Although the Cook County News-Herald knows that the majority
of sportsmen and women are law-abiding folks, there are a few
who 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 Mary Manning (Hovland)
reports a busy trout opener. Good fishing and bad slush were the highlights of the weekend. Manning also received numerous calls and emails regarding sick, injured, and/or habituated wolves in her station. Manning also worked snowmobile and cross-country ski trails. Enforcement action was taken for extra lines and possession of live minnows on a designated trout lake, no angling license in possession, and failure to display fish shelter registration.
CO Dan Thomasen (Two Harbors)
checked shore anglers along Lake Superior as well as anglers on inland lakes. Snowmobile activity in the area has been light. Thomasen joined other officers in a work detail along the Gunflint Trail area for the winter trout opener.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte)
checked anglers on the trout opener with area officers. Many fishermen had success and all were enjoying the warm weather. Snowmobile trails were also monitored. Enforcement action was taken for angling and snowmobile violations.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais)
worked trout fishing and snowmobile enforcement during the first part of the week. Time was spent walking, snowshoeing, and skiing into the BWCA working fishing enforcement. Fagerman organized a work detail in Grand Marais that included several officers from around the state. The detail focused on fishing enforcement during the opening of winter trout season outside the BWCA.
CO Dan Perron (Onamia)
checked anglers throughout the week on Shakopee and Mille Lacs lakes. The bite was slow on both lakes. So slow that CO Perron found one angler who thought he would change his luck by using a perch for bait. When asked, the angler said he put the perch on because he was bored!
CO Lloyd Steen (Ray/Kabetogama)
was called by the Koochiching County Sheriff ’s Department to respond to a home in Littlefork where a 30-pound bobcat came through the “doggie door” of the garage in the late hours of the night and was still present. The cat had killed the homeowner’s dog. The cat was dispatched and appeared to have been starving.
CO Todd Langevin (Center City)
reports that one angler found 18 crappies and said he recently moved from Wisconsin and was unaware of any limits. He did not bother to read the regulations book lying on the ground next to his feet. He was cited for an overlimit of crappies.
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