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 trappers and anglers. He followed up on big-game investigations. Enforcement action was taken for hunting and fishing violations.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) noted lots of folks out looking to photograph wildlife this past week. There were no reports of stranded drivers this past week. Snow is still virtually non-existent and snowmobile trails are not rideable. Trappers and their sets were checked opening weekend. Low fur prices appear to have had an impact on trapper numbers. Area trout lakes have seen early activity with a couple reports of early angling and numerous tracks indicating people just checking the lakes out on foot. A citation was issued to a driver for using his truck to chase a moose on an area forest road while he was out looking for wildlife to photograph.
CO Scott Staples (Carlton) spent time checking fishing activity on area lakes. Fishing success is slow in the area. Complaints of people venturing out onto thin ice were received. People are asked to be careful on area lakes and to remember that ice thickness varies. A complaint of someone shooting grouse on private property was investigated. Even though the property was not posted, a hunter was cited because he shot two grouse within 500 feet of an occupied dwelling.
CO Amber Ladd (McGregor) reports working early ice anglers. Activity has been slow so far but Ladd was sure to remind anglers to clean up the area when they pack up as litter continues to be an issue on area lakes. Ladd also worked some trapping activity and bough-cutting activity.
CO Jim Guida (Brainerd East) checked area lakes for angling activity. One angler on a frozen waterway was using an ATV that hadn’t been registered since 2009. The angler said the ATV never goes off the property. Enforcement action was taken. Guida also worked a northern work detail where contact was made with trappers in possession of pine martens and anglers fishing remote BWCAW lakes.
CO Ashley Whiteoak (Malmo) spent time assisting the Aitkin County Sheriff ’s Office on a medical and crash, and rescuing anglers who were stranded on Mille Lacs Lake from a large crack in the ice near shore. She also spent time checking trappers and anglers. Enforcement action was taken for a juvenile passenger on an ATV without a helmet, operating an ATV with an extra passenger, operating an ATV without lights, youth trapping without a youth license and trapper education, and no license in possession.
CO James Fogarty (Prior Lake) assisted South Dakota Game and Fish on a mountain lion seizure. The mountain lion hide was seized from a taxidermist in the Savage area and turned over to the South Dakota Game and Fish officer. Fogarty checked archery deer hunters and ice anglers. Fogarty also received many calls related to the upcoming CWD hunt. Potential hunters were advised the Carver Rapids section of the Minnesota Valley SRA is open to archery deer hunting only for the CWD hunt. All of those people interested in the hunt are advised to check the DNR website for more information. Enforcement/education action was taken for failure to tag big game, failure to validate a big-game license and transporting illegally taken big game.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked anglers, ATV riders and pheasant hunters. Deer-hunting violation investigations continue. An ATV-through-the-ice call in Otter Tail County was handled, with information provided to the owners.
CO Shane Zavodnik (Cook) reports lake conditions are the best they’ve been in years, and anglers were observed having success chasing both walleyes and crappies over the past week. Zavodnik, along with State Patrol, responded to a reported wounded deer on a nearby lake. When both officers approached the deer, it was clear the slick ice conditions had lead it to exhaustion due to difficult walking conditions. Once Zavodnik and the State Patrol officer got it back to shore, it ran away, showing no apparent injuries. Zavodnik assisted local law enforcement with a variety of calls over the past week and also followed up on a big-game investigation. Routine maintenance on station equipment was also tended to.
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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