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 Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) checked anglers, ATVs, and fish shelters on area lakes in the Evansville (Douglas County) area. Complaints of snowmobile and angling violations were investigated. Enforcement action was taken for underage drinking, possession of drug paraphernalia, angling, ATV, and snowmobile violations.

CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) worked in the Ely area with other officers for a concentrated snowmobile enforcement detail. Phone calls were returned and questions involving fishing regulations were answered. Enforcement action was taken for snowmobile violations.

CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) was assisted by Officer Wahlstrom and the Douglas County Sheriff ’s Office with a large underage drinking party on the ice. The party consisted of over 30 vehicles and close to 60 people on the ice. The lake will be checked again for removal of the large amount of trash that was left on the ice from the party.

CO Chris Vinton (Perham) reports that a spear angler called to report he had accidentally speared a muskie on Little Pine Lake near Perham, a lake not known to have the large fish. Also, a call of a three-legged deer was received.

CO Bill Landmark (Moorhead) picked up several dead eagles and took a report of several deer found dead. It is possible these deer died from acidosis as a result of eating too much corn. If you insist on feeding deer, please mix corn with other types of feed.

CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) was handling a call of an injured car-hit deer in the ditch when the landowner stopped by in his truck to see what was going on. While Officer Kuske was talking to the landowner she watched the truck roll down the hill, go down the road, down a steep embankment and into the woods. Kuske gave the truck owner a ride home to get his chain saw to get the truck out. The landowner did end up taking the carhit deer.



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