Friday, February 10, 2006

DNR: You're Power-Mad

The DNR, fresh from home-invasion "investigation" techniques, now resorts to bribery:

John Stroik says he just wanted to feed the wild turkeys on his land and spend time with his six children, watching from a nearby stand as the birds pecked at cracked corn tumbling from a gravity feeder he made from PVC pipe, painted camouflage and attached to a tree.

"We sometimes get upwards of 20 at a time," Stroik said. "I built a little seat that my daughter can sit on, and so when I'm on my knees, our heads are at the same level."

But now the Cedarburg police sergeant and hunting safety instructor is in Sheboygan County Circuit Court on a citation for illegally feeding wildlife. Stroik says he's the victim of an elaborate Thanksgiving weekend stakeout, for which a Department of Natural Resources warden promised beer to whoever could catch him in the act of baiting wildlife, according to an internal DNR memo.

On another occasion, while DNR was setting up its sting (or whatever,):

Clutter wrote in his report that Stroik's wife met the two wardens at the house and told them her husband was "hunting out back." Clutter also wrote it appeared that Stroik's wife radioed her husband that the wardens were coming to meet him, and shortly after, they saw Clutter "walking quickly from the woodlot towards the house."

Stroik said he has never hunted on the property, and no baiting was involved.

If Stroik were "hunting out back," how come there's no mention of a weapon as he "walks quickly from the woodlot towards the house"?

While good wildlife management practices are in place for a reason, it seems to me that attracting turkeys for viewing by children should not be reason for $185.00 fines.

And home-invasions because someone had the unmitigated gall to ride a friggin' SNOWMOBILE down a road for 6 blocks?? Where's Senator Feingold (D-AlQuaeda) on this one?

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