Deer opener ends deadly for one hunter, another injured

Photo by James Jordan

​ This weekend was the firearm deer hunting opener in Minnesota, which usually means the people of our great state start hauling home a bunch of dead animals for fun. There's nothing better than seeing two sets of deer hooves swaying in the wind in the back of a pickup on the freeway. That's America.

But the opener isn't only bad news for the rats of the forest. The hunters are also at risk and this weekend turned deadly for one man. A teen was also shot. A 77-year-old man in Itasca County was hunting north of the Deer River Saturday when his rifle discharged and hit his chest. Daniel Otto Cermak of Minnetonka died at the scene. Officials will conduct an autopsy.

In a separate incident, a 14-year-old Melrose teen was shot in the left leg. Four men in the group he was hunting with fired at a deer and one slug hit the boy. He was expected to be released from the hospital after an overnight stay.

In other deer hunting news, the Star Tribune has a roundup of state hunting spots and how they did this weekend. Food shelves are also reminding hunters that they will take venison this season, so make sure to donate any unwanted meat to the needy.