MN DNR Conservation Officer Tales - July 2006

[Dave]

STOPPED TOWED AND ARRESTED

CO Bruce Lawrence (Pine City) investigated a case involving a couple of anglers killing a sturgeon. The anglers were very uncooperative with one of them driving off during the interview. Lawrence discovered the angler's driving privileges were revoked. He contacted the Pine County Sheriff's Department. The car was stopped, the vehicle towed and driver arrested.

SIMPLE AS A TURN OF THE KEY

CO Greg Verkuilen (Garrison) and CO Dan Perron (Onamia) were able to demonstrate their outboard motor repair skills recently. Two anglers were seen coming off Mille Lacs Lake at 4 a.m. and they claimed both of their boat motors had failed them. The officers suggested a mere turn of the key and pull of the starter rope would have resolved the motor problems. The anglers were cited for violating the Mille Lacs night ban and no boat lights.

BRUISED EGOS

CO Brad Schultz (Center City) received a call at 2 a.m. on a Saturday requesting he respond to a boat that was "stuck on a bog" on an area lake. The officer knew there were no bogs on the lake and subsequently located the boat and its occupants. It seems that while running on full plane, at night, on a lake with which they were unfamiliar, they were consulting a map to determine their location. The boat went through approximately 50 feet of cattails surrounding an island and stopped about four feet past the waterline on the island. To reach the island they also managed to go right through a significant stump field without hitting any of them. No injuries, but bruised egos summed up the situation.

DON'T PLACE CHILDREN IN THE CARGO BOX

CO Tim Jenniges (Windom) spent many hours working off-road vehicle enforcement for Safe Wheelin' Weekend. One ATV operator was observed driving on a county road with two children who were not wearing helmets. Furthermore, one of the children was lying down in a cargo box in the back of the ATV.

YOU DO THE MATH

CO Kevin Prodzinski (Zumbrota) observed a group of very successful fishermen who were keeping everything they caught. A check of their catch before they left the area found them in possession of 243 white bass. Unfortunately, there were only seven legal fishermen. Appropriate enforcement action was taken. The daily and possession limit is 30 white bass per angler.

THAT ARGUMENT IS ALL WET

CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) observed a boater without a life jacket on board. When approached, the operator said the officers were harassing him, and that it was an unneeded regulation that the state makes. The operator became very irate with the officers when he received a citation for no PFD.

ONE STRINGER, TWO FISH

An angler called CO Tim Collette (Longville) to report he left a two-pound bass overnight on a stringer tied to the dock. In the morning he found a 35 ½" northern on the stringer instead, with a large bulge in its stomach. After trying to remove the bass and stringer from the northern without success, the angler called the CO because he did not want to get caught with the northern since it was on a lake with a protected slot for northerns from 24- to 36-inches.

ODD BEHAVIOR

CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) received a call of a very odd behaving deer. The deer showed up in the back of a homeowner's yard and attacked the family dogs. The deer would not run away even when the homeowner yelled at it. The deer eventually left after the homeowner drove a vehicle towards it, chasing it into the woods.

MOOSE RANS SQUAD

CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) reported people observing what are apparently sick moose in the wild are becoming more common. A deputy sheriff brought a video to Fagerman of a moose doing circles in the road and then running into the deputy's squad car. The moose then ran off into the woods.

EXPLAIN THAT AGAIN

CO Randy Hanzal (Brookston) received a call about a person shooting seagulls. Upon investigating, the officer found a dead seagull with birdshot holes in it and several recently fired shotgun shells. The suspect said he was shooting ground squirrels at the time and did not know how the seagull died. The question was not how the seagull died, but how the suspect could mistake the seagull for a ground squirrel.

ANIMAL WHISPERER

CO Dale Ebel (Duluth) was flagged down by a person in a parking lot. Pulling over he saw a skunk with a pop can stuck on its head. Ebel slowly walked up and put his hand on the skunk's back while at the same time holding the pop can. In a calm voice he tried to pacify the animal. After several tries, the can popped off the skunk's head. Ebel wrote, "The skunk raised his head and looked right at me. He slowly backed off and walked away with his tail down, which I was really thankful for." At last sight the skunk was walking into the woods.

HAIR RAISING EXPERIENCE FOR CO

CO Randy Hanzal (Brookston) had several problem bear calls during the week including one case where a large plastic jar was stuck on a bear's head. Several attempts to remove the plastic jar were unsuccessful. Finally the bear was hog-tied and the bucket literally cut off. The bear appeared healthy. The day before a man was cited for littering, then complained about the high priced ticket and wanted to know, "What's the big deal? It was just a couple of cans and a candy wrapper!" Every year many animals and birds are injured or killed by trash left in their home.

POP-TOP ANGLERS CITED

CO Tim Jenniges (Windom) and COC Mathy observed two fishermen throwing a line in the water by hand and reeling in the line with the aid of a pop can. When Mathy asked to see the men's angling licenses, one man stated he did not know he needed an angling license because there were no signs posted on shore that said he needed an angling license to fish. The man went on to say that using a fishing line, hook and pop can for a reel did not really count as fishing anyway. Neither man had a fishing license. Mathy politely informed them that fishing with a line and pop can was the same as fishing with a rod and reel.

LIKE FATHER LIKE SONS

CO Joe Stattelman (Detroit Lakes) responded to a call of several campers on an island on Lake Seven designated a loon nesting area. There are several buoys with signs telling people to keep off. A campfire ring and firewood were removed from the island; the campers were tracked down due to a tip. One person thought it was okay to camp there since the "Keep Off" signs were only on one side of the island.

ILLEGAL CATCH

CO Joe Stattelman (Detroit Lakes) encountered a man and his wife fishing. As Stattelman asked for the woman's fishing license, she gave it to him and proceeded to cast her line back into the water narrowly missing his head. He then proceeded to check the man for his license, which he did not have on him. Stattelman started to write a warning while the man continued to fish. Stattelman asked the man to set the rod down until he was finished. As the man set the rod down, he got a bite and landed a 39-inch muskie, which was returned to the water.

OUT OF GAS AND INTO JAIL

CO Gary Forsberg (Fergus Falls), and CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) encountered a party with an active warrant for writing bad checks. The party had stopped in a small town and issued a bad check to a local business but was unable to leave because he was out of gas. Drugs and drug paraphernalia were also found on the party.

WOUNDED LOON WOUNDS MAN

CO Tim Collette (Longville) received a call from a person who sought medical attention after they had picked up a wounded loon. The person received several stab wounds from the loon's beak in the process. A reminder to please not pick up wildlife.

THE LONG REACH OF THE LAW

CO Joel Heyn (Hastings) went up in the State Patrol helicopter to take pictures of a fish kill and check on a wildlife management area (WMA) where there is a problem with vehicle trespass. A truck was observed in the WMA. While the helicopter hovered near the truck, Heyn took pictures of the license plate and driver. The trooper landed the helicopter and Heyn got out and contacted the driver and informed him that citations would be in the mail. As they were leaving, they observed a second truck coming into the WMA. When the driver saw the helicopter, he turned around and sped out of the area. Heyn was able to videotape the truck, license plate and driver. The owner of the second truck was contacted later that night. The owner's license was suspended and he was mailed citations for driving in the WMA and driving with a suspended license.

[LMITOUT]

Quote:

---

ANIMAL WHISPERER

CO Dale Ebel (Duluth) was flagged down by a person in a parking lot. Pulling over he saw a skunk with a pop can stuck on its head. Ebel slowly walked up and put his hand on the skunk's back while at the same time holding the pop can. In a calm voice he tried to pacify the animal. After several tries, the can popped off the skunk's head. Ebel wrote, "The skunk raised his head and looked right at me. He slowly backed off and walked away with his tail down, which I was really thankful for." At last sight the skunk was walking into the woods.

---

[Fishin4Life]

Thanks Dave, I always like reading these.