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) checked grouse hunters on the opening of small game. Not as many hunters around for this opener and even fewer birds in the bag. Rain on Sunday sent them south earlier than normal. The CO continues to see people at the landings doing all the right things such as pulling the live well and drain plugs, then walking down to the water and filling their fivegallon pails so they can transport their fish home live to keep them fresh. Remember, you can’t transport live fish or the water from any water body in Minnesota. People were also found with wild (unclipped) steelhead trout in possession. Enforcement action was taken for a few fires during the burning ban.
COs Mary Manning (Hovland), Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) and Dan Thomasen (Two Harbors) were assigned to the Pagami Creek fire.
CO Thomas Sutherland (Grand Rapids) took enforcement action over the past week on a group of individuals who decided to attempt to take a deer from the back of a truck. The individuals were not successful in taking the deer, but some area residents saw them in the truck with an arrow in their bow and called enforcement.
CO Paul Parthun (Lake George) investigated a wolf depredation complaint, took a complaint of a cougar killing a deer in a homeowner’s back yard and followed up on a pending fire case.
CO Scott Staples and K-9 Schody (Carlton) assisted the sheriff ‘s office on the recovery of a drowning victim in Jay Cooke State Park. The victim was swimming in a posted closed swimming area. The area is posted closed because of the dangers of swimming in that location.
CO Dustie Heaton (Willow River) received a TIP call regarding a wolf that appeared to have been shot and dumped. After investigating the call, Heaton determined the wolf was actually a dog.
CO Thor Nelson (Bloomington) investigated after vandals threw a portable toilet into O’Dowd Lake, near Shakopee. Please contact Nelson with any information concerning suspects.
CO Scott Moran (Wabasha) reports that a bowhunter needed to be reminded of knowing what is behind your target before you shoot, as his broadhead-tipped arrow landed in the middle of a campsite of the state forest campground. Luckily there were no injuries or damage. The deer hunter also was reminded that when you shoot at a squirrel out of boredom you still need a small game license. A camper also reported a runaway horse that had yet to be located as of Sunday evening.
Leave a Reply