January 6, 2010
Wis. wardens arrested nearly 30 felons during hunt
MADISON, Wis. – A state report says Wisconsin wardens arrested 29 felons for possessing a firearm during the November gun deer hunt – the most in seven years.
The report from state Department of Natural Resources Chief Warden Randy Stark says wardens arrested nine felons in 2008, 16 in 2007 and nine in 2006. They arrested three in 2005, 10 in 2004 and 14 in 2003.
Stark notes that felons can’t possess firearms under state and federal law, but they can purchase hunting licenses in Wisconsin.
State Rep. Jeff Smith, an Eau Claire Democrat, is working on a bill that would prohibit felons from purchasing any kind of gun hunting license. Violators would anywhere from $500 to $1,000 in forfeitures.