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 a weekend full of bad decisions, including canoers with no experience, canoeing on big waters, not knowing where they are going. They ended up swamping their canoe in 50-degree water. One family was found on a remote Canadian border lake well after dark, spotlighting fish, with dad in the front drinking beer, while his young son ran the boat motor in a lake unfamiliar to them that is full of unmarked boulders and reefs. Another group of canoers was found leaving after dark, heading out onto Big Sag, not knowing where they were going with insufficient lights to find a campsite. To round out the weekend kayakers with no life jackets were out paddling over 50-degree waters.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) checked anglers, boaters, ATV riders and worked AIS. A lot of people were out recreating in the nice weather over the holiday weekend. Fishing was spotty at best with the nice weather. The officer assisted the Forest Service with a complaint of people shooting in the BWCA. Enforcement action was taken for AIS, ATV, angling, drugs, and boating violations.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) helped with firearms qualifications for DNR Wildlife staff. Manning checked ATV operators on forest roads. Parents are reminded that all riders under 18 must wear an approved helmet even on side by side machines. The officer helped direct a group of hikers who got turned around on the Superior Hiking Trail, handled nuisance bear and beaver complaints, checked state forest campsites, checked anglers and boaters on inland and BWCA lakes, and handled an unattended fire at an area cabin.
CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) worked the holiday weekend up the Gunflint Trail with CO Fagerman. Fishing was on the slow side, but the weather cooperated for anglers and boaters alike. Enforcement action was taken for no lifesaving device on watercraft, illegal length fish, using artificial light to attract fish, and various registration and license violations.
CO Randy Hanzal (Duluth), along with Officer Scott, located a vehicle reported where a possible hostage situation was taking place. It turned out it was a prank a couple of juvenile decided to play. Neither the officers nor the pranksters found it funny in the end.
CO Marty Stage (Ely) found a cabin owner from Nevada operating a boat with an outdated registration. He was advised that he would be receiving a citation like anyone else who did the same. The operator felt that he was being given a bad deal and the he shouldn’t be getting a ticket since he had been born in the area.
CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) dealt with nuisance bear issues around the Virginia area. In one instance, it appeared a bear entered a trailer house twice in one evening. The homeowner was an elderly lady who had taken out her hearing aids in the evening and awoke to the mess the bear left. Instances like this are rare but Frericks would like to remind people that until there are more abundant natural food sources, bears may be inclined to behavior such as this.
CO Andy Schmidt (Brookston) encountered a pair of anglers in a non-motorized watercraft who were so anxious to get out that they resorted to using snow shovels as oars when paddles could not be located at the cabin. ATV activity was also high during the warm weather and numerous violations were observed. A female rider who was stopped for operating on a county roadway said she went for a ride to dry her hair after a shower.
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