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!
This local fellow had a good day of grouse hunting with his dog, Ripper III last week. Reports from local hunters have been good. Nearly everyone has a bird or two in their freezer.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais)
reports trappers placing traps on roads or too close to roads. This really makes for a tough situation for people who hunt with or walk their dogs. The CO dealt with a timber wolf that was caught in a trap. He checked whitefish nets, moose hunters and grouse hunters. Enforcement action was taken for trapping violations and loaded guns in motor vehicles.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte)
monitored moose and bear hunters during the last week of the hunt. Some nice moose were harvested this year. Grouse hunters continue to have good success. Bear hunters are reminded to remove signs at their bait stations.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland)
worked the last week of moose and bear hunting; many moose hunters were found working the roadways pretty hard. Grouse hunters have also been numerous, mostly driving cars and trucks and hunting the roadways. Manning investigated a complaint of a grouse hunter shooting in a state campground, checked inland anglers, and dealt with maintenance issues.
CO Tony Anderson Morris
assisted the Stevens County sheriff with a missing hunter report that turned out to be a tragedy for one hunter. The hunter was fatally shot by his own firearm when it discharged by accident. His hunting companions reported him missing after he did not return from an afternoon pheasant hunt. After a brief search of the area the hunter was found but was deceased.
CO Dan Starr (Tower)
worked a very busy week with fall fishing and grouse hunting at the top of the list. Trespass continues to be an issue. A very alarming trend has become prevalent, with many more loaded guns on/in motor vehicles being found in the field than in years past. Loaded guns are not only illegal, but unsafe for everyone. Numerous hunters are still shocked with the law change and continue to case guns.
CO Thomas Sutherland (Grand Rapids)
worked a busy week with many bow hunters in the woods with the nice weather. One bow hunter was a little too ready for the deer to come to his stand. He decided to bait the deer by the use of oats and he also didn’t have a license to take deer by archery. The individual said that they weren’t going to shoot the deer directly over the bait because that wouldn’t be fair. They were going to wait till the deer were a distance from the oats before they were going to shoot them. The individual was advised by CO Sutherland that they couldn’t hunt in the vicinity of the oats because the deer were being influenced by the large pile of bait. Enforcement action was taken for hunting a big game animal without a license and hunting deer over bait. The bow being used was also seized.
CO Todd Kanieski (Osseo),
along with his K9 partner Saber, assisted with a deer shining detail in Morrison and Todd counties, with several arrests made. In one incident a vehicle fled officers in an attempt to get away, a felony offense. The driver had no clue a Conservation Officer Pilot was in the air relaying their every move to officerson the ground. Thedriver soon lost control of the vehicle and slid off the road. Both occupants tried their luck at fleeing on foot. The suspects were also clueless that a DNR K9 Unit was in the area. They attempted to hide in the waters of Mound Lake, but soon got too cold. While hiding along the shoreline and contemplating their next move, they heard the barking of a police dog trained to apprehend them and a voice from a loudspeaker warning them to give up. In a moment of clarity, they heeded the warning and gave up without incident.
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