Conservation Officers' Tales for May

[Dave]

From the DNR HSOforum:

USING WHATEVER THEY CAN TO CATCH WHATEVER THEY CAN

Conservation officer (CO) Brad Schultz (Center City) encountered a boat with three anglers. One angler was using an extra line. All were throwing large spoons for bait. When the officer contacted them they said they were, "fishing for whatever they could catch." No one had a fishing license. ID's were checked which led to one angler going to jail on two outstanding warrants.

FISHERMAN FLOP

CO Joe Frear (Waseca) reported an angler kicked over his pail when he saw the officer coming. An overlimit of fish remained flopping in the grass.

TWO VIOLATIONS FOR ONE OFFICER

CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) encountered an angler fishing along a riverbank that had walked around a fence and was fishing right under a "No Trespassing" sign. While Kuske was explaining to the angler what penalties went along with Gross Misdemeanor Trespassing the angler pointed out that there were a lot of dead leaves floating down stream intermittently during the afternoon. Upon further investigation a resident upstream was found dumping yard waste and leaves in the stream. Enforcement action was taken for placing fill in public waters.

QUITE A LINE

CO Kevin Prodzinski (Zumbrota) reported a fisherman was catching walleye and using monofilament line as a stringer to tie them to rocks under the water in attempt to conceal them when checked. Other walleyes were found concealed in the bottom of large tackle boxes.

LOST AND FOUND

CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) saw a vehicle parked at a Mississippi River bridge and looked around for shore fishermen. No anglers were found but a set of car keys matching the vehicle was found in the grass on the riverbank. Kuske tracked down the vehicle owners' cell phone number and contacted him assuming he had left the vehicle behind because he had lost the keys. The owner said he was out on the river in a boat fishing and did not lose any car keys. They he checked for the keys and found that, low and behold, he had lost his keys! The anglers were thankful the officer had found them.

GOOD TIME DOCUMENTS RESULT IN CITATION

CO Neil Freborg (Lake George) reported some young people had a large party at the county access to a small trout lake. The litter they left behind filled five garbage bags, which were picked up by Hubbard County Parks personnel. They also left behind a disposable camera, which had been used to document the "good time" they had. The officer had the pictures developed, spoke to local liquor store employees, and finally located the person responsible for the party. He received a $270 citation for litter.

[msm1018]

Sorry to say but some people are just down right stupid.

[CrappieJohn]

These stories are great. The last one really brings back memories.

There was an old hilltop where the kids would party. From that hill they could see for a long ways and were always alerted to the man with the star. This hill was always littered with cans and dump, so I'd go up there every Monday morning and pick up cans and put the garbage in bags and leave them for the county road crews to pick up.

One Monday I ran into a deputy up there. There had been a wild one there the Saturday before and word was that the keg(s) were still there and he was trying to find them. He did not....but I did. Four full and one partial 8's. There tapped unit still had the tap and gas bottle attached and ran the nicest nectar when pulled! Needless to say, there was a Monday night gathering at my house.

But the real find was a pair of jeans with a checkbook and wallet in them along with a bra and panties from another, obviously of different sex, individual. So I bag this stuff up and when I get home I call this guy to make arrangements for a return to him. A guy answers, yes they are his and is not at all surprised that these things were found when I said I found a wallet and checkbook. "Bring'm over if you can I lost my keys too", he says. Now when I get there he is not home, but a woman says she will take care of the stuff and hands me a twenty for my trouble. As I was leaving the profanity started up and I don't think it ended any time soon afterward. Why don't I think that those women's underwear were her's?

[united jigsticker]

Tom...Tom...Tom...Tom...Tom...Tom...I can't find the words old boy.

[icehousebob]

Tom, You let down your species or your gender or something like that. On the upside--you got 20 bucks and lots of free beer. I,d say you were ahead on points.

Our party spot was an old gravel pit with two entrances/exits with locked gates. It had a big firepit and an old refrigerator for packing ice around kegs of whatever beverage could be legally consumed by the group.

[USPENAMC]

I still remember my wife shouting profanities and kicking me out after she found those panties in my pants Thanks for returning my pants and wallet

[USPENAMC]

I WAS JUST KIDDING ON THAT ONE HOPE I MADE SOMEONE FALL FOR IT

dave

[WAG416]

That was a good one.

I fell for it.

WAG

[Gissert]

I love reading those CO reports from the DNR webpage. I have one in my office from about this time last year that still makes me chuckle.

"CO investigated an incident where bar patrons killed a beaver with pool cues in the parking lot of a local establishment. During the interviews, there was no good reason for killing the beaver."

This happened in the region where I live. I can just see some guy running into the bar, telling his buddies that there was a beaver in the parking lot and they needed to get it. I wonder if they used house cues?

[ChuckN]

Personally, that one cannot be topped Gissert!!

Tom, talk about a find!

[Farley]

O.k., I've been to plenty of party's back in my high school days out in the gravel pits, fields, statelands, whatever. I like to think I'm a seasoned vet of those kinds of party's, but there was never one time, not once, that I left the party without my pants.

"PARTY AT THE MOONTOWER!"

[Eric Wettschreck]

I'm with Farley. However, I once had to look for my pants so I could leave.

[CrappieJohn]

You are one smart man Farley!

[fishnhooks]

I'm with Farley as well, But sometimes didn't care if I had pants or not at the end of the night Ah, the good Ol' days! Last weekend was great

"hooks"

[upnorth]

That one put a smile on my face How the hell do you leave a party without your pants?

[Granny]

WHAT!!! How do you leave without all that beer? Pants are cheap!

Granny

[CrappieJohn]

The party as I understand it was on a Saturday night and the cops chased the kids out of there twice before returning the third time and arresting a number of the people. I'd be willing to bet that the gent without the jeans was there on Sunday night as I found the goods on Monday morning.

I thought it was funny when the deputy came along and told me that he was looking for beer....I mean back then it seemed that's all I looked for along with what the dude without the pants was looking for.

I've often wondered about that guy and whether his wife set his goods on the porch. What a bummer....no nookie, detox, the slammer and then go home to ..what?

[FOOT]

Tom, that hilltop wouldn't be North of town by the old Sehl Farm wold it? That's where we would go during H.S. but we didn't leave a bunch of dump laying around. We always cleaned up after ourselves.

Also there use to be a farm drive on the right side of 63 North of town where myself and a buddy found 5 empty cases of beer bottles and 3 full ones as well. We cashed in the empties and drank the full ones. Not only did we have cash for gas but we had a heck of a party out to Sandy Point.

[CrappieJohn]

West of IBM Foot...about two miles. That hill isn't even around anymore thanks to builders.

[Dan Thiem]

Oh.... The Sandy Point Flats. Wild days indeed!

[upnorth]

Yeah, but the walk home has gotta be a little brisk to say the least...and well if you run in to someone else you may feel at least a little funny