Farmer faces massive consequences after investigation uncovers disturbing actions: 'He had made a game out of it'
A Wisconsin farmer who killed more than 150 deer pleaded guilty to 14 charges and will serve four months in jail and pay $27,416 in fines.
Dominick Stanek was granted an agricultural damage permit in 2019 after citing frequent damage by deer to his 200-acre farm. But neighbors said Stanek was taking it too far, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources began an investigation.
Over the span of two years, investigators cited Stanek for multiple violations. DNR Warden Kirk Konichek told The MeatEater that Stanek "show[ed] such a complete lack of remorse for their blatant disregard of a natural resource."
Deer hunting in Wisconsin is legal during hunting season but with several restrictions and regulations: hunters must have licenses, deer can only be shot at specific times, and carcasses must be properly disposed of to prevent the spread of disease. Certain counties — including Richland, where Stanek lived — also restrict the baiting and feeding of deer.
Investigators found rotting deer bodies on the farm, injured deer, and multiple "trays or bowls filled with a mixture of grape soda and Golden Malrin pellets, a bait used to control flies. The mixture is quickly fatal when drunk," The MeatEater wrote.
Not only was Stanek illegally killing deer, but he "took it a step above anything I'd ever seen before, and made it clear that he had made a game out of it," Konichek said, per The MeatEater.
Deer play a vital role in ecosystems as a keystone species. While overpopulation can be a problem, hunting seasons help keep populations in check.
Unfortunately, not all people follow the rules when it comes to hunting. In another example, a Florida man received a lifetime hunting ban after shooting a protected tundra swan. Their punishments serve as deterrents for illegal hunters and keep protected wildlife safe.
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