Deer hunters are being asked to play a significant role in helping find missing persons.
With 26 unsolved cases involving missing or murdered Indigenous people in Minnesota, the Department of Public Safety's Guadalupe Lopez says hunters may be the eyes and ears they need.
"It could take anyone to just be, you know, observant, paying attention," says Lopez. "It could be one clue that could be found in spaces that are normally not inhabited and visited where it can make a difference."
Some clues to look for are clothing in an area where it does not belong or bones and remains that do not appear to be from animals.
"Please don't touch it. Mark it, mark your location, call law enforcement so they can come and investigate," Lopez explains. "They would be the best people to actually look at what you have found."
Any clue could go a long way in helping families get answers and support.
"It's gonna take a whole community to come and support a family," she adds. "There's like so much grief, there's so much unknowns, there's so many systems that possibly need to be navigated for that family member. And nobody, like I said, nobody has a blueprint of how to do this."
Lopez also says just the act of keeping your eyes open when out in the wood and wilderness can provide much-needed community support.
"We're helping our population and community members that are experiencing their worst nightmare, and nobody has a template or a blueprint of the best way to search or heal," Lopez concludes.