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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 Kylan Hill (Tofte) reports checking traps on the opening weekend of the fisher and pine marten season. Multiple sets were seen, but they came from only two trap lines. Hopefully activity picks up the second weekend of the season.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) patrolled area forest roads and snowmobile trails. Rain negatively affected trail conditions and riders were scarce; plowed stretches of trails are very icy. Manning took reports of a bobcat killing pet rabbits and a bobcat inside a bird enclosure. Trappers and trap sets were also checked.
CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) worked an Upper Red Lake detail with COs Lawler and Sura. Fishing was slow but violations were very plentiful. An extraordinary number of extra lines were detected. Time was also spent working the pine marten-trapping opener and other local work duties. The ice conditions are greatly improving in the area. Enforcement action was taken for extra lines, fishing without a license, possession of dressed fillets on a special regulations lake, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, unattended lines, expired snowmobile and ATV registrations, and an untagged trap.
CO Brittany Hauser (Red Wing) assisted the Goodhue County Sheriff ’s Office with various calls, including retrieving a carport from the Mississippi River after it broke loose of its anchors and sailed into the river during a bout of severe weather. Time was also spent following up on an ongoing big-game investigation.
NR Pilot Brad Maas (Brainerd) conducted training in a helicopter for one pilot in preparation for the upcoming moose survey. He also attended to helicopter maintenance and administrative tasks.
CO Vinny Brown (Northome) checked ice anglers and monitored trapping activity. Time was also spent patrolling lakes and trails on snowmobile and assisting with search and rescue efforts for a missing individual on Upper Red Lake. The individual ended up being found safe. Two anglers were found fishing without fishing licenses and numerous anglers were fishing without licenses in possession. One angler was caught in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Enforcement action was taken for the above offenses and the marijuana and paraphernalia items were seized.
CO John Velsvaag (Ely #2) checked anglers, netters and trappers this past week. Ice conditions improved considerably this past week, but the ice is still relatively thin on the main portion of some of the larger lakes. Anglers did better at the end of the week and Velsvaag got several calls on the pike regulations.
CO Andrew Goodman (Elbow Lake) reports his primary focus for the week was monitoring ice activities. Most anglers removed their shelters before recent storms, but a few did not, resulting in a few shelters blowing across area lakes. Goodman has noticed geese are still keeping significant portions of some popular angling lakes open, while other lakes are seeing full-sized wheel houses on them. Additional time was spent assisting with the Herman snowmobile safety class and answering calls and questions related to hunting.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Blackduck North) worked angling activity on Upper Red Lake and Lake of the Woods. Enforcement action was taken for numerous angling license violations, angling with extra lines, failure to transfer ownership of a snowmobile and possession of controlled substances. Prachar worked with other COs from the area to assist Beltrami County with an individual who was lost on Upper Red Lake and had no survival resources. It was a harrowing search in whiteout conditions for more than a day. The individual was located alive but hypothermic on the north shore of Upper Red Lake after leaving the south shore more than 24 hours earlier.
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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