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) spent the week at Camp Ripley during the first week of in-service instructing Use of Force and firearms tactics and skills. The officer checked anglers along the North Shore and responded to a TIP complaint in the Silver Bay area.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) spent time monitoring fish run activity this past week as well as the opening of spring turkey season. Enforcement action was taken on a pair of adults who had a fully loaded .22 rifle sitting between them on the front seat of their truck; they said they were using it to “shoot squirrels.”
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) attended yearly in-service training in Camp Ripley during the week.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) helped volunteer instructors with hunter education class; folks interested in helping with classes are always welcome to contact the officer. Manning attended division training on trapping and first aid at Camp Ripley. She also helped instruct arrest and control techniques and firearms skills during annual spring in-service.
CO Kipp Duncan (Duluth) reports that Lake Superior tributaries are open and the steelhead are starting to make their way up river. Cold water temperatures have been keeping river fishing slow. Some violations encountered were using illegal methods of taking fish and a couple license issues.
CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) assisted a homeowner with bird ID on a flock of Chukar partridge that flew into his garage.
CO Rick Reller (Buffalo) handled a call related to a possible fish trap which turned out to be just a minnow trap.
CO Brad Johnson (Ham Lake) reports that he worked the spring turkey opener. The snow storm on opening day did not help. A young turkey hunter had an accidental double kill over the weekend, and there was a report of an aggressive turkey that chased a woman in Oak Grove.
CO Dan Malinowski (Fosston) investigated an unlawful posting of a lake public access. The perpetrator had stolen a no trespassing sign and placed it at the access.
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