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 instructing at officer in-service training. The rivers along the North Shore are flowing fast and very murky. ATV complaints were handled and equipment maintenance was completed.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) reports that on May 4 he was still checking snowmobilers. Folks claim they could find plenty of snow for riding, but with the upcoming warmer weather, this could be the last weekend. Devil Track Lake was checked and it looked more like mid-March than the first week of May. Much of the ice hasn’t even begun to pull away from shore. The CO checked North Shore rivers and found the water too fast and the fishing too slow for some. The unplowed Forest Service roads are still impassable due to snow.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) spent most of the week at Camp Ripley instructing at the division’s statewide firearms and tactics training. While returning from Ripley, the officer assisted CO Wahlstrom with an ATV stop on the state highway; several young riders were educated regarding legal locations for operation. Manning also checked anglers along the shore, river tributaries and state parks.
CO Sam Hunter (Park Rapids) pulled over a young man in a closed forest who stated that he was trying to locate his friend who was lost. When Hunter called the cell phone of the lost friend, the friend admitted that he was in fact not lost, nor was he out driving around at all, and stated he was sitting on his couch watching TV. Enforcement action was taken on the driver in the closed forest.
CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) gave a presentation on furbearers to a local Boy Scout den meeting with pelts donated by the Minnesota Trappers Association. The Scouts enjoyed the chance to see and feel the pelts up close but were apprehensive about getting close to the skunk pelt.
CO Randy Hanzal (Duluth) took several calls about a deer with a bucket stuck on his head. So far the deer has eluded help.
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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