involved if and when the operator is found.
Fond du Lac Police Department Major Dennis Fortunato said police were made aware of the killings, but the situation was handled by the DNR. |
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Member
Posts: 319
| Snowmobile clubs work really hard to keep a good image and nice trails.It is difficult enough for them to find private land owners who will permit trails on their property. Total jackasses like this do not help. Seeming it was close to the plant, hopefully someone saw the incident and was able to give a good lead! |
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| How in the world does a person on a snowmobile approach and then run over 55 ducks on 2 passes ducks that are sitting on a small area of open water near a drainage pipe next to shore. For anyone that hunts ducks and knows how weary they are, this story does not seem plausable. Ducks fly!
So maybe one pass, but to be able to turn back around and make another pass and kill additional ducks, wow that seems unrealistic.
Bad year to brag about your new sled to your neighbors! |
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Member
Posts: 1314
Location: Menasha, WI | My guess is the extreme cold was keeping them hunkered down. There is very little open water and they were likely clustered pretty tightly. |
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Member
Posts: 1991
| http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090115/GPG0101/901150646/1978 They caught this dope to
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Member
Posts: 43
Location: Michigan | This does happen it has been done a few times over here in Michigan at Houghton Lake most of the time its been when they are having tip up town and the guys try running the sleds on the open water at the river mouth they have been caught but the fines should be way more then what they get and i think they should get there sleds taken from them as well |
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Member
Posts: 3899
| They didn't catch him. He turned himself in.
Must have been a large number of ducks packed in there. I know Lakeside Park, and there are hundreds of ducks that winter around the area. The only thing I can think happened is that there were hundreds of ducks packed into that small open water spot, and this idiot just ran them over before they could all take to wing.
Moron. |
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More idiots, these fools need to get caught