Weekly conservation report

[Lee Borgersen]

Posted: Thursday, October 16, 2014

              DNR CO Weekly Report. & 

Here are highlights from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer (CO) reports for the week. The complete report is available at www.dnr.state.mn.us/enforcement/co_report/index.html

Various districts report poor hunter success on pheasant opener weekend. Hunter numbers were also rather low. Dry and windy conditions, along with lots of standing corn, made hunting tough.



Waterfowl hunters were having better luck, according to CO Ben Huener (Baudette area); however the bluebill migration still hasn’t come through.

CO Demo Regas (Blackduck) assisted DNR Wildlife in capturing an injured bald eagle that was sent to the Raptor Center for evaluation and possible rehabilitation.

In the Fergus Falls area, CO Tricia Plautz investigated two reports of attacks on horses. One older horse suffered minor wounds, while another was killed.

CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) took a call about waterfowl hunters shooting and leaving a mallard on neighboring property without trying to retrieve it. Upon inspection, five hunters in two boats were found with one loaded firearm and zero PFDs. Enforcement action was taken, and the mallard was located and retrieved.

ATV Rec Officer CO Colleen Adam patrolled Wadena area forests and trails. She assisted another agency with a road rage incident and apprehending a fleeing felon.

In the Eveleth area, CO Brad Schultz reports quite a few people are getting their hunting shacks in order and also doing a little grouse hunting.  A few more birds are starting to appear as the leaves fall off the tree.

A caller asked CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) if he could get a permit for the pelt of a road-killed timber wolf. Unfortunately, pelts cannot be given to individuals. Instead, the wolf was turned over to a local boy Scout Troop to be used for educational purposes.

Frericks also assisted St. Louis County sheriff’s deputies with a call from a cabin owner on Ely Island, Lake Vermillion,  whose window was shot out by a juvenile with a BB gun. One of the juveniles fled in a canoe and the other three were on foot. The canoe the juvenile fled in was found and CO Frericks and the deputies began searching the woods. The four juveniles were located in a cabin they had just broken into. All four face numerous serious felony charges, such as burglary, criminal damage to property and theft.

CO Matt Miller (Marine Unit) checked ATVers during the weekend. Riders with juvenile passengers need to make sure that the child’s helmet is a DOT or SNELL-approved motorsport helmet, not a bike or hockey helmet.

CO Chris Tetrault (Isle) had an interesting week. He encountered a party transporting a loaded firearm on an ATV while grouse hunting. The person indicated that he spoke with two friends who were cited a week earlier for the same violation, in the same spot, prior to hunting, by Officer Tetrault. In another instance, Tetrault was traveling home late at night and saw a large fire with prohibited materials in it. Nearby, a mobile home was being dismantled. When the officer asked the owner what he was burning, he replied, “Just some wood, that’s it; and some paper; and insulation; and shingles; the mobile home, pretty much.” Enforcement action was taken.

CO Dustie Speldrich (Willow River) investigated a solid waste violation where at least 100 soiled diapers were dumped near a river.

Two separate TIP calls were handled by CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) regarding duck hunters hunting out of season during the waterfowl closed/split season. One was found with a limit of ducks and the second, who had no ducks, tried to bribe CO Kuske with pumpkin bars to get out of getting a ticket. Neither had noticed in the regulations book that the season was closed from Oct. 6-10.

CO Paul Kuske (Pierz) investigated a WCA violation where a driveway was placed in a wetland. The property owners did not get a permit from SWCD, and the contractor failed to file a liability form for the work.

In the Marshall area, CO Doug Lage gave first aid to a spaniel that had gotten cut on barbed wire. The cut was wrapped with a bandage.

CO Mitch Boyum (Rushford) checked waterfowl hunters who reported fair success with at least one bird in the bag. Turkey hunters were also checked. One hunter shot and killed a gobbler only to have it flop into a river. The hunter tried to wade out and retrieve the bird. Upon reaching it, he stumbled, fell and went bobbing down the river. The hunter reported that the turkey floated and made a good PFD.

  more here ..... www.dnr.state.mn.us/enforcement/co_report/index.html

[MTCOMMER]

"CO Mitch Boyum (Rushford) checked waterfowl hunters who reported fair success with at least one bird in the bag. Turkey hunters were also checked. One hunter shot and killed a gobbler only to have it flop into a river. The hunter tried to wade out and retrieve the bird. Upon reaching it, he stumbled, fell and went bobbing down the river. The hunter reported that the turkey floated and made a good PFD."

That's a great one.  The turkey used as a PFD.  Never thought of that.