Conservation Officer Tales

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) spent the week assisting with an out-of-state big game investigation. He also followed up on pending investigations and prepared for upcoming court cases. Squad gear was changed over to cold weather gear. The ATV was prepared for storage and the snowmobile was readied for deployment.

CO Mary Manning (Hovland) helped with the final fall in-service training and firearms qualifications. The officer also answered questions and calls about wolf seasons and trapping and handled vehicle repair issues.

CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) continued to follow up on big game cases from the deer and bear seasons. The officer returned several calls about trapping and ice fishing. Trappers in the area were reminded about the lynx zone regulations.

CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) took enforcement action for angling with unattended lines as a fisherman headed to shore to take a nap and eat a meal without reeling up his jig poles.

CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) reports that the first full-size pickup traveling on the ice created a stir among the 30-plus anglers in the area who were quite angry at the lack of common sense by the driver and the possibility of their lives being placed at risk saving the driver if the pickup would have gone through the ice. Thankfully the 7-8 inches of good, clear ice held up enough for the pickup to safely get off the ice.

CO Dan Starr (Tower) worked on a large litter case with over four yards of garbage dumped on the Arrowhead Snowmobile Trail. The owners of the garbage were tracked down and a citation issued.

CO Tom Hemker (Winona) responded to a complaint of duck hunters hunting in a closed area – the hunters thought they were in Minnesota when they were actually in Wisconsin.

Contact local DNR Conservation Officers to report violations or ask questions: