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) worked with the U.S. Border Patrol and Forest Service during the week. Some people were found without life jackets fishing over very cold water. One ATV’er found out the hard way that he can’t operate on a public road when his driver’s license is suspended. Others were found tearing up wetlands and driving in streams in the vacant Silver Bay station. City of Grand Marais employees teamed up with DNR Forestry to rescue ducklings that ended up in the street drain system. The CO also assisted with an ATV field day. CO Mary Manning (Hovland) assisted volunteer instructors certify all students during an ATV Safety class. Manning took part in a detail involving U.S. Forest Service, Lake County Sheriff ’s Department and DNR Conservation officers. Manning also worked areas of ATV complaints, issued a nuisance beaver permit, and checked anglers. Enforcement action was taken for no PFD, no angling license in possession, unlawful ATV operation and operate ATV with no registration displayed. CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) followed up on past cases and investigated an over limit of fish. The officer attended a seminar in the cities by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman on the psychological preparation for combat. Wahlstrom also trained in “active shooter” that took place at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth. The officer assisted in teaching two ATV safety classes. Thanks to all the volunteer instructors for a job well done getting all the students certified. Assistance was given to the Superior National Forest LEOs, area game wardens and the Lake County Sheriff ’s Office in a detail which resulted in multiple citations being issued for various violations. CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) assisted the Douglas County Sheriff ’s Office with a one-boat accident on Lake Victoria. The driver lost control of the boat and it crashed into two boat lifts and then came to rest in a tree along the lake. Occupants were ejected and two of the occupants died. The crash is still under investigation. CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) received an unusual call regarding a bear that decided to make a boat his sleeping quarters near a residence. Mathy responded to the residence to discover the bear was very sick, unable to move, and unfortunately for the resident had been vomiting all over the boat. Ultimately the bear had to be put down due to the severity of the illness and injury. Water Resource Enforcement Officer Mike Scott (NE) assisted local conservation officers and DNR watercraft inspectors with a boater who transported his boat to an area access with the hull covered in zebra mussels. The owner of the boat stated that he was not aware that he could not transport his boat with the zebra mussels on the hull from his residence on the lake to the landing, and since the lake was already infested with zebra mussels he thought that it was OK to launch the boat with the zebra mussels attached back into the same body of water that they came from. The boat owner also transported the boat off the access last fall to his lake residence without a permit. Enforcement action was taken for transporting watercraft with zebra mussels attached to the watercraft. CO Mike Martin (St Cloud) answered a wild animal complaint where the caller said that there was a coyote in the St. Cloud city limits and he wanted it removed. Martin informed the caller that the DNR doesn’t typically remove coyotes from the city unless they are doing damage. The caller then retorted that the coyote was damaging the cat that it was carrying around in its mouth. Also, Martin checked one angler who stated that he had a fishing license but didn’t have it with him at the time. Martin told the angler that he would issue the angler a warning for not having his license in possession then Martin would check on the angler’s license when he got back to the office. The angler agreed and even signed a sworn affidavit that he had a 2011 fishing license. Martin checked the angler’s status when he got to the office and the angler didn’t have a current license to fish. Martin then watched the angler fishing the next day at approximately the same spot, again without a license! Summonses were issued to the angler for angling without a license.
Leave a Reply