Cat Calls



CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) received a number of cat calls. One caller asked if a lion escaped from a zoo because a cat as tall as the hood on his pickup, paws the size of footballs, and a large brown head ran across the road in front of him. Another caller reported seeing a large Black Panther cross their field.



Mail call



CO Tom Sutherland (Hill City) received a call on an unidentified furry animal in an individual's mailbox. After driving to the individual's home, Officer Sutherland opened the mailbox to see a beady eyed creature looking him in the eyes. After examining the creature it appeared some young pranksters had placed a deceased woodchuck in the mailbox to gain a laugh. The owner of the mailbox didn't see it that way. They thought they were going to have a heart-attack when they casually opened their mailbox to retrieve the morning paper.



A conservation officer with another set of eyes



CO Karl Hadrits (Crosby) reports a concerned sportsman with a sharp eye noticed three deer with polished antlers being transported to the local dump. Investigation found that two people had legally taken the deer last muzzleloader season, had never processed them, let them hang in their attached garage for five months to rot, and had now taken them to the county dump for disposal.



This guy should have known better



CO Tim Collette (Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area) came across an angler that told the officer that he did not have a current license, but planned to get one when he went to work that day. When asked where he works, the man said he worked in the fishing department of a local sporting goods store! When asked how many times people had asked him when a new license was needed, the man admitted that he had answered that question many times and knew exactly when it was. Appropriate action was taken.



It was hard for these guys to give you a straight story



CO Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley) responded to a fire call at just after midnight and found two individuals watching an old, run-down house burn. The individuals tried to explain how they were trying to tear apart the house and burn it a little at a time when the burn pile got too close to their house. It was a challenge for the two to get their story straight, or even stand up, due to the case of beer and bottle they were into.



Boater education



CO Randy Hanzal (Brookston) stopped a boater just minutes before he was about to launch a boat carrying a livewell full of potentially contaminated water from a known infested waterway. The boater was educated both verbally and by written paper about the potential harmful effects of careless oversight.



A snack before I go



CO Mitch Sladek (Big Lake) had a report of a bear treed by a yellow lab in the Zimmerman area. CO Sladek advised the concerned citizen to remove all food, garbage and bird feeders, and then remove the dog from the area. The citizen complied but forgot a bag of dog food. The bear did come down from the tree, but proceeded in eating the bag of dog food before leaving the area never to be seen again.



How a misdemeanor becomes a gross misdemeanor



CO Adam Block (Prior Lake) reports an angler was arrested after giving his brother's name and date of birth to the CO. The angler did not have a fishing license but he knew his brother had recently purchased one. After the CO looked at the driver's license photo on his squad computer, of the name given to the officer, he pointed out to the angler that he had falsified his identity. The angler stated he was not aware COs could look up driver's license photos online in their patrol squads. The angler indicated someday technology is going to ruin the world. The angler became angry when he was informed he committed a gross misdemeanor crime by trying to elude a misdemeanor offense.