In what some are citing as an unnecessary use of explosives (is there really such a thing?), members of Minnesota’s DNR are in a bit of hot water after using dynamite to blow up a pair of old deer stands.
The incident took place in Bowstring State Forest in northern Minnesota, within earshot of local residences. The stands had been located within the boundaries of the Leech Lake Reservation and the owner of the stands, who has chosen to remain anonymous out of fear of possible repercussions, happens to be an enrolled member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.
The DNR’s forestry team was dispatched to the region to dispose of a couple of old deer stands that were left there unlawfully – a problem that is nothing new to public land. Rather than hauling them out in pieces, the decision was made to blow them up using dynamite, leaving pieces of wood and other debris in their wake.
According to local resident Kent Parks, of Deer River, debris from the incident still remains months after the detonation which happened over the winter.
“I found the detonator cord they used. It makes absolutely no sense to have done this,’’ he said.
Like most deer stands, the shelters were all primarily made from wood and were used by hunters during the fall season. Many of them were located on wheeled trailers and, according to Kent, had been there for “at least 10 or 15 years.”
But according to DNR officials, forestry staff had left notices on each of the stands in October of last year ahead of deer hunting season.
“After repeated efforts to contact the owner of the stands and a conversation with a relative of the owner, DNR forestry staff demolished the stands,’’ agency officials said.
While the DNR seems to have followed the rules with regards to notice, the state agency went on to say that perhaps the forestry team went a little overboard when it came to introducing high-powered explosives.
“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 statement noted. “We are evaluating the situation and will take appropriate follow-up measures.”
Citing the fact that the DNR did not believe that removal was a reasonable option in this case, the decision was made to demolish them. Parks and other residents believe that the stands could have been easily removed given that they were on wheeled trailers. They, and others, remain puzzled as to why they couldn’t have been completely removed.
“They could have easily been moved,” Parks said. “They were on trailers with wheels, there are plenty of trails around there they could have used to drag them out. If they would have torn them down and hauled the materials out, I could understand that.”
This week agency officials made a statement that the action didn’t follow the “DNR policy or reflect good judgment. A follow-up inquiry into the incident is likely.
