January 9, 2016
From GreenBayPressGazette.com
State Rep. Joel Kleefisch, R-Oconomowoc, was cited Dec. 27 for shooting two turkeys — an adult “tom” and a juvenile “jake” — with one shotgun blast. The shot put Kleefisch one bird over the limit because he had only one tag.
Unfortunately for Kleefisch, he had received a written warning a few years earlier for killing three Canada geese with one shot, putting him one bird over the limit. Kleefisch turned himself in for that violation, too.
In yet another case, Kleefisch received a formal warning when a youth in his charge killed two turkeys with one shot during a mentored hunt.
And Kleefisch told a game warden he initially validated and attached a tag from a different management zone to the second bird.
Another factor working against Kleefisch was a citation he received in January 2013 for registering a deer two days after the registration deadline. Kleefisch shot the deer on Sunday, Jan. 6, the last day of the 2012-13 season and thought he had 48 hours to register it. However, deer killed on the season’s final day must be registered within 24 hours. He was issued a $243 citation for the late registration.
Now Kleefisch faces a maximum penalty of $1,142.50 for the December turkey violation, but a $200 to $300 fine is more likely. His hearing date in Waukesha County Circuit Court is Feb. 10.