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 Kylan Hill (Tofte) reports focusing his efforts again on aquatic invasive plants (AIS) management during the week. Multiple plug violations were dealt with, and Hill noticed a trend of, “I must have forgot to remove the plug.” One boat was full of water. Take the time to do an AIS check before leaving the lake. Hill also spent time paddling in the BWCA. Hill received reports of damaged trees and garbage, which he relayed to the U.S. Forest Service. Hill spoke with a parent about allowing their 15-year-old son to drive an all terrain vehicle (ATV) to work without a driver’s license.
CO Tony Elwell (Thief River Falls East) checked anglers and area off-highway vehicle (OHV) activity this past week. Elwell conducted a wolf-depredation investigation and prepared for upcoming safety education classes. A call was taken about a young eagle that apparently had fallen from its nest. From the caller’s description, Elwell suspected it was a fledgling eagle trying to get used to its wings. He asked the caller to walk up to it to see if it would fly. As the caller approached, the young eagle took flight and landed in a nearby tree out of harm’s way.
CO Chris Vinton (Perham) reports assisting with training in night driving at the Conservation Officer Academy, contacting anglers and patrolling for ATV activity. Several calls about nuisance animals, including bears, deer and geese, were referred to DNR Wildlife.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) spent the past week patrolling area lakes and assisting local agencies with cases. With another perfect weather week, lots of boaters were out enjoying themselves. While most boaters were legal there were some who forgot life jackets. One juvenile was observed chasing a loon while operating a personal watercraft. Assistance was given to the county and local police with fleeing suspects, search warrants, and on a traffic stop where the driver had warrants.
CO Hanna Wood (Wheaton) spent the past week focusing on recreational vehicle and angling enforcement. She took calls regarding youth waterfowl hunting, crop damage from geese, an eagle nest that had fallen out of a tree, a swan that appeared to have been shot, a dead loon, and a pontoon found floating on Lake Traverse after the storm. Enforcement action for the week included failure to display boat registration, operating an ATV without headlights, and operating an ATV on a state highway.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) continued to monitor busy area lakes covered with recreators and anglers. Late personal water craft operation has continued to be a problem this summer with several more reported and observed. Lawler spotted a husband and wife angling from a boat at sunset using slip bobbers and leeches. After watching for a couple minutes through binoculars, Lawler observed a total of four bobbers off the side of their boat in the waves. Citations were issued to both for extra lines. Another angler was cited for fishing while his privileges were revoked, which was a result of not paying previous angling violations.
CO Jacque Hughes (Longville) checked multiple anglers, boaters, and ATV riders. She responded to two baby merlins that fell out of a tree, a boat that broke free of the dock during the storms, and a car vs. deer crash. Enforcement was taken for fishing without a license and other various boating and angling violations.
CO Shane Zavodnik (Cook) fielded a variety of calls during the past week. They included a dog repeatedly chasing waterfowl to multiple submerged watercraft that had been in the water for an extended period of time. He also assisted local law enforcement with a felony arrest warrant over the weekend. After several attempts were made to make contact with the suspect, Zavodnik observed him inside the residence. The suspect was eventually found hiding behind insulation in the attic and was taken into custody. Zavodnik continues to focus on ATV and boating complaints around the area.
CO Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley) patrolled lakes and ATV trails, dealt with several Wetland Conservation Act violations and worked with ranchers struggling with wolf depredation of calves. Assistance was also provided with the apprehension of an individual running around town, causing disturbances and threatening people while under the influence of controlled substances. Prior to being caught and arrested, the individual took some clothes off and ran around town hollering and singing. The individual even stopped a time or two to show off some dance moves for arresting officers.
CO Adam Seifermann (St. Cloud) spent time on boating, fishing and AIS enforcement. He also reports assisting with a crash and several wildlife-related calls. Investigations included a big-game incident, screws and nails spread across a public access site, and boaters harassing a loon. A traffic stop resulted in pending charges for possessing a stolen dual-purpose motorcycle, careless driving and unregistered motor vehicle. Additional enforcement action was taken for insufficient personal floatation devices, no fire extinguisher, no angling license and no license in possession.
CO Joel Heyn (Plainview) worked mainly anglers and recreational vehicles during the past week. Fishing success was mixed with some having good success. Heyn also assisted Fillmore County with a drowning victim recovery and handled other calls.
Contact local DNR Conservation Officers to report violations or ask questions:
ThomasWahlstrom 218-370-0244
Kylan Hill 218-387-4393
Mary Manning 218-387-5285
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