CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) spent the week checking bear baits. The officer patrolled the area for ATV activity and monitored state parks. Enforcement action was taken for big game and ATV violations.
CO Mary Manning (Grand Marais East) helped teach firearms and defensive tactics at annual staff training at Camp Ripley. The officer also attended training on 4th amendment issues while at Ripley and back at home checked bear bait stations and ATV operators. Manning assisted with a search for a party in Judge Magney State Park who had dialed 911; after a thorough search of the area by law enforcement and park staff it was determined that the call had been accidental and there was no emergency.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) attended yearly in-service training at Camp Ripley. He did a commercial minnow retailer inspection and continued checking bear baits for compliance. Enforcement action was taken for no minnow retailer’s license and for failing to drain water related equipment.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) reports that one woman, who was checked fishing, explained how her husband had purchased a combination license, so she was good to fish. After checking the license system, the officer called her back and explained how her husband actually forgot to buy one for 2017; she wasn’t happy with her husband or the citation issued.
CO John Slatinski (International Falls) assisted officers to remove a backyard trampoline from the middle of Littlefork River, along with help from MnDOT and the city of Littlefork.
CO Bill Landmark (Moorhead) was assisted by a USFW officer on a report of an aggressive hawk.
CO Tim Colette (Crosslake) monitored ricing activity where progress is slow as most of the rice is not ripe yet, checked bear baits, handled two calls of an injured bear that is mainly feeding on garbage and bird feeders, and took a call of a resort owner who was dumping the fish guts from the cleaning shack into the road ditch. The enforcement action included cleanup of the stinky mess.
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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