MN DNR Weekly Report Feb 9th

[Lee Borgersen]

                      MN DNR Weekly Report for Feb. 9, 2015

District 5 - Eveleth area

CO Darrin Kittelson (International Falls) reports the week's activities included animal complaints, ice fishing and snowmobile enforcement, vintage snowmobile run, and deer depredation complaint. An invasive species meeting with Koochiching County was also attended.  Found on the Arrowhead Snowmobile Trail in the Lake Kabetogama area was a Yamaha black vinyl/leather gear bag, to claim please contact CO Kittelson at (218)285-9501.


CO Jim Van Asch (International Falls) spent the week checking angling and snowmobilers throughout the area. The recent snow has rejuvenated the trail system for snowmobilers and cross country skiers over the weekend. CO Van Asch observed several machines that were quite dated and very interesting to see participating in a vintage snowmobile run on Kabetogama Lake. Fish on area lakes are still hard to come by although; a few anglers were able to put a couple in the bucket on Rainy Lake. Enforcement action was taken for operating a snowmobile in excess of posted speed limits and angling without a license in possession.

CO Brad Schultz (Cook) reports the area snowmobile trails remain in poor shape due to the lack of snow. Ice fishing remains slow and not many anglers were observed throughout the week. Office work was completed.

CO Marc Hopkins (Tower) assisted COs Fredin and Frericks with a search warrant that led to large game violation charges. The officer assisted CO Grundmeier with some problem areas in his station. CO Hopkins and CO Grundmeier interrupted a burglary in progress while checking for anglers on a remote lake at night. The officers found a vehicle coming out of a WMA. The driver was cited for possession of marijuana and sent on his way. Officers then continued their patrol into the remote area and found where tracks from the recently stopped vehicle had come from a private cabin. Further investigation found the private property freshly burglarized and damaged. CO Grundmeier and Hopkins were able to catch up to the suspect’s pickup truck and the driver was arrested for burglary, theft and criminal damage to property.

CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) worked angling, ATV, and snowmobile activity and assisted local law enforcement in searching for a stolen vehicle and the State Patrol on an impaired driver complaint. A vintage snowmobile run was worked with (nearly 200 sleds) between Chisholm and Kinney. An ATV was stopped for operating on a snowmobile trail and was also found to have drug paraphernalia. Enforcement action was taken on no angling license in possession, no ski pass on a state park ski trail, unregistered ATV, snowmobile registration display, snowmobile speed, operating an ATV on grant in aid snowmobile trail and possession of drug paraphernalia

CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) completed an investigation stemming from a TIP call about a person who was seen putting a deer in the back of his vehicle. Charges were sent to the county attorney’s office for consideration. Area snowmobile trails remain in poor condition and a groomer was finally seen attempting to groom one particular stretch of trail for the first time all season. Trout anglers have been doing well on area trout lakes. 

CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) finished up a Big Game case with CO Frericks. Fishing activity was check and a few crappies were being caught. A complaint of unmarked fish house and litter was check into. Snowmobiling is rough and the predicted snow over the weekend did not materialize.

Ray - vacant.

District 6 - Two Harbors area

CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) spent the week checking anglers and snowmobilers. Wahlstrom worked with several officers during a snowmobile detail along the State trail and up the Gunflint trail. Enforcement action was taken for snowmobile violations, possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia .

CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) checked trout anglers and snowmobilers. Activity picked up towards the end of last week as cold weather kept most people from the outdoors. Both stream trout and lake trout lakes continue to produce good numbers of fish. Snowmobile registration violations were encountered.

CO Sean Williams (Ely) reports assisting officers from around the state over the weekend with snowmobile enforcement on the Gunflint Trail. Two snowmobile events attracted several hundred riders from around the US and Canada, and the trails received heavy use. Violations included: Excessively loud snowmobile muffler, and fail to display snowmobile trail sticker.

CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) worked one snowmobile detail with Border Patrol agents and another up the Gunflint Trail with several COs. Anglers were checked in and out of the BWCA. Enforcement action was taken for litter, being too far from tip-ups, and snowmobile violations to include expired registration, fail to display registration, and loud exhaust.

CO Marty Stage (Ely) worked snowmobile details with the US Border Patrol and other DNR officers throughout the week. One party had his snowmobile registration and decal tucked below the hood and behind the front shock absorbers so far that the officer had to nearly get onto the ground to read it. The party felt it was the “cool” place to have it and informed the officer that it was okay because his friend and others had theirs applied that way and said it was okay. It is not okay and there is a specified place for the snowmobile registrations that should be followed to avoid enforcement attention. There was a lot of snowmobile traffic with the new snow this weekend and the trails took a pretty good beating. But the groomers were out working Sunday to make it all better again.

CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) worked angling and snowmobile activity during the past week. Few fish were seen caught. Litter complaints are being investigated and a legislative conference was attended.

CO David Schottenbauer (Silver Bay) took a trapping complaint where a person got caught in a snare, other than a little wounded pride, no violation was noted. CO Schottenbauer also worked two area snowmobile rides where there was a lot of activity. Several violations were noted, and the local trails took a real beating. 

District 7 - Grand Rapids area

CO Randy Patten (Northome) checked anglers on area lakes. He worked trapping and snaring activity, and looked at areas where complaints had been received about hunting deer over bait.

CO Jayson Hansen (Bigfork) checked anglers, ATV and snowmobile activity, and completed a trespass case. Violations included snowmobile on roadway,  angle with an extra line, and angle more than 200 feet from a tip-up. Anglers convicted of trespassing on posted land to access a lake will have their fishing license and snowmobile registration suspended, in addition their hunting privileges will be suspended for two years

CO Mike Fairbanks (Deer River) checked anglers, monitored snowmobile activity, attended a deer population meeting and investigated big game complaints. CO Fairbanks and his K-9 partner Si also attended the local elementary school and assisted with three DARE classes. The area walleye bite was on the upside. Enforcement action was taken for angle without license and OHV registration issues.

CO Sarah Sindelir (Grand Rapids) checked angling activity this past week. She also attended meetings held to discuss deer populations in surrounding deer permit areas and in the City of Grand Rapids.

CO Thomas Sutherland (Grand Rapids) worked angling activity in the area. CO Sutherland took enforcement action for angling with extra lines, operating an ATV that is unregistered and operating a motorized vehicle in a closed area.

CO Gary Lefebvre (Pengilly) worked fishermen during the week. He checked snowmobile trails and trappers. He also handled a litter and wanton waste case during the week.

CO Shawn Wichmann (Hill City) spent the week working fishing activity. Enforcement action was taken for anglers not having license in possession.

CO John Velsvaag (NE Region ATV officer) checked ATV and snowmobiling activity this past week. CO Velsvaag took several complaints on speeding snowmobilers and a complaint of damage to a snowmobile trail from a truck driving down the trail.

District 8 - Duluth area

CO Andy Schmidt (Brookston) worked area lakes and rivers for anglers and snowmobile traffic. Weather conditions had people out on the lakes but the bite on most lakes has been slow. The officer followed up on a public waters complaint. Phone calls regarding injured and nuisance animals were returned. Officer Schmidt assisted with a drown proofing class for the State Patrol.

CO Randy Hanzal (Duluth) spent most of the week checking anglers. There are a few anglers who are still catching some nice pan fish throughout the area. Due to the lack of snow both ice conditions and access remains very good on most lakes. Many permanent ice houses are being marked using GPS and photographed to be sure all litter and blocking is removed when the shelters are taken in for the season. A permit was issued for a road killed bobcat.

CO Kipp Duncan (Duluth) investigated a complaint of a possible illegal hunting activity during the past firearm deer season. Several possession permits were issued for a road kill deer and other dead animals. Officer Duncan fielded and returned several calls from the public. One day was spent assisting with a water safety training class for the state patrol academy. Other activity included working fishing, snowmobile, and ATV enforcement.  Many questions were answered at a local fishing contest that hosted several hundred fisherman.

CO Jeff Humphrey (Cromwell) checked angling activity on area lakes throughout the week.  CO Humphrey patrolled the Fond du Lac and Nemadji state forests for OHV and trapping activity. CO Humphrey gave a presentation to a snowmobile safety class at the Barnum High School. CO Humphrey followed up on deer season cases and monitored an ice racing event held on Big Lake in Cloquet. Angling and OHV violations were encountered.

CO Scott Staples (Carlton) K9 training for the week.

Lake Superior Marine Unit

Sgt. Keith Olson (Marine Unit) checked anglers north of Duluth. The lack of snow has left the trails vacant. Training time was spent for the MSP academy class, where the DNR team presented the water survival class.

CO Matt Miller (Marine Unit) checked ice anglers and snowmobilers. A road-killed moose was handled on a dark cold night, with all necessary samples taken for the moose mortality project and the salvageable carcass signed over to an appreciative gentleman. More snowmobiles are showing up, with rather high violation rates for modified exhaust and registration. A reminder than any exhaust modification that makes the machine louder than stock exhaust is illegal, and will be handled as such. Enforcement action taken for angling and snowmobile violations.

CO Troy Ter Meer (Marine Unit) completed training and also instructed officer water survival to the state patrol academy. He also assisted searching the area for a bank robbery suspect who was later arrested by the local police department. The officer worked the area of the big jig fishing contest and checked anglers, snowmobilers and ATV riders throughout the week. He also assisted a State of Wisconsin Game Warden investigating a snowmobile fatality with some information. Enforcement action taken for snowmobile, and angling violations.