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) checked anglers during the last week of the border walleye season. Fishing was much better this year than in the recent past. The CO completed seasonal maintenance. He also responded to a dog chasing deer call, talked to the local paper about wolves, and began to remind people that hungry bears will be around soon. Time to secure garbage and bird feeders. It is a lot easier not to have a bear come in the first place than to try to get rid of it after it has found food at your house or cabin. Also, a reminder to watch your dogs so wolves don’t get them and to make sure they don’t chase deer after a hard winter.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) checked anglers along the North Shore streams. Some nice steelheads have been caught as the fishing continues to improve, slowly. Some warm weather will help anglers significantly. A reminder to anglers fishing below the posted boundary in the tributaries, single hook only. Wolf complaints and other nuisance animal complaints were handled.
CO Joe Stattelman (Detroit Lakes) investigated calls about injured swans that hit power lines.
CO Keith Olson (Lake Superior Marine Unit) checked anglers along the North Shore. The colder temps have extended the fish run on North Shore streams. Smelt questions and comments have been steady.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Blackduck) assisted federal agents with a black bear investigation. An untagged black bear hide was located at an Idaho tannery. The hide originated from a taxidermist in Minnesota.
CO Mike Lee (Isle) received a call of possible alligators in a ditch in Mille Lacs County. Upon arrival Lee confirmed that they were in fact crocodiles, and were nearly six inches long. The crocodiles were dead, and appeared to have been destroyed by their prior owners.
CO Sam Hunter (Park Rapids) investigated a turkey hunting/ trespass issue which involved an individual who shot two mature gobblers out of the roost on private property.
CO Gary Sommers (Walker) made contact with an individual who was operating an ATV in a closed area and at the same time transporting a loaded firearm. The person had recently purchased a cabin in the area and it was the first ATV the person had ever owned. He was having fun driving around checking things out, and had planned on shooting any skunks or porcupines he would see. Enforcement action was taken and he was advised to return to his cabin.
CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) located two truckloads of litter, freshly deposited in the state forest. The responsible person was an employee who was told to take it to the landfill by the boss and made a bad and expensive decision by shortstopping it in the woods.
CO Randy Patten (Northome) investigated a complaint of someone shooting at song birds from a motor vehicle.
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