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) patrolled forest backroads checking ATV operators and hunters and followed up on a report of ATV damage on a forest route. She also began checking for deer bait and continued checking bear-bait stations to be sure everything has been removed post-season.
CO Darrin Kittelson (International Falls) reports spending most of the past week preparing for and testifying in a jury trial involving a deer baiting case from 2017. The individual was found guilty of three counts of deer baiting.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) found a group of young men who had just finished jumping a jet ski from one pond to another across a county road. Charges are pending against the operator pending further investigation.
CO Scott Staples (Carlton) After receiving a call of hearing shots in an area just before dark, checked a residence and an adult male was found trying to hang up a deer in his garage. The man admitted to shooting the deer with a high-powered rifle from behind his house. He stated he didn’t need food, he just wanted some tasty venison to eat. He is facing charges of taking deer out of season and transporting an illegally taken big-game animal. A deer, his rifle, and his ATV were all seized.
CO Tyler Ramaker (La Crescent) observed two hunters taking an overlimit of bufflehead ducks. After killing four extra ducks, the hunters left them behind to waste. An archery hunter was found to be illegally providing attractants near his tree stand. Enforcement action was taken in both cases.
CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) reports that deer hunter in a mentored hunt went against the hunt sponsor rules and state statute and shot a deer without a license for the mentored a hunter. Enforcement action was taken for taking a deer without a license, transporting a loaded firearm, transporting an uncased handgun, operating a motor vehicle on a state trail, no navigation lights, and a number of ATV violations.
Contact local DNR Conservation Officers to report violations or ask questions:
Thomas Wahlstrom
218-370-0244
Mary Manning
218-475-0121
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