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 grouse hunters during an extremely busy week. It didn’t seem to matter if it was a weekday or weekend, grouse hunters were everywhere. With all the traffic, grouse are scarce along the roads. A good pair of walking boots and a good dog are in order. Enforcement action was taken for loaded guns in motor vehicles and for hunter blaze orange violations. Assistance was also given to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) attended training in St. Paul on arrest and control techniques. The officer took a report on hunter harassment and deer baiting in addition to checking grouse hunters during a busy MEA weekend.
Pilot Luke Ettl (Grand Rapids) flew in support of Grand Marais fish stocking program.
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) investigated when a trap was found set two days prior to the opening of raccoon trapping season, and seized the trap with a skunk in it.
CO Marty Stage (Ely) worked BWCAW duck hunters and one of the groups was found to have a chainsaw and nearly 100 beer cans. One disturbing reality was that nearly every group had lead shot. The recurring excuse was that they might see a grouse on a portage trail. If hunters are worried that they might run into a grouse while hunting waterfowl, they should just use steel shot. It works just amazingly fine on grouse. Besides, it’s illegal to possess lead shot while waterfowl hunting.
CO Mike Lee (Crosslake) received requests for permits for nuisance beaver permits. At one location the beaver in the area had destroyed over 40 trees in a very short amount of time.
CO Tom Hemker (Winona) received a complaint from a person out photographing the fall colors. She advised him she was concerned about a duck hunter putting a duck on a stick in the water. The duck kept flapping its wings but could not get off the stick. There were several other ducks sitting still on the water around the duck stuck on the stick. Hemker explained the use of decoys while duck hunting.
Contact local DNR Conservation Officers to report violations or ask questions:
Thomas Wahlstrom 218-663-7183
Darin Fagerman 218-387-9751
Mary Manning 218-475-0121
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