Fawns Shot In Forest Lake; Neighbors Upset With DNR
FOREST LAKE (WCCO) -- It is a case that has neighbors really upset with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: two deer fawns killed by police in Forest Lake.
The fawns were found and fed by Jeff Carpenter on his property, and he put pink and orange collars on the deer.
Anne Wolfe sees lots of wildlife in her backyard in Scandia. Her property is very near Jeff Carpenter's land. So, when she saw the fawns with collars, she took pictures and called the DNR on Dec. 29, 2011.
Now, she said she feels responsible for the fawns' deaths.
"The man asked me if I could send the pictures, and I did, and the next thing I heard was that they were shot," said Wolfe.
Early last Saturday, a Forest Lake police officer shot and killed both of the collared deer on Jeff Carpenter's property.
The police were acting on DNR orders, but Carpenter says he will file a complaint with the Forest Lake police about the incident.
"The DNR and the Forest Lake police department need to step up to the plate and say, 'you know what, we screwed up. We made a mistake here. Yhis could have been handled so much better,'" said Carpenter.
Chronic wasting disease has been found on game farms, and the DNR had no way of knowing if the two deer with collars had come from a game farm. Conservation officers are trying to prevent the disease from reaching wild deer herds.
The fawns will be tested for the disease.
Wolfe says the whole thing is a big misunderstanding.
"I told them I wouldn't have called them if I knew this was going to happen," said Wolfe.
