Conservation Officer Tales

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 Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) monitored snowmobile and angling activity. Some of the trails along the shore are showing dirt but the trails inland still have good snow cover. The officer followed up on a bear investigation from last fall. Calls continue to come in about wolves and a possible season.

CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) received many calls and has been asked many questions in the field about the expiration date of the trout stamp. Even though the trout stamp, when purchased separately, says that it expires on Feb. 28 (unless noted elsewhere) it actually expires on April 30. Many people don’t know where the “elsewhere” is so they call the CO. The CO has asked for the date on the stamp to be changed, but that hasn’t happened yet. So go fishing and buy your new stamp on May 1. The CO found anglers fishing with extra lines and unattended lines during the week. Slush is becoming a big problem. So you might want to drive your snowmobile through your fishing area under power before settling that big piece of metal into a thick soup.

CO Mary Manning (Hovland) found more slush than anglers, and compliance was good. Snowmobilers were plentiful on the trails as the snow melted very quickly. Anglers are reminded that fishing shelters and all cribbing and garbage must be removed from inland lakes by March 19; houses on Canadian border lakes must be off by the 31st. The officer also took several calls and complaints regarding a dog allowed by its owner to roam the roadways and chase deer; enforcement action was taken. CO Rhonda Friese (Long Prairie) investigated a complaint of a bear stuck in a culvert that ended with positive results as the bear was able to free itself without incident. Apparently it had gone to sleep in the culvert prior to snowfall and had to dig itself out when the sudden thaw caused water to seep into its “den.”

CO Angie Warren (Thief River Falls) received a call of a bobcat killing pet ducks.

CO Dan Malinowski (Fosston) retrieved two gray wolf carcasses. The wolves appear to have been shot.

CO Chris Vinton (Perham) received a call about dead trumpeter swans. The birds appear to have struck a power line. Two dead deer were reported in a field north of New York Mills. The deer were shot and left.

CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) received a call from a citizen who upon checking an elderly person’s home, found a deer had broken through the basement window and struggled on the pool table before diving underneath a bed and dying. CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) is investigating a complaint of a snowmobiler who struck and killed a family’s black lab on the shoulder of a state highway a mile south of Hibbing. Operating a snowmobile on the shoulder of the highway was illegal, not to mention the person leaving the scene. The owners are offering a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the responsible party.

Contact local DNR Conservation Officers to report violations or ask questions: