CO Mary Manning (Hovland) attended instructor training at Camp Ripley in preparation for the upcoming statewide in-service. Manning patrolled area lakes and campgrounds, took reports of possible cougar scat on a party’s driveway, and a dead loon that appears to have swallowed a hook. The officer also investigated a wolf depredation complaint in which a calf was killed. One angler contacted will be receiving paperwork for failing to have a fishing license and additional paperwork for having lied about his age and providing false information to support that lie.
CO David Schottenbauer (Silver Bay) took care of a few beaver complaints in the area.
CO John Slatinski (International Falls) took a report of a deer with an arrow sticking out of the top of its back. The deer was located and appears to be healthy and getting along all right at this time.
CO Tim Collette (Crosslake) responded to calls of an injured woodchuck that wouldn’t leave the caller’s yard, a deer from a deer farm that had escaped but was caught again the next day, a person who twice ran full speed through a flock of geese with his boat, and had a couple of minors caught drinking alcohol jump in the lake and swim away, after they had given their IDs to the officer, escalating a minor in possession of alcohol charge to fleeing a peace officer.
CO Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley) was at a local gas station when the owners of the station reported a chicken running around the parking lot and asked for help removing the animal. The chicken proved too fast and attempts at capturing the animal failed. A few bystanders, however, seemed to find humor in watching Grundmeier attempt to run down the chicken and one eventually hollered out, “It’s OK officer….even Rocky wasn’t quick enough to catch the chicken at first.”
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) received a call of a nuisance goose hanging out with a construction worker. Road construction was under way and this goose would follow one of the workers, even flying next to her car. The goose persisted throughout the day. Officer Plautz responded and captured the goose, relocating it to a different area. The next day this officer received a call from a landowner (3 miles from where the goose was relocated) indicating he had a goose on his front steps that would lie under a tree with his dog. This landowner was concerned with all the goose droppings in his yard. Plautz responded to the residence but was unable to capture the goose. The goose found a peaceful resting place in the pasture near a pond.
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!
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