Brainerd man pleads guilty to wildlife trafficking, trespassing on Red Lake Indian Reservation

A Brainerd man charged with entering the Red Lake Indian Reservation and removing the head of a 700-pound black bear has pleaded guilty to wildlife trafficking and trespassing.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Thursday that 41-year-old Brett James Stimac entered a guilty plea Thursday to one count of Lacey Act wildlife trafficking and one count of trespassing. He’d previously pleaded not guilty.

Man charged with killing 700-pound black bear on Red Lake Reservation pleads not guilty

According to court documents, Stimac knowingly and without authorization entered the Red Lake Indian Reservation to hunt a bear on the night of Sept. 1, 2019. He’s accused of using a compound bow to shoot and kill a large black bear on the reservation and then returning the next day to pose for pictures with the bear’s carcass. He also later shared pictures on social media.

Because of the bear’s size, Stimac wasn’t able to move the bear so he cut its head off for a trophy and then brought it to a taxidermist in Ironton, leaving the rest of the carcass to spoil.

Due to the bear’s spiritual importance to the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, non-Indians aren’t allowed to hunt them on the reservation.