Michigan hunter injured after man sabotages tree stand

Steele must also reimburse the victim’s medical expenses for injuries sustained in the fall from the tree stand. And serve a one-year probation term.

Additionally, Steele's right to hunt was revoked for an undetermined amount of time in nearly all 50 states because Michigan is a member of the Interstate Wildlife Violator’s Compact, according to the Michigan DNR in a Thursday press release.

"Hunter harassment is real and taken very seriously," Dave Shaw, chief of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, said in the release.

"Most hunters respect the land and each other and take pride in an ethical hunt," Shaw continued. "The DNR hopes that by sharing the details of this case, we can bring awareness to the consequences of this person’s unethical and dangerous behavior and know that it will not be tolerated."

The harassment began in October 2020 on state hunting land in Marquette County because Steele was mad the local U.P. hunter was in his spot, according to the Michigan DNR. 

The hunter arrived at his tree stand one day and found a note on his trail camera stating that he was set up in Steele's hunting spot. Steele, then a student at Northern Michigan University, left his phone number on the note asking the hunter to call him.

When the hunter called the number, apologizing that he was unaware someone was using the spot, Steele insisted that the hunter stays off the land. Under Michigan law, you cannot claim exclusive rights on public hunting land. Any tree stand or deer blind left unoccupied on state land can be used by another person. Eventually, the hunter lost and told Steele he would stay away.

Weeks later, the hunter returned to the spot. But when he stepped onto the platform of his stand, he immediately fell 15 to 20 feet to the ground, the Michigan DNR stated in the release. The hunter landed on his feet but injured his ankle and back.

Concerned that Steele was watching him on a camera, the hunter quickly limped out of the woods. Once at home, he called 911 and checked his memory card, which had been wiped clean of images for the second time. Michigan DNR Conservation Officer Josh Boudreaux launched an investigation.

Weeks passed. And the hunter returned to the hunting spot and used new straps to set up his tree stand. The next day, Steele – who was using a camera to spy on the hunter – contacted him again saying, "Are we going to work something out for this spot or what? I got a picture of you yesterday going in there with climbing sticks. Just not gonna respect I was there first?"

Boudreaux and Conservation Officer John Kamps continued to closely monitor the hunter’s tree stand. They acquired evidence of Steele cutting the victim's tree stand straps a second time.

"The straps were cut in such a way that they would support the weight of the tree stand but would break as soon as additional weight was applied to them, having a trap door effect," Boudreaux explained. "The victim would have fallen 15 to 20 feet to the ground."

Boudreaux obtained a search warrant for Steele’s trail camera, which Steele had left on state land. Conservation officers removed the camera.

Steele, who thought the hunter stole his trail camera, also left threatening voicemails on the hunter's phone and disparaged him on multiple local social media groups, according to the Michigan DNR.

Steele eventually called 911 to report his missing trail camera.

Boudreaux took the call and arranged to meet Steele in person, with Kamps and public safety officers from NMU. During the meeting, Steele confessed, admitting that he sabotaged the hunter’s tree stand. He was charged in the case in 2021.

Additional information about hunter harassment in Michigan is available on the DNR's website.