Two circuit court judges recently ordered an arrest warrant for a Shawano County man after he failed to show up for court appearances on nine poaching-related charges.
Dylan J. Wolff, 27, of Pulcifer, faces several felony and misdemeanor charges in connection with alleged poaching incidents in Waupaca and Forest counties.
Waupaca County Circuit Court Judge Troy Nielsen ordered a warrant for Wolff’s arrest Aug. 18 after Wolff failed to show up in Waupaca for his adjourned initial appearance after he was charged with two felonies and six misdemeanors.
Meanwhile, Forest County Circuit Court Judge Robert A. Kennedy Jr. ordered an arrest warrant five days earlier on Aug. 13 after Wolff failed to show up to face a misdemeanor charge.
Wolff’s charges in Waupaca County are two felony counts of bail jumping and two misdemeanor counts each of failure to obtain a deer hunting license, hunting deer during closed season and hunting/fishing/trapping after revocation (second offense within five years).
He also faces one misdemeanor count in Forest County of hunting/fishing/trapping after revocation (second offense within five years).
Wolff is also accused of several poaching violations in Oconto and Brown counties, but no poaching-related charges had been filed against him in either county as of Aug. 18.
He also faced several poaching-related charges in Shawano, Forest and Waupaca county dating back to January 2025, but those cases were all closed.
Waupaca County Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Bolz is handling the case against Wolff in Waupaca County.
“Either he’ll turn himself in or if law enforcement has contact with him and see that he has a warrant, he’ll come back to the Waupaca County Jail and be seen in front of one of the judges, whoever’s on intake,” Bolz said. “We’ll then discuss his bond again. It might get reinstated, or he’ll get a cash bond. After that, we’ll do the adjourned initial appearance again. That hearing will determine whether he wants an attorney or qualifies for either a public defender or a court-appointed attorney, or he could hire his own attorney.”
The eight Waupaca County charges came after state Department of Natural Resources conservation wardens confronted Wolff on Jan. 8 at Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery in the Town of Matteson, just north of Embarrass.
The two felony bail jumping charges stem from a case in Shawano County. Wolff’s past court history in that county includes a conviction in April 2026 for hunting/fishing/trapping after revocation.
Local law enforcement departments are working on the case with assistance from the DNR and the state Public Defenders Office, according to Bolz.
“Some of it has to do with the calendars of everyone and the Public Defenders Office based on staffing, whether they can find an attorney for him if he qualifies,” he said. “If he gets picked up in Forest or Waupaca (counties), he’ll have to be seen in both courts before he’d be released.”
Cases that include several allegations, a number of law enforcement agencies and multiple counties can be difficult to prosecute, Bolz said.
“It can, but thankfully, most counties are willing to work with each other,” he said. “I’m the dedicated DNR prosecutor for Waupaca County. It’s easier when you can talk to someone who has familiarity with DNR statutes and codes and works closely with the DNR to see what they’re looking for.”
Wolff was free on a $2,500 signature bond in Waupaca County.
Bolz said the next step in the case is for authorities to apprehend Wolff.
“They’ll pick him up and we’ll bring him back,” he said. “In a criminal case, it’s the warrant that’s outstanding. If he lays low and doesn’t have any police contact, the warrant can be outstanding for months or even years depending on where he’s located.
“Some jurisdictions will make an effort to go find individuals. Given the fact that he’s not from Waupaca, they might reach out to another jurisdiction and say, ‘Hey, can you drive by the house?’ I don’t know if they’ll do that in this kind of case, but that is a possibility.”
