A Minnesota Man Admitted To Baiting And Shooting A Bear
Every once in a while stories like this bubble to the surface and people are caught doing something illegal by hunting wild animals out of season and or without a proper license. This involves both of those things and more. According to court documents authorities received two anonymous tips in September 2021 regarding an incident about a bear that was shot and killed.
Conservation Officers met with 42-year-old Michael J Thielen where he admitted to baiting a bear with bird seed and doughnuts in his backyard before killing it during the night on July 28, 2021.
The trophy-size bear weighed had a score of 20 with its hide-alone weighing over 80 pounds. Theilen told authorities after he shot the bear he was wrapped in plastic immediately after he shot it. After he returned home from work the carcass was still warm and covered in bees. He harvested 50-60 pounds of meat before the entire bear was covered in maggots.
He then left the skull outside for insects to clean it and used a skid steer loader to dispose of the bear's body in a dumpster. On top of that, he went out and bought a bear hunting license in an attempt to cover up the fact that he shot and killed the bear out of season.
Thielen was charged last week with a total of six misdemeanors in Morris County Minnesota district court. According to Bring Me The News "His charges relate to using artificial lights to hunt, wanton waste of an animal, hunting out of season, taking the bear without a license, placing bait without a license, and baiting the bear. "
Thankfully authorities received those anonymous tips or he would have gotten away with this, and hopefully, others who hear this story would be deterred from doing the same thing.