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) checked lakes along the border. He dealt with equipment breakdowns and checked snowmobilers.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) patrolled area lakes and rivers and checked border-lake walleye anglers. Manning also patrolled forest roads, where snow was quickly disappearing. Storms over the weekend brought winter back to the North Woods for a few more days, although not as much snow fell in the Arrowhead as other parts of the state. Enforcement action was taken when the officer witnessed a car nearly sideswipe the median barrier and another car. The distracted driver was cited for careless operation.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) checked anglers along the border and focused on ATV enforcement. Time was also spent working on issued equipment. Enforcement action was taken for ATV violations.
CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) answered questions from out-of-state anglers wishing to fish North Shore trout streams on the opener. The anglers were shocked to hear that area streams were frozen solid. Murray also checked spring beaver trappers and issued deer possession permits for vehicle killed deer.
CO Randy Posner (Staples) worked on a complaint of deer feeding in a CWD zone. The landowner is an avid bird watcher and feeder. The suspect believes the deer come to eat the feed he puts out for the blue jays, black birds, crows and the spillage of the feed. Posner explained the rules and the man said he would be more careful regarding the spillage and only feed the birds out of his hanging feeders.
CO Gregory Verkuilen (Garrison) checked anglers, some of whom still are driving three-quarter ton trucks on lakes. Snowmobilers planning to ride through the Fourth of July are reminded to renew their registration at the end of June.
CO Dan Starr (Onamia) came upon a stopped vehicle in the travel lane of a state highway during severe winter weather. Upon approaching the vehicle with two occupants, Starr found two elderly women who were lost on their way to the casino and had stopped to read a map. He gave them a brief coaching session about stopping in traffic.
CO Kylan Hill (Zumbrota) reports working a blustery trout opener throughout southeastern Minnesota. Very few anglers were contacted, and those who were checked did not have any fish. However, one trout angler defied all odds. He was found to be in possession of a limit of trout while in the field. The angler and Hill walked back to the man’s vehicle and he pulled out another limit of fish from a bucket hidden in his car. When asked why he kept fishing, the angler told Hill, “Well, the fish in the bucket were my limit of fish, the fish in my pocket were my wife’s limit of fish, and I was working on catching my son’s limit of fish.” Hill cited the angler and explained to him the correct meaning of “party fishing.”
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