Hmong hunter feared Game Warden; said he would've been killed

[Redemption]

I edited out everything else and just kept the segment with the hunter, and uploaded it, if anyone wants to listen. Scary. Hopefully this becomes public and gets that warden fired. And hopefully Hmong hunters take more precaution when they go hunting... like... don't go alone. Always have walkie talkies. Purchase a small spy cam or an action cam and be sure to record any interaction with anyone.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1zkgewjr0p95d34/hunter.mp3

[PRINCESS.]

I edited out everything else and just kept the segment with the hunter, and uploaded it, if anyone wants to listen. Scary. Hopefully this becomes public and gets that warden fired. And hopefully Hmong hunters take more precaution when they go hunting... like... don't go alone. Always have walkie talkies. Purchase a small spy cam or an action cam and be sure to record any interaction with anyone.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1zkgewjr0p95d34/hunter.mp3

Stuff like this is the reason why I stopped hunting.

Addison Lee, where are you at? I would love to hear your thoughts on this since you have ties to the DNR.

[Reporter]

I edited out everything else and just kept the segment with the hunter, and uploaded it, if anyone wants to listen. Scary. Hopefully this becomes public and gets that warden fired. And hopefully Hmong hunters take more precaution when they go hunting... like... don't go alone. Always have walkie talkies. Purchase a small spy cam or an action cam and be sure to record any interaction with anyone.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1zkgewjr0p95d34/hunter.mp3

I carry that with me all the time in the woods.

Thanks for editing this piece, Redemption. I really appreciate it.

[Reporter]

If I was in the woods in a permitted hunting area, I would never let my gun off of my hands. Nor will I unload it for any reason.

I went squirrel hunting at Forestville Mystery Cave State Park in southern MN last year. Part of this state park allowed hunting.

I came out from the woods in the late afternoon. As I was near the parking lot, a park ranger or some official with an emblem on his left chest stopped me at the parking lot. He questioned me. He said people have complained about some shooting at the state park when they were riding their horses. I told him I heard the horses and that when those people were riding the horses, I was way over the other side of the hill, over a stream where hunting was permitted. He then said people didn't want guns to be carried around in this area. I had my guns already in their covers. Both were in my hands. I told him that I have always observed safety and that I especially didn't want to let kids see guns being carried around the area and that I actually hid the guns where there was a bunch of children coming through the road just before that.

The guy then said people felt no one should be hunting there. I said, "You are going to have to talk to DNR and see if they'll remove the signs over there."

The signs were "State Wildlife Management Area", subtitled "Open to Public Hunting."

The guy seemed to soften up.

I asked what his position was.  "A park ranger?" I asked.

He didn't say anything more, although I saw his batch--the emblem--shining in the distance.

He then asked for my name. I gladly gave it to him. He said if there was any questioning, he'd get in touch with me. I gave him my phone number, too. I asked if he wanted my ID, too, but he said it wasn't necessary.

I have been waiting all this whole year and there's been no call from anyone on this.

[joot]

I've joined a couple online bow hunting forums and let me tell you, when race issues come up, it feels like you are in a Klan rally.  Of course those people does not know I'm Hmong.  The point is that yes there are still a lot of white people out there with a bias, distorted view of us Hmong people.  They will intimidate, threaten you to leave the hunting area.  The bottom line is we must come out alive to tell our story...as hunters we all have encountered some form of intimidation by white hunters...

[Finest]

Stuff like this is the reason why I stopped hunting.

Addison Lee, where are you at? I would love to hear your thoughts on this since you have ties to the DNR.

We've forwarded this incident to Ka Yeng Vue, the WI DNR Diversity Coordinator, and he actually brought it straight up to the Chief Warden Randy Stark personally.  We'll keep you guys updated on the situation.  Gathering all the facts is the first step.   

[joot]

^^ You go dude!  Things like this should not be happening especially since we've all learned the lessons from Chai Vang. 

[PebHmoobUnited]

I've joined a couple online bow hunting forums and let me tell you, when race issues come up, it feels like you are in a Klan rally.  Of course those people does not know I'm Hmong.  The point is that yes there are still a lot of white people out there with a bias, distorted view of us Hmong people.  They will intimidate, threaten you to leave the hunting area.  The bottom line is we must come out alive to tell our story...as hunters we all have encountered some form of intimidation by white hunters...

These clowns that taunt and threaten another hunter don't realized that by acting like APES, they are walking in a thin line!!! They also don't realized that they are putting themselves and their loved ones in a danger position. 

Here's the typical scenario.....w hen you have a bunch of rednecks in the woods together, they think they're untouchable! These neanderthals think they are made of stern metal??? SERIOUSLY?  Well, chai vang proved otherwise that taunting and vomit racial names in the woods can and will get you KILL!!!

As I've always stresses....do n't ever take your eyes off of an aggressive ape in the woods no matter who he is, an official or a hunter....and when shit hits the fan...make sure you walk out alive to tell your side of the story. 

A responsible hunter always respect other hunters in the woods.  As a hunter myself...I hunt for the enjoyment of the sport and to pass time.  I don't go into the woods looking for TROUBLE or commit illegal hunt OR claim such and such area of public land is "MINE SPOT".  I know my hunting ground like the back of my hands....and I respect other hunters as I would want them to treat me the same. If I meet or see another hunter...a "HI" is always delivered.

Now, I don't trust any white hunters i come across in the woods...(and I don't expect them to trust me either) especially the ones that think they own the forest...or the ones that open their mouth like I'm deaf or the ones that give you the eyes that can kill.   

I'm armed and ready at all time should my life is in danger. The worst case scenario is that if i'm going to died, i want to make sure he doesn't live to taunt another minority again.  I don't care what complexion color his skin is or who he thinks he is. We can either all get along and enjoy the sports/outdoors together or we can make it UGLY for everyone.  The decision is for both non-white and white hunters alike to consider.

Always remember...no one is made of metal!

PEACE OUT!

Ua tsaug!

[Renaissance]

Incidences like this happen because there are a few Hmong poachers that give all of us Hmong hunters a bad name.  Last year a few buddies and I went to bow hunt at White Water.  Right before dark, a couple of us came down from our trees and started to walk back to the car.  As we were getting close to the parking area it got dark and we noticed a car driving into the parking area and just parked there.  As we got to the parking, we saw that it was a Toyota truck.  It just parked there with no one getting out of the truck.  As we were waiting for our other hunting buddies, we wondered why someone would just drive into the parking and just park there.  As we waited for a good 30 minutes for our other hunting buddies, 2 Hmong guys got out of the car.  They asked whether we shot anything, and we told them no.  We asked them, what they were doing here.  Their response was, "peb tuaj saib chaw tua moslwj."  They then just walked into the woods.  WTH!?

Who in their right mind would go seek out places to hunt deer in the dark?  These guys were definitely poachers.  They either 1) poached a deer and are going back to retrieve it; or 2) already have their stands and weapons in the woods and are going to poach.  There are trophy bucks at White Water but they usually come out at night.

[Reporter]

We've forwarded this incident to Ka Yeng Vue, the WI DNR Diversity Coordinator, and he actually brought it straight up to the Chief Warden Randy Stark personally.  We'll keep you guys updated on the situation.  Gathering all the facts is the first step.   

Good. Stark is a cool guy. I met him here with his other colleagues and that Hmong guy from LaCrosse.

[Reporter]

Incidences like this happen because there are a few Hmong poachers that give all of us Hmong hunters a bad name.  Last year a few buddies and I went to bow hunt at White Water.  Right before dark, a couple of us came down from our trees and started to walk back to the car.  As we were getting close to the parking area it got dark and we noticed a car driving into the parking area and just parked there.  As we got to the parking, we saw that it was a Toyota truck.  It just parked there with no one getting out of the truck.  As we were waiting for our other hunting buddies, we wondered why someone would just drive into the parking and just park there.  As we waited for a good 30 minutes for our other hunting buddies, 2 Hmong guys got out of the car.  They asked whether we shot anything, and we told them no.  We asked them, what they were doing here.  Their response was, "peb tuaj saib chaw tua moslwj."  They then just walked into the woods.  WTH!?

Who in their right mind would go seek out places to hunt deer in the dark?  These guys were definitely poachers.  They either 1) poached a deer and are going back to retrieve it; or 2) already have their stands and weapons in the woods and are going to poach.  There are trophy bucks at White Water but they usually come out at night.

On November 9th, I went to hunt at the northern rifle zone. All day, I didn't see anything. I drove around and noticed that other hunters, too, were coming out of the woods with no buck or doe to be dragged. Everyone was empty-handed.

Then I drove by a private land and saw two White hunters, one on a pickup and the other just on the side of the woods still dressing a small fawn buck.  They weren't owners of that land. I had driven there before, and I have seen the local owner's truck before. 

The pickup driver waived at me and I waived at him but he turned quickly to the side of the road. Their truck had blocked off most of the view on the downed fawn buck and the other hunter.

You think they were poaching?

I didn't say or do anything. I just drove by.

[Finest]

Can we all refrain from using "Chai Vang" in reference to any retaliation?  That incident is a dark time for every hunter, white, hmong, black, etc.  And it's set every hunter (no matter the color) back 50 yrs of progress.  It paints a horrible image to non-hunters and anti-hunters everywhere.  (which outnumber us 10:1)  If we want to ever gain any kind of respect from the public, then let's work towards a common goal to promote peace and harmony in the woods.  There are hundreds of thousands of acres of public hunting ground in this state and the next.  We all need to be able to share in the beauty that is our outdoors, not fight over a small area. 

To the non hunters and anti-hunters, the only negative color they see is camo.  And don't think for a second that they're not waiting for any reason to pull back funding for public land access or hundreds of other programs out there for us hunters in these states.  All of that is paid for by tax dollars, and unfortunately we only represent a small percentage of tax payers in our states.  If we can't even manage ourselves in the woods, imagine the 10 other people are waiting to vote against public funding for our hunting access and programs?  Don't give them a reason to take away our traditions and heritage.  We have it too good here, but all it takes is one bad apple to spoil the entire thing.

I get it, we're all angry and may have had our own run-ins with people with the wrong mentality.  But be the bigger person and just move on.  Threats of violence in retaliation is going to do nothing but increase the negativity in people's minds, theirs and ours.  Fear of the unknown is a dangerous thing, and I've always said that white hunters are more afraid of us than we are of them because they know nothing about us our or behaviors (aside from what they see in the news, i.e. Chai Vang).  So are you going to reinforce their prejudice against you?  Or will you take a new step that will totally blind side them, like actually talking to them as one hunter to another, as an actual person who appreciates the outdoors just like they do?  And promote conservation and education among our next generation of hunters?  You'll be amazed at how friendly people become when you approach them in a friendly way and change their point of view of Hmong hunters.  Some will even invite you to hunt with them on their own private lands! 

But if we don't something now, then our children will carry our faults and shortcomings into the woods on their future hunts.  They will face the same prejudices we did not properly address or solve.  And worst of all, they will carry the same mentality we have against white hunters.  It needs to start with everyone in here, right now.  Stop the hate, stop the mentality of violence in retalitation, stop the ignorance.  Then we can start approaching it with an open mind, to educate and inform people.  And eventually we'll gain acceptance.  It may seem like an impossible thing right now, but I've witnessed lots of progress already with what little HASC has been able to accomplish thus far.  And we're only just beginning to breakthrough with awareness and conservation.  Together I think know that we can all make it happen.  But it starts within each and every person in here. 

I wish everyone the best for the rest of the season and hope that no one has any other negative run-ins with folks.  We've heard way too many negative stories already this year, when will we hear good news about Hmong hunters?  I still pray for that day every day.   

[Renaissance]

R, you never know.  They could be poachers or friends of the landowner?

They say that knowledge is power.  If you know the hunting laws and regulations, DNR officers, park rangers and regular hunters will be more afraid of you.  Some officers and rangers are nice, but their job is to enforce the hunting regulations.  Some will try to shake you down to see if you break under pressure or confess to a violation.  If you stand your ground and respond to them in a respectful manner and knowledgeable about the regulation, they will leave you alone.  Reporter's story above is a prime example on how to respond to authority figure when being approached during a hunt. 

A lot of the time, Hmong hunters feel that they are powerless in the forest.  They are afraid of authority figure and think that they are targeting them.  As long as you are on public (taxpayer) land and are abiding by hunting regulations, you have nothing to fear.

I was thinking that we need to educate our Hmong hunters of our rights.  Also, we need to educate them on how to respond to authority figures when being confronted by them.

[Pain]

Plastering all over facebook now!  Speak up or forever hold you peace if you have ever had a run with this officer.  Heck I urge to write a letter of concern anyhow even if you never had a run in with this officer.

Greeting: In moving forward I wish for anyone of you hunters who have personally encountered or know someone who have a face-2-face encounter with Officer Heyn to please share your story so that it can be sent along with Kong Pheng Vu. The written testimonies can be sent to the appropriate DNR administrative personnel (s) in assisting them to conduct a more thorough investigation on Officer Heyn's actions and the matter at hand. Please consider completing your written testimonies and sent to me by the end of this week's, 11.22.2013. Ua tsaug, [email protected]; 651.235.9328

[Finest]

First rules when being approached by a DNR Warden? 

- Point your firearm in a safe direction
- Do NOT unload right away, as that makes you look suspicious
- Then obey and do as he says when he feels the situation is under control and safe.  If he then instructs you to unload your firearm, then do as he says.  But normally they only request this if they feel the encounter is safer with an unloaded firearm by the hunter (like if they witnessed him being trigger happy or he seems agitated or something). 

Wardens are trained to respond to almost every situation, but for the most part they just want to make it safe for everyone including themselves.  You do not have to put your firearm away, and you have a right to ask for his identification and he is required to show it to you upon request (if he didn't already show it you first when approaching you).  You also have a right to confirm his identity by calling the DNR call center before agreeing to do anything with him.  If he's genuine, he'll even give you his phone to call and confirm.  There are rare reports of people pretending to be wardens, so they take that very seriously as well. 

And this is coming straight from the numerous wardens we've worked with over the years.  They want YOU to feel safe just as THEY want to feel safe around you too.  They understand that everyone's got a firearm out there, so if the encounter is safe then it's all the better.  Every situation is handled according to the situation, so if you are causing a huge scene and making in unsafe for everyone around you, then they're going to treat you accordingly.  But if you just made a simple mistake, they'll most likely warn you first and instruct you on the proper procedures and laws.  Your treatment depends on how well you behave around them.  Don't give them a reason to detain you or suspect anything else.  Most of the time, the only reason they're out there is because someone called and complained so they have to go out and investigate.  If you know you didn't do anything wrong, then you have nothing to worry about.  But if you're guilty of poaching or shooting after hours or something, then don't get upset when they come out looking for you and drag you back to their truck.