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 checking anglers in the BWCA, on Lake Superior, and on various other lakes throughout the county. Salmon are few and far between but anglers targeting lake trout left the water very happy. Multiple boat plug violations were handled, with a few out-of-state anglers coached on the importance of respecting the waters of the state they are visiting. Bear calls keep coming in. A few simple changes around the yard can take care of the majority of the bear issues landowners are having. Citations were issued for PFD violations, watercraft-registration violations, and possessing illegal containers within the BWCA. Assistance was given to the local U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer with a watercraft case.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Grand Marais) spent the past week checking anglers in the BWCAW. Walleyes were cooperating with anglers on area lakes. He followed up on wildlife and ATV complaints.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) patrolled area campgrounds, lakes and boat accesses checking anglers and boaters and many folks trying to beat the heat. ATV operators were also checked and compliance was generally good. Manning also continued working a couple TIP calls and following up on a trespass complaint.
CO Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley) spent the past week investigating Wetland Conservation Act violations, answering nuisance-bear complaints and helping farmers with livestock losses from wolf depredation. Wolf depredation investigations showed that multiple different ranchers had lost calves due to wolf attacks. The high wolf activity kept federal trappers busy trying to limit livestock losses by removing the wolves. The near 100-degree heat also had public accesses full and lakes busier than usual with tubing and waterskiing.
CO Tyler Ramaker (La Crescent) investigated several fishing violations. Assistance was given to other law enforcement agencies on several calls. During a routine check of a trout angler, it was discovered the angler had been driving while impaired. Several rattlesnake- and bald eagle-related calls were responded to.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls West) patrolled for ATV activity, finding violations for no helmet on a juvenile passenger, no lights when required, and registration violations. He also responded to a call of a deer fawn that had fallen into an outdoor sump hole and was trapped. With assistance from the local farmer, Woinarowicz was able to loop a rope around the fawn and pull it up, freeing it from its location 8 feet underground. The fawn was checked and released back to the wild, running off unhurt.
CO John Slatinski IV (Ray) reports multiple reports of nuisance animals and injured animals were taken this past week, ranging from black bear to eagles and a pelican. The remainder of the week was spent focusing on ATV use, angling, boating, and aquatic invasive species. Anglers are finding fish in between uncooperative weather systems. The resorts and public access sites continue to see steady traffic.
CO Shane Zavodnik (Cook) focused his patrol time on boat and water safety around the Cook and Tower areas. A handful of contacts made throughout the week were found to have an insufficient number of wearable life jackets on board their watercraft, and a few anglers were also observed angling without a license. While Zavodnik was waiting for the remaining anglers to come off the lake, he observed what looked like a boat traversing across the lake in the dark. He eventually encountered the person, who was found to be operating a watercraft without navigational lights nearly two hours past the required time. Zavodnik also responded to a single vehicle car crash in the Cook area late Saturday evening. Zavodnik, the State Patrol, and other local agencies assisted with extrication in the multiple-fatality crash.
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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