Although the Cook County News- Herald knows that the majority of sportsmen and women are lawabiding 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 the firearms deer opener with area officers. The officer assisted the fire department with a mower that caught fire on a cross country ski trail. Wind, cold temps and low deer numbers led to many unsuccessful hunters. Hunting over bait still continues to be a problem. Enforcement action was taken for several hunters hunting over bait, transport loaded firearm and ATV violations.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) reports smiles ear to ear as he encountered a young man and his father after the youngster shot his first deer, a very nice eight-point buck. Other than that, the deer season was poor. Enforcement action was taken for unlawful party hunting, lend borrow tags, transport of unlawfully taken big game animal, fail to tag big game animals, fail to validate tags, set or tend whitefish nets after hours, and no/improper navigation lights on watercraft. Two nice eight-point bucks were seized because a hunter couldn’t follow the most basic of hunting laws. The same hunter had two deer seized from him a couple years ago.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) patrolled on foot and ATV checking deer stands and blinds for bait in the week before the firearms opener. The officer worked with CO Wahlstrom and Schottenbauer on deer baiting cases, checked deer, duck and grouse hunters in the field and checked for illegal ATV use in a state park. Enforcement action was taken for hunting deer without a license in possession, taking doe in a bucks-only area and hunting ducks without a state duck stamp.
CO David Schottenbauer (Silver Bay) worked the deer opener activities in the area. Baiting activity noted and action taken. He also observed very few deer seemed to be taken in the area.
CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) saw a deer hunter who was sitting in his car while the loaded rifle he had been using was leaning against the rear bumper and pointed near his back. The hunter didn’t seem to think there was a problem with it when the officer brought it to his attention.
CO Scott Staples (Carlton) investigated on the day before the firearms deer opener when a shot from a high-powered rifle was fired at beaver in a pond. He found three individuals. Enforcement action was taken for possessing an illegal firearm out of doors within five days before the firearms deer opener and also for illegally taking a fur-bearing animal with a rifle.
WREO Mike Scott handled a call where a boy shot and killed his first buck. As the young hunter and father were looking at the buck it was discovered that the deer had already been shot once. Several minutes later a hunter following the deer tracks and blood trail approached them and told them he had shot the deer and was tracking it. The young hunter decided to give the deer to the hunter as, in their words, “It was the right thing to do.” Although this was hard for the young hunter he understood that he prevented the deer from going to waste.
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