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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 Mary Manning (Hovland) checked bear-bait stations and registrations. Numerous violations of U.S. Forest Service regulations were noted, as were a few state violations. She patrolled state forest campgrounds and other closed areas of the Grand Portage State Forest and Superior National Forest. Manning also took calls and emails about nuisance bears and camping restrictions. Despite some rain in the area, many campsites and all dispersed camping is prohibited, as are all campfires.
CO Kylan Hill (Tofte) reports assisting the U.S. Forest Service with fire duties in the Tofte station. Campers and boaters were reminded of the fire danger. A few angling licenses were checked and the bite on Lake Superior has slowed down a bit, but with enough time and effort you should leave with fish. Multiple bear-bait sites were inspected and so far, very few violations have been seen. A reminder to limit your impact in the area when establishing your baits and definitely do not cut down larger trees.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Grand Marais) spent week checking on bear baits and following up on ATV-related complaints. He assisted with the Lake and Cook County fires.
CO Mike Fairbanks (Deer River) checked anglers, monitored wild rice harvesting, patrolled the area ATV trails, worked bear baiting and assisted the county with a domestic disturbance and bar fight. Fairbanks and his K9 partner Si also assisted in searching for a suspicious person howling and screaming in the woods near residences. Enforcement action was taken for license issues and illegal operation of an OHV.
CO Taylor Hochstein (Hill City) continued to monitor bear-baiting and angling activity. One angler was observed casting his line into the river several times. When Hochstein approached the angler, he no longer had a fishing rod in his hands and denied that he was fishing. After a short questioning session, the angler admitted to fishing and retrieved his rod that he threw about 15 feet into the bushes in an attempt to avoid a citation for angling without a license.
CO Dustie Speldrich (Willow River) responded to nuisance bear-reports. She also investigated calls of feeding deer in a CWD feeding ban. For those who are not aware, there is a deer feeding ban in both Pine and Carlton counties. Speldrich attended a fishing with kids’ event on Sturgeon Lake. The event was organized by Pine County and the kids had a lot of fun. Speldrich answered questions regarding hunting law changes. All of the new regulations can be found in the front of the handy online or printed regulation books.
CO Dan Starr (Onamia) worked on bear-baiting cases in which hunters are not registering their baits. Private property bear baits must be registered to be legally hunted. Anglers were checked with smallmouth bass providing the most action. However, citations were issued for fishing without licenses. A wolf-depredation investigation, wild rice checks, and ATV work were also done.
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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