Good stuff from the DNR.

[Cheetah]

Not sure if you guys know this, but the DNR publishes officer reports on their HSOforum. Plenty of interesting reading to be had. All the reports of baiting and other ridiculous stuff that hunters do on the opener is quite entertaining.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/enforcement/co_report/index.html

[sticknstring]

First one I clicked on (St.Cloud)... lol

Quote:

Most hunters blamed the cold and wind. One hunter disagreed, and claimed that the numbers were down because the rest of his hunting party, “Can’t hit the broad side of a barn.”

I usually catch up on these in Outdoor News but the HSOforum is convenient.

[snoozebutton]

I checked the Baudette report and came across this little gem.

Quote:

Lt. Pat Znajda worked in the vacant Karlstad Station and assisted District 1 Officers over the deer season opener. A report of someone shooting a large buck in a state park that was only open for antlerless opportunities was investigated. The buck was seized from the hunter with charges pending. Assistance was provided to an area CO that made a 3rd degree DWI arrest where the driver was operating an ATV on a county road. The ATV driver had a cancelled driver’s license because of previous DWIs. The ATV was seized and the ATV driver spent the weekend in jail. Lt. Znajda checked one deer camp and found three untagged deer. The men in the camp claimed that one of the untagged deer belonged to a hunter that was still out hunting. With assistance from CO/Pilot Murray the other hunter was later located with two others. They were illegally operating their ATV’s in a WMA and had become stuck. When Lt. Znajda made contact with the men he found three more untagged deer being transported on their ATVs putting the men with an overlimit of deer as well. Enforcement action was taken on the men for all violations encountered.

[hhguide]

This ones good too.

CO Sam Hunter (Park Rapids) had a busy deer opener. Officer Hunter received complaints regarding baiting, ATV’s operating in restricted hours, and rifle hunters in the State Game Refuge. Officer Hunter received information that two neighbors were arguing over bait. One neighbor was upset with the other because he was using better bait and it was pulling the deer off of his bait. The case remains under investigation.

[huntnfish]

I was reading through some of these over lunch and found this one.

CO Nikki Shoutz (Pine River) spoke to a hunter who successfully shot a trophy 10-point buck that got down off his stand to track his deer heading toward Highway 371. As he got closer, he observed a truck pulled over on the shoulder. Thinking it was merely car trouble, he thought nothing of it and tracked his deer toward the same spot. The truck then sped away leaving only a headless deer and a bloody knife. If this poacher is bragging to you about this, please call the TIP line at 800-652-9093 or the officer at 218-692-3456.

[Scott M]

Those are some crazy stories. You guys probably saw the one about the guy that found two bucks with antlers locked, drowned in a pond by Fergus Falls? One of the bucks had like 18 points. The C.O. let the guy keep both bucks and he's getting them mounted.

[tealitup]

CO Angie Warren (Thief River Falls) continued working the deer season with hunters reporting some success but believe the deer numbers are down this year. Officer Warren followed up on TIP complaints of shooting from the roadway and deer being shot and left. A report was received of an individual who had shot an elk; the hunter had mistaken the bull elk for a whitetail deer. The elk and rifle were seized and the investigation is ongoing. A complaint of hunters using ATV's in a WMA was also investigated. Individuals were cited for transporting uncased firearms and a minor was also cited for possession of alcohol.

Mistaken a bull elk for a whitetail deer - wow!

[pinkfloyd4ever]

and these are the people that give all hunters their bad name

[rattlem'up]

there should be tougher penalties for people that are just plain idiotic. A bull elk! come on there is no way possible that a bull elk would look like a whitetail.

[96trigger]

These are just the people that they catch. I can't imagine what goes on that isn't caught. Scary indeed.

[Busdrivers33]

Idiots...

CO David Schottenbauer (Princeton) responded to a call of lost hunters in the middle of the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge. Two hunters walked into the woods without a compass, and didn’t know where they parked their truck. Both hunters got a ride back with CO Schottenbauer. Problem was, when they handed over their guns to be put into the truck, they were both 30.06 rifles, in the shotgun zone, and one hunter did not even have a deer license. The ride to their truck was free, but the day’s hunt was not cheap.

[Scott M]

Wow. Yeah, shooting an elk and not a deer-that reminds me of last year when I saw a ticket written for a guy that shot a moose. Can you believe it? I think deer hunting brings the most yahoos out of the woodwork.

[deerminator]

First one I clicked on (St.Cloud)... lol

Quote:

Most hunters blamed the cold and wind. One hunter disagreed, and claimed that the numbers were down because the rest of his hunting party, “Can’t hit the broad side of a barn.”

I usually catch up on these in Outdoor News but the HSOforum is convenient.

This reminds me of my father-in-law's co-worker who was at deer camp up north for a week last year. Someone came into the workplace asking for him and my father-in-law said he was gone all week. "ALL WEEK?!?!?," the guy responded suprised. And my father-in-law got a big smile and said "Yeah, he's a poor shot." lol

[candiru]

If you get a chance pick up a Wisconsin version of outdoor news and read their conservation officer reports. That's even better yet, they seem to take it to another level over there.