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 the past week checking small-game hunters and ATV riders. He responded to several bear-related complaints. Equipment maintenance was worked on. Enforcement action was taken for ATV, firearms and hunting violations.
CO Kylan Hill (Tofte) reports conducting various commercial bear guide and minnow retailer inspections throughout the week. A few late-season boaters were contacted on an area lake. They were cited for not having any life jackets on board. During the contact, which occurred in the snow and wind, they complained that they were extremely cold and wanted to get back to their dock. Hill explained the importance of having a life jacket during extremely cold weather. Duck hunters were checked and a few buffleheads were seen in the bag. The hunters were cited after Hill located multiple boxes of lead (including buck shot) in their gear. One parent was also found to have allowed their child to hunt with an unplugged shotgun. Two people were cited hunting in a state park after Hill contacted them returning to their vehicle with a bow and shotgun in hand. Equipment maintenance was done at the regional office.
CO Nathan Benkofske (Milaca) reports a busy weekend checking hunters, responding to calls, and answering questions from the public. Assistance was given to Mille Lacs Sheriff ’s Office in locating a missing archery deer hunter in a remote area of the county, south of Isle. The hunter was found alive and well in the early hours of the following morning by the search party. An investigation was also conducted where it was found that a non-hunting grandfather sat in a blind over bait with his 6-year-old grandson. The child was using a toy bow with a broadhead-tipped arrow and wounded a deer he shot at. Enforcement action was taken and the extent of the deer’s injuries are unknown.
CO Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley) found a high number of young deer hunters taking advantage of the early youth firearms deer season. It was good to see more young hunters out, many of whom had help from their parents. Quite a few were checked who had luck harvesting their first deer. A lot of time was also spent checking state forest areas, where too many hunting groups had been leaving their garbage and camping gear behind with hopes of saving a good spot. The forest users were educated about the requirement to clean up after themselves and leave the state lands as they found them. The violations were dealt with.
CO Thomas Sutherland (Grand Rapids) and COC Charles Scott completed training tasks and associated paperwork for the end of Step 2 of Scott’s field training. They assisted local agencies with calls ranging from stuck vehicles to shoplifting. They checked area hunters and ATV operators.
CO Trent Seamans (Big Lake) patrolled for anglers and waterfowl hunters. Additional time was spent checking archery and youth firearms deer hunters. Enforcement action was taken for hunting waterfowl with an unplugged shotgun, failing to sign a federal duck stamp, and fishing without a license in possession. An individual on a personal watercraft was observed speeding through a raft of coots on an area lake. The group of coots broke apart as they frantically attempted to avoid being run over by the PWC. When they congregated back together, the PWC sped through the group a second time. The driver of the PWC was cited for using a motor vehicle to chase/harass wildlife.
CO Demosthenes Regas (Blackduck South) reports checking duck, bear, and youth deer hunters and anglers this past week. Time was spent handling reports of nuisance beavers, investigating TIP information, patrolling area ATV trails and patrolling shining complaint areas. Overall compliance was excellent but enforcement action was taken for shooting a hawk.
CO Shane Zavodnik (Cook) continues to work with the Forestry Division in regards to commercialization of decorative forestry products through the area. Zavodnik assisted local law enforcement with an individual wanted on a felony warrant for fleeing law enforcement. When the individual was confronted, he thought it was a good idea to flee from law enforcement again. The individual was apprehended and an additional charge of fleeing on foot was added to his criminal charges.
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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