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) checked anglers, boaters and bear hunters. Bear-hunting success has been great. He followed up on nuisance-bear calls, litter complaints and bear-hunting violations.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) had another week devoted largely to bears. She is working hunters, checking bait stations and investigating a carcass dump in a ditch near a residence in Hovland. Manning has also handled numerous calls of bears behaving like bears in less-than-convenient locations for their human neighbors. The standard recommendations still apply: Clean up and dispose of any birdseed, trash, recycling and apples on or under trees. Electric fencing is also a help for specific locations like dumpsters, chicken houses and orchards. Manning attended drill day with the DNR Honor Guard and checked anglers at access areas.
CO Kylan Hill (Tofte) reports a very busy week of recreational activity in the Tofte station. The majority of the bear hunters Hill checked during the week tagged out and left the area, and ATV riders were right there to take their place. ATV compliance was great as no violations were detected. A bear-hunting license investigation was looked into with Hill’s Cook County CO partners. The number of nuisance-bear complaints jumped this past week, as bears are packing on the calories before they take their seasonal nap. Equipment maintenance was completed and state parks were also monitored. The BWCA is still full of people and Hill spent time at entry points, focusing on Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs) and fishing licenses.
CO Thor Nelson (New Ulm) received calls requesting waterfowl-hunting law clarifications and attended training. He worked waterfowl hunting, angling, boating, invasive species, and ATV enforcement activities. Nelson visited with some duck-hunting cabin owners who found a live mink in the tank of their outhouse. They were able to place a board into the tank to make a ramp for the mink. It escaped with no further drama. The owners were happy to have looked before taking a seat!
CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) worked ATV, bear-hunting, and wild rice-harvesting activity this past week. Recreational activity continued to be high along the North Shore as the leaves increase their colors by the day. Litter complaints continue to be common with the increase in visitors. Keep the North Shore scenic by taking your trash with you for proper disposal.
CO Chad Thesing (Albany) worked youth waterfowl weekend and monitored early goose hunters. Anglers and boaters were checked throughout the week. A litter case was investigated that involved a gentleman who dumped two full-size couches in the road ditch. An old cell phone was found in the cushions of the couch, which led to an interview and an admission of the dumping. Enforcement action was taken.
CO Bill Landmark (Pelican Rapids) spent the past week checking youth waterfowl hunters, early goose hunters, and anglers in the Pelican Rapids station. Early goose hunters are finding few birds and are awaiting more migrants into the area. Both youth waterfowl hunters and early goose hunters are reporting decent numbers of ducks, which is a good sign for the regular season opener. Calls from the public included various questions about regulations and the upcoming hunting seasons. Landmark handled a trespassing complaint involving deer-stand placement and captured an eagle with a broken wing. The eagle will be brought to the Raptor Center by a volunteer for rehabilitation.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) checked several anglers this past week. Walleye and perch fishing are starting to pick up. Time was also spent on two public-water alteration cases. A complaint of wanton waste was checked and nine geese were found dumped in a ditch near Lake Plantagenet without any meat removed. Enforcement action was taken for angling and ATV violations.
CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) worked goose hunters, ATV riders and OHM riders. He also investigated a lake hydraulic jet complaint, attended a special hunt orientation meeting, and worked the Rainy River and Rainy Lake. A large nighttime blaze was located after the owner decided to burn down a garage. He had no permit and had not notified the people who should have been contacted. A person was dealt with who had a warrant out for his arrest. Enforcement action was taken for no federal duck stamp, no HIP certification, no burning permit, altering the cross section of public waters, and a number of boating, ATV and OHM violations.
Leave a Reply