CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) spent the week checking anglers with Officer Osborne during a work detail. Complaints of an underage drinking party were handled and a trespass complaint was investigated. An arrest was made for felony drug possession. Enforcement action was taken for possession of drugs, paraphernalia, and multiple angling violations.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) did snowmobile patrols during the week. He checked anglers on designated and non-designated trout lakes. Required online training was completed.
CO Marty Stage (Ely) traveled into the BWCAW and found every party contacted that day to be in violation of some sort of fishing or litter law. But on another day, while checking a lone fish house on an Ely lake, the officer found two 15-year-old boys fishing. When the officer remarked that it was unusual and refreshing to see them doing so, one young man volunteered that he had just sold his “Xbox” to pay for the new fish locator they were using.
CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) reports that one snowmobiler who was riding a sled that had registration expiring in 2013 was surprised he was receiving a citation for the violation.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls West) responded to two calls of injured deer, investigated swine at large, and a coyote causing damage in the city of Thief River Falls. While working a detail on Lake of the Woods, it was noted through an open window that an unoccupied ice house had lines still in the water. A few minutes later the occupants of the house returned and stated that they had gone on a short errand and had left their lines down. The short errand turned out to be a trip to the local convenience store 22 miles away. Enforcement action was taken for unattended lines.
CO Matt Loftness (Marshall) assisted the Lincoln County sheriff with a pickup that went through the ice on Lake Benton. The truck was pulling a fish house when it went through while driving over an ice heave.
CO Kylan Hill (Zumbrota) reports making multiple ice fishing contacts on area lakes. Disgruntled anglers who were checked at the beginning of the week ended up taking a few meals home as the fishing bite became tolerable in some areas. However, a few anglers took advantage of the better crappie bite and were seen with over-limits. Enforcement action was taken.
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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