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!
COTomWahlstrom (Tofte) worked the fishing opener. Enforcement action was taken for possessing an over limit of fish, no navigation lights on a watercraft, minor in possession of alcohol, and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) worked spring fish run and checked anglers on Lake Superior tributaries. Cool weather, late ice-out and high gas prices made for a slower than usual opening weekend. Manning and CO Tom Wahlstrom contacted one group of late rising anglers and seized marijuana, drug paraphernalia and illegal alcohol from the group. The theme for the day was no throwable PFD device on boats. Anglers and boaters are reminded to re-read boating rules, especially required equipment sections for inland lakes and federally regulated waters.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) checked anglers on a very quiet opener. Some streams were still holding spawning walleyes on the opening weekend. High winds kept some anglers on shore fishing for lake trout in the shallows. People without fishing licenses, boat registration and proper navigation lights were encountered.
CO Nikki Shoutz (Pine River) reports that as she was issuing a warning for an expired registration on a boat, a young grandson reminded the operator that, “Grandma told you to put that sticker on the boat right before we left!” The boat was registered in Grandma’s name.
CO Greg Oldakowski (Wadena) assisted a local law enforcement agency that reported some human-sized bones discovered in a river near a bridge. The bones were retrieved and positively identified as a whitetail deer.
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