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 (Grand Marais) checked small-game hunters and ATV riders, assisted the Forest Service and responded to hunting complaints. He attended training at Camp Ripley. Enforcement action was taken for ATV, small-game and firearms violations.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) patrolled state and federal forest lands checking grouse hunters and ATV operators. Road hunters are reminded it is their responsibility to know they are more than 500 feet from occupied dwellings before discharging their firearms. Hunters should also note that state forest roads with land posted on both sides of the road by the same person are often prescriptive easements for travel through private property – not public roadways open to taking of small game.
CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) worked deer-baiting investigations and took nuisance-bear complaints. Most grouse hunters in the area report seeing few birds.
CO Keith Olson (Lake Superior Marine Unit) checked on commercial operations on Lake Superior, worked north of Two Harbors on a duck-hunting complaint and trespass issues, and worked with U.S. Coast Guard station personnel with some watercraft-related items.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls) reports that a TIP call resulted in enforcement action for individuals shooting coots in a ditch with a rifle from a motor vehicle. Another contact resulted in enforcement action for burning a trailer house in an effort to remove it from the property.
CO Shane Zavodnik (International Falls) was patrolling on Highway 53 when he observed a familiar ATV operator he had cited for driving after revocation on Highway 53 two months prior. The individual was found to be in violation of the same offenses he had been stopped for previously, which was driving after revocation, operating an ATV without lights on, operating on the road right of way, and operating an ATV with expired registration. When the individual was asked why he chose to operate on the highway again knowingly aware of the offenses, he was told there’s nowhere else to drive an ATV.
CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) dealt with an injured deer, and in Chisholm, a goose that had an arrow in it, along with geese with deformed wings that would not be capable of making it south for the winter
CO Annette Kyllo (Rochester) reports that an individual called her, wanting to report himself. He had gone out waterfowl hunting and bagged his first duck of the day. Then he double-checked the regulation booklet. At that point he realized the waterfowl season did not re-open until the following day.
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