Although the Cook County News-Herald knows that the majority of sportsmen and women are law-abiding folks, there are a few that run afoul of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Conservation Officers. Periodically, the DNR provides a report of some of the miscreants the Conservation Officers (CO) have encountered. The News-Herald shares these stories as a reminder to all to be safe and to follow the rules!
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) answered numerous calls and questions about bear baiting, and she checked bait stations. The officer also responded to two separate situations involving individuals unhappy about bait stations close to their stations or “spots.” All were reminded that public land is open to everyone regardless of who hunted it the previous season. Manning also checked ATV trails and remote lake accesses; two boats stored on public land will be seized and removed.
CO Gary Sommers (Walker) assisted Cass County with locating a sailboat that had overturned during a storm. The occupant of the sailboat was located and brought to shore by a passing boater.
CO Corey Wiebusch (Mankato) looked into a complaint of someone shooting song birds.
CO Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley) spent most of the week dealing with nuisance animal complaints. Complaints included gray wolves killing livestock and multiple instances of black bears damaging corn fields.
CO Brad Johnson (Maplewood) received a call from St. Paul Animal Control about youths shooting at animals and birds with slingshots.
CO Tom Hemker (Winona) reports the river to be dropping fast in the area. This is causing boaters to find new and old obstructions that had not been there for a long time. In one case a boater, operating after dark, hit obstructions and all four people ended up in the water. Hemker assisted Winona County with a search for a missing person in a bluff area who was located unharmed. Hemker also received a call of a rattlesnake biting a dog; veterinarian care was needed.
Standby Pilot Brad Maas flew a mission to locate deer inside the perimeter fence at the Brainerd Airport as deer on runways and taxiways pose a serious threat to life and property. With two CO pilots on board, the deer was quickly located and dispatched by the helicopter crew.
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