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) worked the trout opener with area officers in the Tofte/Finland area. The slush set up on most lakes but in some areas it was deep enough where anglers were losing snowshoes and equipment. Overall, anglers were happy with the trout bite and the warm weather over the weekend. Enforcement action was taken for license violations and extra lines.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) worked the trout opener with several other officers. The weather was as good as it gets for a normally very frigid weekend. Many people were checked and the vast majority of them were doing things right. A few fishing violations were encountered along with some snowmobile violations. With all those new angling holes drilled, the slush conditions could change for the worse so be aware of that possibility.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) patrolled GIA and state snowmobile trails. Riders are reminded to stay to the right side of the trail, especially on the narrow and winding trails common in Cook County. The officer also worked the busy trout opener in the vacant Silver Bay station with CO Wahlstrom; enforcement action was taken for no license in possession, no trout stamp and angling with an extra line. The officer also responded to a report of a bobcat that attacked a family dog.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) answered phone calls about ridealong opportunities and dogs chasing rabbits and squirrels.
CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) assisted a neighboring officer perform a minnow dealer inspection, picked up a dead bald eagle, and dealt with a couple calls of people wanting to know if they can drive on the snowmobile trails if they put tracks on their ATV (answer is no you can’t). While assisting a neighboring officer on an illegal deer case from firearms season where a wife tagged a husband’s deer even though she wasn’t out hunting, it was discovered that the couple had been buying husband/wife combination angling licenses since 2005 but they are not married.
CO Amber Peterson (Maplewood) received a call of a deer stuck in a fence; the fence was cut and the deer was able to get out.
Contact local DNR Conservation Officers to report violations or ask questions:
Thomas Wahlstrom
218-370-0244
Darin Fagerman
218-387-9751
Mary Manning
218-475-0121
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