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) attended training and checked anglers along the North Shore.

CO Hudson Ledeen (Grand Marais #2) reports steelhead anglers continue to work the rivers and creeks, showing marginal success at best. Almost every lake in the area remains locked up with ice and most Forest Service roads remain impassable with snow. A few diehard shed hunters were observed trudging through snow in hopes of finding a large moose paddle or two.

CO Matt Miller (Silver Bay) monitored ATV trails and accesses as wet, cold conditions kept them closed, and a few snowmobiles still operating in the northern reaches. Ice-out will be flirting with fishing opener this year, and some roads remain impassable due to snow. Steelhead anglers have found some success, but high water levels led to the first drowning of the year in a tributary river. Enforcement action was taken for state parks and angling violations.

CO Annette Kyllo (Rochester #1) reports during a fishing check this week an angler was encountered fishing with three lines. The angler told Kyllo that he generally only fished Minnesota/Wisconsin border waters, so he was unaware he could only have one line. The angler was currently many miles from the Wisconsin border and was reminded that even on border waters within Minnesota you can only fish with two lines, not three. Other violations encountered this week included riding an unregistered off-highway motorcycle on a public road, garbage complaints in a local WMA, and targeting bass out of season. Kyllo also attended training and performed ATV maintenance.

CO Kipp Duncan (Duluth East) continued to work the tributaries along the North Shore of Lake Superior during the spring steelhead run. The water temperature and flow have continued to get better for the fish and anglers. Smelting activity has started to get busier throughout the week, so time was spent during the evenings monitoring that activity. Bear activity has picked up, with many people reporting bear sightings. Advice was given to many about removing the bear feeders that also attract birds and keep their garbage inside. Several people attempting to trap beavers were contacted throughout the week and all are reporting good success. Duncan also participated in training.

CO Chris Vinton (Perham) reports seeing more fish in area creeks as the fish run has heated up due to warming weather. All lakes in the Perham area are ice-free. A loon was rescued after it had attempted to land on a wet road. It was released, unharmed, to a neighboring lake. A permit for a car-killed fisher was issued to a biology professor from Concordia College in Moorhead and a TIP of a large pile of suckers dumped in a field was taken. A young turkey hunter called to report he had accidentally shot a hen turkey. The turkey was surrendered and Vinton used the opportunity to educate the young hunter about the importance of knowing your target.