Three cited for illegal hunting

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Three cited for illegal hunting
(Released October 31, 2011)

Three individuals face multiple charges for allegedly illegally taking deer, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

A DNR conservation officer (CO) and an 1854 Tribal Band game warden were contacted shortly after two men and a woman registered a deer at a convenience store in Virginia Oct. 12. The caller noticed a large amount of blood in the back of a vehicle owned by one of the suspects. One of the individuals was overheard bragging about shooting the deer from the truck with a crossbow.

“The caller thought that the amount of blood in the truck’s box could not have possibly come from one deer, so we started our investigation,” said CO Matt Frericks of Virginia.

The investigation uncovered illegal party hunting, lending/borrowing licenses, failure to register big game animals, and illegal taking of three deer. Fine and restitution amount total nearly $2,800 with other charges possible.

Formal changes will be filed against the three suspects shortly with the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office. The woman is an 1854 Tribal Band member who will face charges through the Band’s legal system.

Anyone witnessing wildlife or fishing law violations is encouraged to contact the nearest conservation officer or law enforcement agency, or call the toll-free Turn-In-Poachers (TIP) hotline at 800-652-9093. Also, #TIP is available to most cell phone users in Minnesota.

Find a Minnesota conservation officer online. Click on the map, and a balloon will pop up that shows the officer’s phone number and the State Patrol dispatch number.