CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) checked anglers, boaters, and worked invasive species enforcement. Wahlstrom also completed investigations on ATV and angling complaints.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) worked an ATV detail with officers in the Hill City area during the nearby Mud Nationals. Large numbers of ATV operators were checked and some received unwanted souvenirs from their weekend in the form of citations. Violations included operating on highways, juveniles without helmets, modified air intakes (snorkels), and DWI. The officer responded to a second call in Cook County regarding illegal cutting of birch saplings and checked anglers and campers at state park and forest campgrounds.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) reports he found a map floating in an area lake. The map had secret fishing spots circled. The CO tried to look away but couldn’t help himself. The CO will return the map to the rightful owner, but the circled spots will remain in his mind. Please secure your paper and litter from blowing out of your boat as you never know what you may be giving up.
CO Sean Williams (Ely) received several nuisance bear reports including one inside Babbitt where a yearling bear spent several hours in a tree between houses. The area was surrounded by bird feeders and it was not difficult to figure out what had lured the bear into town. With fewer onlookers the bear eventually came down on its own and made its way back into the woods.
CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) encountered a 16-foot canoe that was loaded with three people, three large dogs not trained for the canoe, and no PFDs.
CO Tim Collette (Crosslake) investigated a lakeshore property where the owner had removed all the trees, put in a sand blanket, installed riprap, and cut all the bulrushes in front of the property without getting any permits. Several DNR and county violations were committed. Citations were issued and an order will be served to put it all back to the way it was. When asked about it he said, “I thought I could do whatever I want to with my property.”
CO Thephong Le (ELCOP) responded to various calls including a deer in Minneapolis that jumped off the roof of a building (estimated 80-foot drop). The deer didn’t survive.
CO Brittany Hauser (Red Wing) received a call from a concerned citizen who thought she had a timber rattlesnake in her boot closet. Once on scene, the officer removed the boots from the closet and determined that the snake was in fact a western fox snake, a non-venomous species known to the area. The fox snake was removed from the citizen’s closet and transported down the road where it was released into a more suitable environment. As a reminder, it is always a good idea to keep doors and other areas closed or blocked off in order to deter uninvited house guests.
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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