CO Mary Manning (Hovland) took reports of illegal activity in a WMA, unlawful camping at a kayak campsite and a boat that had blown away from its dock. The officer followed up on open cases, checked inland anglers, and investigated a TIP complaint, attended firearms, and arrest/ control techniques training at Camp Ripley.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) did a couple of Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness patrols. Nuisance bears continue to be a problem because people continue to not put away their garbage and keep feeding birds. Violations were encountered for fishing and boating violations.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) checked anglers, boaters and ATV riders. Fishing has slowed on inland lakes. Wahlstrom attended training at Camp Ripley as well.
CO Eric Sullivan (Walker) received a report from disturbed guests at a Cass Lake resort where staff was shooting seagulls. Sullivan arrived and spoke with the subject who admitted shooting two seagulls; the resort owner stated he could not stand the smell from the seagulls. He was given other remedies to help with deterring seagulls from visiting the area.
CO Tom Hemker (Winona) had three calls of nuisance rattlesnakes in yards in an hour. All three snakes were relocated.
CO Dan Malinowski (Fosston) handled a tampering with striped gopher traps complaint that escalated into a 5th degree assault.
CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) reports that a check on a boat turned up an angler with four set lines, and his wife and two young children between 2 and 4 years old were floating in tubes behind the boat. He stated he was “teaching his children how to fish.” Violations of no angling license, no trout stamp, failure to transfer boat ownership, and expired boat registration were found.
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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