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 snowmobiles and anglers throughout the week.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) checked snowmobile riders on area trails and lakes. Fishing reports have been mixed, as have slush reports. Local search and rescue squads have been getting a workout this winter. Riders and anglers are encouraged to carry a good map and at least one form of GPS or ride tracker when traveling in areas unfamiliar to them.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) checked anglers on remote trout lakes. Deep snow and slush have continued to limit travel for some anglers. He taught a snowmobile safety field day with neighboring officers and volunteer instructors.
CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) dealt with calls about a train hitting a wolf and a deer stuck in the snow. Two individuals were found illegally taking forest products from public land. One of the two gave a false name. The person was arrested for false name and for two felony warrants.
CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) took enforcement action on several owners of snowmobiles who neglected to display their current registration decal. One snowmobiler purchased his current registration decal in December 2017. When asked why he never stuck it on his sled the owner replied that he never got a chance to do it.
CO Scott Staples (Carlton) took a complaint of a bobcat killing house cats and information was given to help remedy the situation. Also, a permit was issued to possess a bobcat that was hit and killed by a car.
CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) received a garbage-dumping complaint where someone had dumped 20 bags of household garbage in a road ditch. The garbage owner was tracked down, cited and told to clean up the mess.
CO Annette Kyllo (Pierz) assisted some individuals who had gotten their car stuck by going out on the ice to see if they would be able to get their truck out to their ice shelter later. They were attempting to shovel their way out with an ice scraper when Kyllo arrived.
Contact local DNR Conservation Officers to report violations or ask questions:
Thomas Wahlstrom
218-370-0244
Darin Fagerman
218-370-1717
Mary Manning
218-475-0121
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