Accused poacher faces amended charges

by Janet Montgomery

Tuesday, Sublette County Circuit Court Judge John Crow signed the order to send the accused Pinedale poacher to appear in the Ninth Judicial District Court.

After enter not-guilty pleas in Circuit Court last week to seven different charges related to three poached deer in Pinedale, prosecutors filed amended charges against Landon Wisell on Aug. 5 with an additional three misdemeanor charges for a total of 10 counts, including nine various misdemeanors and one felony against the accused poacher.

The three new misdemeanor charges included two counts of use of an automobile or motorized vehicle and artificial light for hunting and one count of hunting from a highway.

The 19-year-old faces six other misdemeanor charges of taking game animals without a license or during a closed season, which including the two high misdemeanors for taking of a moose and horned antelope that carry larger fines and sentences of up to one year in jail and a $10,000 (or not less than $5,000) fine upon conviction for each.

The felony property destruction charge against Wisell was generated from the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission calculation of the value of the four deer at $4,000 each, $3,000 for the horned antelope, and $7,500 for the moose, and it carries a maximum sentenced of 10 years in prison and a fine of not more than $10,000, or both upon conviction.

Wisell faces the 10 counts after being arrested in connection with three doe deer that were poached in Pinedale in July. According to court documents, the three deer were found shot with a bow and arrow in the vicinities of South Fremont Avenue, South Sublette Avenue and near the southwest corner of the ice hockey rink.

According to court documents, the poaching incidents allegedly occurred between June 7 and July 8 with a witness to the acts allegedly naming Wisell as the shooter to Wyoming Game and Fish Wardens Herb "Bubba" Hailey and Dennis Almquist.

Cody Callison, 19, of Farson stated in a July 30 interview that he was present on June 20 when Wisell allegedly killed a buck antelope with a bow and arrow near the beach on Fremont Lake as well as on June 17 near Kelly Park when Wisell allegedly shot a bull moose. Callison also claimed to be present when Wisell allegedly shot a deer with a bow and arrow near the hockey rink on July 4, as well as the two deer in town on July 7, according to court documents.

Callison also stated on July 31 that Wisell had allegedly told him that he had killed a deer near Elkhart Park Campground during the first week of June, according to court documents.

Court documents record that Wisell allegedly admitted on Aug. 1 to the two WG&F wardens that he had killed a bull moose, a buck antelope and three mule deer in Pinedale as well as a deer near the Elkhart Park Campground.

Wisell also allegedly confessed to shooting one deer at night, from his vehicle, on Sublette Avenue in Pinedale, according to court documents.

Callison received five citations for allegedly aiding and abetting in the four deer and the one horned antelope poaching incidents, although other charges may be pending.

A date for Wisell to appear in district court has not yet been set.

The four original misdemeanor charges against Wisell carry maximum sentences of six months in jail with fines of not less than $50 and no more than $400. Two of the three new misdemeanor charges carry sentences of six months in prison and a fine of not less than $200 and no more than $750, with the hunting from the highway charging having a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a fine of $600.