MN DNR Weekly Report

[Lee Borgersen]

        MN DNR Weekly Report

 Nov 19, 2014
 
District 5 - Eveleth area

CO Darrin Kittelson (International Falls) reports second weekend of deer firearms season similar to first weekend with very few deer being seen or taken. However, enforcement action was up with several transporting loaded firearms cases, a couple of cases involving illegal possession of drug paraphernalia and small amount of marijuana, failure to obtain car kill deer permit, discharge firearm from motor vehicle at deer decoy, operate ATV during closed hours, and assisted State Patrol and Koochiching County Sheriff’s Deputy with driving while under the influence of alcohol case.

CO Jim Van Asch (International Falls) reports assisting COs Patten and Kittelson with a call about an injured swan stuck on a slightly frozen pond just outside of Big Falls. The number of deer hunters taking to the woods was low again this past week and weekend. CO Van Asch did see a slight increase in the success of these hunters with hunters reporting harvesting more bucks then the opening weekend. Enforcement action was taken for transporting loaded firearms, operating an ATV during restricted times, burning prohibited materials, and failure to have a hunting license in possession.

CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports very little deer hunting activity observed over the week. Public access sites were monitored and watercraft storage worked on. Spare time was spent on administrative items.

CO Brad Schultz (Cook) reports fish houses are starting to show up on some of the smaller bays of Lake Vermilion and some of the smaller lakes in the area. Ice thickness varies greatly so check the ice often and don’t venture out alone. A wolf incident was investigated. Deer hunting remains slow with few deer and not many hunters.

CO Marc Hopkins (Tower) reports that the deer hunting season has been a little tough for local hunters. The cold and the reduced deer herd have made it a tougher season than the past. The number of hunters has reduced drastically from the opening weekend. Enforcement was taken on following issues: fail to validate tag, no deer license, and hunting during the two day waiting period. Officer investigated report of boat left at access on Lake Vermilion, and a wetland violation. Questions were addressed dealing with the new Vermilion State Park with regards to the firearms season. CO Hopkins, CO Bermel, and an 1854 CO investigated a deer stand in a state park and posting of land issues. Ice is starting to form on Lake Vermilion and all of the smaller lakes are iced over. Remember that it is still unsafe to venture out on the ice.

CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) worked balsam bough and spruce top cutters, a dog in a snare complaint, but spent most of the week working the ongoing deer firearms season. Some hunters have resorted to shooting does from the road (in a buck’s only zone) and trespassing. Two hunters were even found trespassing on the officer’s land. They were advised that they should have looked a little closer to the name on the no trespassing sign. Cold temperatures and the lack of deer have kept many hunters out of the woods as long as they normally would have or they gave up all together. Hunters are reminded that they cannot mix archery and rifle hunters together in the same party as two separate parties with the issue were encountered. Enforcement action was taken on hunt deer without a license, hunt deer with an invalid license, unlawful party hunting, transport loaded firearm, trespassing, untagged deer, unregistered ATV, and a traffic violation for a hunter running a stop sign nearly colliding with the officer.

CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) prepared and sent in reports to court for violations of big game hunting activity during the opening weekend of deer season. Numerous reports were taken of people shooting deer and specifically doe’s from the roadway. Enforcement action was taken for transporting untagged big game animal. 

CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) received a complaint from hunters up at their cabin that when they left for a short time someone drove into the yard and stole a 7-point buck from the meat pole. He received multiple separate calls of hunting from the road and shooting does, in this buck’s only zone. Fredin checked hunters in the woods and visited cabins with most hunters stating few to no deer seen but, plenty of wolf tracks. Balsam bough pickers were checked and a complaint of pickers entering private land is being investigated. Violations of possess small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia were addressed.

Ray - vacant.

District 6 - Two Harbors area
CO Sean Williams (Ely) reports deer hunting activity has slowed significantly on the echo trail, with only a fraction of the hunters seen last weekend. Deer activity seemed to be up but very few hunters were successful in the cold and wind. Violations included: no blaze orange, and fail to register deer.

CO Marty Stage (Ely) worked white fish netting and deer hunters. The season was off to a slow start and very few deer were taken right away, but as the season progresses, a few more are being found. The lakes are icing up and the fishermen are getting restless. Be careful with the new ice as always. Remember have your fishing or spearing license in possession when on the ice.

CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) reports as the old saying goes, “Some people will do almost anything for a buck.” One minute a hunter is admiring his prized trophy buck, thinking about entering it in a big buck contest with visions of cash and prizes. The next minute he sees his unlawfully taken animal and his rifle leaving with the local CO and sheriff’s deputy. All he is left with is one of those parting gifts from the CO that you just don’t want. Enforcement action was taken for unlawfully taken deer, lend/borrow hunting tags, no hunter orange, failing to validate tags and drive ATV around barricade into closed area.

CO Mary Manning (Hovland) continued to work the cold and blustery firearms deer season. Many hunters have opted to troll the back roads looking for the deer of opportunity rather than find one the old fashion way. The officer followed up on baiting cases from past seasons and handled a nuisance bear complaint. CO Manning also patrolled areas ripe for illegal, late night deer shining.

CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) primarily worked firearms deer hunters throughout the week, along with checking the first ice activity of the year. The first northern spearer of the season hadn’t purchased a spearing license. One individual was encountered for the second time in a month road hunting in possession of marijuana. Other enforcement action included transporting a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, fail to validate deer tag, hunt on invalid license (2-day waiting period), fail to register deer within 48 hours, and drive in violation of limited license.

CO David Schottenbauer (Silver Bay) worked area deer hunting activity. While area hunters were having a hard time finding tracks, much less deer, the ice seemed to be setting up nicely on some area lakes. The lack of deer and cold temps prompted several hunters to try their luck on the road. A few of them were found to be driving around with uncased and loaded guns bouncing around their front seats, enforcement action taken.

CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) spent the week checking deer hunters. Deer harvest success has been very low along the North Shore. The officer assisted the State Patrol with a semi-truck that veered off the high-way into the woods taking out several large trees along the way. Enforcement action was taken for big game and traffic violations.

CO Don Murray(Two Harbors) worked the second frigid weekend of firearms deer season along the North Shore with few deer seen harvested. Murray continued with trapping and trespass investigations along with an illegal trash dumping complaint. Many lakes were observed to be completely frozen over already with some shallow lakes with a few inches of ice

District 7 - Grand Rapids area
CO Randy Patten (Northome) checked deer hunters and worked complaints for baiting, shooting from a roadway, trespass, hunter harassment, and operating a motor vehicle in a prohibited area. Enforcement action taken for using radios to take big game.

CO Jayson Hansen (Bigfork) worked small game, big game, and ATV activity. Violations included hunt deer over bait, use radios to take game, lend borrow a license, illegal transportation of big game, deer over-limit, fail to validate tag, fail to register deer, and operate ATV in closed hours, and on a county road.

CO Mike Fairbanks (Deer River) checked hunters, worked trapping complaints, monitored bough harvesting activity and investigated trespass calls. In one incident CO Fairbanks and his K-9 partner Si were able to locate a spent rifle casing at a baited deer stand. Enforcement action was taken for use radio to take deer, over limit of deer, fail to validate license, hunt over bait, trespass, cut boughs without consent of property owner and transport loaded firearm.

CO Sarah Sindelir (Grand Rapids) checked  big game and small game activity this past week. She investigated a complaint of road hunting and handled a call concerning an injured deer stuck on a recently froze over lake. Enforcement action was taken for several deer hunting violations, firearms violations and small game violations.

CO Thomas Sutherland (Grand Rapids) worked deer hunters and late season duck hunters over the past week. Limited success was had by deer hunters in the area with cold temperatures and deer numbers being down. Enforcement action was taken for trespassing, failing to validate a deer tag at the site of kill and failing to tag a deer.

CO Gary Lefebvre (Pengilly) worked trappers, bough cutters, and deer hunters. He responded to several hunting complaints during the week.

CO Shawn Wichmann (Hill City) spent the week working deer hunting activity. Enforcement action was taken for felon in possession of a firearm, untagged deer and failure to validate license. Wichmann also assisted in looking for a lost hunter.

CO John Velsvaag (NE Regional ATV officer) patrolled for ATVs being utilized by deer hunters. He took calls and complaints of big game hunting violations as well as trapping violations. CO Velsvaag responded to a car accident where a grey wolf was hit and killed. Deer hunting enforcement was the majority of the work load this past week. He assisted district officers with investigations as well.

District 8 - Duluth area
CO Andy Schmidt (Brookston) followed up on complaints of trespassing, shoot from the roadways and ATV operation during closed hours. Enforcement action was taken for transporting loaded firearms and ATV violations.

CO Randy Hanzal (Duluth) reports colder temperatures appeared to curtail hunters.  Complaints of ATV operation during closed periods and hunters hunting from motor vehicles are being reported and investigated. During the week, Hanzal assisted the county in locating a missing person. A deer was discovered illegally shot by an archer and just left to rot near Basswood road in Duluth. If you have any information about these senseless and illegal killing please call.

CO Kipp Duncan (Duluth) continues to work the firearm deer season. Many hunting shacks were checked during the week. Investigations from TIP’s  and proactive work continued.  Complaint areas of shooting from the road and night shining of deer were concentrated on during the week. Many telephone calls were also received.

CO Jeff Humphrey (Cromwell) continued to follow up on active investigations from deer season. These investigations included shooting from the roadway, illegal shining activity, trespass, shooting from a motor vehicle, hunting over bait, illegal ATV use and failing to validate a deer license. Officer Humphrey also fielded several calls regarding deer permit areas and what was legal to take.

CO Scott Staples (Carlton) reports snow and cold has slowed the deer hunting activity in the area. Several hunters are reporting that they are seeing very few deer. Enforcement action was taken for license violations and complaints of hunting over bait and shining are being investigated. One hunter was stopped while operating his ATV against traffic, after dark, on Highway 23 and with no lights on. After getting him stopped and questioning his driving actions, he was found to be intoxicated and was arrested for DUI.

WREO Mike Scott worked with DNR Forestry on a forestry trespass issue on state land for timber theft and WCA issues for the trespass; investigation is ongoing. Checked deer hunters in the St. Louis/Carlton County areas. Very low hunter success reported and seen, but spirts were still high. A shooting from the road complaint was investigated with other officers and enforcement action was taken for not validating deer tag at site of kill.

Lake Superior Marine Unit
Sgt. Keith Olson (Marine Unit) worked several details with fellow District 8 officers. During the week deer camps checked and observed many left camp early and headed for home. Olson assisted an Officer with a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle investigation which was turned over to a Fond du Lac officer. Snowmobiles have been running some of the trails in the Duluth area. A baiting complaint was investigated but the information proved to be unreliable. Trappers were checked in the Cotton area and road kill permits were issued.

CO Matt Miller (Marine Unit) checked deer hunters and trappers. While investigating a dumping complaint at one public water access, another person was caught in the act dumping at a different access nearby. Responsibly disposing of your trash is cheaper for everyone. A wolf complaint was checked  and deer season work was done with other Duluth area officers.  Enforcement action for small game and litter violations were also handled.

CO Troy Ter Meer (Marine Unit) worked deer hunting activity most of the week, including trespassing complaints, shoot from roadway, shoot doe in buck only area, operating ATVs in restricted areas and restricted times and hunting over bait. Ter Meer continued deer season work in complaint areas. Enforcement action was taken for big game violations, ATV issues and drug activity.