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 Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) worked with several officers for the trout opener. It was a glorious weekend as the weather and ice conditions couldn’t have been better for mid- January. It was a weekend that trout anglers dream of all summer long. The fish also cooperated. Fishing and snowmobile violations were encountered.
CO Mary Manning (Grand Marais) attended Tribal Court in Cloquet on a case from moose season. The officer worked a busy trout opener in the Ely and Grand Marais areas. One angler contacted had not bothered to register his snowmobile for many years, figuring the odds were good he would not be caught. While working snowmobiles on GIA trails, the officer happened upon a gentleman stripping off his clothes; fortunately he stopped before baring more than his chest to the passersby. His buddies had a good laugh as he was clearly not expecting to have his snowmobile registration checked by the conservation officer while he was half clothed.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) spent time checking anglers during the trout opener. The snowmobile trails are shaping up nicely and a lot of people were out riding them. Enforcement action was taken for angling and snowmobile violations.
CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) worked the winter trout opener in the Grand Marais station and worked on a trapping complaint. Fishing success varied greatly from lake to lake but anglers were thankful for the warmer weather arriving for the weekend. Area snowmobile trails were in excellent shape but lake conditions were drifted and extremely rough.
NR Pilot Brad Maas (Brainerd) helped complete the annual northeast moose survey. Snow conditions were excellent across the range of plots. Good numbers of cow/calf pairs and a few pairs of twin calves were observed.
CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) reports while checking anglers on an area lake she encountered three kids (none wearing helmets) in a class two side by side ATV with no parent and the driver being 12 years old. A parent was contacted and found not to be home and the youth did not have permission to take out the ATV.
CO James Fogarty (La Crescent) took a call of a sick owl. The owl center in Houston assisted in taking the juvenile owl in for much-needed medical attention.
CO Tom Hemker (Winona) continues to get nuisance animal calls and complaints including a question about someone wanting to possess a monkey.
Contact local DNR Conservation Officers to report violations or ask questions:
Thomas Wahlstrom
218-370-0244
Darin Fagerman
218-387-9751
Mary Manning
218-475-0121
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