http://www.theguardian.com/us-...alter-palmer-hunting



Minnesota investigates illegal hunting allegations on Cecil the lion killer's land

Walter Palmer, who faced public’s scorn after shooting Zimbabwe’s famous lion, said report of trucks herding deer on property was an ‘attack on an innocent man’


Associated Press in Minneapolis


Thursday 12 November 2015 13.51 EST Last modified on Thursday 12 November 2015 17.05 EST



The Minnesota department of natural resources said on Thursday it was investigating a report of potentially illegal hunting activity on land owned by the dentist who was sharply criticized for shooting a well-known lion in Zimbabwe.

Leah Thompson, who hunts on land in north-western Minnesota next to property owned by Bloomington dentist Walter Palmer, told the Associated Press that she reported the activity after seeing pickup trucks chasing deer on Palmer’s land last weekend. She said the trucks were also herding deer back on to Palmer’s property.

Chasing or herding deer with a motor vehicle is illegal in Minnesota, punishable by a $200 fine.

Palmer, who became a target of protests this summer for shooting a lion named Cecil while bowhunting in Zimbabwe, issued a statement saying he and his guests weren’t on his property near Barnesville after 11am on Saturday. He said he didn’t own or operate any of the vehicles Thompson described to the DNR.

He called the allegations an “attack on an innocent man”, and said Thompson, whose family owns neighboring property, has “a history of personal animosity” toward him.

Thompson dismissed Palmer’s statement, but acknowledged she and others who hunt on nearby land have complained for years about what they consider unsportsmanlike hunting practices on his property. She also acknowledged she didn’t see Palmer driving the trucks or hunting.

Major Greg Salo, an operations manager for the department’s enforcement division, said the investigation was in its early stages. He said DNR officials hadn’t made contact with Palmer yet as far as he knew.

Palmer was on a guided hunt when he shot Cecil near Zimbabwe’s Hwange national park. The lion was well-known to tourists and researchers for his distinctive black mane.

Zimbabwean authorities said Cecil was lured out of the park with an animal carcass before he was shot. They later said Palmer had not broken the southern African country’s hunting laws, but his guide faces charges of allowing an illegal hunt.

http://www.startribune.com/dnr...sota-land/346713882/


DNR checking alleged 'herding' of deer back to Walter Palmer's Minnesota land

Pickup drivers reported to be steering deer to property owned by Twin Cities dentist who killed Cecil the lion this past summer.

By Paul Walsh Star Tribune NOVEMBER 13, 2015 — 9:24AM

Allegations of illegal tactics during this current deer hunting season involving land owned by Dr. Walter Palmer in western Minnesota are under investigation by state enforcement officials.

A senior conservation officer with the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said Thursday that allegations have been leveled of illegal “herding” of deer by pickup trucks that is sending the animals back onto land owned near Barnesville by Palmer, the Bloomington dentist who created an international uproar when he killed the beloved lion Cecil this summer in Zimbabwe.


“We will talk to everybody involved and decide whether or not a violation has occurred,” said Maj. Greg Salo, operations manager for the DNR. “It’s too early to speculate on the circumstances.”

Salo said that if the allegations hold up, such acts are against the law.

“A person may not use a motor vehicle to intentionally drive, chase, run over, kill or take a wild animal,” Salo said, quoting the misdemeanor statute. A conviction brings $287 in a fine and court fees.


In response, a representative for Palmer released a statement that said neither he nor any of his guests were on the land at the time of the alleged “herding.” The statement did not address whether anyone was redirecting deer to his land.

“The source cited by the media has a history of personal animosity toward Dr. Palmer,” the statement continued. “This is just another example of people trying to attack an innocent man.”

The representative added that the DNR has yet to contact Palmer, and Salo said his agency will be doing so soon.

Leah Thompson said she reported that two pickup trucks were hindering deer from leaving Palmer’s property over the weekend while she was deer hunting on her family’s land. She said she could not identify the drivers.

“I see the deer start coming out just after 4 [p.m.] … four does and a buck making their way toward the road,” said Thompson, who was hunting with a nephew. “I think, ‘They’re going to come right by us.’ … I get excited.”

But then, Thompson continued, “Out of the blue, comes this one white pickup, and he stops right between me and the deer. … He stopped for a moment. … All of a sudden, he drives up the hill and the deer run back onto his property.”

Thompson said a similar scenario played out late Saturday afternoon in a different location bordering Palmer’s land involving the same pickup and a navy blue pickup.

“That is called herding,” Thompson said.

Thompson said she’s been seeing this tactic on or near Palmer’s land “for the past 10-plus years. This is not because of the lion, no.”

Salo said that while deer are nimble and elusive, “You can change their direction with a motor vehicle.”

A global furor erupted in early July after news broke that Palmer, a veteran big-game hunter who lives in Eden Prairie, had killed Cecil in a nighttime hunt in Zimbabwe, taking the research lion down with a compound bow and then finishing him off hours later. The lion was baited and the hunt was conducted on private land where, some authorities have said, there was no permit to kill a lion.

Despite the accusations in Africa against Palmer, only the professional hunter he hired has been charged in Zimbabwe. Authorities later said they would not be charging Palmer with a crime. An investigation by federal authorities in the United States continues.

In an interview with the Star Tribune and the Associated Press in September, Palmer held to his contention from the start that he relied on his guide that the hunt was legal. He added that if he had known of the lion’s stature as a research subject and as an attraction, he would not have killed the animal.

Palmer’s Minnesota hunting refuge lies between the town of Barnesville and Pelican Rapids, about 45 minutes southeast of Fargo-Moorhead. It’s made up of nearly 900 acres of rolling hills, oak woodlands and small lakes.

Property records show he bought the core 520 acres in Clay County in 1999 and then added adjacent parcels over the years. He also owns 230 more acres on nearby Pelican Lake, in Otter Tail County.

Thompson’s brother, Jason Stetz, recalled how he and his friends and relatives would wrangle with Palmer over property lines, deer stands and trails of deer blood. Palmer was always quick to accuse them of trespassing, Stetz said in an interview with the Star Tribune in August. Once, Stetz said, Palmer scared him while he was hunting when Palmer popped out of the trees in camouflage with a digital camera, snapping photos of Stetz.

As he told the British tabloid Daily Mail, Stetz recalled Palmer once kicked his cousin Keith Stetz out of a deer stand, accusing him of hunting on his land. Stetz said Palmer had a handgun. When Keith climbed down, Stetz said he recalled Palmer telling him: “There is no excuse for ignorance.”

Lt. Phil Seefeldt, a DNR conservation officer who covered the area, said this summer that the hunting disputes around Palmer’s land are “kind of an ongoing issue.”

Along with this latest case and the killing of Cecil, Palmer has gotten attention from conservation enforcement officials at least twice before. In 2008, he pleaded guilty to misleading federal authorities about a bear he killed illegally in Wisconsin. He was put on probation and fined.

In the spring of 2003, Palmer was convicted in Otter Tail County and paid a small fine for fishing without a license, a misdemeanor.

Star Tribune staff writer Jennifer Bjorhus contributed to this report. Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482

Who cares?

IF these allegations are true, people who said Palmer should get a free pass should reevaluate their stance.

Hate to say it, but I see this often in Minnesota. It's road hunting, and it's illegal. Every time I have seen it, it is someone who is trespassing when they shoot.

The fact is, no one knows the truth until they actually get the investigation done. I thought Palmer should have known what he was doing in Zim. Given what has happened, it has been a bit more evidence that I need to stop deciding what I believe until more evidence is given.

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana Bunduki:
Who cares?

Best post of the year!

Where's the love? Everyone deserves a fourth chance. PM me if you would like a "Give Palmer A Pass" bumper sticker.

Mike - guess you are still upset that "YOU" didn't get to shoot Cecil, huh?

I like "best post of the Year" also.

Larry Sellers
SCI (International)Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
Where's the love? Everyone deserves a fourth chance. PM me if you would like a "Give Palmer A Pass" bumper sticker.

I think of little else . . .

Sounds like some in the ranks would rather shoot a dentist than a lion.

Opus - Don't know that would be the case? But some do think that if others do not agree to their standards of excellent behavior, they are scum of the Earth. Do it my way or the highway, agree with everything I say and do, claim to have solutions for "everything" but never do anything, be the policeman for everything ethical are the trademarks of some folks here. Sounds like they must in some way be related to Barrack Obama as that is exactly the way he is!!

The person in the report claims to have seen someone pushing deer on to said Dentist persons property, but they say they didn't know if it was actually the Dentist. But one has to assume Mr. Dentist is guilty just because the neighbor claims it so. Sad.

Larry Sellers
SCI(International)Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:
Sounds like some in the ranks would rather shoot a dentist than a lion.

quote:

Originally posted by Larry Sellers:
Opus - Don't know that would be the case? But some do think that if others do not agree to their standards of excellent behavior, they are scum of the Earth. Do it my way or the highway, agree with everything I say and do, claim to have solutions for "everything" but never do anything, be the policeman for everything ethical are the trademarks of some folks here. Sounds like they must in some way be related to Barrack Obama as that is exactly the way he is!!

The person in the report claims to have seen someone pushing deer on to said Dentist persons property, but they say they didn't know if it was actually the Dentist. But one has to assume Mr. Dentist is guilty just because the neighbor claims it so. Sad.

Larry Sellers
SCI(International)Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:
Sounds like some in the ranks would rather shoot a dentist than a lion.

Does being an apologist ever get tiring? Do you find that it affects your self respect?

Larry, that is exactly why I carefully consider who I share a campfire with. I've met a handful of the over-stressed, overly critical, anally retentive types who couldn't have a good time regardless of the circumstances. They make everything more complicated and less enjoyable. Life is too dang short for all that noise.

I don't know if I would like the dentist or not, but at least I am not going to engage in character assassination from afar without knowing. One thing for sure is most of the accusations leveled at him turned out to be utter nonsense. The guy maybe an egotistical putz or a genuinely nice guy. No one around here knows.

Anywho, to each his own, but maybe a good lesson for all is to get the facts before jumping to conclusions - or in the hunting vernacular, aim before shooting.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Wonderful Wyoming:

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana Bunduki:
Who cares?

Best post of the year!

X2

I just wonder how long they (media) are going to stay with the narrative of "Cecil...the well known lion from Zim" when nobody I know from Zim had ever heard the name before !

It's just silly that at $200 game violation gets international coverage in the mainstream media or online here when it's simply undertaken NEAR a property owned by someone who just had their 15 minutes of fame....especially when it wasn't his vehicle and he wasn't seen driving it. What's more silly is that other hunters (and a lawyer no less!) rally to shout about the property owners guilt when evidence stated in the damned article points to his innocence. Why? Simple...the possibility of this penny ante game violation fits their narrative of events in Zimbabwe. This in spite of the fact that THEY have hunted Zimbabwe and, if they were honest about it, they would admit that every time they hunted there they had no single clue where the area boundaries were relative to their position while shooting game. This guy though...ya he must have been conspiring with his PH to hunt illegally and shoot a lion in the wrong area. I hear he also grows food plots to pull deer from neighboring properties, drives 9mph over the speed limit, was more than 10 feet away from his fishing pole a time or two, had a beer and a half before driving home once, and sometimes offends his barber by telling a dirty joke. String him up!

Wow, that's sounds horrible.....

Next, we are going to hear that he received a warning for a traffic violation

http://www.inforum.com/news/38...or-does-anybody-else



McFeely: Walter Palmer doesn't own the deer, nor does anybody else

By Mike McFeely Today at 5:59 a.m.


Walter Palmer owns the land. He does not own the deer.

That, in less than a dozen words, summarizes why some residents of Clay County are upset with Palmer, a Twin Cities dentist who is alleged to have directed associates — some locals call them henchmen — to patrol township roads and prevent deer from leaving Palmer's property in the Barnesville area.


Palmer is infamously known worldwide as the big-game hunter who killed Cecil the Lion in Zimbabwe. Cecil was a popular collared male who resided on a preserve before being hunted and shot by Palmer and a group of guides. Uproar ensued during the summer, even as Palmer maintained he participated in a legal hunt. Indeed, Zimbabwe authorities never filed charges against Palmer.

We learned about Palmer's local ties during that incident. He owned large pieces of land in rural Clay County and on Pelican Lake in Otter Tail County. Stories drifted out about Palmer's obsession with protecting his land and the deer that lived on it. News reports quoted local residents saying Palmer hid on his property and accused people of trying to poach deer. They say he threatened to call the game warden.

Stories also circulated about Palmer's associates patrolling public gravel roads bordering his property as a way to intimidate locals who were driving the backroads deer-watching — and as a way to keep deer from leaving his property.

That is again the issue because one local resident, Leah Thompson, stepped forward and publicly accused Palmer's associates of "herding" deer with their pickups. Such an action would be illegal under a Minnesota misdemeanor statute that reads: "A person may not use a motor vehicle to intentionally drive, chase, run over, kill or take a wild animal."

Thompson, whose family owns and hunts land adjacent to Palmer's, said two white pickups hindered deer from crossing a road after 4 p.m. on opening weekend. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is investigating.

Palmer, through a spokesman, said his accuser has a history of personal animosity toward him. There have been suggestions Thompson and others are jealous of Palmer's property, hunting success or even his wealth.

Palmer and his apologists are missing the point.

He doesn't own the deer. He owns the land. He doesn't own the critters that live on it.

Deer and other free-ranging wildlife are not owned by any individual. This is one of the tenets of North America's public trust doctrine of wildlife. Wildlife is "owned" by the people and managed by federal, state and provincial governments.

This model, which dates back to the United States winning its freedom from England and its king, wiped out the centuries-old European model in which wildlife was privately owned and hunting it was exclusive to the upper classes. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the idea of public-trust wildlife on numerous occasions.

It's all a fancy way of saying that while Palmer owns 900 prime acres of deer-hunting habitat in Clay County, he cannot keep deer from leaving his property to roam on somebody else's land.

Palmer is not the only person to get wildly possessive about deer on his property. It's common for Minnesota and North Dakota hunters to claim a deer (usually a trophy buck) as their own. It's likely extreme measures have been taken to keep a gigantic buck on a piece of property just long enough to be shot on opening day.

Outdoorsmen also get possessive about "their" pheasants, perch, ducks, walleyes and geese. Why do you think North Dakotans break out in hives when they see so many Minnesota license plates during the waterfowl and pheasant seasons? The same could be said of Minnesotans when they spot so many North Dakota plates in Lakes Country during the summer.

It's all equally silly. A property owner on Lake Cormorant doesn't own the walleyes in the water any more than Palmer owns the deer on his property.

The difference is, Palmer possibly did something illegal to stop other residents from shooting a deer.

Thompson, the woman who blew the whistle on Palmer, just wants the dentist to play fair.

"I don't have it out for him, but simply want him to stop. Lion or no lion, I don't care," Thompson said in a text message. "I'm not jealous of his land or in need of attention. Deer are running all over, so please don't interfere with that. I just want to hunt and enjoy it with my family.

"It's been 10-plus years of these issues. Let's call it quits! We need to get along and respect each other's choice of hunting. He likes to bow hunt and we like to rifle hunt. I hope Mr. Palmer can understand all I want to do is hunt and hunt fair. I don't wish him anything bad. Let's just get along, and enough is enough."

There is a concept in hunting called "fair chase," an ethical code followed by true sportsmen. Part of the concept is that hunters exercise a personal code of behavior that reflects on their abilities and sensibilities, while respecting others who hunt responsibly.

Palmer, it seems, is doing none of these things. He may be rich, powerful, successful and intimidating. He may be a world-class bowhunter.

Doesn't matter.

He doesn't own the deer.

quote:

patrolling public gravel roads bordering his property as a way to intimidate locals who were driving the backroads deer-watching

I suspect this dentist is an entitled asshole, but that sounds like it could be an effort to stop road-hunting.

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your view of him, Palmer is going to be hounded for the next two or three years. Then the new will wear off for the media or, God forbid, some other soul will be targeted for all of our "sins". Such is life in a reality TV, Social Media driven world...

quote:

Originally posted by Jefffive:

quote:

patrolling public gravel roads bordering his property as a way to intimidate locals who were driving the backroads deer-watching

I suspect this dentist is an entitled asshole, but that sounds like it could be an effort to stop road-hunting.

Exactly..."deer watching" my ass. Sounds like he has a history of people trespassing as well. Given that, I suspect the neighbors smelled blood when "Cecil" was shot and decided to accuse him of some penny ante crap.

quote:

Originally posted by tendrams:

quote:

Originally posted by Jefffive:

quote:

patrolling public gravel roads bordering his property as a way to intimidate locals who were driving the backroads deer-watching

I suspect this dentist is an entitled asshole, but that sounds like it could be an effort to stop road-hunting.

Exactly..."deer watching" my ass. Sounds like he has a history of people trespassing as well. Given that, I suspect the neighbors smelled blood when "Cecil" was shot and decided to accuse him of some penny ante crap.

+1

His history of game and fishing law violations/convictions and questionable ethical conduct would suggest that keeping an eye on him would be advisable. Actions have consequences . . . he is reaping the consequences of his prior actions.

I wonder what the name of the deer was in this case?
From what I understand he was cleared of all charges in the Zimbabwe case.
There is "here ssy" here that may or may not be true.
Sounds like lots of jealousy.
Palmer lives about two miles from me but I do not know him.
I will however assume innocence until he is found guilty.

quote:

Originally posted by df06:

I will however assume innocence until he is found guilty.

Of which offense? He has already pled guilty to two hunting and fishing offenses.

What was the fishing offense? I know about the bear.

Fishing without a license.

LOL. Fishing without a license! OMG.

. . . some of you worry me with your moral compasses or lack thereof. I guess lying to game officials and poaching a bear is all a big joke too. I prefer to be a bit more selective in who I choose to defend and align myself with.

As usual, I agree with Mike Jines. He is right. Anyone with Palmer's track record deserves careful scrutiny.

quote:

Originally posted by tendrams:

This in spite of the fact that THEY have hunted Zimbabwe and, if they were honest about it, they would admit that every time they hunted there they had no single clue where the area boundaries were relative to their position while shooting game.

Since he had permits to take a male lion with a bow, he was legal as far as his resopncibility goes! It is the responsibility of the PH to put him in a legal blind on land where they had a quota for a lion!

I agree with the post above in that respect to where the guilt lies because the client rarely,if ever,knows where the boundaries are of the concession where he is placed in a blind. The PH knows where he is hunting and the client must take his word for that. This is why the Dr. was not charged by Zimbabwe. He had his permits, the PH didn't , Case closed.
................................................................. let the Kangaroo court convene!

I think you guys pegged it.

dfo6,

before you side with Palmer on the "Cecil" case, or any other; note that you could kill any game animal anywhere on the African continent and your attorney could get you found innocent of all charges, including being on said continent for less than the maximum fine that might be imposed.

It is a shame that Palmer did not get "Cecil's" hide and skull back into the US. I expect the Lacey Act might be a bit more difficult to circumvent.

I have to say this type of topic is why I have frequented AR less and less over the years. Last I knew, a man is innocent until proven guilty.

Time and time again, I come back to AR and see nothing has changed. It's as if the MSM has also taken hold of what is posted here. Too many drama queens here, folks.

Once guilty always guilty? Or, when he paid his bear hunt fine he is doomed for eternity? When I read this story, it looked to me like Palmer has some jerks for neighbors who don't like staying on their own property to hunt. Second, how many of you can control what traffic is on your public roads and highways that border your property? Might, in fact, the problem be road hunters who live somewhere else be accosting the deer in that neighborhood and the crappy neighbor using the situation to make Palmer's life more miserable?

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:


. . . When I read this story, it looked to me like Palmer has some jerks for neighbors who don't like staying on their own property to hunt.

. . . and the crappy neighbor using the situation to make Palmer's life more miserable?

Interesting . . . lecture folks on judging Palmer (twice convicted by the way of game and fish violations) but then proceed to judge his neighbors about whom you know nothing?

You've been judging Palmer since the first time you read his name and found him guilty long before you knew what happened....so interesting indeed

It is your prerogative to overlook his history of prior game and fishing law violations. You are also free to overlook the fact that he was hunting at night on a national park boundary and shot a collared lion, at a minimum an ethically questionable matter. Similarly, you can likewise ignore the tremendous negative impact his selfish actions have had on sport hunting. I choose not to overlook any of the foregoing and prefer not to regard him as a responsible member of the hunting community. So it seems we agree to disagree.

The only thing I agree with is your last sentence...

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
Once guilty always guilty? Or, when he paid his bear hunt fine he is doomed for eternity?

Precisely. If a guy breaking one game law makes him suspect forever, then a good number of people here on AR are in big trouble. Further, as MJines notes, some people might consider hunting at night on a NP boundary ethically dubious. Well, if that's the case, again there are plenty of people here on AR who are doomed to hell in his mind. What about the guy that just shot that 100+ pounder? Never mind that the animal had never been seen before, he was hunting on TWO national park boundaries! THE HORROR! Further, ever shoot a leopard MJines? What time of day was it...or is it OK for one species but not another? Frankly, all of this is silliness just because the cat had a name given to him by tofu eaters...and MJines has bought what they are selling.

Lion and Leopard have totally different habits and cannot therefore really be compared.
As for hunting park boundaries, it all depends on how the governing authorities have set the rules; some have a mile wide buffer zone, others use a vehicle track and in some cases its just an imaginary line drawn between 2 or more points.

Mjines has clearly referenced Palmer as having tangled with the law on several times (4) and if these allegations are true, Mr. Palmer can be therefore be considered a "habitual offender" who really doesn't give a shit about laws if he can get away with it.