5/3/2006
Minnesota Conservation Officer Tales - May 2006

TWO WRONGS DON'T MAKE A RIGHT

CO Jim Tischler (Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area) stopped two ATVs operating on a posted closed trail in a closed forest. The lead ATV operator told the officer he knew the forest was closed and continued on anyway. He said, "If you had been a minute later, I would have been gone." Compounding his problem, the second ATV was operated by his juvenile nephew.

RED RIVER FLOODING CASUALITY

CO Gary Forsberg (Fergus Falls) assisted Wilkin County Sheriff's deputies with a vehicle that went into the Red River. The driver apparently fell asleep, hit an approach and landed in the flooded Red River. The driver managed to escape to shore, but his dog didn't make it out of the submerged vehicle.

PROBLEMS WITH READER COMPREHENSION

While monitoring OHV activity on state forest lands, CO Gary Sommers (Walker) made contact with two individuals who had deliberately driven around a barricade that was partially blocking the road and was posted with a hot pink colored sign, stating all roads and trails were closed to all motor vehicle travel. One individual attempted to call the phone number listed on the sign, and since he didn't get an answer, felt it was okay to go around the barricade. The other individual thought the posting only applied to ATV. Sommers could not understand how much clearer the barricade and sign could be.

SAVING UP FOR THAT RAINY DAY COULD BE COSTLY

CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) was involved with four cases of people taking over limits of fish. In one case, an individual had 14 frozen packages of fish and 16 crappies taken that day and more taken the day before. The lake had special regulations that only five fish could be taken per day and a minimum size of 10 inches. Some of the fish were less than 10 inches. In another case, Osborne and CO Bertram (Sauk Center) worked on information that yielded 44 frozen bags of fish. After thawing out the fish for an accurate count, it was found there were 327 sunfish and 32 crappies that could be readily identified. There were 610 miscellaneous fillets from panfish and game fish sent to a lab for more complete identification. The two people that lived at the residence said they were saving the fish for a "rainy day." Some of the packages were dated 2001 and it is believed that some were older than that.

TECHNOLOGY IDENTIFIES WILDFIRE

CO Chris Vinton (Perham) assisted other officers with a wildfire arson detail in Becker County that resulted with charges pending on a Park Rapids man for felony wildland arson. CO pilot Murray observed several fires start and with night vision equipment was able to locate the vehicle and direct officers to the man.

BATHROOM BREAK

CO Cary Shoutz (Crosslake) had an interesting time catching up with two female anglers who ran off the dock and into the cabin as Shoutz was approaching to check their licenses. While Shoutz was knocking on the cabin door, both individuals slipped into the bathroom. After some convincing, the two did finally emerge and each was cited for fishing without a license. One of them also had an outstanding felony drug warrant and was transported to jail.

AN EXPENSIVE SATURDAY

After issuing a citation for no angling license, CO Adam Block (Prior Lake) watched the man get in his vehicle and drive away angry. Due to the previous contact with the angler, Block knew the man did not have a valid drivers license. When Block stopped the vehicle, the man indicated he was aware he did not have a valid license and stated, "This Saturday is becoming expensive." The angry angler was turned over to a state trooper who towed his vehicle.

HUMAN FIREBALL

CO Brett Oberg (Maplewood) observed some individuals bored with fishing decide to start playing with fire. The individuals seemed to be talking in a group when one of them burst into a sprint for the end of the fishing pier . . . on fire! The individual jumped off the pier into the water while another attempted to take pictures of the human fireball with a camera phone! The individual who was set on fire (by choice) was not injured. The officer put a quick end to the behavior.

HABLA ENGLISH?

CO Phil Seefeldt (Moorhead) conducted a routine angler check on the Buffalo River that resulted in the U.S. Border Patrol taking three anglers into custody for possible deportation. Seefeldt radioed the Clay County Sheriff's Department for backup after finding the anglers couldn't speak English and didn't have the required paperwork for citizenship in the United States. While issuing citations for angling without a license, one of the individuals fled the officers. Clay County deputies later took the individual into custody after finding him in the river hanging onto a fallen log.

CAUGHT ON TAPE

CO Bob Marts (Wheaton) was flagged down by a motorist and informed that a suburban had almost run them off the road. Marts caught up to the vehicle at the same time CO Tony Anderson (Morris) was meeting the vehicle from the other direction. The suburban almost ran Anderson off the road. A videotape from Anderson's dash mounted video camera was provided to a Traverse County Sheriff's deputy. The driver was possibly under the influence of drugs. A young passenger in the vehicle was not wearing a seatbelt.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) reported an individual on an old, poor running, personal watercraft was found riding facing backwards with no PFD and no registration on the machine in the cool spring lake water. The watercraft operator said he was showing off for his mother. Enforcement action was taken.

SHOCKING

CO Karl Hadrits (Crosby) reported, in one extremely unusual case, an individual was apprehended for illegally taking spawning fish by electrocuting them in their spawning beds along his shoreline with a very dangerous homemade 110-volt plug-in device.

HOOKED AGAIN

CO Todd VanderWeyst (Paynesville) observed and recognized a revoked angler fishing again, this time he had illegally purchased a husband and wife (combination) license. The angler claimed he didn't receive his fishing revocation letter from the DNR and didn’t know he could not buy a combination fishing license. The officer had a copy of the anglers revocation letter in the truck and handed it to him with another citation for angling with an invalid combination license, a seizure receipt for the equipment and fish, and reminded him he cannot fish legally in Minnesota because he is revoked and it will be for another year if convicted of the current violation.

A 1965 MODEL

CO Kevin Prodzinski (Zumbrota) reported the highlight of a recent weekend came when an angler was checked, but could only produce a 1965 resident fishing license that was purchased for $2.75.

CHILD PROTECTION ACT

CO Dean Olson (Rochester) found an unattended baby stroller with a sleeping baby inside on shore directly below a dam with fast-moving water. A further search found a young couple with another child about 100 yards away fishing. As the first parent walked over to meet the officer, the second child fell into the river and was pulled out by the mother. After the baby stroller containing the child was moved to safety, a rather long and stern lecture was given about water safety and child protection.

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