Woman Embroiled in Massive Deer Poaching Operation That Spanned Three Counties Pleads Not Guilty

A 36-year-old woman accused of leading a yuge deer poaching operation has made her first court appearance and is feigning innocence, despite the evidence piling up against her. 

For those that need a refresher on this case, back in October, we broke the story of Jessica Kroening, 36,  who led a group of juveniles in a poaching spree that a local sheriff referred to as “Senseless. Reckless and Indiscriminate.”

The crimes, which reportedly took place in the Fond du Lac area between the spring of 2023 and the summer of 2024, involved the suspects joyriding around in their car while searching for deer to purposely hit. For the deer that they were unable to collide with, a press release stated that the group of individuals would turn to spotlights and rifles to get the job done after the sun went down.

In addition to shooting what is believed to be roughly 100 deer illegally, the group was also known to pick up weary fawns on the side of the road, terrorize them in the car for a period of time or even take wounded deer to their home where they would allegedly take selfies with the injured animals.

“After the initial media release in July, I was asked by a media outlet to describe what I felt about the accusations. My gut response was: ‘Senseless. Reckless. Indiscriminate,’” Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan F. Waldschmidt said in a release. “Since that time, and after reading reports and observing video and photographic evidence obtained during this investigation, those words remain my best summation of the situation.”

As part of Kroening’s initial hearing, a Washington County judge entered her not guilty pleas on Monday on three misdemeanor counts including: contributing to the delinquency of a child, illegal shining of deer, and resisting a conservation warden. While her three juvenile accomplices are also facing charges, one 16-year-old implicated in the case has since taken a plea deal.

Judge Sandra Geirnoth set a $5,000 signature bond for Kroening, who was making her initial appearance. Kroening is expected to return to court with her attorney in tow on December 30th.