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) monitored OHM activity and boat and water safety and checked anglers this week. He responded to numerous wildlife-related complaints. Enforcement action was taken for angling and boating safety violations.

CO Mary Manning (Hovland) patrolled area forest roads and ATV trails. Road crews are making progress but still waiting for some supplies. Unmaintained roads will have very rough spots for the foreseeable future. Manning again assisted with training for the current CO Academy, and took questions on nuisance porcupines, feral cats killing songbirds and abandoned snowmobiles. She finished the week with a presentation at Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center on utilizing dog teams for winter conservation officer work in the BWCA.

CO Kylan Hill (Tofte) reports a relatively slower week in the county. Time was spent on ATV and a number of roads still have washed out culverts. Attention bear hunters: Some of the busier bear-hunting areas are hard to access due to the roads. Have a backup plan for hunting and camping. Canoe activity was monitored with no violations.

CO Matt Loftness (Marshall) spent the week working fishing, boating, ATV, state park, and AIS enforcement. Wildlife-related calls were also handled, including the rescue of seven ducklings that fell into a drain at the gas station in Tracy. Anybody who is interested in the special youth deer hunts this fall is reminded that Aug. 19 is the application deadline. Please visit the DNR website for information on the hunts and the application process.

CO Nate Benkofske (McGregor) reports spending time patrolling ATV trails and lakes. Enforcement action was taken for not having life jackets, no angling licenses, jet skis driving too close to docks, expired ATV and OHM registration, and juveniles on Class 2 ATVs without seatbelts. Benkofske also spent time training the new cadet class at Camp Ripley.

CO Tyler Ramaker (La Crescent) checked anglers and boaters on the Mississippi River throughout the week. One angler was checked who said he purchased a fishing license earlier in the year and he would try to look it up on his phone. As he was doing that, Ramaker did some checking of his own on the electronic license system and found the angler was attempting to purchase a license on the spot. When the angler finally showed Ramaker his newly-purchased fishing license, Ramaker pointed out the time stamp on the license. The angler then admitted he had been fishing without a license. Assistance was also given to the Houston County Sheriff ’s Office with storm damage response in the Houston area.

CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) spent the week enforcing boating and AIS laws. He also investigated a complaint of an individual who was in the process of burning down a trailer house on their property. The landowner admitted to setting the trailer house on fire and was cited for their actions.

CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) responded to a lake with potential aquatic vegetation violations. Plautz worked with local government units along with a DNR aquatic plant management specialist on the sites in question. Plautz spent some time at a local state park and worked AIS, boating, fishing and ATV enforcement. Plautz assisted area Amish individuals with obtaining the proper husband/wife fishing licenses.

CO Dan Starr (Onamia) focused on fishing and ATV activities. Numerous animal-related complaints came in, which included beavers, bears, woodchucks, cranes, and a possible cougar. ATV registration violations were found, along with youth without helmets. Failing to transfer ownership of ATVs, boats, and snowmobiles continues to be a large problem.

CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) worked ATV complaints and angling and boating enforcement. A TIP call was investigated. Recently, the No. 1 violation has been fishing without a license, with numerous citations for the offense being issued. Other enforcement action included failure to report killing a bobcat that was causing damage, burning garbage, failure to obey trail signs, and expired watercraft registration.

CO Matt Miller (Lake Superior Marine Unit) checked anglers and boaters on Lake Superior. A wolf-depredation complaint was handled and found to be a coyote kill. ATV-related complaints were handled, and planning work was done for the upcoming Tall Ships festival. Enforcement action was taken for angling and boating violations.