Unsuccessful hunter steals deer shot by someone else, is quickly caught

Frustrated by his own failures as a deer hunter this newly begun season, a 34-year-old central Minnesota man was caught after stealing a buck dangling from a tree at the home of a more successful marksman, authorities said Monday.

The theft occurred midday Sunday from a home in Millwood Township and was reported to the Stearns County Sheriff's Office by a group of hunters that had several deer carcasses hanging in a tree, said Chief Deputy Bruce Bechtold.

It was while the hunters left the home for a short time that the thief cut down one of the deer and fled, the Sheriff's Office continued.

The man, from Rice, "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," the Sheriff's Office statement read.

Authorities have not released the man's identity. He remains free pending charges.

Bechtold said the state Department of Natural Resources put the value of the deer at roughly $500, "but we are going to take some time to figure out" what charges apply.

"Strange case," the chief deputy said. "First one I have seen in 28 years."

When the hunters returned and saw one of their deer missing, they called 911 and recalled seeing a silver car leave the area with a small buck tied to the top.

The hunter who shot the deer had tied a colored latex glove to one of the deer's legs, and such a glove was visible atop the car with the deer.

Deputies caught up to the car in Upsala, about 10 miles north of Morrison Township in neighboring Morrison County, and the deer was returned to the hunter.