CO Mary Manning (Hovland) checked area anglers and ATV operators. Enforcement action was taken for a juvenile passenger without a helmet and operating without required equipment. Folks are also reminded that golf carts are not ATVs and may not be legally operated on county roads. Manning responded to camper issues in the state park campground, checked boaters on inland lakes, and helped out at the DNR Academy at Camp Ripley.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) checked anglers and boaters on area lakes. Time was spent on equipment maintenance and handling wildlife calls. Enforcement action was taken for boating violations.
CO Troy Richards (Fergus Falls) spent time taking a complaint of an osprey nest being removed.
CO Keith Olson (Lake Superior Marine Unit) worked the upper portion of Lake Superior in Grand Marais. Cooler water provided for decent catches of fish with some steelhead being caught.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) observed an operator pulling a wakeboarder over an hour after the operation deadline. It appears most of the violators were unaware of the law allowing legal PWC operation from 9:30 a.m. until one hour before sunset. Another incident involved a large pile of garbage from a home renovation being burned in a nearby back yard. Explosions coming from inside the fire were from aerosol cans, making it difficult to safely extinguish. A citation was issued.
CO Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley) assisted with emergency calls that included canoers getting stranded in fast water on the St. Croix River and a rock climber getting stuck while climbing cliffs along the Kettle River.
CO Kylan Hill (Zumbrota) received a call from a person who witnessed somebody shoot at a deer from their truck as they were parked in the middle of the road. A photograph of the license plate was taken. Hill, along with a local deputy, drove to the suspect’s residence and was greeted with, “Come on in boys, I ain’t got nothing to hide. I am in the wrong.” Formal charges are currently being filed.
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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