The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is seeking the public’s help to find vandals who damaged gates in the Mille Lacs Wild Life Management Area and Rum River State Forest.

DNR Area Wildlife Supervisor Steve Piepgras says six gates, which limit vehicle access to the area, were torn apart sometime between mid-July and late October. One of the gates was damaged in three separate occasions. Crews have repaired the gates but they will not last for a long time.

It will cost about $8,000-$10,000 to replace the damaged gates with new ones. Piepgras adds the time and money spent on repairing the gates and cleaning the area could have been used on activities to benefit wildlife and hunters.

Anyone with information about the vandalism is encouraged to contact Turn In Poachers (TIP) at 1-800-652-9093. TIP is an DNR enforcement division of conservationists concerned with poaching problems.

The name of people who report information can be kept confidential. DNR offers a small reward for any tip to the finding of vandals.