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 Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte)
fielded many calls about ATV use in the National Forest and about the upcoming deer season. The officer worked the North Shore streams and observed people who could not resist snagging salmon. Citations were issued and fish were seized. Wahlstrom spent time investigating a wantonwaste case on a moose from a TIP call. Theofficer worked with 1854 officersand a Fond du Lac officer on a case involving shooting a big game animal from a roadway. Wahlstrom checked grouse hunters with better success than last week. The officer has also received calls about wolves in the area — a lab was taken down by them.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais)
assisted the 1854 Authority with a moose investigation. He also checked moose hunters in the BWCA with Officers Duncan, Thomasen, and Ter Meer. The officers encountered a couple of groups coming out without filling their moose tags. They were frustrated with the cold wet weather and the inability to get dry. Assistance was given to the U.S. Forest Service after a group of moose hunters decided to celebrate by firing “victory” shots through the night at a campsite in the BWCA. Just because it is called a wilderness area doesn’t mean that there aren’t other people around. CO Fagerman located the hunters and the information was turned over to the law enforcement officer. Charges are pending on an individual for shooting a moose on a road.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland)
worked moose and grouse hunters. Manning also spent time on the rivers during salmon run; water levels were up and fish numbers are down. Manning also tended to seasonal equipment maintenance and worked on a couple open wetlands and public waters cases.
CO Troy Ter Meer (Marine Unit)
spent the second weekend of the moose season on the Gunflint Trail. One investigation was completed with 1854 Tribal Authority for shooting moose from the roadway. Time was also spent checking grouse and early antlerless deer hunters and stream anglers in Cook, Lake, and St. Louis counties.
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