CO Mary Manning (Hovland) had a busy bear week: three folks reported bears breaking into cabins and homes to look for food; one of these bears had to be shot after making frequent consecutive nightly attempts to get inside. The bear was seized and gifted to a family for food. The officer also helped teach at the DNR academy and checked anglers and boaters.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) checked anglers, boaters and ATV riders. Fishing has slowed on inland lakes. The officer handled badger and bear complaints in the area. Enforcement action was taken for boating, angling and ATV violations.
CO Andrew Dirks (Redwood Falls) helped other officers rescue a boat and four individuals who were stranded on the Minnesota River. The boat was reported to have been completely submerged and the operators were somehow able to get it floating again. Once they realized the motor wouldn’t start they called for help. The officers were able to safely tow the boat back to the landing.
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) observed a young boy paddling a kayak profusely without moving anywhere. As the officer approached she observed the boy trying to pull his grandfather and the grandfather’s kayak out of the bulrush. The officer then positioned her patrol boat so the grandfather could grab onto the boat and get to shallower water. Plautz then assisted the grandfather get into his kayak and a handshake was given to the officer for her assistance.
The officer responded to a raccoon in a Dumpster, and an injured cormorant and sea gull.
CO Bob Mlynar (Aitkin) spoke with a young couple from Illinois who told him they were married the day they arrived in Minnesota and were fishing with a husband/wife license. They said the marriage took place at the convenience store when they purchased the licenses.
CO Randy Posner (Brainerd) worked with Cass County Deputy Travis Collette with the capture of an alligator. The alligator was found in the wild on Hardy Lake near Brainerd. The reptile was captured and brought to the Safari North Zoo south of Brainerd.
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!
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