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 Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) worked with other COs during the winter trout opener. With the recent cold weather, ice conditions were better than expected, although slush created problems in some areas. A few anglers found out the hard way that short track snowmobiles are no match for the slush. Fishing success was mixed, but overall good. Enforcement action was taken for a snowmobile that didn’t stop at a county road crossing, extra lines, unattended lines, and no fishing license in possession.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) worked a detail for trout opener in Lake and Cook counties. The officer found folks with extra lines and relieved a couple underage anglers of illegal alcohol. Cold weather slowed activity, but some hearty sled riders and cross country skiers were also checked.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) worked the trout opener with area officers. Time was spent checking lakes and snowmobile trails in Lake and Cook counties. Enforcement action was taken for angling and snowmobile violations.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji) dealt with an individual who began dumping fish down the hole when the CO announced himself as a game warden. When the officers questioned the individual he denied everything. Even after the other individual he was with admitted to the officers that they had over their limit, the other individual continued to deny dumping fish. The officers then noticed one of the walleyes float back up in the hole and when the individual was asked about this he responded, “Well, he maybe just jumped in there.” It was quite obvious that the fish had been dead for a while.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) visited a fisherman who was alone in an icehouse with 10 fishing lines down. He said his friends had run to shore quick and would be right back. After waiting several minutes, the angler admitted that actually they went to shore to shower and get some food and wouldn’t be back for a while; citations were issued.
CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) responded after a trout angler took an unintentional polar bear plunge into the lake in minus-10-degree air temperatures after he fell into the water when he stepped into the large sight fishing hole they had made earlier in the day. The officer made sure the unfortunate angler made it back to his truck and on his way to warmer digs. The day wasn’t a total loss as he and his partner had several trout and will have something to talk about in the future.
NW Officer Jeff Halverson responded to a call of a deer being killed by a dog. The deer jumped the fence into the back yard of the house where the dog lived.
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