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 Mary Manning (Hovland) assisted U.S. Fish and Wildlife on a case in Silver Bay. The officer took a call of a fawn sleeping on a family’s porch. The caller left the animal undisturbed, kept her own children away and the fawn’s mother returned later that night and retrieved it. Manning attended a dinner for volunteer safety instructors, assisted with the Hunter Education field day and followed up on reports of illegal ATV operation and wanton waste of fish.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) reports the mosquitoes are worse than anything he’s remembered seeing in his lifetime. If you breathe through your mouth you can get enough to eat so you don’t have to stop for lunch. No repellent seems to work very long with these beasts. The bright sun doesn’t even seem to deter them. Keep moving and think of the frigid winter we just had. The CO worked a remote BWCA detail and enforcement activity included fishing and boating violations.
CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) continued to work invasive species enforcement efforts and worked with local trappers on nuisance beaver issues. Calls were received of abandoned fawn deer that were found that were not abandoned at all. It is normal for does to leave their fawns alone for several hours at a time and it is best to leave them alone when found.
CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) responded to a call of a road-killed fisher with a young one that would not leave its mother. The caller warned Kuske the young fisher was extremely aggressive. The caller was right! When Kuske arrived at the site of the dead fisher the young one came up out of the ditch hissing and trying to attack her truck.
CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) investigated a report of a person selling minnows. The ad on Craigslist was brought to the attention of CO Frericks, who met with the ambitious 15-year-old who posted it. Frericks explained to the 15-year-old that it would be a good idea if he were to take the ad down since he didn’t have any of the required licenses. The juvenile’s mother was more than happy the CO stopped by.
Officer Mike Scott received a call from a car dealership where a technician was working on a customer’s vehicle, reached up under the dash to replace the vehicle’s cabin air filter, and was confronted by a snake that had taken residence in the cabin filter area. Even after talking to the technician and removing the snake for them it was unclear who was more surprised, the snake or the technician! The snake was an eastern fox snake – harmless unless you are a mouse – but that was of no comfort to the technician. The snake was released and the technician is back to work but more cautious now when reaching under a car’s dash.
CO Chris Tetrault (Isle) was floating within a group of anglers observing angling activity when a new boat pulled up close to the CO. After a few minutes passed, the officer heard an angler in the new boat ask the other angler if they could see a game warden in the area. The angler replied, “Nope, I don’t think there is one in the area.” To which the angler replied, “Okay, throw that extra line in then.” The officer watched the anglers fish with an extra line for a few minutes, then made contact with them. Enforcement action was taken.
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