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 Mary Manning (Hovland) assisted Lake County with a snowmobile crash; the driver was injured when he lost control of his machine and struck a tree. The officer patrolled forest roads and GIA trails. Compliance was generally good and trails were in good shape other than stretches that are plowed for logging. Numerous individuals were contacted for failing to put the registration numbers on their sleds, including one gentleman who had been carrying his stickers around since 2014 and a couple others who have never taken the required safety course…which covers that among other topics. A reminder that Snowmobile Safety training is required by anyone born after 1976 and can be completed online.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) attended training at Camp Ripley during the first part of the week. The officer worked area trails in the Tofte and Finland area from his patrol snowmobile. The trails were busy and overall compliance was good. Fishing has slowed down with few fish on the ice. Enforcement action was taken for snowmobile and traffic violations.
CO Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley) spent the week patrolling some of the smaller, remote lakes for fishing activity. One individual who was found in a portable fish house, without a fishing license, did his best to explain how the fishing pole he was sitting next to belonged to someone else. His story lost credibility when, while talking with CO Grundmeier, he got an untimely, aggressive bite that started to pull the fishing rod through the ice hole. After instinctively grabbing the rod to save it from going in the drink, the angler’s next words included how he did not want to lose his expensive fishing pole. A citation was issued for fishing without a license.
CO Chris Vinton (Perham) assisted the Otter Tail County Sheriff ’s office with a person who shot a turkey with a high-powered rifle in front of a deputy. The hunter was charged with hunting while intoxicated, taking a turkey out of season and for use of the high-powered rifle.
CO Nicholas Klehr (Litchfield) received a tip call from a person who noticed a fresh deer hanging in a barn. Upon investigation, the deer was injured when it was hit by a car. The driver went home to get a gun to kill it and never called to report the accident or get a car-killed deer tag. Enforcement action was taken and the deer was confiscated.
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