The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has announced that Mark Moersch Jr. from Stevens Point is the 2021 DNR Ethical Hunter Award recipient. Moersch was selected for helping a fellow hunter track a wounded deer after dark and, on a separate occasion, reported a potentially lethal bait pile. This is the 25th year of the award.
Midway through the 2021 gun-deer season, Moersch was deer hunting with his father and a family friend. After the group harvested a deer and loaded it into their truck, they received a text saying another friend was with a stranger who struck a deer with a vehicle and needed help tracking it. He was quick to reply yes to the late-day request from the stranger. No one had a great flashlight to help locate blood spots, and seeing in a dark, thick forest was difficult.
After more than two hours of searching, no strong blood trail was found, and everyone agreed to call off the search that night.
In addition to the deer search, Moersch demonstrated another ethical feat by reporting what he believed to be illegal baiting. He contacted DNR law enforcement officials with the GPS location and other details.
Committee members presented Moersch with an official plaque and a gift from the award's co-sponsor.
Categories: Wisconsin, General