A Duluth man charged with illegally bagging a moose claimed he mistook it for a deer.

Dane Landon Nelson, 38, was charged with illegally taking a moose in St. Louis County court this week.

According to the criminal complaint, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources officers received a report that someone had shot a moose near Melrude on the morning of Nov. 8 — the first day of firearms deer season in Minnesota.

At the scene, officers spoke with Nelson, who said he had been in his deer stand when he shot twice at what he believed to be a deer, causing it to fall.

Nelson then sent a text message to another member of his party reading: "I f**ked up and shot a moose."

Officers also observed that Nelson’s eyes were “bloodshot and watery” and that he smelled of alcohol, according to the c

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