Although the Cook County News-Herald knows that the majority of sportsmen and women are law-abiding folks, there are a few who 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) spent the last week in the BWCAW working anglers. The campsites were full and fishing was slow.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) spent time on inland waters and Lake Superior checking boaters and anglers. Compliance was good and anglers are still reporting mixed success. Manning also worked area forest lands checking bear baits. The officer took calls on unsigned bait stations, illegal ATV activity on forestlands, and illegal fishing nets. Manning also participated in DNR and MPPOA State pistol competitions. The sunset is coming much earlier this time of year and boaters are reminded that navigational lights are required from sunset to sunrise and they should be certain they know those times; reminders from a CO can be expensive.
CO Bob Mlynar (Aitkin) spoke with a grandfather who was given advice on dealing with nuisance geese rather than turning his grandson loose on them with the BB gun.
CO Joe Stattelman (Detroit Lakes) checked a complaint about a Canada goose carrying an arrow. The arrow is clearly visible on both sides of the goose. The goose can fly, making capture difficult.
CO Cary Shoutz (Crosslake) was observing boat trafficnear a no wake zone, and a speeding boater operating a tiller drive motor sped past at a high rate of speed. As the small craft hit the first large wake created from another boat, the operator lost control and the boat did a quick 90-degree turn, sending the boat passenger airborne into the water. The passenger was pulled back on board by the operator. The operator was cited for careless boat operation and underage consumption. His passenger was also cited for underage consumption. There were no life jackets on board the watercraft as well.
CO Aaron Kahre (Minnetonka) encountered three young men drinking in a boat. He asked the three men if they were all old enough to be drinking. All three said they were old enough, but one of them did not have an ID card. When the CO asked for his birthday, the young man gave a fake date. The problem was the birthday he gave the CO still made him too young to legally drink alcohol.
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