(Des Moines, IA) -- An Iowa man has died after being shot while hunting. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says 53-year-old Mark Arends of Alden was hit by a single rifle shot last (Sunday) night. Arends and friends had been coyote hunting north of Alden. He died at Hansen Family Hospital in Iowa Falls.
The DNR says coyotes are nocturnal animals so hunting coyotes is often done at night, with hunters utilizing various night vision technology including thermal imaging scopes.
“We stress the importance of identifying your target before taking a shot, and that’s even more important when hunting at night and using thermal technology,” said Captain Matt Bruner, with the Iowa DNR’s Law Enforcement Bureau. “The same can be said about the importance of the hunting plan, especially at night, and following that plan when in the field.”
The Iowa DNR and the Hardin County Sheriff’s office responded to the incident last night and officers were on scene again early Monday morning.