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Warden Mike Dieckhoff Recognized with Chief's Mug for Turtle Poaching Case

Last summer, Mike contacted 2 individuals leaving the Sugar River who stated they were fishing, despite the lack of fishing equipment in their possession. Mike enlisted the help of Boyd Richter to see if they could figure out what the two men were doing on the river. They located 8 hoop nets, some untagged nets with illegal mesh size, 15 snapping turtles (6 of them undersize), 4 softshell turtles and a bag with catfish that had been caught in an illegal hoop net. Mike waited throughout the night for someone to return and finally, at close to 3:00 AM, both individuals were apprehended. One person paid over $2,300 in fines, the other $2,400; both received 6 years revocation of their privileges. Mike’s efforts are tied to Goal 1 of the Law Enforcement strategic plan “Maintain Healthy and Diverse Wildlife and Habitats.”