Conservation Officer Tales

CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) reports that it has been a very good summer for fishing. Walleyes on the smaller lakes have been a little bigger in size than normal. The designated trout lakes have produced, with very few people fishing the remote lakes. Pretty easy to find lakes to have all to yourself without even going in the BWCA. The CO assisted the sheriff ’s department with a call. He also followed up on another incident involving a state park ranger.

CO Mary Manning (Hovland) patrolled inland lakes and Lake Superior accesses. One campsite checked had garbage burning in the fire pit, trash on the site, and an untagged minnow trap in infested waters. A couple reports of nuisance bear complaints were also received involving a sow and cubs; most reports have slowed due to the bumper berry crop. The officer also handled an unpermitted fire complaint and checked state park and kayak campsites.

CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) checked anglers on Lake Superior during Fisherman’s Picnic. The salmon bite was on while lakers were a little harder to find. Wahlstrom spent time checking problem ORV areas in the Finland and Tofte area. Anglers were checked on remote area lakes where some people tried their luck with extra lines. Enforcement action was taken for ATV, OHM, watercraft registration and fishing violations.

CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) investigated when the operator of a PWC was observed riding backward at high speed and was traveling too fast near a dock. These violations were addressed, along with the 2008 registration displayed on the craft. Three out of four anglers in a group were observed violating a number of laws including angling without an angling license, angling with extra lines and using game fish for bait. It was suggested that they read the fishing regulation book before they went out again.

CO Matt Miller (Lake Superior Marine Unit) checked anglers and boaters on Lake Superior. A detail was worked along the upper part of the shore focusing on salmon anglers and recreational boating during Fisherman’s Picnic in Grand Marais. A charter captain was found to be running his business without the required licensure and is facing criminal charges and equipment forfeiture.

CO Corey Wiebusch (Mankato) and another officer worked lakes and rivers in the station this past week. The officers took enforcement action on an individual who was shooting at geese in a bean field and on the water. After shooting at the birds on the water it was discovered a round from the rifle he was using ricocheted off the water, traveled over a mile and went through a patio door.

CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) received a call regarding a subject who owned a cabin on a lake and was dumping porta-potties into the lake. When contacted, the cabin owners claimed they had no running water or septic system so they had to use a bucket from time to time, but most of the time they would use the restroom at a local restaurant. In the event they had to use the bucket, they would take it to the lake’s edge and empty it. Some of their dumpings were still evident on the rocks along the lake. Enforcement action was taken.

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!

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