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 Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) checked the border lakes for spring walleye anglers. There were a few anglers out and fishing was very slow. The CO also did a snowmobile patrol of area trails and found them to be in very good condition for this late in the year, with a few bare spots on the corners and at the top of the hills. Trail conditions now are day to day. Enforcement action was taken for burning prohibited material.
CO Thomas Wahlstromour news (Tofte)per spent time answering phone callsha aboutagree owls,t p wolvesr and misc. wildlife issues. The officerticipa epatrolledin the 2state2 parks, state trail, and cross-countryDispski trails.y Ad NeA worfew fishermen were checked along the shoreprogof amLakeb Superior.running
CO Brad Johnsonhese ads(Silverin the Bay)main reports that he received calls of wolves inewsandsecaroundion of yotownr in Silver Bay. Some were hunting deer thatnew arepapecongregating(not the along the North Shore.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) andw Officerr Fairbanks spent the majority of a day chiselingYour a fishnewspaperhouse off Lake Winnibigoshish that was left outhaspastagreeddeadline.to Mandatoryparcipate court and restitution costs will be forthcomingin the 2 2for that fish house owner.
CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) receivedt e e ad callin heandm obtainedin photographs of a bobcat comingnewsclose toct anresidencef your with the owner concerned for her children’swspaper safety.not th Fredin received photocopies of a cougarc takenssifie ons cta trailn fcamera in the Skibo area. This would beyouthe secondn wsp photographper At of a cougar in this area within the timlast years anddvertisa half.rs Time was spent investigating a litter mdumpy re ofu stdeadsp sheepcif and goats.
CO Scott Staples (Carlton) is investigatinghe decision isa caseu ti where a bear hide was dumped in the Cloquetmately areaup ando e hadch a site tag on it from 2010. Litter is notnewspaper.the only Adsproblemmay – the other problem is the person whoseneednameto be isdecreasedon the tag did not harvest the bear The investigationslightly i is izeongoing.to fit Also a complaint of unchecked coyoteyoursnarescolu isn beingsizes. investigated.
CO Sean Williams (Ely) reports he responded to a call from a DNR employee who said there was a sick or injured red fox on the side of Highway 169 outside of Ely and that a passerby was seen petting it. Officer Williams responded to the area and arrived to find people standing near the fox trying to feed it. He would like to remind the public not to approach animals that are normally reclusive, and that strange behavior may be a sign of a significant disease like rabies.
CO Rick Reller (Buffalo) reports you never know what some people have up their sleeves. This was the case he found out while checking anglers coming off a local lake. Reller observed anglers take over limit of crappies and when confronted about the violation the anglers first showed Reller only 15 fish, but the officer had first-hand knowledge that they had more than that. Reller found 15 more crappies in a rod holder bag and most surprising, 21 more crappies stuffed down a sleeve of a coat. The two anglers were 31 crappies over the legal limit! Enforcement action was taken for over limit.
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