CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) spent the week checking bear hunters, ATV riders and small game hunters over the opening weekend. Enforcement action was taken for hunting without a license, transporting loaded firearms, and multiple ATV violations.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) patrolled ATV trails and forest roads checking riders and hunters. The officer answered questions on electrofishing on area lakes, youth ATV operations, moose hunts and wolf populations. Special thanks to all the sportsmen and women who have been spending their time, energy and resources to continue clearing storm debris from last winter and open up “unmaintained” travel routes so that everyone may use them.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria), using binoculars, observed one angler using two poles to fish for sunfish from a pontoon. When the boater noticed Officer Lawler and came to shore, he cut his bobber line with a clippers. He denied it but eventually admitted his mistake when they both looked out and saw the bobber still floating where he was anchored; enforcement action was taken.
CO Sean Williams (Ely) reports that one hunter he checked was reporting seeing no grouse in spite of spending several hours looking. As he finished telling Officer Williams the areas he had hunted a grouse walked out into the open trail. Williams suggested that someone should probably shoot that grouse and while the hunter attempted to walk closer it flushed followed by another grouse that was sitting out of sight in the heavy brush. When he returned they both agreed at least now he couldn’t say he hadn’t seen anything.
CO Luke Croatt (Wealthwood) contacted a party who was using kitty litter containers to transport water from a lake with invasive species infestation to put on his garden. He was informed he could not transport water from infested waters – even to water his garden.
CO Angela Londgren (Cambridge) worked archery opener where a hunter was cited for hunting over bait. The hunter first yelled at the officer for coming out during prime time, before realizing who she was and then later stated, “a group of does walked right past it before you got here, so it’s really not bait!”
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!
Leave a Reply