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 Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) assisted with a field day for ATV safety training. Congratulations to Richard Parker for being named ATV Instructor of the Year, and a big thanks to all of our instructors who make these vital safety programs successful. A couple of campers were encountered making a long-underwear run to town. Seems that they underestimated the weather. One fellow just recently moved to Minnesota from Texas. His fun meter wasn’t very high.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) attended a Use of Force instructor class in Maple Grove. The officer also helped teach the ATV riding class in Grand Marais.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) checked anglers, inland lakes, and area rivers and streams. She also assisted with an ATV Safety class field day. She attended a meeting on deer hunting in North Shore State Parks, followed up on open cases, and completed office work. Some area forestry roads continue to degrade in spots and major repairs will not happen until road restrictions are off; users are advised to check with area foresters before travel and to use caution.
An extremely large road-killed black bear was retrieved and donated to a local organization by a Duluth CO. In another bear case a call was received of a dead bear in a person’s back yard. The owner knew it was dead because he had thrown several rocks, poked it with a stick and eventually kicked it with his foot. Shortly before the officer arrived the bear woke up and lumbered away.
CO Matt Miller (Marine Unit) checked anglers on Lake Superior and its tributaries. Assistance was given to the Duluth Fire Department and US Coast Guard with the rescue of a paddler and his dog who tried to take an overloaded canoe through the Duluth Entry during a gale warning and filled his boat with water. After being brought to shore, the paddler’s first question to the CO was how the fire department personnel (his rescuers) treated his canoe and if he was going to have to do any repairs. The paddler was reminded of his responsibility to use better judgment when taking such a small craft into heavy waves without a proper personal flotation device (PFD), as first responders and the general public are all put at risk when responding to such an emergency. Enforcement action was taken for various violations.
CO Dan Thomasen (Two Harbors) received a report of a man being attacked by two coyotes. The man, while driving beside a railroad grade, observed an injured and bloodied dog, which he recognized. The man went to retrieve the dog to return it to its owners. Upon picking up the dog, two coyotes bolted from the brush and attacked the man. The man received cuts and scrapes from the encounter but is otherwise fine after being medically checked out. Officer Thomasen suspects that the man had disrupted the coyotes’ dinner plans, causing the animals to lash out.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls) responded to call of a badger in a window well in the city of Crookston. Happily, the badger turned out to be a woodchuck, which was released back into the wild by a Crookston police officer.
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