Hunters Have Deer Stolen Right off Their Lawn, Thief Caught by Deputies
OutdoorHub Reporters 11.13.14
Living in a small town has its benefits, like being able to clean and process deer right in your backyard. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, a group of hunters in Millwood Township, Minnesota had returned from a successful deer hunt and left several deer carcasses in their yard when they noticed one was missing on Sunday. The theft occurred while the hunters were out, but they arrived home just in time to see a silver car flee the area with the buck tied to the top of the vehicle.
“Strange case,” Stearns County Sheriff’s Office’s chief deputy Bruce Bechtold said. “First one I have seen in 28 years.”
The hunters at first thought it was prank by their friends, but soon realized that the deer was gone for good. Fortunately, tracking down the thief was not hard for Stearns County deputies, and they eventually intercepted the vehicle as it tried to leave the county. It was easy to determine the deer belonged to the hunters due to a colored latex glove tied to one of its legs, which the sportsmen said they left on the animal while it was being cleaned. The suspected thief, a 34-year-old man from Rice, was not arrested but is now awaiting charges.
“The driver of the silver car admitted that he had been hunting and wasn’t successful so when he saw the deer hanging from the tree he decided to cut one down and take it,” read a press release from the sheriff’s office.
Officials said that the man could be looking at charges of theft and other related offenses for taking the deer, which was valued at $500. The carcass was eventually returned to its rightful owners.
