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) did few day trips into the BWCAW. The farther people went in, the better the fishing seemed to be. The majority of the people encountered were winter camping. A few anglers remembered everything they needed for winter camping and fishing, except for their fishing licenses.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) checked cross country ski passes on state trails and checked anglers on area trout lakes. Manning also patrolled snowmobile trails and checked riders and machines; several folks were surprised to learn that snowmobile safety is required for all residents born after 1976 – not just for kids. The officer also took a report of a group of snowmobilers who rode past private property signs and drove all over several people’s yards and privately groomed trails before loading up to go home for the weekend.
a CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) attended use of force instructor training at Camp Ripley to prepare for the upcoming in-service training. Time was spent working snowmobile trails. Snowmobilers were out taking advantage of the excellent trails with the fresh snow. Fishing has slowed down but anglers are enjoying the warm March days.
CO Randy Hanzal (Duluth) issued a citation to a speeding snowmobiler who tried to argue how ridiculous he thought it was for a person to be hired to hide in the woods with a radar gun and set up speed traps. There are no speed traps. The maximum speed limit on most trails is 50 miles per hour.
CO Troy Ter Meer (Lake Superior Marine Unit) checked ice anglers and shore anglers. One angler learned a quick lesson about Lake Superior ice – he got off the ice when he felt the ice was getting unsafe. Another had to toss his equipment across the ice as it cracked, drifted from shore, and had to go into the waist-deep water to get to shore.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked a lake in Otter Tail County on Sunday night and observed four subjects burning the remnants of a fish shelter made out of a camper trailer. The fish house/trailer was frozen into the ice and the owner said he couldn’t get it out without breaking it into pieces. Osborne observed pieces of insulation, siding, wiring, and other debris from the shelter scattered all over the ice. The subjects were informed that they had to pick up all the trash or else they would receive a citation for littering along with the one they already received for burning prohibited materials.
CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) has been noting problem fish houses that have an appearance of being abandoned on the ice or leaving litter on the ice. One such house was found removed from Whitewater Lake and found miles away at the public access on Lake Mine stripped of all identification, all usable items removed, and doors and windows busted out.
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