Brainerd man charged

[HD]

Brainerd man charged with shooting and killing 700-pound black bear on the Red Lake Indian Reservation
The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians does not permit non-Indians to hunt bear, a clan animal, within the boundaries of the Red Lake Indian Reservation, due to the bear’s spiritual importance to the band.



Written By: Brainerd Dispatch | Dec 6th 2019 - 4pm.

Brainerd resident Brett James Stimac, 40, was charged with misdemeanor wildlife trafficking and trespassing on Indian lands after shooting and killing a bear on the Red Lake Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald, announced Friday, Dec. 6.

Stimac will make his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Leo I. Brisbois in U.S. District Court at a later date.

According to the allegations, on the evening of Sept. 1, Stimac, who is not an enrolled member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, willfully, knowingly and without authorization or permission, entered the Red Lake Indian Reservation for the purposes of hunting a bear. Using a compound bow, Stimac shot and killed a large American black bear near the reservation’s garbage dump.

According to the allegations in the information, on Sept. 2, Stimac posed for photographs with the bear’s carcass and later shared the photographs on Facebook. Because of the bear’s large size, Stimac was unable to move the bear from the reservation, and instead removed the bear’s head and paws and harvested a small portion of the meat. Stimac left the remainder of the carcass on the reservation.
The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians does not permit non-Indians to hunt bear, a clan animal, within the boundaries of the Red Lake Indian Reservation, due to the bear’s spiritual importance to the band.

The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians does not permit non-Indians to hunt bear, a clan animal, within the boundaries of the Red Lake Indian Reservation, due to the bear’s spiritual importance to the band.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Red Lake Department of Public Safety, the Red Lake Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with assistance from the Beltrami County Attorney’s Office.

Assistant United States attorneys Gina L. Allery and Emily A. Polachek are prosecuting the case.

[Rebel SS]

What a crock of sh**. Stay off our lakes then unless yer an enrolled white boy.

[LPS]

I'm surprised it is only a misdemeanor being on the rez and all. 

[Rebel SS]

They're gonna stake him to a pole over an anthill and pour honey all over him...

[Reinhard]

This looks like more like wanton waste charge to me.  The charge states that because of the size of the bear he didn't move the bear and just took the head and the paws and a small portion of the meat.  That part pisses me off.  I would take his licence away for a couple of years and fine him for wanton waste.  No different than shooting a trophy buck and then caping it out and leaving the rest of the meat in the forest.  While I have a problem with native land designation, he should of known or knew that he was on the reservation being near their dump.  good luck.

[glenn57]

while i'm completely pissed at this guys behavior and hunting tactics, who the hell would wanna eat the meat of a bear that's been feeding from a garbage dump. 

that's bear hunting 101 stuff. unless this guys full intent was to get this big bear to start out with.

[dakids]

This was not his first game violation.  Guy is a piece of crap.

[glenn57]

one year bear baiting I got a good lecture regarding bear hunting on native owned land. I was completely unaware of there tradition with the bear. we are close to the leech lake indian reservation, I actually deer hunt on the reservation.

not only that after my talking to, and a sign by the natives blocking the trail into the bait with garbage, I bought a plat book. I was totally baffled by the little partials of land spread out all over the countryside that were owned by native American tribes. I had issues with the junk they put in the trail to block me from going in, anyone else would of been fined in my opinion, but whatever.

so with respect. I now make sure I know where i'm setting bear baits. also with this new GIS mapping on the puter I do a good amount of research first. 

I love looking at that GIS mapping...……….I know where gunner lives!!!!!!!

[LPS]

LOW County is like that too.  Even 40's and 80's as well as huge chunks.  It is your responsibility to know where they are even if the sign is not there saying Rez property.  They catch you on them without permission and you are in big trouble from what I hear. 

[Rebel SS]

Haveta agree with RH/ Glenn on this.  WTH would ya shoot a nice bear like that, and take just a bit of meat and whack off the head?! ANYTHING I ever shot, I made sure I was gonna eat ALL of it.....

[glenn57]

Haveta agree with RH/ Glenn on this.  WTH would ya shoot a nice bear like that, and take just a bit of meat and whack off the head?! ANYTHING I ever shot, I made sure I was gonna eat ALL of it.....

OMG...………. you agreed with me!!!!!!!!

reiny I never did actually talk to a native. just the sign. the guy that gave me the low down on the bear thing was a store owner that lived up there his entire life. come to think of it he may have been part native?????? not sure though!!!! he helped me bait so not to sure.

[dakids]

Stimac, who could not be reached for comment, has a lengthy history of illegal hunting. Past convictions include illegally transporting big game, hunting deer over bait and several counts of hunting without a proper license

[Rebel SS]

Why was he still able to hunt????!!   

[Steve-o]

LOW County is like that too.  Even 40's and 80's as well as huge chunks.  It is your responsibility to know where they are even if the sign is not there saying Rez property.  They catch you on them without permission and you are in big trouble from what I hear.

So if Indian-owned land is NOT within the formal boundaries of a reservation, they still don't have to post wooded parcels?

Still, whenever I see a chunk of unposted land I'd like to hunt, I do double check on-line sources.  Each MN county has their own Geographic Information System (GIS); like an on-line plat book.  You can navigate around, drill down, and check to see who owns each parcel.

Here is the link for Lake of the Woods County.

Lake of the Woods County GIS

[Jerkbiat]

I use those all the time too. I also use ONX Maps. Then I have it right on my phone when I am out in the woods. And the guy is a POS. Makes it worse that he wasted most of the meat. Why bother killing the animal then.

[LPS]

I don't actually know what the laws are about it Steve.  The closer to the res the more they use the land.  I don't think they hardly ever go to most of these spots.  On your map click on owner types and all of the red properties are Indian land. 

[Steve-o]

On your map click on owner types and all of the red properties are Indian land.

Nice pro tip.   

Now I s'pose some would say that is racist. 

[delcecchi]

Why was he still able to hunt????!!   

Uh, he had a bow and wanted to shoot something?   So he went to a garbage dump and waited for a bear to show up.    I remember when going to watch the bears at the Cook Dump was a thing.   If he hadn't shot a bear that he couldn't move, might never have been caught.   

And so far as I know, game law violators don't do hard time... like some of them ought to.   

[snow1]

Agreed this guy is a tool,I remember a few years back a guy landed his plane on lower red lake TO ICE FISH,natives impounded his plane,huge fine also noted the air space over rez land is off limits... this plus all the federal $$ we give to these reservations plus they get /divey casino earnings,no taxes makes blood squirt out of my eyes.ENOUGH!let these reservation fend for themselves

[Rebel SS]

I suggest they give all these type of clowns a one year vacation and bus pass....to Guantanamo Bay, since it's not a prison, only a "holding facility", says the gubmint.

[delcecchi]

Agreed this guy is a tool,I remember a few years back a guy landed his plane on lower red lake TO ICE FISH,natives impounded his plane,huge fine also noted the air space over rez land is off limits... this plus all the federal $$ we give to these reservations plus they get /divey casino earnings,no taxes makes blood squirt out of my eyes.ENOUGH!let these reservation fend for themselves

And if he had done the same in Canada, like Lac Seul, without license or customs they would have done exactly the same.  And we spend a lot of money defending Canada....

[Rebel SS]

Yup. I kept the country afloat buying their VO.

[LPS]

Agreed this guy is a tool,I remember a few years back a guy landed his plane on lower red lake TO ICE FISH,natives impounded his plane,huge fine also noted the air space over rez land is off limits... this plus all the federal $$ we give to these reservations plus they get /divey casino earnings,no taxes makes blood squirt out of my eyes.ENOUGH!let these reservation fend for themselves

And if he had done the same in Canada, like Lac Seul, without license or customs they would have done exactly the same.  And we spend a lot of money defending Canada....

We can fly over Canada as long as we don't land there. 

[delcecchi]

Don't you have to check in with some authority on the radio?  Air Traffic or something?  Or is that just for bigger planes?

[LPS]

Maybe a courtesy call.  But anyone can take off from here and fly over Canada as long as they don't land.  Planes coming back from Canada land here and American Customs comes and checks on them.  If you are flying to Canada in a float plane you can land on the river and then go over to Canada customs.  Otherwise you fly to Winnipeg or where ever and when you land there Canada customs will check you in there.

[delcecchi]

And Canada gets to decide...  Red Lake is a sovereign nation so I guess they get to make their own rules.  Except they must allow airliners and stuff to go over.  I can't see Delta making a detour for them.  Or maybe it just hasn't come up as an issue.     

Anyway this guy was wrong in a number of ways, and his record shows he ignores state laws too.   Maybe he needs a few months or more of hard time in order to get the idea that he ought not to be doing that stuff he does.  Does Red Lake Res have a jail?   

[roony]

If they have a jail it would probably be overflowing.

[Reinhard]

They have a  detention center supervised by the Federal Government.  www.redlakenation.org/tribal-programs/public-safety/detention . good luck.

[glenn57]

They have a  detention center supervised by the Federal Government.  www.redlakenation.org/tribal-programs/public-safety/detention . good luck.

why are the feds involved if there a soveriegn nation?????????????????????????????????

[Reinhard]

I think the Bureau of Indian Affairs are involved with the detention center.  good luck.