Hunter fatally shot after being mistaken for a deer by another hunter

A man has been shot and killed while he was hunting by another hunter after allegedly being mistaken for a deer.

The incident occurred on Nov. 25 at approximately 7:16 p.m. when the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office received a report from the FBI and the Red Lake Tribal Police in northern Minnesota that a hunting fatality had happened on -- or near to -- the Red Lake Reservation boundary and was being investigated.

During the investigation into the death, authorities discovered that 28-year-old Lucas Dudley of Bemidji, Minnesota, was reportedly deer hunting when he was shot by 33-year-old Rain Stately of Redby, Minnesota. The two 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,” said Ernie Beitel of the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office in a statement posted to social media. “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.”

According to authorities, Dudley has been transported to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Officer for an autopsy.

Authorities did not disclose where Dudley had been struck with the bullet or how far apart the two men were when the incident occurred.

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 decision has been made about whether Stately will face any charges in Dudley’s death.