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) spoke at a firearms safety class, followed up on a wildland arson case, checked snowmobilers and dealt with someone burning prohibited materials.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) attended the Cook County Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force meeting and helped teach ATV safety to students in Grand Marais. Manning checked anglers on Lake Superior tributaries and spoke with anglers at one river about respectful use of private property on shorelines. The officer also followed up on a raccoon trapping complaint and patrolled area forest roads.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) handled wildlife calls and continued work with ongoing cases. Anglers were checked trying their luck for steelhead off the shore of Lake Superior.
CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) took a call from a concerned lakeshore owner about a large amount of oil on Pleasant Lake near Eveleth. Frericks confirmed the presence of several quarts of oil on the ice confined to a 4-foot by 4-foot area. There was other garbage in the same area, likely from an ice fisherman who simply didn’t care about the very lake he was using to recreate on. The Fayal Township Fire Department was dispatched and cleaned up the spill.
CO Matt Miller (Lake Superior Marine Unit) took a call of a deer chasing a dog. The aggressive deer head-butted the dog and then briefly went after the owner walking with the dog. A mix of environmental, seasonal, and historic influences most likely led to the deer’s bizarre behavior.
CO Jeremy Henke (Albert Lea) reports one individual was cited for taking northern pike during the closed season and angling with no license after he was observed walking down Main Street in Albert Lea holding a large pike he had just caught. A concerned citizen who was also an Albert Lea Police Department officer provided information on the suspect, who was later located and cited for the violations.
CO Brittany Hauser (Red Wing) received a call regarding a red-tailed hawk stuck in a chicken coop. The hawk was removed from the coop and only one chicken fell victim.
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