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Landowner at Site of Deer Kill Reopens Land to Snowmobiles

While an appeals court decides if felony animal mistreatment charges should be dropped against three Waupaca County men accused of torturing and killing deer with snowmobiles, Action 2 News learned the land where the mutilated deer were found will be open to snowmobilers this winter.

“I’ve made up my mind and I’m going to open it and that’s it, I won’t go back on my word,” Virginia Niemuth said.

Niemuth’s threat to close off her land was initially in reaction to the dismissal of felony animal cruelty charges against brothers Rory and Robby Kuenzi. Felony charges against a third man, Nicolas Hermes, were suspended.

But the judges’ rulings are being appealed, and Niemuth says she’s had time to think about it and change her mind.

“Last year the trail run right through here where the snowmobilers killed the deer,” Niemuth showed us.

Niemuth told the Waupaca County Snowmobile Association to move its trail this year but not completely off her land, as she had threatened, just farther away from her sheds.

“We’re all pretty happy — the snowmobile club, myself personally, really thank Jenny for finally saying yes,” the snowmobile group’s Dennis Behn said. “Was pretty leery about it, but finally she said we could go.”

For the 5,000 some registered snowmobilers in Waupaca County, her decision is huge. Without the Niemuth property they would have faced a 20-mile detour.

Three snowmobile trails connect right on Virginia’s property.

“I guess I was just so bitter about the whole thing, but the more I thought about it, it isn’t the snowmobilers and it isn’t the deer hunters that are causing the problem.”

The farmer who discovered the mutilated deer agrees.

“You can’t punish everybody for what a few people did,” Randy Yorkson said.

All Virginia has are what she thinks are a couple of easy-to-follow requests: “Stay on the trails and don’t harm the animals.”

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