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 Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) has visited some areas usually full of moose sign while checking bear baits. Many of these areas are now void of any moose sign. The CO has only seen two cows with two newborn calves and a small bull all summer. Families of deer are now seen in what we used to know as moose ponds. Deer tracks are replacing moose tracks in inland areas where one would rarely see a deer. Moose tracks on the remote back roads have also been scarce.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) continued to work the bear hunting season checking hunters and bait sites. Manning also checked anglers and boaters. One pair of anglers, who said they had not been checked in 30 years of fishing, was certain the officer had been sent to check them by someone on a lake they had recently been on. Turns out another CO had been at the other access and had reminded them about pulling their drain plug, but he had not in fact been in contact with Manning. Several violations were noted during the on-water check of the pair and proper paperwork was issued. Manning and CO Fagerman assisted USFS and the Cook County sheriff in responding to a reported emergency in the BWCAW which turned out to be a small lightning strike fire.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) checked anglers on Lake Superior and inland lakes. The officer responded to a wolf attacking a dog and bear hunter complaints. Wahlstrom spent some time in the backcountry checking anglers and paddlers. The officer worked the youth waterfowl day, followed up on bear hunting investigations, and checked for invasive species at public accesses.
CO Greg Oldakowski (Wadena) received a call about an individual killing a turkey out of season and the investigation is still pending.
CO Gary Sommers (Walker) made contact with two anglers who were over the legal limit, and one person came to the access with aquatic vegetation attached to his boat trailer and the plug still in the boat. Sommers made note to the person about the 2011 invasive species sticker attached to his trailer and he said, “I must not have listened very well.” Enforcement action was taken.
CO Jeff Halverson (Staples) handled a call on an injured swan and received an otter taken by nuisance beaver trapper. Contacts were made for no plug in shotgun and attempting to take song birds.
CO Nikki Shoutz (Pine River) spoke with a landowner who said he watched a bear in his yard chew up his kids’ swimming pool after cleaning up the bird feeders.
CO David Schottenbauer (Princeton) reports that many of the parties checked with license and stamp violations tried to blame the people they had bought them from. The CO had to explain that they were the ones out hunting, and not the person behind the counter. The hunter is responsible for verifying possession of the correct licenses and stamps before they hit the field.
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