CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) checked anglers and ATV operators throughout the week. The area was quiet, with many anglers heading to the Canadian side of the border.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) contacted numerous ATV operators. One couple had gotten turned around. They had a map but they had no idea where they were and had not stopped at the previous intersection to check the street sign. Manning checked anglers and boaters on inland lakes and at state and Forest Service campgrounds. She also assisted Cook County searching for a person on a welfare check and took a complaint about foxes killing chickens.
CO Jacqueline Hughes (Longville) investigated a goose taken out of season and assisted Wildlife in catching three bear cubs that were brought to a wildlife rehab facility after the sow was killed by a car.
CO Karl Hadrits (Crosby) investigated a complaint of somebody illegally shooting and killing a great blue heron while it stood in the caller’s driveway.
CO Ashley Whiteoak (Malmo) followed up on a nuisance bear that was shot without notifying a conservation officer afterward. The subject also trespassed to dump the bear onto another person’s property.
CO Tony Elwell (Thief River Falls East) fielded a number of calls about nuisance bears, one of which was a young bear in the city of Thief River Falls. The bear was behaving itself as it traveled through town and there were no reports of bird feeder damage, trash-can pillaging, or stolen picnic baskets.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji) investigated a complaint with CO Regas regarding individuals taking snapping turtles out of season and throwing them into a fire. The investigation revealed numerous other violations. Several individuals will be receiving citations.
CO John Slatinski IV (Ray) assisted with locating a canoe on the Littlefork River that had been reported by another paddler. The canoe was lodged up against a rock in the middle of the river and was full of water. The reporting party had also found camping gear floating further downstream several days prior to getting off the river. The canoe was located and the owner was identified. The owner said everyone was accounted for and nobody was injured.
CO Keith Bertram (Long Prairie) reports handling a number of odd calls last week. Examples include a reported cougar sighting that was actually a fisher, a person in possession of a fawn deer, and an angler who became upset watching a pelican eat fish near his dock. He decided to shoot the pelican.
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!
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