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) focused primarily on snowmobile enforcement. The officer worked with the Cook County school and volunteer safety instructors on the snowmobile safety field test. All of the students passed and had a great time. Enforcement action was taken for loud exhaust, operating snowmobiles where prohibited and registration violations.
CO Keith Olson (Lake Superior Marine Unit) reports ice anglers have ventured out on the ice of Lake Superior in the Duluth area. Just a reminder that this is pack ice and can float out as fast as it floats in.
CO Eric Benjamin (Warroad North) cited several anglers in a group for possessing an overlimit of walleyes after they were told by a “bartender” that they could possess limits from both Minnesota and Ontario as long as they had licenses to fish both sides of the lake. Please refer to the regulations booklet or contact a conservation officer if you have questions pertaining to the rules or regulations. Getting your information from an unreliable source could prove to be a costly mistake. Remember, anglers are responsible for knowing the rules and regulations for the body of water upon which they are fishing.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Baudette West) investigated a complaint of livestock that were killed near Greenbush. The farm owner suspected that wolves had killed the animals, but upon further investigation Prachar determined neighborhood dogs had gotten loose and killed the animals.
CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) witnessed two snowmobiles leave the groomed trail and go well off the trail to go around “some mud.” Kuske stopped the two riders to talk about the trespass off the trail. The snowmobiler said he just bought his snowmobile for $14,000 and didn’t want it to get muddy.
CO Angela Londgren (Cambridge) received a call of a sandhill crane with an arrow through it. Londgren located the crane and its mate and determined that it did indeed have an arrow going through its body. The crane was walking fine, no blood was located in snow, and upon approach was able to get up and fly away.
CO Bill Landmark (Pelican Rapids) addressed several calls about wildlife including an eagle stuck upside down in a tree and a case in which an individual picked up and brought an injured swan home. People are reminded that it is illegal to possess any animal without a permit and it is best to contact DNR Wildlife or the local conservation officer instead of handling it yourself.
The officer also responded with CO Steve Chihak to a report of numerous vehicles stuck on a grant-in-aid snowmobile trail. It was discovered that a group of rally car drivers drove down the trail after confusing it with a forest road. Enforcement action was taken for operating a motor vehicle other than a snowmobile on a grant-in-aid trail.
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