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) checked area lakes and patrolled area forest roads. Ice is melting and things are looking promising for opener, although some road washouts may be problematic. The officer assisted with ATV safety field day for area students, checked steelhead anglers and issued a possession permit for a road kill bear. A lost ATV operator was guided back to his cabin after being stopped for no registration on his machine. He tried dropping the name of the local officer, whom he didn’t realize he was speaking with, before being issued a citation and sent on his way.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) was called out to investigate a series of wildland arson fires from north of Lake Winnibigoshish all the way back toward Grand Rapids. If you saw anything suspicious north of U.S. Highway 2 in Itasca County from the late afternoon of April 29 to the early morning hours of April 30, you are urged to call the arson hotline at 1-800-723-2020. You may be eligible for a reward for information leading to the identification of those responsible. Wildland fires can lead to catastrophic consequences for firefighters and emergency responders, as well as property and home owners. If you saw something, say something.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) checked anglers and ATV riders and assisted the county. The officer instructed during the firearms qualifications in Hibbing and testified in court. Enforcement action was taken for angling violations.
CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) heard a call go out on the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office channel of a vehicle involved in a hit and run. Fredin observed the vehicle with an elderly driver at a gas station and pulled up to the pumps. As CO Fredin walked up to the driver’s window, the driver said, “Filler up, please.”
CO David Schottenbauer (Silver Bay) found a touch of spring this week as river activity finally started to get on its way on Superior tributaries. ATV activity has started to pick up in the area as well.
CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) worked stream trout angling activity along the North Shore. Streams are finally ice-free and a few fish are showing up.
CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) reports that a blowout of a mine pit was investigated. It caused numerous problems like a broken sewer pipe, broken water line, dammed up the Embarrass River and caused lots of debris floating in the lake.
CO Jayson Hansen (Big Fork) was called to a deer-through-the-ice situation. Deer had been crossing at this particular area all winter to get to feeders. Multiple deer had been hit by cars and on Saturday one of the two deer that broke through did not make it out of the water alive.
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