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 (Grand Marais East) patrolled snowmobile trails, which are getting thin due to light snowfall and warm temperatures. Anglers checked have had good success and have been remembering to bring their licenses with them on the ice. The officer attended the annual awards and safety training at Camp Ripley, responded to a report of a road kill moose, and issued a permit for a road kill deer.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) checked anglers and snowmobilers. A presentation was given to the wildlife biology class at the Cook County High School. The officer also attended department training at Camp Ripley.
CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) located several tip-ups on a lake with no one around. After following tracks back to a nearby cabin, he learned that the tip-ups belonged to some friends of the cabin owner. Frericks later met up with the two inexperienced anglers, who told him they thought it would be okay to leave their tip-ups out on the lake while they went to Gilbert to eat. The anglers were advised of the reason for the law and issued a citation.
CO Scott Fitzgerald (CCSRA) investigated a call of a vehicle stuck in the middle of a snowmobile trail.
CO Dustie Speldrich (Willow River) came across a portable ice shelter with two anglers inside. The door was open and she immediately smelled the odor of marijuana. After explaining the citations for possession of paraphernalia and small amount of marijuana, one of the anglers said, “Wow, you just came out of nowhere on that thing,” even though it was broad daylight on a wide open lake.
CO Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley), while checking a portable fish house and after announcing “Conservation Officer, I’d like to check fishing licenses,” heard the “kerplunk” of items being dropped into the water. Upon entering the shelter, two anglers denied any wrongdoing. They changed their mind after Grundmeier pointed out the two fishing poles that could be seen at the bottom of the lake through the clear, six-foot-deep water. Further questioning determined the anglers thought they were on designated trout waters, where only one fishing line is allowed, and didn’t want to get cited for using extra lines. The two then worked on fishing their rods back out of the lake after being informed they were not on designated trout waters and that using two lines was completely legal.
NR Pilot Brad Maas (Brainerd) helped complete a deer survey east and north of St Cloud. Conditions were good for observing deer, but rapidly warming temps made the use of two helicopters necessary to complete it before conditions deteriorated. Many deer were observed on the 153 total plots, and there were two unusual sightings of black bear having made their winter home in the middle of small unharvested cornfields. The bears ripped out a 30-foot circle of corn and vegetation around them and made their nest in the middle; they were easily seen from the air.
Contact local DNR Conservation Officers to report violations or ask questions:
Thomas Wahlstrom 218-370-0244
Darin Fagerman 218-370-1717
Mary Manning 218-475-0121
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