When Brooke Gilley saw a video on Facebook of two bucks tussling at a Milwaukee County Park, she posted a no-nonsense response: “Please refrain from mentioning the parks where you have been finding bucks.” Gilley is an Outreach Naturalist at Wehr Nature Center, located in Milwaukee’s Whitnall Park. One might expect her to celebrate the wildlife people see in Milwaukee County Parks. “We’re having problems with poaching,” elaborated Gilley, regarding Milwaukee County Parks. Photographers who post the locations of the animals they photograph could be inadvertently offering tips to poachers.
Animal poaching, the practice of killing animals that are against the law to harvest, or doing so at an illegal time or place, is something people might expect happens in far-off places. But rhinos and elephants killed for ivory tusks halfway around the world aren’t the only animals that are poached. Poaching happens everywhere, including here in Wisconsin.
In 2015, a local celebrity buck given the name “Bowtie” for the white marking on its neck, was shot and killed with a crossbow along the Menomonee River Parkway in Wauwatosa. Hunting is not allowed in Milwaukee County Parks, and the incident was reported by someone else exploring the area.
I’ve found at least 30 deer that were poached. One is too many, but this is ridiculous.
Price County, Wisconsin Warden Joe Paul
In Price County in northern Wisconsin, more than 30 deer were found dead, killed in August and September of 2018. Very few of the animals had meat or even antlers removed – they appeared to have been killed and left to rot. Price County Warden Joe Paul said the animals were shined – shining a light at deer during nighttime – and then illegally shot, or purposely hit with vehicles. “One is too many, but this is ridiculous,” said Paul. Paul said it was mostly minors and a few adults that had killed the animals; his investigation is still ongoing.
City Deer at Risk of Poaching
In a rural setting, deer are more alert to the presence of humans. They have a keen sense of smell, and will startle at the scent of people. Deer also tend to congregate with turkeys; turkeys have superior vision. Between the two species, if any of the animals spook, they all run. The visual sign to other White-tailed Deer that potential danger is nearby is raising that signature white tail.
In an urban environment, deer are acquainted with the ever-present scent of humans. A city deer may register a human as a predator, but their sense of concern is often much lower than that of a rural animal. This can make city animals especially vulnerable to poaching; their guard is down.
During a walk at a Milwaukee County Park on Nov. 29, 2018, the deer in the above video displayed the exact behavior that puts these animals at risk. Without camouflage clothing or scent masking, while walking on a trail with an unobstructed view, I was able to easily approach within 20-feet of the animal. It displayed no signs of concern, and would look at me and then put its head back down and continue browsing food beneath the snow. As a bowhunter myself, I was baffled that this animal allowed me to get so close.
Unintended Human Threats to Wildlife
Animals so acquainted with people provide opportunities for photographers, but the habits of some photographers can present problems for wildlife. Some photographers can get caught up in the pursuit of capturing the perfect picture, leading them to get closer to wildlife than animals prefer.
Birds, and some other animals, can be particular about their habitats and surroundings, and if something is amiss they will leave. This includes human interaction. A human presence can sometimes result in birds not breeding, leading to dwindling numbers of the very animals that people hope to see, photograph, or conserve. This, of course, is not poaching, but is another reason why some people choose not to disclose where they take photographs of animals.
Zoe Finney is the staff photographer at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center in Bayside, a non-profit that is not a part of the Milwaukee County Park System. As a pastime and as part of her job, Finney photographs wildlife with a focus on birds.
Finney, whether at Schlitz Audubon or other natural areas, has a policy of not disclosing the specific location of animals she photographs. This can create friction in the birding community, as people have “life birds” – birds they wish to see within their lifetime. Some migratory birds will only appear for mere hours at a location, meaning the window of opportunity for seeing or photographing can be slim. Finney says too much human presence can affect migratory birds in particular.
“Snowy Owls are a great example,” said Finney. “They may irrupt [migrate] to Wisconsin in winter, already low on energy when they arrive. If a large crowd of people come to photograph the bird they could flush the animal, causing it to use energy it really doesn’t have.”
Rachel Love Nuwer is the author of Poached: Inside the Dark World of Wildlife Trafficking. She says the U.S. is the second largest market for the illegal wildlife trade. Nuwer has found that poaching is often not about securing food, she observed that exclusivity is an integral part of animal trafficking. Poachers, or people who purchase poached animals or artifacts, often want to possess something that other people can’t have. It’s a feeling of power they get from ownership. “The rarer the animals are, the more desirable they are, that’s how things tend to go in these communities,” said Nuwer.
Steve Swiertz is a warden for Milwaukee County. He says in the county parks and county lands, hunting and trapping is forbidden. “They are public access, meaning people can go explore and fish, but there is no hunting or trapping allowed.”
Swiertz says the most common issues are overbagging – taking a higher number than the daily limit of harvest – and improper licensing. “We come across shining and shooting and things like that, but generally more of the minor cases,” said Swiertz. When talking with Swiertz, he hesitates to provide any specific details related to poaching in Milwaukee. He doesn’t want to give potential poachers any ideas.
The best things folks can do is be observant and be attentive.
Milwaukee Warden Steve Swiertz
Warden Swiertz asks people exploring the parks to pay attention and contact local authorities if they see anything that looks suspicious – but asks people not to intervene directly.
A Large Deer Population
Bev Bryant is a naturalist at Wehr Nature Center. She says that photographers can be an important asset in park safety. They spend so much time on the land that they see a lot of what employees may not notice. “Some of the photographers are so helpful, they’re very observant of what goes on and let us know of any possible problems,” said Bryant.
Whitnall Park has a long and sometimes tumultuous relationship with deer. In 1996, a deer culling program began because the animals were eating too many of the plants raised for Boerner Botanical Gardens. Deer can be destructive to native plants and trees, not just ornamental varieties. “Too many deer can lead to a decrease in wildflowers and tree regeneration,” said Bryant.
Sharpshooters are contracted for the deer culling effort; it is not an open season for hunters. In the past, meat from killed deer had been processed and donated to food pantries. However, since Chronic Wasting Disease was found in Milwaukee County, pantries no longer accept donations of venison.
Technology and Poaching
Internationally, wildlife sanctuaries are requesting that tourists not post locations of animals they see or photograph. “South African authorities have picked up on situations in which people have posted pictures of elephants while on vacation, and then poachers went and killed that animal,” said Rachel Love Nuwer.
What if somebody was poaching or setting illegal traps and a kid got hurt?
Brooke Gilley, Outreach Naturalist at Wehr Nature Center
At Wehr Nature Center, Brooke Gilley accepts that in nature, death is a part of life. She doesn’t get shaken up when animals are killed by other animals. Her main concern that the people who visit public parks are able to explore nature safely. “For me it’s about the people,” said Gilley. “What if somebody was poaching or setting illegal traps and a kid got hurt?”
Brooke Gilley has a daily reminder of the legacy of poaching in Milwaukee. The mount of Bowtie, the buck that was shot with a crossbow in Milwaukee County in 2015, is now on display inside the entrance to Wehr Nature Center.
A listing of wardens and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources personnel can be found on the DNR website. Milwaukee Warden Steve Swiertz asks that anyone with information about possible deer poaching call the DNR tipline at 1-800-847-9367.