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 Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) reports that most trout anglers have given up on winter. Many trout lakes checked were empty over the past weekend. A few snowmobilers were encountered in the backcountry and a couple of guys were back out looking for moose sheds as the snow starts to melt exposing the dark antlers. One person had to be reminded that fishing licenses expired at the end of February and another that snowmobile stickers actually have to be displayed on the snowmobile.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) patrolled snowmobile trails and back roads and found conditions to be very deteriorated and few riders out and about. The officer also checked lakes and anglers; colder conditions have improved travel on most lakes. Manning also conducted commercial inspections at area businesses, issued a car kill deer permit and followed up on a wolf depredation case.
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) investigated a report of a dead gray wolf that had been dumped off a bridge.
CO Chris Vinton (Perham) received a call that a man’s wife, while cleaning up the yard after their dog, found a dead hawk or falcon that must have hit the window of their house. It turned out to be a ruffed grouse.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) conducted an investigation into a box full of thawed out venison packages thrown into a road ditch that led to a suspect who lived nearby. He admitted his freezer recently broke and instead of disposing of the spoiled packaged meat in his garbage can, he threw them and the box into the ditch. He was handed a citation and told to clean up the mess.
CO Phil George (Rochester) took a couple unusual animal calls, first one being a 6- foot-plus non-native snake crawling alongside a roadway; and a roadkilled fisher on County Road 7 in Olmsted County.
CO Tyler Quandt (Red Wing) reports that one avid ice angler attempted to get in some last-minute ice fishing by using his plane to land on the last lake in the area with ice on it. He was able to land successfully but in his attempt to take off his plane broke through the ice and he had to have it removed by a towing company. Luckily no one was injured in the incident.
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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