Cook County News Herald

Conservation Officer Tales




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) checked grouse hunters and inland anglers. Manning answered calls about migratory bird hunting and worked a somewhat slow duck opener. The officer also followed up on a wetlands case, a public waters case, and a nuisance beaver complaint.

CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) worked waterfowl opener, checked small game hunters and anglers along the North Shore rivers. Enforcement action was taken for transporting loaded firearm, multiple ATV violations, and snagging fish.

CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) spent considerable time dealing with an incident created by a park visitor’s behavior at two separate parks, resulting in barring him from all state parks.

CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) continues to receive complaints of bear problems in the Palo area: reports of a sow with two cubs, and a boar missing a paw breaking into sheds where feed is present. Ironically a three-pawed bear was causing problems one year ago in Aurora; speculation is it may be the same bear.

CO Scott Fitzgerald (Malmo) found that someone had abandoned seven puppies at a local access while out patrolling. A call to a local veterinarian clinic was made and the puppies were transported there until homes could be found for them.

CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) had two hunters still shooting late at 5:09 p.m. and checked them when they came into the landing. The hunters had no idea when shooting hours ended even though they had been duck hunting for four years. Additional violations included one of the hunters having no plug in his gun nor any waterfowl licenses or stamps.

CO Angela Londgren (Cambridge) encountered a group of small game hunters and after asking to see their hunting licenses, one of the individuals stated he did not have it with him. After checking to see if the hunter had a license it was discovered that he had a warrant out for his arrest. To make matters worse he locked his keys in his vehicle; assistance was provided by the Isanti County Sheriff ’s Office.



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.