DNR enforcement report Dec 10

[Lee Borgersen]

Here are highlights from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer (CO) reports for the week ending Dec. 10 2012.

Ice has formed, melted and re-formed on Minnesota lakes causing tricky conditions for early ice anglers. On Upper Red Lake, early anglers report a fair walleye bite.

 

 
Near Bemidji, CO Brice Vollbrecht responded to a TIP complaint of an individual who shot a deer at 3 a.m. with the aid of a light while the deer was feeding from a corn pile. The nine-point buck was found in the suspect’s garage with corn kernels stuck on its lips. Charges are pending.

Officers also assisted Beltrami County in finding a missing hunter who was located at his cabin, splitting firewood. He was instructed to call his worried wife.

CO Chris Vinton (Perham) and COC Regas responded to a report of a mortally-wounded swan that had struck a power line. The swan was turned over to the Glendalough State Park staff for use in a wildlife display.

Muzzleloader and archery deer hunting continue. Many hunters took advantage of nice weather. Several groups were checked by CO Jeff Johanson (Osakis) making deer drives.

A few accidentally-taken fisher are coming in after the season closed. One trapper found a fisher hide lying in he ditch the day after fur registration. He picked it up and called CO Greg Oldakowski (Wadena). The animal had been shot with a shotgun, had not been tagged and had been in the ditch for some time.

An unfortunate deer that jumped off a bridge near Hibbing because of oncoming traffic, broke both front legs and had to be put down by CO Don Bozovsky.

In the Grand Rapids area, Water Resource Enforcement Officer Tony Arhart worked the start of dark house spearing on Lake Winnibigoshish. Unfortunately, some ATVs and trailers fell through the thinnest ice. No one was injured or delayed too long.

COs Kipp Duncan and Troy Ter Meer investigated a possible hunter harassment case that turned into charges of hunting over bait within the city of Duluth while archery deer hunting.

Marten and fisher trappers found very few animals in their sets this year; the unseasonably warm weather did not help. Lack of tracks in the woods also coincided with the slow trapping season.

CO Aaron Kahre (Minnetonka) investigated a complaint about a deer lying in a driveway.

In the west Metro, CO Thehphoe Le took enforcement action for a dog off leash that jumped on hikers and chased after deer.

CO Travis Muyres and K9 Hunter were requested to assist officers in Becker County to recover evidence. Hunter was deployed and the evidence was found afield.

CO Tom Hemker (Winona) and COC Holt observed two ends of duck hunting ethics. They observed two groups of hunters calling each other names and arguing about their hunting locations. Later that evening after dark, they had two different groups of hunters stop and check on them to make sure they did not have boat problems.