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 Mary Manning (Hovland)
issued a cease and desist order on a wetlands case involving shoreline development. Manning also took reports of illegal ATV use in wetland areas on and near old logging roads, and worked a detail in the Duluth area checking anglers and boaters and informing them about VHS and steps to prevent its transfer to inland lakes.
Several boaters were resistant to obeying current law requiring them to remove their boat’s drain plug before leaving invasive infested waters. Manning contacted a pair of boaters preparing to launch at night and inquired about navigational lights, which they did not have. Both were disappointed to hear that the light requirement began 45 minutes earlier, but glad to hear that before they launched and picked up some paperwork.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte)
spent some time in the BWCAW working an early fishing complaint and worked on equipment maintenance. Theofficerworked the opening weekend on inland waters and in the BWCAW checking anglers. Many people were out enjoying the nice weather. Overall compliance was good with just a few angling and boating violations.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais)
focused his patrol on such things as fishing and boat and water enforcement. He handed out VHS pamphlets at public accesses and talked with someone about trapping minnows in infested waters.
CO Mike Hruza (Bemidji)
readied equipment for the fishing opener. Theweather for the fishing opener was great and anglers took advantage of it. Angler success was good, with four to eight walleyes per boat common. One boat that was checked had two adults and three children. The 5-year-old was casting like mad and having a blast. The 3-year-old had a sad face and told the officerthat Dad wouldn’t give her any more candy.
CO Marty Stage (Ely)
worked early fishermen in the BWCAW and encountered people fishing early for northerns and walleyes. As is often the case, the fish weren’t biting too well so a few people got off easy this year. One fisherman was observed using an extra fishing line on Saturday. On the following day, since he was aware the game warden was around, he didn’t use his extra line again, but apparently couldn’t resist the urge to smoke his marijuana pipe in a secluded back bay of the lake.
CO Jim Guida (Brainerd)
was checking anglers on a public fishing pier when a 2-year-old put a barbed hook in his mouth. Thankfully the hook was not set into the mouth and was carefully removed prior to the youngster swallowing it.
CO Scott Moran (Wabasha)
reports that, as luck drops in your lap a few times every 30 years, he came around a corner on a county road just in time to see an occupant of a vehicle shoot out the window with a handgun at a wild animal. Enforcement action was taken and some words of wisdom shared.
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