Conservation Officer Tales

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 during the fishing opener. The weather was nice, and some nice fish were checked in the bag. Enforcement action was taken for drugs, angling and boating violations.

CO Mary Manning (Hovland) saw an increase in ATV traffic in the past week. Complaints of speeding, operating on snowmobile trails and operating on county roadways were all received, and several operators were contacted. She spent a beautiful opening weekend checking anglers and boaters and saw improved safety equipment compliance. Gravel is a hot commodity this season. Many folks mistakenly think they can just pull up to a state-owned pit and load up without getting a permit. This is theft and violators can expect to be charged.

CO Kylan Hill (Tofte) reports a busy week of activity in Cook County. Recreational vehicles are beginning to be seen on roads and trails, and unfortunately compliance was not great. Hill stopped almost every Class 1 and 2 ATV for not operating on the shoulder of the road. While Cook County ordinance does allow ATVs on many roadways, they are required to be on the shoulder. “Hugging” the white line with your right tires is still considered the traffic lane. Hill contacted a large number of anglers targeting multiple species on Saturday’s opener. The fishing was hit or miss with some lakes producing limits and others producing barely a bite. PFD violations, boat registration violations, and a few angling license violations were encountered. A law and ethics talk was presented to 17 students at the Cook County High School.

CO Chris Vinton (Perham) reports the weather for the statewide fishing opener was beautiful. Vinton assisted with security for Governor Walz during the annual Governor’s Fishing Opener. Although the weather was great, the fishing was slow. Vinton and CO Oldakowski, along with Lt. Seefeldt, assisted the Otter Tail County Sheriff ’s Office and Perham Fire with a kayaker who had rolled in the Ottertail River and was wedged under a snag. The kayaker was uninjured in the swift water but needed some assistance from Perham Police Officer Stromme to get to shore. The kayak was recovered by Perham Fire. Enforcement action was taken for no angling license in possession, ATV in the ditch south of Highway 10 and watercraft-registration issues.

CO Annette Kyllo (Rochester #1) reports a busy fishing opener. Issues encountered included keeping bass during the catch-and-release-only season, fishing without a license and using an extra line. One individual was observed attempting to back a third boat trailer into a two-trailer access. The individual jackknifed his vehicle and trailer, nearly backed the pickup into the lake and just missed hitting another vehicle. The individual was arrested for DUI.

CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji #1) worked a very busy opening weekend of the walleye and northern pike season. Anglers enjoyed the great weather and good fishing. While driving to one of the lakes, he encountered a truck that had overheated and broken down in the intersection. With assistance from a local deputy, officers pushed the vehicle out of the intersection while the operator steered so it was no longer blocking the flow of traffic. Vollbrecht assisted with

arresting an individual who fled on foot after a traffic pursuit. The individual was hiding from the K9 in a partially blown-down tree. Individuals are reminded to check for boating safety equipment before going on the lakes.

CO James Fogarty (Prior Lake) checked anglers before and during the busy opener. Fogarty checked an angler on the Minnesota River who was in possession of a 28-inch walleye and a largemouth bass. Fogarty advised the angler the fishing opener was 12 hours away. Education and enforcement actions were taken for an out-of-season walleye, angling without a license and no license in possession.

CO Tom Hemker (Winona) reports the Mississippi River is very low, but fishing continues to be good. The turkey hunting in the area has slowed. Hemker spent the fishing opener in the Mille Lacs area and saw high angler numbers and good success. One angler told him it was only the second time in 60 years that he was checked by a CO. Later in the day, another angler said he had been checked three times that day.

CO Pilot Jason Jensen (Brainerd) reports ending fire detection flight duties and starting summer creel flights. During creel flights, a few public waters and wetland violations were documented and sent to local officers. Jensen also flew a wolf-telemetry flight and found an unattended fire creeping within a timber harvest area. DNR Forestry was notified and they responded to extinguish the fire before it spread too far. Jensen also completed a shoreline bird/rookery project documenting various rookeries in far northern Minnesota. He noticed a group of anglers fishing near Garden Island on Lake of the Woods. Jensen landed the seaplane to perform an angling check and documented minor boating violations. Enforcement action was taken.