On an autumn evening in northern Hardin County, Iowa, a hunting trip took a tragic turn, ending the life of 53-year-old Mark Arends of Alden. A white male, Arends was out coyote hunting with friends on private land on Sunday, October 8, 2023. The group of hunters had separated by several hundred yards when, at approximately 8 p.m., Arends was struck by a single rifle shot.
Emergency services were called to the scene, located about two miles north of Alden. Arends was transported to Hansen Family Hospital in Iowa Falls, where he was pronounced dead. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Hardin County Sheriff's office responded to the incident and began an investigation into the circumstances of the shooting.
As part of their investigation, the Iowa DNR stated that the State Medical Examiner's office would conduct an autopsy. Officials stressed the importance of target identification, especially when hunting at night, a common practice for pursuing nocturnal animals like coyotes. The investigation into the fatal hunting incident was ongoing, and at the time of the initial reports, no information regarding any arrests or suspects had been released to the public. The focus of the authorities was on piecing together the events that led to the tragic death of Mark Arends.
