MADISON, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota judge has dismissed criminal charges against a man accused in a high-profile poaching case because of a tracking device used by authorities.

District Judge Thomas Van Hon ruled the GPS device that conservation officers attached to Joshua Liebl's truck was illegal because they didn't have a search warrant.

The 38-year-old Dawson man faced 13 criminal charges after officers confiscated 37 dead deer, dozens of guns and other wildlife from his property. Liebl's attorney, Bill Peterson, says the ruling is an important victory "for the privacy of sportsmen in Minnesota."

The Department of Natural Resources enforcement chief, Lt. Col. Rodman Smith, says the ruling is a disappointment. He says the agency is deciding whether to appeal.

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