CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) spent time checking anglers in the BWCAW. The officer saw some nice walleye in the bag on area lakes within the wilderness. People were enjoying their time before the black fly season starts. Wahlstrom worked on Lake Superior and checked for aquatic invasive species (AIS) violations during two details in both Lake and Cook counties. It is good to see that the majority of the people checked are supportive of the AIS regulations. Wahlstrom also checked on a potential public waters violation. Enforcement action was taken for boating and AIS violations.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) checked anglers on the water and at boat accesses. AIS checks were made, equipment maintenance was handled and questions regarding transport of live bait were answered. The officer also took a report of a cougar sighting over the recent holiday weekend.
CO Dan Malinowski (Fosston) took complaints of swan crop depredation, bears in bee hives, and a wolf killing a calf and a dog.
CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) received a call of an extremely aggressive doe deer that came into a yard and attacked a black lab. The reason was a newborn fawn was close by in the woods.
Mike Fairbanks (Deer River) was assisting the local police with a disturbance call when the suspect claimed that he would become a “spider monkey” while en route to the jail.
CO Eric Schettler (Fairmont) conducted site inspections in Cottonwood County for public waters violations. Site inspection showed the owner blocked off a section of the river in an attempt to straighten the river in hopes of using the area for farming.
CO Tim Collette (Pequot Lakes) spoke with a couple angling together who had been divorced for nine years and had continued buying husband and wife combination licenses. When asked why they still had combination licenses, they responded that although they didn’t get along well enough to stay married, they did get along well enough to continue to fish together.
CO Dustie Heaton (Willow River) handled a TIP call of an angler using game fish as bait. Upon arrival, Heaton observed the suspect angling with extra lines. When she approached the suspect he was reeling up one of his lines. Attached to the end of the line was a small sunfish. The suspect stated he knew it was against the law to have two lines this time of year but he didn’t know that he couldn’t use sunfish as bait. The suspect also mentioned that he thought conservation officers couldn’t check someone fishing on private property. Enforcement action was taken for the violations.
CO Brett Oberg (Hutchinson) responded to a call of deer being dumped on the side of the road. Oberg discovered two does that had been butchered and dumped along with two fawns; anyone with information should call the TIP line.
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!
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