Conservation officer tales - March 2006

Conservation Officer (CO) Luke Croatt (Wealthwood) reported the week's extra line winner goes to a party with four extra lines. Croatt was working with a neighboring officer when he drove up to an angler with two extra lines. The angler said he was fishing with his aunt and uncle who were in a fish house and his brother who was fishing about 200 yards away. A check of the fish house found both parties with an extra line down. After Croatt finished issuing a citation to that party for two extra lines, he spoke to his brother who had four lines on top of the ice and two down. He stated the lines were out so he could fish with other lures. Croatt returned several hours later to find the brother had all six lines down. Second place goes to a party with three extra lines. The friends he was fishing with did not have a license and would not admit to fishing. Other multi-line thrill seekers were also caught.

CULTURAL DIVIDE

CO Joe Frear (Waseca) reported an angler told him a semi-truck and trailer drove off the highway and onto the ice and asked the angler for directions to a business. The truck driver asked why all these 'shacks' were in this field. The angler told the driver it was a lake and he was parked on the ice. The driver quickly left. The angler believed the driver was from the deep south and had never seen a frozen lake or fish house before.

UP IN SMOKE

CO Tim Collette (Longville) reported a member of a group of anglers was found to have marijuana on him. When asked if he had any more, the angler said, "not with me, but I have more back at the cabin." When the same question was asked back at the cabin, all four anglers brought out their own marijuana supplies. Citations were issued to everybody.

FINE AMOUNT WOULD HAVE BOUGHT A LOT OF WALLEYE FILLETS

CO Bret Grundmeier (Mora) found an unattended, baited tip-up on an area lake with boot tracks leading from the tip-up to a lake home. Grundmeier knocked on the door of the lake home to speak with the owner of the tip-up and found nobody around. After about 30 minutes or so, the homeowner returned from running errands and was issued a $122 citation for the unattended line. The lake homeowner stated, "That would have bought a lot of walleye fillets."

NO STRANGERS

CO Adam Block (Prior Lake) reported an ATV was located driving on the ice without the required headlight on and expired registration. Further investigation resulted in a DWI arrest of the operator, who was twice over the legal limit. The operator was no stranger to Block. Recently, Block cited the operator for angling with extra lines, over-limit of bluegills and no fish shelter license. Also, two anglers checked on an area lake were found to be consuming alcoholic beverages illegally. Block recognized the two anglers from a contact a month ago on Prior Lake when they were both cited for underage consumption of alcohol. One of the anglers stated he was advised by his father not to drink on Prior Lake, "because the DNR is out there," but failed to listen. The angler said he didn't think the DNR would check the same lake he was found breaking the same law on a month later.

THEN EXPLAIN THE TRACKS?

CO Karl Hadrits (Crosby) located one angler on a remote lake who was found to be over-limit of northern pike and fishing with extra lines. He told the officer he was taking extra fish and using extra lines for his wife, whom he said had left the area recently in another vehicle. What he couldn't explain was why there was only one set of vehicle tracks on the entire lake, which went right to the truck he was sitting in.

YOU CAN'T BAIL YOURSELF OUT ON THIS ONE

CO Adam Block (Prior Lake) spent the week monitoring ice-angling activity. Many anglers were out sitting on pails rather than in shelters due to warm weather and having good success. One angler was found having too much success. As Block approached the angler, he tipped his pail over and began dumping bluegills back through the ice using his ice scoop to push the fish into the water. Block escorted the angler away from the pail. As Block counted the bluegills on the ice, the angler kicked two bluegills into the hole. The angler was found 20 over the limit.

READY, SET, CITATION

CO Dan Starr (Tower) passed a group of six snowmobilers sitting on the trail on the lake at night. He turned around to see if they needed help. Upon pulling up to them, he noticed four of them were lined up to race. He was able to get his radar out in preparation for the upcoming race. All four took off and were clocked at more than 80 miles per hour. Citations were issued.

NO, WE’VE MET BEFORE

CO Phil Seefeldt (Moorhead) cited two individuals for use of marijuana in a fish house when another individual came up to the officer from another house. Seefeldt asked if he was angling and the gentleman produced an angling license. Seefeldt then asked if they had ever met before; the individual responded "no." Seefeldt called dispatch to run the individual for warrants and it came back that he had one for failure to appear in court for angling with extra lines, which he was cited for by Seefeldt last fall. The individual was transported to the Becker County jail.

SIGN PAINTER DOESN'T HAVE MUCH OF AN EXCUSE

CO Mike Shelden (Alexandria) checked an unmarked fish shelter and asked the occupant/owner why he didn't have identification on the fish shelter. The man said he didn't have much of an excuse since he owned a sign painting and lettering business and had made several ID plaques for other fish shelter owners.

SMOKE HOUSE

While checking anglers CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) checked a fish house that was full of marijuana smoke when the anglers opened the door. No fish were being caught since there were no lines down the holes they had drilled, but one individual was cited for the marijuana and another was found to have an outstanding warrant out for his arrest.

NO FEAR

CO Brett Oberg (Maplewood) reported buffalo returned to William O'Brien State Park, if only for a little while. Two bull buffalo were on the loose in northern Washington County and while free decided to take a hike through the state park. Oberg assisted in herding the buffalo by ATV and learned quickly that buffalo aren't too scared of a conservation officer on an ATV.