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 Mary Manning (Hovland) worked BWI enforcement for Operation Dry Water during the preholiday weekend. Manning also checked area campgrounds on complaints of permanent campers; all sites were vacant when checked. The officer also used the rainy days to complete office upgrades and yearend paperwork. A local motorcycle operator was stopped and ticketed for popping wheelies on city streets and was advised of better locations for playing on his OHM.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) reports a very quiet week in the woods and backwaters. People who have ventured out are finding excellent walleye fishing about anywhere they go in the remote smaller lakes. Some anglers are reporting the best fishing in many years. Enforcement action was taken for no registration on nonresident canoes.
CO Todd Langevin (Center City) reports receiving a call about a small alligator in a tree in the caller’s backyard. The caller stated that the blackcolored animal looked just like an alligator and its eyes were moving. The caller was instructed to call some type of animal control or attempt to get the alligator in a box. The caller decided to hit the animal and found out it was made of rubber. The rubber alligator is safe but the prankster is still on the loose.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji) reports that while sitting at one Lake Bemidji access a vehicle drove in and parked illegally. The officer went to talk to the driver about moving and smelled a strong odor of marijuana when the window was rolled down. After speaking with the driver for a short period it was discovered the driver was smoking methamphetamine and the passenger was smoking the marijuana. The driver was arrested and charged.
CO Gary Sommers (Walker) received calls regarding a badger, which turned out to be a groundhog digging next to someone’s home, and a call of a deer caught in a fence.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) primarily checked boaters. In one instance, he stopped a boat after the boat operator was towing a skier and others were jumping out of the boat simultaneously while traveling at a good rate of speed. Once it was stopped Officer Mathy discovered the boater had placed registration from another boat onto his boat to make it appear the boat was registered even though it was unregistered. In addition, the boat was overloaded with too many passengers and two others were cited for underage consumption of alcohol. Enforcement action was also taken for towing a skier without an observer, failing to display registration, and operating a boat with persons riding on the gunwales.
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