A professional hunter is suing a state Department of Natural Resources officer whose alleged false claims damaged his business and reputation.
Mark Allen Luster of Burlington is suing Iowa DNR Officer Dan Henderson, in his personal capacity, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, alleging malicious prosecution and “blatant violations of the Fourth Amendment.”
In court records, Luster describes himself as a professional hunter and land management consultant who specializes in designing hunting properties “to attract the largest and most prized buck deer” for hunting. “Luster has been incredibly successful as a professional hunter, and he has ‘bagged’ some of the most prized trophy-worthy bucks,” the lawsuit claims. “His livelihood is dependent on his reputation and his ability to maintain his hunting license.”
In the summer of 2024, Luster began developing an 82-acre hunting property that he owned with a friend through a limited liability company called CWD Research. According to the lawsuit, on Oct. 14, 2024, Luster shot a large whitetail buck with a bow and arrow on his CWD Research property. The next day, he located and harvested the deer, then posted a photo of the kill to Facebook captioned, “Checkmate!”
The same day, Henderson reportedly received an emailed complaint from a confidential informant who had seen the Facebook post and asserted there had been bait placed on the CWD Research property in violation of state law, as evidenced by aerial...
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