By Kathy Jensen
American News
ABERDEEN, S.D. — The smell of burning fur prompted a fire call Tuesday afternoon that led to the discovery of a man burning fur off a squirrel, said Randy Meister, battalion chief with Aberdeen Fire and Rescue.
The call was at 12:10 p.m. the 1600 block of 10th Avenue Southwest, which is near Park Village.
Meister said a man was using a propane torch and planned to eat the squirrel. The squirrel was dead before being torched.
Aberdeen Police Department Capt. Eric Duven said officers sent information about the incident to City Attorney Ron Wager for review.
Wager said he hasn’t seen a report, but in reviewing the situation with the police officer who responded, Wager said, the Aberdeen man wasn’t violating the city’s penal code by burning the fur off the squirrel, but it could potentially be interpreted as a public nuisance, which would be investigated by code enforcement. The squirrel was shot outside the city limits, Wager said. It’s unknown if the man has a small game license.
Nick Cochran, state conservation officer for Brown County, said it is legal to hunt squirrels in South Dakota from September through February, though a small game license is needed.
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