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) worked to clear out old case files and evidence. She also worked the end of the inland trout season and prepared lesson plans for upcoming training. Lakes along the United States-Canada border were also worked for walleye anglers.
CO Keith Olson (Lake Superior Marine Unit) spent the week checking shore anglers along the North Shore in the Duluth to Two Harbors area. The cooler weather and mediocre catching, along with some winds from the northeast, kept anglers at bay.
CO Marty Stage (Ely) spent time looking for the last of the lake trout fishermen in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. The trout season is over now for another winter and soon the ice will start to deteriorate, so be careful if venturing out on the ice from here on out.
CO Jake Willis (Brookston) addressed a nuisance bear complaint near Floodwood. The residents were advised they don’t get to choose what animals consume the food they put out and the bear would go away if the food source was removed.
CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) investigated TIP calls about someone who was bragging on the Internet about spearing muskies, ATVs tearing up township roads and dogs chasing deer. The ATV riders who had been doing doughnuts in the roadway and tearing up the gravel roads were located at a nearby residence. None of the ATVs was registered and the ATVs’ owner said the kids had been riding them on the roads. When asked how old “the kids” were, the owner said they were in their 20s.
CO James Fogarty (Prior Lake) took a report of damage to a picnic shelter in the Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area. People started a fire inside the shelter and spread the engulfed logs throughout the shelter. Fogarty asks the public to be observant and turn in suspicious activity.
CO Brittany Hauser (Red Wing) is handling an investigation in regards to a bobcat that was shot from a helicopter in Texas and transported back to Minnesota without the required possession tags. With the help of the Texas Operation Game Thief TIP line dispatcher and two Texas game wardens, the violations and incident are being addressed.
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
Leave a Reply