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 checking anglers during the cold and snowy opener. A few brave anglers still ventured out to their favorite fishing hole. Enforcement action was taken for angling in a closed area, as well as PFD and ATV violations.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) responded to a fire call at Judge CR Magney State Park. An accidental visitor-started fire was discovered and extinguished before it could really take off and do major damage. Manning also responded to a call about an unwanted gull looking for a new nesting location near someone’s front door. Opening weekend of fishing saw a good number of anglers, particularly along Lake Superior and lakes not too far inland. Many lakes farther inland in the Hovland area still had ice on them even after the nice weather on Saturday.
CO Kylan Hill (Tofte) reports that many anglers braved the bone-chilling cold to chase fish during the weekend fishing opener. Every angler Hill checked went home with fish for dinner. Many lakes in the Tofte station produced limits of walleyes and brook trout. Very few violations were encountered with anglers and recreational canoeists doing their homework before hitting the water. An ATV helmet violation was addressed with a parent being coached on helmet requirements for his young children. A call was handled between multiple property owners and the legalities behind discharging a firearm on one’s own private property.
CO Gregory Verkuilen (Garrison) checked fishing opener activity as it was stifled by the snow and rain. Compliance was generally good except registrations that needed to get stuck on, PFDs that needed to be found, and fire extinguishers that needed to be extracted from mouse nests. Beaver trappers and turkey hunters are still being checked in the area.
CO Annette Kyllo (Rochester #1) helped an individual remove a live raccoon from the radiator area of his vehicle. The animal had been hit the day prior, but instead of getting run over it had gone through a crack in the grill plate and rode the rest of the way home. The animal was quite feisty and had no interest in leaving its new residence. After removing some shields, the animal was caught and removed using a catchpole. Kyllo also spent time checking anglers.
CO Steve Chihak (Moorhead) spent the week working sport fishing, turkey hunting and ATV enforcement. The fishing opener was worked over the weekend. Rain, snow and high winds kept most anglers away. An individual was contacted after he was seen using a drone to harass a nesting pair of eagles. The individual stated he was only trying to get a view of the nest.
CO Troy Richards (Fergus Falls) reports a slow start to the walleye season. From reports and observations, a popular river location was the only hot bite with smaller males being caught. The weather on the opener kept a lot of boats off the water compared to most years. Richards fielded numerous calls leading up to the weekend relating to concerns of travel guidelines and social-distancing recommendations. Enforcement efforts were concentrated on fishing, AIS, and boat safety items. Time was also spent on checking public lands, public water, and burning violations.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) reports many anglers were out walleye fishing on the large lakes in the area despite the cold and, at times, snowy conditions. The walleye bite was relatively slow but most anglers found at least a few fish. Prior to the weekend, a call came in of a kayaker who needed help because they were unable to maneuver in windy weather and large waves on Lake Winnibigoshish. Mathy and CO Fairbanks responded and assisted the kayaker in getting off the lake. The kayaker, who was making their way from the Mississippi Headwaters to Louisiana, had many necessary supplies for their trip but failed to bring a life jacket for the journey. A citation was issued after they were rescued. The outcome would have been much different if the waves would have overtaken the kayak. Mathy also looked into complaints of domestic cattle dumped near an ATV trail, dumped sucker and deer carcasses, a hydro jet excavating the lakeshore, a beaver dam complaint, and a possible fish overlimit complaint. Enforcement action was taken for angling and boating violations.
CO Jordan Anderson (Wadena) saw a slow fishing opener in the Wadena and Park Rapids stations. Many lakes were checked, but not many boats or anglers were seen. The area received more than two inches of snow Saturday morning, with only a few hardy anglers braving the conditions. Groups of bowfishers were talked to due to recent complaints of shooting too close to a residence, excessive noise, and dumping of rough fish along a public road. Enforcement action was taken for failure to transfer watercraft ownership, using a spear outside of legal hours, no angling license in possession, failure to have appropriate lifesaving equipment (PFD, throwable PFD, fire extinguisher) and ATV violations.
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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