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) spent time in the BWCAW checking anglers. He worked snowmobile trails and remote trout lakes. Enforcement action was taken for angling, fish shelter and snowmobile violations.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) and CO Hill investigated the report of a recently killed and dumped black bear near a local hiking trail. While the caller was certain it was a bear, it turned out to be the remains of a salvaged, road-killed deer. Manning followed up on a couple of bear-hunting issues and ice shelter concerns. She assisted Cook County with a caller of a couple snowmobilers riding on the groomed ski trail, right past several “no snowmobile” signs. Manning also contacted a pair of anglers who had made their way across the ice on the harbor by canoe. While they had plenty of tackle and a six-pack of beer, they were unconcerned about not wearing or even having life jackets in the boat.
CO Mike Fairbanks (Deer River) checked anglers, answered calls about nuisance animals, attended training and assisted the county with a stabbing incident. Anglers’ success was up and down this past week, just like the weather. Enforcement action was taken for license issues, registration issues and illegal youth operation.
CO Alexander Birdsall (Waconia) responded to a call of a woodchuck stuck in a car at a local car dealership. The woodchuck was found in the engine compartment of the car and refused to leave. The woodchuck was eventually removed from the vehicle but managed to escape and hunker down in a vending machine. In the end, the woodchuck was safely removed from the vending machine and released back into the wild.
CO Tom Hemker (Winona) reports many people out fishing, walking, antler hunting, taking pictures or just checking the boat accesses. On a crisp morning, one angler advised the officers to not judge him by what he was wearing on his feet. He was wearing mittens on his feet because he forgot his boots. Fishing in the area was still slow but some nice walleyes, sauger and perch were checked.
CO Derek Schneider (Zumbrota) reports a slow week for angling success with ice coming off area lakes. A few shore anglers were checked on the Cannon River but the high water is making fishing tough. Time was also spent checking anglers on the Mississippi River below the Red Wing dam. Enforcement action was taken for failure to display current boat registration, angling without a license in possession and for operating a watercraft without a proper life-saving device. A nuisance-fox call was handled along with a report of a deer stuck in a fence.
CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) worked anglers and ATV riders, checked lakes for fish houses out past the removal deadline, handled an accidentally trapped raccoon, and worked litter and snowmobile complaints. Citations were issued for willful trespass on public land after hunters ignored the warning for illegal deer stands and cutting large trees issued a few years prior. They repeated the same violations and to top it off, they decided to put in food plots as well. A loud-snowmobile complaint on an area lake with many houses around it was handled with various violations encountered. Water-skipping was also an activity they took part in and one of the riders was a past water-skipping offender. Enforcement action was taken on false application for a license, willful trespass, and snowmobile and ATV violations.
CO Marc Johnson (Warroad South) primarily worked angling activity on Lake of the Woods. Violations encountered included taking fish without an angling license, angling with an extra line, no shelter license, no angling license in possession, failure to display shelter identification and license, possession of a controlled substance and possession of dressed fillets on a special regulations body of water. A reminder to all that the shelter removal date for Minnesota/Canada border waters is March 31.
CO Chris Vinton (Perham) reports monitoring fishing activity in the station and assisting the Becker County Sheriff’s Office with a call from a concerned citizen of a possible collapsed portable fish house on the lake for a couple days. The debris turned out to be house wrap from a local construction site. Calls of sick raccoons were taken. People should be aware that raccoons are susceptible to canine and feline distemper and as they come out of hibernation they may appear sick. Question about possible sick animals may be directed to DNR Wildlife offices.
CO John Slatinski IV (Ray) reports anglers continue to drill holes in their search for a good bite. Most people encountered say fishing has been slow but a few fish are still being caught. Anglers have been moving about more than usual and trying nontypical locations, with some finding new favorite spots. Waters projects, including dock building and replacement, have begun. Property owners and contractors are reminded to verify whether a permit is needed and, if it is, to obtain the permit prior to beginning a project as it is better for all involved and avoids delays later on. During a complete whiteout while traveling by snowmobile on Lake Kabetogama, two objects appeared that looked like Canada geese on the frozen lake. After Slatinski squinted and traveled a little closer, the geese took flight. He was relieved to learn he hadn’t been seeing things.
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