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 Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) checked small-game hunters and anglers. The Lake Superior tributaries are busy with anglers trying their luck during the salmon run. Enforcement action was taken for angling and state park violations.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) patrolled forest roads checking bird hunters and people out enjoying the fall colors. Strong winds caused many roads to become blocked by falling trees and took a toll on the fall color spread. Parents are reminded that all kids under 18 years of age must be wearing helmets and be buckled in when riding in side-by-side machines, even when hunting for birds.
CO Sean Williams (Ely) assisted the Ely Police Department after a fight in downtown Ely. Williams was flagged down after driving by a busy restaurant and told that a fight had occurred just moments before and one of the people involved had already fled on an ATV. When he arrived on scene he found the other person involved still unconscious on the ground. After an ambulance and other law enforcement officers arrived it was discovered the fight had escalated from an argument over crab legs.
CO Eric Sullivan (Pequot Lakes) reports that one of the week’s contacts involved a person turkey hunting without a license. The man initially stated he was only hunting coyotes. After investigation the evidence showed he was turkey hunting and enforcement action was taken.
CO Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley) dealt with bear hunters establishing bait stations containing material not allowed by Minnesota hunting regulations. Bait stations were found containing plastic, steel posts, screws and nails, bungee cords and cement. One hunter hauled over a dozen sacks of cement more than a mile into a remote forest area. The cement was then used to form a structure for housing bear bait.
CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls), while checking anglers on the Mississippi River, asked one what he was fishing for. He said smallmouth bass. Kuske asked the angler if he liked to keep them and the angler readily admitted he ate them and had recently caught one and cooked it. The angler was surprised to find out that smallmouth bass season was catch-and-release only from Sept. 10 to Feb. 24, 2019.
CO James Fogarty (Prior Lake) located people waterfowl hunting during the closed season in the southern zone. They were having a successful day and were wondering why no one else was out on the lake.
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