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 Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais)
reports a relatively quiet week of deer hunting activity. He has had lots of conversations around town about all of the big bucks that were shot this year. Sounds like many hunters shot the buck of a lifetime. A couple of abandoned bait piles were recorded with GPS for next season’s enforcement efforts.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte)
continued checking deer hunters during the last week of the firearm deer season in Cook and Lake counties. Hunters seemed to be happy with the hunt overall. Trapping and ATV activity was monitored. The officer focused enforcement efforts on shining complaint areas.
CO Mike Lee (Isle)
received a complaint in regard to a deer shot on an individual’s property that had been left. During the investigation the party attempted to hide the deer in a different location by covering it with snow and sticks. Upon locating the individual involved he stated to Officer Lee, “How did you find me, and the deer?” Lee explained that tracks in the snow are also visible to the warden.
CO Mike Martin (St. Cloud)
assisted on a case where three deer and a firearm were seized; the hunter had an overlimit and other violations. The offender said that he and his wife really like venison and don’t typically buy beef during the year and eat venison instead. The offender is looking at a three-year revocation of his deer hunting privileges on top of the fines, restitution, and confiscation of the firearm used.
CO Steve Walter (Waconia)
reports that dogs chasing deer in the San Francisco Township area has been a big problem. Several dog owners were contacted, but commented that their dogs were not involved.
CO Alex Gutierrez (Forest Lake)
encountered a seasoned waterfowler who had a bad series of events. First his hunting truck broke down, and he was able to make it back home and swap vehicles. Once he made it to the boat landing, his boat battery was bad so he decided to call it a day. He tried to go back two days later and the lake was covered—unfortunately with ice and not birds.
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