The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Seymour Police Department are asking the public to assist in an investigation following the illegal spearing of a sturgeon in Black Creek near Seymour.
The sturgeon is believed to have been speared during the overnight hours from Sunday, April 17 into Monday, April 18.
DNR Law Enforcement staff is working closely with members of the public and various stakeholder groups in the area to gather more information.
Tonight, conservation wardens tell us a concerned citizen discovered the dead 56-inch male sturgeon in Black Creek with spear holes in its back.
They say it's a tell-tale sign of poaching that has volunteers working around the clock to stop it.
Just a few miles away, in Shiocton, a growing crowd is gathering along the banks of the Wolf River Wednesday evening to catch a glimpse of the spawn.
"They like to roll on the riverbanks here," says Shiocton Police Chief Kristine Brownson, walking along the banks.
It's a rare viewing opportunity that the DNR says also makes sturgeon the target of poachers.
"Could you poach something like that? It's sitting right there," exclaims Gilbert Blochowitz, clearly impressed with the sight unfolding along the shoreline below him. "That ain't fair."
Conservation wardens say illegal sturgeon spearing isn't the concern it was decades ago.
"There's not really a problem with the poaching here, I don't believe," adds Brownson.
Brownson says that, in part, is due to dozens of people volunteering as Sturgeon Guards during the spawn. In efforts to prevent illegal sturgeon spearing throughout Wisconsin, Sturgeon Guard volunteers are placed in areas where sturgeon may be vulnerable to illegal harvest.
"They're here all night long, constantly covering shifts so there's somebody here during the day," says Brownson. "There's people actually walking down the shore banks right now, making sure that people are not touching the fish, and bothering the fish."
A typical spawning period usually lasts four to ten days. But DNR biologists say this sturgeon run will likely wrap up before Sunday.
Anyone with information related to this investigation is encouraged to contact the confidential DNR tip line at 1-800-TIP-WDNR or the Seymour Police Department at 920-833-2366.
