Behind the Badge
Sibling Spats
District Game Warden Andrew Dahlgren
As a game warden you are typically not thinking about deer hunting season in February.
In 2017 my deer season did not end until the middle of February.
What started out as a nondescript day, highlighted by an oil change on my patrol vehicle, changed rather quickly with a phone call.
State radio called looking for a warden to contact the Richland County Drug Task Force about a search warrant.
The drug task force was getting ready to conduct a probation search for drugs and paraphernalia and had information that there were potentially two illegal deer at the location
they were about to search.
They were hoping I would be able to assist, but unfortunately I was sitting in a waiting room 150 miles away.
The task force conducted their probation search and located three antlered whitetail deer heads, one of which was tagged but not by the owner of the residence, and a lot of deer meat.
Based on the two untagged deer, I asked the drug task force officers to seize all the deer parts and meat.
I arrived in Wahpeton later that day to meet with the officers and look at the seized deer parts.
It was immediately evident that there were more than three deer with the amount of meat.
Fortunately for me, the suspect was sitting a couple feet away in the Richland County jail.
I asked to interview the suspect, fully expecting to be told I could talk to his lawyer.
Much to my surprise the suspect, Mike (not his real name), agreed to meet with me.
I read Mike his Miranda Rights and explained the reason I was there.
I told him that I had looked at the deer parts seized by the drug task force officers, and that there appeared to be at least six deer in the pile.
Mike agreed that there were six deer, three does and three bucks, and admitted to shooting two of the does.
Completely bewildered, I continued asking him questions, and he continued answering further incriminating himself.
He ultimately admitted that he borrowed a 30-06 rifle from a friend as he legally could not own or possess a firearm, and that he shot two of the does during the 2016 deer rifle
season sometime between sunset and midnight from his vehicle while shining them with the headlights.
Not being able to think of any additional violations Mike had not already confessed to, I then turned my attention to the three bucks and other doe.
He said that his brother Alex (also not his real name) had shot those deer.
He said that he had been with his brother when the tagged bigger buck was shot.
That deer had been shot after midnight and was shined and shot from the vehicle as well.
I asked about the tag as it did not belong to Mike or Alex.
Mike said that because the buck was so big, they borrowed a friend’s tag to make it legal so they could get it mounted.
Mike said that his brother shot the other three deer at night, and then brought them to his house where they cut them up.
He also gave me information on a completely separate violation committed by Alex’s friend.
One of the last questions I asked Mike was why he was volunteering so much information.
He said that his brother had lived with him rent free and they got into a fight.
Alex moved out and left his dog and then turned Mike in to the drug task force resulting in the probation search.
That answer left me more confused as Alex had to have known he would likely get in trouble himself.
I left the jail in search of Alex.
Unable to locate him, I called his phone number.
Alex answered and admitted that he had left the state knowing that “things were going down.”
Alex eventually agreed to meet with me to discuss his potential violations.
While I was waiting for Alex to arrive, the Richland County State’s Attorney called and asked what violations I had charged Alex with.
Confused, I explained that I had not met with him yet and that I was currently waiting for his arrival.
Now the State’s Attorney was confused as Alex had just called him and was asking about a plea deal.
Once Alex arrived, he said he didn’t want to talk until he knew what his plea deal would be.
I explained that we could not determine any penalties until we knew about all the violations he had committed.
Alex confessed to borrowing a rifle from a friend, hunting in the wrong unit and shooting the three bucks and the doe.
I asked Alex why he turned in his brother when he knew he would likely get in trouble himself.
He said that he had been living with Mike and they got into a fight, and he moved out.
Alex said that he left the dog at Mike’s while he tried to find a place where he could have the dog, but before he found anything his brother gave the dog away.
Mike was charged with 14 misdemeanors and was sentenced to 15 months in prison for the felon in possession of a firearm charge.
Alex was charged with 10 misdemeanors and lost the ability to possess a firearm and his hunting privileges for five years.
The individual who borrowed the brothers his deer tag was cited and paid a $350 fine.