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 an AIS detail and checked area lakes with Officer Manning during the holiday weekend. The officers observed a pontoon full of people with two people fishing from it. When the officers approached the watercraft and asked how they were doing, they replied, “Well, not so good, we do not have fishing licenses.” They were also short a few PFDs. The officers responded to a watercraft that appeared to be on fire, but it turned out to be a nice elderly couple enjoying steak kabobs on the grill.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) reports another weekend, another washout. The mosquitoes are still doing well and people’s fun meters aren’t where they should be for July days. Most people have reported some pretty good walleye fishing on inland lakes. Enforcement action was taken for no throwable Type IV PFDs, insufficient number of PFDs on board watercraft, no trout stamp and rounding things out the typical, “I forgot my fishing license back at the cabin.”
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) worked an aquatic invasives detail and patrolled area inland lakes during the busy holiday weekend with CO Wahlstrom.
CO Duke Broughten (Longville) responded to a call of a dead eagle in the road blocking traffic. When the officer arrived the bird was identified as a turkey.
CO Tim Collette (Pequot Lakes) stopped one large boat pulling a tuber on the Whitefish Chain when he went through a channel area within 100 feet of a youth in a kayak, throwing a huge wake. The boater said he had the right to go there as he owned a house on the lake and was boating in front of his own house. The officer explained that he did not have any more rights on the water than anyone else but he would have the “right” to a careless boating ticket if he continued.
Alex Gutierrez (Metro) responded to a bear sighting along the shoulder of the I-35 corridor north of the Twin Cities. The bear decided not to attempt to cross both southbound and northbound lanes and headed back west.
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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