Too Far? Minnesota DNR Used Explosives To Destroy Someone’s Deer Stands

It's easy to see how some people might think this tactic was a bit excessive.

A pair of deer stands in the woods in Northern Minnesota were destroyed by foresters with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, using dynamite to blow up the structures.

The Duluth News Tribune reports that the explosive removal of these two structures happened on state land in the Bowstring State Forest, which is just north of Deer River in Northern Minnesota.

The stands were reportedly south of Bowstring Lake, about 3/4 of a mile southwest of the lake. Besides being on state land, this is also within the boundary of the Leech Lake Reservation in Itasca County, northwest of Grand Rapids.

While the stands were in a state forest, they were near some residences. People in the area heard the explosions used to destroy the deer stands, with a couple of neighbors commenting to the DNT that they felt the method used by the DNR foresters was "unsafe and unnecessary".

The identity of the owner of the deer stands remains undisclosed, as neighbors told the DNT that the individual is afraid of repercussions.

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One of the people living in the area went to inspect the area after the explosions, finding detonating cord and debris from the 4-foot by 8-foot wooden structures spread as far as 100 feet from their original sites.

Jim Fena, who lives about a half mile from where the stands were, told the DNT that the explosion could be heard at least 4 miles away. Fena said the two explosions shook his house, rattling windows and shaking a can of pop off his bar.

Fena explained to the News Tribune that the stands may have been left on the state property illegally, not marked as property of a member of the Leech Lake Tribe. He said that while the stands may have been there illegally, explosives seemed unnecessary. He questioned why they used that tactic at all, especially in close proximity to other people living in the area, without notifying anyone in the area.

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As Fena mentioned, structures like the ones destroyed are not legal in most cases, though there are some different rules for tribal lands and tribal members. The DNR's hunting regulations note that permanent structures are not permitted on state lands.

The DNR told the News Tribune that there were "repeated efforts to contact the owner", which included notes left on the deer stands last fall and a conversation with a relative of the owner.

The DNR's statement to the DNT explained that “While staff took the safety steps of blocking access to the area, confirming there were no other landowners immediately adjacent to the site, and notifying the appropriate authorities, the method of demolition did not follow DNR policy or reflect good judgment."

The DNR said they are evaluating the situation  “and will take appropriate follow-up measures.”

Normal removal procedures for deer stands on state property violating rules generally include loading the structure into a vehicle and haunting it away. In the case of these structures, the DNR says "removal was not a reasonable option for the stands in this particular situation".

Neighbors told the DNT that they disagreed with that assessment, saying it could have been dragged out or dismantled and hauled out.