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) participated in a border work detail at the Grand Portage Port of Entry with other conservation officers.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) worked an enforcement saturation detail at the Grand Portage Port of Entry, contacting boaters and anglers travelling to and from Canada. Several folks were prevented from transferring water from Canadian lakes back to their home waters and a few overlimits were caught. Boaters and anglers were also checked on inland lakes and state parks were patrolled by the officer.
CO Chris Vinton (Perham) reports working with DNR Wildlife staff to help provide relief for a local beekeeper who had a half-dozen yards, in various locations, destroyed by bears. The beekeeper said this has been the worst year in memory for bee/bear issues.
CO Colleen Adam (Park Rapids) handled numerous calls about nuisance animals, including the annual bears-getting-into-feeders and sows-with-cubs-stuck-up-a-tree. Reminder to folks to refrain from feeding birds and deer and to dispose of trash and garbage regularly this time of year to prevent bears from being unnecessarily destroyed. Until their natural foods are available they will seek out whatever free lunches they can find. The most unique nuisance animal complaint involved nesting turkey vultures laying eggs in a deer stand.
CO Marc Hopkins (Tower) assisted the sheriff ’s office with two water searches this week. One was on Lake Vermilion, where a boat that was occupied was reported to have overturned when it was caught in a storm. Hopkins responded onto the lake with numerous rescue agencies, county deputies, and the St. Louis County Rescue Squad. While the search was going on, the storm was still occurring with winds gusting, heavy rain, and numerous lightning strikes all around the searchers. After many hours, with no watercraft located and nobody reported missing, the search was called off.
The second search was a result of a kayak washed up on shore with half a paddle and one shoe. It was later determined the kayak had been lost earlier in the week and everyone was fine.
CO Eric Sullivan (Pequot Lakes) worked with a concerned citizen who located a baby beaver walking through the parking lot of the local grocery store. Sullivan transported the beaver to new habitat.
CO Alexander Birdsall (Waconia) investigated a TIP call of an angler fishing with two lines. Upon Birdsall’s arrival on the scene, the suspect admitted he had been using both lines, one for large fish and the other to catch sunfish to use as bait. The suspect was not aware sunfish were illegal for bait. The person also was found to be in possession of a northern pike in a catch-and-release-only lake for pike and bass.
CO James Fogarty (Prior Lake) took a call of an orphaned fawn in Savage and responded to the residence and educated the homeowner about deer behavior. The person had tried to force feed the deer bananas and water.
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