A victim has been identified in a Nov. 25 hunting-related death on or near the Red Lake Reservation Boundary. The deceased was identified as Lukas R. Dudley, age 28, of Bemidji, MN. 

According to a release, on Wednesday, Nov. 25 at approximately 7:16 PM, the Beltrami County Sheriff’s 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.

Dudley was reportedly deer hunting east of Irvine Ave. near the south boundary road when he was shot by another hunter. It has been reported that during the course of the investigation, the location of the incident may not have occurred within the Red Lake Reservation.

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 has cooperated with the investigation since. Dudley was found not 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.

By — Betsy Melin