On Friday, Nov. 3, 2006, Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge Law Enforcement Officers responded to a police radio dispatch reporting a hunter had been shot on the refuge. Refuge officers, along with officers from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Becker County Sheriff’s Office and the White Earth Tribal Police Office located the injured person at approximately 8:15 p.m. An ambulance was also on-site and provided first aid until the victim was air transported to Meritcare Hospital in Fargo.
The shooting victim, a 45-year old man from Callaway, MN, had been archery hunting for deer in an area south of County Road 143 in the Wauboose Lake area of the Refuge. The man was shot once in the left arm sometime between 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. The man was later found by his son who called for help with a cellular phone.
The individual, or individuals, who shot the man have not been identified. Because this incident occurred on a National Wildlife Refuge the investigation is being led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge and several other law enforcement agencies are assisting with the investigation. The FBI is asking anyone with information regarding this incident to contact the Minneapolis FBI Office at 612-376-3200.
Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge Manager Barbara Boyle also reminds hunters and visitors to take extra precautions during hunting season by wearing blaze orange. “I’m always saddened when I hear of someone being injured while hunting,” she said. “I want to reassure visitors that Tamarac Refuge is a safe hunting area. We strive to provide for a quality hunting experience on the refuge.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
