MINNEAPOLIS _ Baiting, illegal party hunting and transporting loaded firearms are the three most common Minnesota deer hunting violations, according to statistics kept by the Enforcement Division of the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
DNR Conservation Officer Jeff Denz of Willmar said overall compliance with statewide deer hunting regulations is very good. With nearly 500,000 whitetail hunters afield last year, only 1,400 were busted by game wardens in the 10 categories that represent the vast majority of enforcement actions, according to the stats.
"We go from group to group and it's just a small percentage of hunters who knowingly or unknowingly are breaking the law," said Denz, a 10-year veteran of the game warden staff.
Here is a breakdown of those most common violations:
