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A Boone & Crockett-class black bear was illegally hunted in Minnesota, but the person responsible has been sentenced.
Under the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, 42-year-old Michael J. Thielen will lose his hunting privileges for three years in Minnesota and other states after pleading guilty in Morrison County District Court.
In addition to receiving two years of probation and paying $800 in restitution for the bear and an additional $685 in fines and fees,
Thienen pleaded guilty to possession and taking a big game animal outside of season. Judge Leonard Weiler set aside a jail sentence of one year for him.
Other misdemeanor charges, including wanton waste, hunting without a license, baiting bears, and using artificial light, were dismissed, according to the Star-Tribune.
Thielen was accused of killing an out-of-season black bear near Little Falls on July 28th on his property on Highway 27 near Little Falls in two confidential reports received by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in September 2021.
According to the DNR, he purchased a license for leftover quota to veil the occurrence after posting it on Facebook after the season opened.
Thielen admitted to the DNR that he shot the animal after legal shooting hours, around 1:00 a.m., while it was illuminated by a floodlight.
After wrapping the bear carcass in plastic, Thielen returned eight hours later and salvaged 50 to 60 pounds of meat before dumping the remainder in a dumpster with a skid steer.
He also salvaged the bear’s skull and placed it outside in an attempt to clean it by insects.
DNR officials seized the bear’s skull and the rifle Thielen used in the incident.
The Star-Tribune reports Thielen may have a chance to get the rifle back, but he’ll have to be the highest bidder.
It is worth noting that Thielen claims the DNR failed to assist him with what he considered a nuisance animal in June 2022.
As Thielen claimed in an interview with the Star-Tribune in June 2022, he was protecting his property. He said the animal caused $2,500 in damage by killing ducks and chickens and he asked the DNR for help twice.
