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 Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) checked bear baits and attended an armoring class for the division’s shotguns.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) talked to an 85-year-old man who portaged his canoe a good distance into a couple of remote designated trout lakes. The man told the CO that age was nothing but a number that was by your name. He said he keeps moving and ignores that number. Obviously pretty good advice from this guy who could out-portage and -paddle many people in their 20s. Citations were mailed out for taking a bear without a license in 2011. He also took enforcement action for unregistered canoes. Bears are nesting in the raspberry patches.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) checked bear bait stations and verified station registrations. Manning assisted Cook County emergency responders and State Patrol with an early morning motor vehicle accident near Temperance River State Park. The officer also followed up on nuisance beaver trapping currently under way and checked state campgrounds and boat accesses.
CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) responded to a call from employees of the Eveleth Public Utilities Department about a deer that had fallen into an empty wastewater overflow container. At the bottom of the container the deer could run around very easily but when it would try to run up the sides of the container the deer would slip and fall down. With the assistance of almost a dozen public utilities employees the deer was tackled and after a short fight, wrapped up with a tarp and carried out of the overflow container. Once outside the container the deer was released and ran off unharmed.
CO Dustie Heaton (Willow River) received a call of bear shot and dumped. The call was investigated and it was discovered that the bear was actually a dog.
CO Lisa Kruse (White Bear Lake) handled a call of a five-foot boa constrictor on a residential deck in Stillwater. The snake had wound its way through the lattice of the deck and it took two herpetologists to get it out. If you know of anyone who has “misplaced” their pet snake, please contact CO Kruse.
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