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 spring trapping and angling activity. The officer responded to a call regarding aggressive wolves toward an individual in the area. Wahlstrom worked on preparing summer equipment and handled trapping complaints. Enforcement action was taken for angling violations.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) assisted Officer Manning with an investigation of a bobcat shooting. For the first time he checked anglers during the winter trout season by boat as many of the trout lakes are ice free. Lots of beaver trappers out with one call of an incidental otter.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) patrolled Lake Superior tributaries checking steelheads and checking inland lakes for trout anglers. Manning worked with CO Fagerman to break the case of an illegally taken bobcat; charges will be filed soon. The officer also worked with area firearms volunteers to plan a basic sidearm class for women for later this month.
CO Tim Collette (Pequot Lakes) investigated a call of a dead swan. The swan had been shot from the shore of Moose Lake in Moose Lake Township. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the TIP line (800-652-9093) for a possible reward.
CO Paul Nelson (Elbow Lake) assisted when an otter was caught in a hoop net. An injured bald eagle was also picked up.
CO Larry Francis (Remer) was contacted by a concerned party who thought that coyotes were so cunning that they would pretend to be injured, so they could draw you toward their pack and attack you. He advised that this behavior was not likely.
CO Colleen Adam (Park Rapids) issued a note to those individuals who would remove or vandalize a closure sign: removing the sign does not remove the violation and creates unsuspecting victims.
CO Eugene Wynn (Pine City) spent time monitoring local accesses over the weekend due to complaints of people having fires and throwing trash all over. At one public access someone dumped a cow that had recently died.
Conservation Officer Mike Martin (St. Cloud) assisted a trooper who was on a traffic stop with a young man who was in possession of a freshly killed muskrat (muskrat season is closed).
CO Tom Hemker (Winona) checked a fisherman on one day and checked his backpack which contained fishing tackle and food. Two days later, he ran into the same angler at a different location where he said he did not have any fish. While chatting with the fisherman, Hemker observed the same backpack but this time it moved. It contained an illegal fish.
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