HUNTING RELATED DEATH IN NEBISH TOWNSHIP

NEBISH TOWNSHIP, PUPOSKY, BELTRAMI COUNTY, MN - On Wednesday, November 25, 2020 at approximately 7:16 PM the Beltrami County Sheriffs Office received a report from the FBI and Red Lake Tribal Police that they were investigating a hunting related fatality that occurred on or near the Red Lake Reservation boundary in the 29000 block of Irvine Avenue (CSAH 15) near Puposky, in Nebish Township. It was reported that during the course of the investigation, the location of the incident may not have occurred within the Red Lake Reservation.

The deceased was identified as Lukas R. Dudley, age 28, of Bemidji, MN.

Dudley was reportedly deer hunting east of Irvine Ave near the south boundary road when he was shot by another hunter. That hunter is identified as Rain Stately, age 33, of Redby, MN. Stately and Dudley, reportedly were not hunting together.

Near dusk, Stately stated that he observed movement of what he thought was a deer and fired one round from his rifle. When he discovered Dudley, he immediately called 911 and is cooperating with the investigation. Dudley was found not to be wearing typical blaze orange or other high-visibility clothing. The deceased was transported to the Midwest Medical Examiner's Officer for an autopsy.

The incident is being investigated by the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office, Red Lake Tribal Police Department, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Division of Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

No other information about the incident is available at this time.

Sheriff Ernie Beitel

Beltrami County Sheriff's Office