DNR REPORT Muzzleloaders

[Lee Borgersen]

CO Report: Muzzleloaders monitored on opening week

Dec 3, 2016 


CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) checked muzzleloader deer hunters, trappers and late season grouse hunters. A few remaining anglers were seen fishing on area lakes. The lakes in the area are still open with only marsh areas beginning to freeze.

CO Duke Broughten (Longville) spent the week monitoring trapping and hunting activity. CO Broughten continued investigations from the 2016 firearms deer season. CO Broughten prepared cases for the county attorney and also assisted local law enforcement with a vehicle crash and rescued a boater on Leech Lake.

CO Jeff Halverson (Staples) worked snowmobilers and muzzleloader deer season. Contacts made for failure to display registration on snowmobiles.

CO Chelsey Best (Remer) worked trapping, snowmobile and muzzleloader enforcement. Very few hunters turned out for the muzzleloader opener this weekend. Deep, wet snow remains in the woods making travel difficult. Snowmobilers are reminded that most trail systems do not open until Dec. 1 and with the ground unfrozen under the snow, too much activity can cause damage to the trails. CO Best issued multiple car-kill deer tags this week and investigated a turkey poaching case near Upper Trelipe. Enforcement action was taken for snowmobiles operating on a county road.

CO Jim Guida (Brainerd 2) worked the opening of the muzzleloader season. Officer Guida continued to work investigations from the firearms season. A few car kill permits were issued.

A call of an injured goose was received; it was determined that the goose went back into the water and swam away.

CO Randy Posner (Brainerd) reports that he worked muzzleloader deer hunting opener. Violations of trespass and untagged deer were found. Complaints of vehicles on closed trails in the Pillsbury forest were investigated. A complaint of road hunters in the Pillager area was investigated. Ice anglers were out and catching some fish. However the ice conditions are poor and inconsistent and dangerous, some areas that had ice last week are now open again.

Reports of double trippers and anglers using extra lines on open water received enforcement time.

CO Tim Collette (Pequot Lakes) followed up on cases from the firearms deer season, checked muzzleloader deer hunters, and monitored the first snowmobile activity of the year. Violations included hunting deer over bait, allowing illegal juvenile snowmobile operation, leaving deer stands on an Aquatic Management Area overnight, and expired registrations on snowmobiles.

CO Patrick McGowan (Pine River) worked late season waterfowl hunters throughout the week. CO McGowan also continued to work on cases from this past firearms deer season. Enforcement action was taken for waterfowl stamp violations.

CO Sam Hunter (Park Rapids) checked ATV's, trappers and hunters. Officer Hunter located a

dead juvenile bald eagle. CO Hunter also had contact with two hunters that were in possession of marijuana and a loaded firearm.

CO Gregory Verkuilen (Garrison) checked hunters on opening weekend of muzzleloader deer season. Trappers were out in full force as additional species opened up and open water is extending the use of water sets. Officer Verkuilen also checked ATV traffic and answered questions regarding the Mille Lacs ice opener.

CO Dan Starr (Onamia) worked on deer season carcass dumping activity and other issues related to leaving property on WMA areas. Duck hunters were observed and checked, with very few ducks in the bag. Enforcement action was taken for transporting loaded gun, no federal waterfowl stamp, unsigned stamp, and shooting from motor vehicle. A hunter harassment complaint was work in which Officer Starr basically refereed two neighbors as they aired out

disagreements. Luckily the situation got better and hopefully the neighbors can build a better

relationship in the future. A reminder to folks that come across road kill or road injured deer; you need permission from some sort of law enforcement authority or dispatch to take the deer.

CO Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley) continued to follow up on cases from the firearms deer season and monitored archery and muzzleloader hunting activity. Trapping activity was slower than normal with the unusually warm weather. A lack of cold temperatures also continued to keep area lakes open and a small handful of anglers were out trying their luck with very late, open water fishing.

CO Luke Croatt (Wealthwood) checked small game and archery hunters during the week and weekend. A few duck hunters were out trying open water hunting on Mille Lacs Lake. Time was also spent investigating a baiting complaint.

CO Rhonda Friese (Long Prairie) found it difficult to determine how many muzzleloader hunters were out over opening weekend as dense foggy conditions made visibility difficult. A wetlands restoration order was issued. There were a few anglers out.

CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) handled numerous calls of people wanting permits for car kill deer and bucks they had found after deer season and they want to salvage the antlers. Questions on trapping regulations came in and Officer Kuske assisted a township with solutions to handling beaver dams that are on private property and causing problems with the roads.

CO Paul Kuske (Pierz) received a call from a person that found "No Trespassing" signs posted on a piece of public land. It was determined that a person had bought some adjacent land but did not research where the boundary lines were resulting in a large piece of county land being posted with his signs, which he agreed to remove. A wildlife possession permit was issued to a person for the antlers of a buck that was found left over from the firearm deer season. The first wave of deer carcass dumping calls were received, hunters are reminded to dispose of their deer parts responsibly, not just throw them in the ditch. Separate calls were received about dogs chasing deer, even though no dogs were seen in either incident, the callers assumed it was taking place because they had seen dog tracks in their woods.