Fourth hunter charged with illegal bear hunting in northern Dunn County settles case
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by LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — The last of four men accused of illegal bear hunting in the Town of Sheridan has been found guilty on violations of fish and game regulations, fined $1,834 and has had his hunting privileges revoked for three years.
Brandon N. Guthrie of Dallas, age 34, appeared in Dunn County Circuit Court November 17 for a final pre-trial hearing before Judge James M. Peterson.
Guthrie was initially charged in connection with the illegal shooting of a bear in September of 2021 in a Dunn County case consisting of two misdemeanor counts of resisting a conservation warden and illegal bear hunting as a party to a crime.
In three separate cases in June of 2022, Guthrie was charged with state Department of Natural resources citations for failure to keep accurate records as required or otherwise providing incorrect information; possessing birds or other species in excess of the bag limit; and validating or attaching a carcass tag to an animal trapped/killed/harvested by another or killed by unlawful means.
In January of this year, he received a citation for hunting, fishing or trapping after revocation.
Guthrie pleaded no contest to the DNR citations for hunting, fishing or trapping after revocation; for failing to keep accurate records or otherwise providing incorrect information; and for validating or attaching a carcass tag to an animal killed by another or killed by unlawful means.
Judge Peterson accepted Guthrie’s plea and found him guilty and dismissed the DNR citation for possessing birds in excess of the bag limit and the Dunn County misdemeanor charges of resisting a conservation warden and illegal bear hunting, according to online court records.
Guthrie’s attorney, Andrew Harrington, asked the court to allow Guthrie to continue being able to fish.
Judge Peterson fined Guthrie $544.50 each for hunting, fishing or trapping after revocation and for failing to keep accurate records or otherwise providing incorrect information, and revoked his hunting privileges, along with the privilege of training hounds, for three years and provided an exception for fishing.
Guthrie was fined $745.50 for validating or attaching a carcass tag to an animal killed by another or killed by unlawful means and had his hunting privileges revoked for one year, including the privilege of training hounds, and provided an exception for fishing.
The revocation of hunting privileges is concurrent.
Judge Peterson also ordered that the bear be confiscated and cancelled the jury trial that was scheduled to begin December 11.
The other three men charged in the illegal bear hunting case were Cody Shafer age 28, of Ridgeland; Adam Millermon, age 38, of Glenwood City; and Hunter Strenke, age 23, of Clayton.
Strenke
Strenke appeared before Judge James Peterson in Dunn County Circuit Court July 19 for a plea hearing on one misdemeanor count of killing a bear without a license.
Prosecuting attorney Megan E. Kelly told the court that Strenke had completed over 50 hours of community service and that the plea agreement included the revocation of all Chapter 29 (general fish and game regulation) privileges, including training hound dogs, the confiscation of the bear that was killed, confiscation of the rifle that was used and a $1,500 fine plus any mandatory surcharges and costs, according to online court records.
Judge Peterson accepted Strenke’s plea of no contest and found him guilty, imposed a total fine of $3,473, revoked Strenke’s Chapter 29 privileges for three years, consecutive to any other revocation from the state Department of Natural Resources, ordered confiscation of the bear that was killed and confiscation of the rifle, and ordered that Strenke’s record would be expunged after completing the revocation of privileges.
Strenke also received a DNR citation for possessing or borrowing the license of another.
Millermon
Millermon pleaded guilty to a state Department of Natural Resources citation in December of 2022 of validating a carcass tag for a bear killed by another or by illegal means.
Judge Peterson ordered Millermon’s hunting privileges revoked for three years and ordered confiscation of the bear carcass.
Millermon also was fined $544.50.
Millermon pleaded no contest to a DNR citation of possessing birds or other species in excess of the bag limit, and Judge Peterson accepted the plea, found him guilty, and ordered him to pay a fine of $243.
For a third court file, Judge Peterson dismissed one misdemeanor count of illegal bear hunting, as a repeat offender and as a party to a crime.
Shafer
Shafer was charged in a Dunn County case with obstructing or resisting a conservation warden and illegal bear hunting as a party to a crime, and in a separate DNR citation, was charged with possessing birds or other species in excess of the bag limit.
As part of a plea agreement, the charge of illegal bear hunting as a party to a crime was dismissed in Dunn County Circuit Court in November of 2022, and Shafer pleaded no contest to obstructing or resisting and also pleaded no contest to possessing birds or other species in excess of the bag limit.
The judge ordered Shafer to pay a fine of $330.50 for the obstruction charge and a fine of $243 for the citation issued for possessing birds or other species in excess of the bag limit.
As a result of the conviction, Shafer’s DNR license privileges are revoked for three years.
Judge Peterson also ordered that the bear be confiscated.
Bear
According to the criminal complaint, a Dunn County deputy notified state Department of Natural Resources Conservation Warden J.J. Redemann on September 16, 2021, of a bear hunting incident that occurred on property along 1420th Avenue in the Town of Sheridan.
The property owner said he believed the bear had been killed near a daycare in the area.
Redemann spoke to a daycare owner who operates a daycare out of her residence.
The daycare owner said on September 10, she could hear hounds coming through the woods behind her house around 10:30 a.m., so she brought the daycare children who were playing outside into the house, according to the complaint.
The daycare owner said she heard a gunshot very close to the daycare.
When Lt. Michael Melgaard and Redemann spoke with Millermon on September 26, 2021, Millermon said Strenke called him on September 23 and said Strenke had shot the daycare bear.
Millermon said he had told the hunting group to talk to a lawyer if they did not feel comfortable talking to the wardens and said that he told them not to lie, the complaint states.
Guthrie showed the wardens pictures on his phone, including a picture of two bears timestamped September 10 at 5:45 p.m.
Guthrie said one bear had been killed by Trenton Mast on September 10, but that he did not know who had killed the other bear.
The wardens talked to Strenke on September 23, 2021, who said the only bear shot on September 10 had been shot by Mast. Strenke said he did not hunt with a rifle because he did not have a tag and also claimed he was not in the area of the daycare.
When Redemann said he had pictures of Strenke behind the daycare, Strenke eventually admitted he had killed the bear and that Brandon Guthrie had validated the tag for the bear, according to the complaint.
