Although the Cook County News-Herald knows that the majority of sportsmen and women are lawabiding 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 another quiet week in the north country. Deep slush on some lakes has scared anglers away from some of the more popular lakes. Mangy wolf calls continue to come in. People are reminded to keep a closer watch on their pets. Mangy wolves have also been seen along the North Shore surviving on road-kill deer.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) checked lakes, anglers and fishing shelters. Manning also worked a snowmobile detail on the North Shore Trail and worked the Gunflint Trail system. One intoxicated snowmobiler opted to turn his misdemeanor DUI into a felony fleeing case; charges are pending. Enforcement action included speeding, no state trail sticker and no snowmobile safety certificate in possession.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) patrolled snowmobile trails and checked anglers in Cook and Lake counties. The officer was involved in a work detail along the North Shore state snowmobile trail. Time was spent enforcing speed, registration issues, stop sign violations and careless operation. The officer also handled mangy wolf complaints and car/deer collisions.
CO Marty Stage (Ely) received a complaint of a wolf holing up under a sauna. The wolf would not leave when disturbed. He was suffering badly from mange and was cold and emaciated. Stage said it is common to find wolves, coyotes and foxes holed up in barns and under decks when they are in such poor condition.
CO Dan Malinowski (Fosston) assisted with two snowmobile crashes. One resulted in a death. A man stopped to warn the rest of his group about a hazard and was struck by one of the other sleds.
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) responded to an injured deer call only to find the deer had been dead for several weeks. A snow plow had turned it up. Plautz also responded to a snowmobile accident where one rider ventured off the trail 30 yards and found himself in open water from a creek. There were no injuries, just a very cold snowmobiler.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) attempted to assist a motorist with a flat tire. Unfortunately for the motorist, his driver’s license had been cancelled. The driver was charged accordingly and the vehicle was towed.
CO Dan Starr (Tower) responded to a call in which three snowmobiles had fallen through the ice. Upon further investigation, three snowmobiles were stuck in the slush and the owners wanted the DNR to help get them out.
A gray squirrel was found in an area that has never seen this species before.
Leave a Reply