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 on area lakes, worked AIS and monitored ATV activity. Some nice walleyes were seen in the bag. The officer taught firearm maintenance to the academy at Camp Ripley.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) reports that the sand flies, gnats, black flies and mosquitoes are now all competing for airspace as the masses of black flies showed up a little later than normal. The bugs aren’t bad at all once you get out onto the water bodies. The surface temp of Lake Superior is in the upper 30s to lower 40s depending on where you are. Because of the cold water temps, salmon fishing has gotten off to a slow start, but the lake trout are cooperating with those who know what they are doing as far as fishing deep. Enforcement action was taken for unregistered kayaks, PFD violations, and no fishing license in possession. The problem bears are on the move as calls are becoming more frequent about people leaving stuff out for them to eat, then complaining when the bears show up to eat what they left out.
CO Matt Miller (Marine Unit) watched a group launching small paper-and-bamboo balloons out over Lake Superior and asked what their plan was to retrieve the balloons. When they said they were not going to, they were reminded that litter is litter, whether it is dropped out of a moving vehicle or launched for fun over the lake.
CO Marty Stage (Ely) worked in Duluth and Grand Marais checking boats and fishermen on Lake Superior. The cool and rainy weather seemed to have kept activity down throughout the week and fishing was reportedly slow for those who were fishing. Nonresidents with unregistered canoes and kayaks were encountered and those folks from other states should research the laws in the states or provinces that they visit since they might be different than their home state’s requirements.
CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) encountered some parents who didn’t take into account the weather and allowed their two 8-year-olds and 12-year-old to take an unregistered canoe onto a lake in windy conditions. The increasing winds easily blew the inexperienced paddlers to the opposite shoreline where Frericks met them. The kids were brought back to their parents, who were advised to be a little more selective as to when they allow their kids to go out onto the lake.
CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) handled calls of deer eating people’s garden, an injured bear and a bobcat getting into a person’s chicken coop and killing one of their chickens.
CO Paul Kuske (Pierz) reports that summer is a nice time for a campfire – one family’s backyard firepit included tires, car seats and a sofa. Kuske explained to the father how toxic and illegal it is to burn these items, and a citation was issued.
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