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 patrolling state parks, DNR buildings and recreational areas. Tourists are still making trips from the metro to the North Shore state parks despite the “Stay at Home” order. ATV activity was monitored and station equipment was worked on.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) noticed an uptick in the number of grouse roaming the forest roads this past week. Winds made angling on the big lake challenging and anglers were checked on the lake and in the tributaries. State park visitor numbers were down and folks are reminded that Grand Portage State Park, all trails and all facilities are currently closed.
CO Kylan Hill (Tofte) reports contacting many state parkgoers throughout the week. Vehicle pass compliance was very poor and multiple enforcement contacts were made. Dozens of cars made U-turns out of the park when they observed Hill at the front gate, thus avoiding paying the state park fee. A reminder: vehicle passes purchased at state parks go to fund a host of beneficial DNR-related activities. Anglers were also contacted trying their luck at various tributaries up and down the shore. The elusive steelhead definitely lived up to their name this past week. Enforcement action included illegal tackle, no angling license, and no trout stamp. Hill also tended to boat maintenance, as the open-water season is right around the corner.
CO Jimmy Van Asch (Pengilly) reports working ATV, angling, trapping, and decorative forest product enforcement. ATV-related complaints have started to come in regularly throughout the surrounding areas. Nuisance wildlife-related complaints were also fielded and handled. Enforcement action was taken for several ATV and decorative forest product violations.
CO Keith Olson (Lake Superior Marine Unit) reports a busy weekend along the North Shore rivers and boat landings. Water temperatures remain low and rivers fast-moving. Many steelhead anglers were hitting the rivers over the week. Time was spent checking river and boat anglers along the North Shore in the Two Harbors and Duluth waters. Time spent working in Jay Cooke State Park during the evening hours checking on users. Enforcement actions were taken for park violations and angling violations.
CO Caleb Silgjord (Sauk Centre) spent time during the past week monitoring the spring fish run in the area. Many bowfishers were seen out on the water after dark. Some were having some success, but colder weather seemed to push the rough fish back out to deeper waters. A complaint of a cabin owner using a leaf blower to push a large amount of leaves into a lake was investigated, with enforcement action being taken. ATV issues were addressed throughout the week and an OHM operator was stopped for operating on public roadways.
CO Demosthenes Regas (Blackduck South) reports working spring beaver trapping, ATV enforcement and angling activity on special regulation lakes throughout this past week. Anglers reported varying success in their pursuit of panfish. A few anglers who had traveled a long distance and were not following social-distancing recommendations were provided information they may use in future decisions regarding travel during the COVID-19 outbreak. Violations encountered and addressed this past week included operating ATVs on trails posted for seasonal closures and expired registration violations.
CO Chris Vinton (Perham) reports ice conditions have become mostly unfishable as the ice has pulled from the shorelines and smaller lakes have begun to open. Vinton and RTO Greg Oldakowski attempted to rescue an eagle that had entangled itself in old slough grass. The eagle’s foot was wrapped so tightly that it took the assistance of a veterinarian tech with the Lakeland Animal Hospital in Perham nearly 20 minutes to cut it free. Unfortunately, once blood flow was returned to the eagle’s foot the bird died from its ordeal. The fish run is getting off to a slow start as temperatures swing.
CO Hanna Wood (Wheaton) spent the past week focusing on recreational vehicle and angling enforcement. She reports high levels of angling activity in the station. Wood participated in more law enforcement/first responder parades for area children with birthdays. She also took calls regarding a critter in a window well, transferring boat ownership, and youth hunting questions. Enforcement action for the week included an unattended fire, angling without a license in possession, angling without a license, operating an unregistered ATV, operating an unregistered OHM, failure to display registration on an ATV, and no ATV safety certificate.
Contact local DNR Conservation Officers to report violations or ask questions:
Thomas Wahlstrom
218-370-0244
Kylan Hill
218-387-4393
Mary Manning
218-387-5285
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