Opening weekend mostly safe for area hunters

For the most part, it was a safe opening weekend for Brainerd area deer hunters.

A 17-year-old Ironton girl, Joan Johnson, was injured Saturday morning after she fell from her deer stand in Nokay Lake Township, the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department reported. She was airlifted to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale. Information on her condition was unavailable Monday.

Across Minnesota, at least four hunters were shot in Minnesota during the opening weekend of the deer season, one fatally. In three of the shootings, in St. Louis County, Brown County and Clearwater County, the victims were recovering at local hospitals. The fatal shooting took place near Elbow Lake in Grant County in western Minnesota.

All the shootings were under investigation by local authorities, however initial reports suggest they were all accidental.

There were no other reports of injuries or lost hunters in Aitkin, Cass or Crow Wing counties.

"The weather cooperated and when that happens people tend to stay in the woods where they belong and stay out of trouble," said Lt. Tom Provost, Brainerd DNR district supervisor.

In Cass County, sheriff's dispatcher George Martin said there was a report of a lost hunter but it turned out he was just having coffee at a neighbor's house. Aside from a few complaints, it was a quiet year for Cass County sheriff's deputies, Martin said.

"There just doesn't seem to be that many hunters up," for the deer opener, Martin said. "It was pretty mellow."

Aitkin County also had no reports of incidents during the deer opener.

Aside from the accident in Nokay Lake Township there were no major incidents, only regular calls concerning the deer opener such as illegal deer stands and vehicles in prohibited places, Crow Wing County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Debi Backdahl said.

Provost said the biggest issue leading up to the firearms deer season was baiting. Though largely addressed through the media and DNR follow-up, several citations for baiting were issued during the deer opener.

Overall, Provost said the number of calls DNR conservation officers have received so far this year have been lower than average. Violations reported by COs included hunting without a license, not validating a license, transporting untagged deer, trespassing, operating a motor vehicle in a closed area and transporting uncased firearms.

"Again, I think weather has a lot to do with it," Provost said. "People go to where they originally planned, a legal spot. The weather was such that people were able to sit in their stands all day. When the weather is poor, people start driving around, trespassing, doing things they shouldn't be doing."

MATT ERICKSON may be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.