DNR officers are investigating the shooting of a horse in a field at
This Old Farm sometime last week.
Lt. Tom Provost, Brainerd DNR district supervisor, said his office
was informed Nov. 6 that a horse on the Dale Rademacher property off
Highway 18 east of Brainerd had been shot.
Provost said conservation officers recovered a slug from the horse
and are working to match it to a firearm that was used in the area
during the deer hunting season.
According to the weekly conservation officer reports provided by the
DNR:
CO Nikki Shoutz, Pine River, reported enforcement action was taken
for shooting deer from a motor vehicle, trespassing, hunting with an
invalid license, loaded firearm on an ATV, convicted felon in possession
of firearm and hunting over bait.
CO Karl Hadrits, Crosby, reported an individual who was caught three
years ago after he shot a deer at night on posted private property was
caught again this year doing the same thing in the exact same place.
This time a 10-point buck was killed after dark within 150 feet of where
the poacher killed a doe at night in the fall of 2004. This time the
poacher also shot directly at an occupied residence with a high-powered
rifle. Other complaints investigated included shooting from the road,
deer shining, trespassing, reckless discharge of firearms and several
other violations reported through the Turn In Poachers Program.
CO Jim Tischler, Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area, was assisted
by the park manager with the investigation into the unlawful taking of a
bobcat by a deer hunter in the recreation area. He also responded to
several other trespass complaints and informational phone calls.
CO Bob Mlynar, Aitkin, reported a hunter contacted him after seeing
someone walking the ditch of a state highway with a gun and no blaze
orange clothing. The person was located and found to be over twice the
legal limit for alcohol. In a second case, a hunter was found using a
pickup box as a portable stand. He thought it was OK to shoot a deer
from it as long as the truck wasn't moving. He also assisted a hunter
from the woods and swamp after he had become disoriented.
CO Brent Speldrich, McGregor, ventured into the unknown when dealing
with five illegal immigrant hunters from Mexico. Upon checking a
campsite, officers located a respectable nine-point buck. Upon
inspecting the buck, no site tag was located on the animal. After a
two-mile walk through the hills and swamps they were able to locate the
shooter. The hunter did not have identification on him and offered to
return to the camp. He produced a Mexican I.D. and stated that he wasn't
a U.S. citizen. His license, firearm and deer were seized. He was found
to be hunting on a Minnesota resident firearms deer license. As his
fellow hunters returned to camp, they too were found not to be U.S.
citizens. Immigration officials were contacted.
CO Chad Sherack, Pequot Lakes, continued follow-up on complaints of
trespass, hunting over bait, and shooting at big game from the road
right-of-way. He also found several hunting camps left on Sunday with
fires still burning and garbage scattered about and a report of a fire
that occurred when campers had tarps and tent materials too close to the
fire.
CO Randy Posner, Brainerd, reported a number of the violations
detected including shooting from a road, uncased loaded guns in motor
vehicles, no blaze orange and trespass. Deer carcass dumping complaints
also were investigated as were complaints of ATVs operating in the
closed Pillsbury Forest.
