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) checked anglers, boaters and ATV riders who were all out enjoying the nice busy holiday weekend. Some nice lakers were seen in the bag out on Lake Superior with few fish caught inland. Wahlstrom taught handgun and rifle tactics and operation at the academy to the new officers. An AIS detail was also worked. Officers Wahlstrom and Manning assisted the county with a bomb call along the Flute Reed River.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) worked a joint enforcement effort with the Ontario COs along the Canadian border. The CO also monitored the fish sanctuary on the Sea Gull River. The CO did a remote ATV patrol checking designated trout lakes and ATV routes. Enforcement action was taken for boating and fishing violations.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) worked a busy holiday weekend which included work details with CO Wahlstrom in St. Louis County and at Cook County boat accesses enforcing aquatic invasive species, boating and angling laws. The officers also responded to a report of a possible pipe bomb near a popular steelhead angling river. The device had been handled and moved closer to the state highway by the caller – presumably to make it easier for officers to find. Fortunately it did not detonate and local deputies were able to remove the device without injury to responding officers or the public. Manning also worked trespass and litter cases and patrolled area parks and campgrounds.
CO Chris Vinton (Perham) reports taking a call of a mushroom hunter getting charged by a bear. The mushroom hunters stated they went into a wooded area and their dog spooked a bear that ran out across the field. As they were calling back the dog, two smaller bears went up into the trees, and a larger bear was coming for the dog. The mushroom hunter said his dog showed up just in time to get between him and the angry bear. The dog was mauled and required nearly 90 stitches. The mushroom hunter was shaken but uninjured.
CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) responded to a call of a dog being killed by a bear at a local residence. At the residence it was found that the homeowners had garbage cans of bird seed that a sow and two cubs were getting into in the back yard. The three bears had worn a path back and forth to the cans and the homeowners had been taking pictures of the bears the week prior. The homeowner let his dog out into the back yard late that evening and the dog chased after the bears and was fatally injured. The homeowner now requested that the DNR relocate the bears and also wanted to know what to do about the eagles that were killing their cats.
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