CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) worked AIS, angling, ATV, and boating enforcement. Time was spent at Camp Ripley completing EVOC training. Enforcement action was taken for ATV and AIS violations.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) reports that it is probably just a coincidence that as the black flies are starting to disappear the mosquitoes seem to be getting larger. As the rain keeps coming, the boreal forest is seeming more like a jungle. The CO did a radio interview about black bears and attended division training at Camp Ripley.
CO Mary Manning (Grand Marais East) was part of the U.S. and Canadian Law Enforcement Honor Guard welcoming the Special Olympics Torch of Hope to the U.S. from Canada. Manning checked anglers on area rivers and lakes and patrolled the state forest and parks. The officer also followed up on a nuisance bear complaint.
CO Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley) encountered a fisherman who was trying to catch crappies while trolling around the lake with multiple lines in the water. After watching and documenting the illegal fishing for a few minutes, Officer Grundmeier approached the boat to make contact. When the angler finally realized he was being watched and checked by a CO, he quickly dropped to the bottom of the boat in an attempt to hide himself while reeling up the extra lines. The furtive actions only made things worse as the boat was not big enough or deep enough to hide what he was doing.
CO Sam Hunter (Park Rapids) received a complaint of a baby otter whose mother had been killed by a car. The otter will go to a rehab facility.
CO Brittany Hauser (Red Wing) received a call regarding a timber rattlesnake on a homeowner’s front steps in Red Wing. Once on scene, it was verified that the snake was indeed a rattlesnake. The snake was carefully removed from the steps and transported to a nearby designated den site where it was released. The snake seemed pleased to be back in a more natural environment.
CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) took a complaint of a homeowner taking squirrels out of season; it was found that the squirrels were doing damage. A roadkill bobcat was picked up and a homeowner had a bear break through a house window when the sow with three cubs was trying to take down the hummingbird feeder to eat for a treat.
Kuske watched a female angler fishing from a resort dock for a while and then approached to check her fishing license. The angler said she was not fishing but was just helping fix the line on a pole. It was explained to the female that casting a spinnerbait for bass multiple times was considered fishing in Minnesota and there didn’t seem to be any problems with the line.
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!
Leave a Reply