Although the Cook County News-Herald knows that the majority of sportsmen and women are lawabiding 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) assisted the Cook County Sheriff ’s Department with the courthouse shooting in Grand Marais. At times like this, we can all be grateful for the great working relationships between departments especially in small communities. Fagerman also continued to check early season walleye anglers. Walleye fishing has been exceptionally good.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) checked anglers and folks spearing northern pike. Lake ice has benefited from cold temperatures and lack of snow. The officer also responded to a report of an injured eagle and an alarm at a state park.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) checked ice anglers and monitored ATV activity. Ice thickness is beginning to improve but people should always use caution. Wahlstrom responded to a car-killed moose, continued to follow up on trapping investigations and returned calls to people who were confused about the upcoming trout openers.
While patrolling Upper Red Lake, CO Robert Gorecki (Baudette) checked an angler who was in possession of 12 walleye fillets. When asked where the carcasses were, the angler admitted to throwing them down the hole. Carcasses were later found to be of illegal length walleye. The angler is facing numerous charges including over limit of walleye, illegal length walleye, immeasurable fish on a special regulation lake, and littering.
CO Tim Collette (Pequot Lakes) took a report of an injured bald eagle that turned out to have just eaten too much and couldn’t fly for a few days.
CO Tony Anderson (Morris) responded after an occupied fish house exploded on Pomme de Terre Lake when an individual was trying to light a lantern and another individual was hooking up a battery causing a spark. Three individuals were taken to the hospital and two were kept overnight with burn injuries.
Officer Dustie Heaton (Willow River) continued to work on follow-up investigations from deer season. During one interview, Heaton detected the odor of burnt marijuana coming from within the residence. After the interview was complete, she told the suspect that she smelled the marijuana. The man produced a little over a pound of marijuana. As it turns out, the suspect and his roommates admitted to growing marijuana plants for personal use.
CO Gary Nordseth (Worthington) reports that ice conditions still vary greatly from location to location. For example, late one evening the officer heard screaming coming from an area lake – he discovered two frightened young men who had dashed back to shore as the ice was breaking beneath their feet.
CO Jim Robinson (Slayton) spent the week conducting deer investigations. The final muzzleloader weekend ended with numerous violations encountered. One violator, in full blaze orange, tried to hide in six-inch grass. When that did not work, he removed some of his orange…to no avail. Enforcement action was taken for trespass, shooting a deer after hours, shooting deer from road, shooting doe without permit, unlawful party hunt, wanton waste deer and insufficient blaze orange.
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