Brett Stimac Charged With Illegally Killing 700-Pound Black Bear On Red Lake Reservation
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Brainerd man has been charged with illegally hunting and killing a 700-pound black bear on the Red Lake Indian Reservation.
According to an announcement Friday from the United States District Attorney's Office in Minnesota, Brett James Stimac is charged with one count of wildlife trafficking and one count of trespassing on Indian lands.
On Sep. 1, Stimac entered the reservation and shot and killed the bear with a compound bow. Stimac was unable to transport the bear's carcass, only taking the head, claws and a small amount of meat.
Stimac, who is not a member of the Red Lake Band of Ojibwe, was not permitted to hunt the bear within the reservation's boundaries. Bears are spiritually significant to the Band.
Two assistant U.S. attorneys are prosecuting the case.