MN DNR Weekly Report

[Lee Borgersen]

                  MN DNR Weekly Report



District 5 - Eveleth area


CO Darrin Kittelson (International Falls) reports snowmobile activity still busy, however, lots of slush on lakes. Along with that lots of people busy trying to remove fish house shelters. Fish activity on Rainy Lake continues to be slow. A road kill bobcat was picked up along with handling several other animal complaints.


CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports monitoring snowmobile and angling activities thru the week. CO Fondie returned phone calls and continued work on computer and administrative tasks. Travel on area lakes remains difficult with heavy snow and deep slush. Seasonal equipment inventory has begun.


CO Brad Schultz (Cook) reports snowmobile activity remains high in the area. The area trails held up very good over the weekend. Most of the fish houses on area lakes have already been removed.


CO Dan Starr (Tower) completed some division training. Fishing success was found to be very poor. Snowmobiles were found out and about with registration and trail sticker issues taken care of. Some juveniles were found tearing up a snowmobile trail with ATVs. Parents were not very happy with their children and the enforcement action taken. Car kill deer issues and car kill owls were also taken care of. Wolves are reported to be very bold as of late, with domestic pets being of concern by the callers.


CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) worked anglers, snowmobiles, dealt with the second bobcat in two weeks that was turned in, and marked fish houses for litter enforcement. For the second time in a week, the officer observed snowmobilers tip over their sleds. The first in a steep hill ascent and the other as the driver approached the officer’s vehicle and snowmobile at a trail and road intersection. Common sense and reducing speed goes a long way, not to mention the embarrassment and potential for injury. Enforcement action was taken on angling without a license, several unregistered snowmobiles, no state trail sticker, operate snowmobile on the shoulder of a roadway and speed.


CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) spoke at a snowmobile safety class in Gilbert and ran students through the riding portion of the class. Warmer temps have taken their toll on Virginia area snowmobile trails causing them to deteriorate. Regardless of trail conditions some snowmobilers were still seen out. Enforcement action was taken for operating unregistered snowmobile and operating a snowmobile on a Grant-in-aid trail without a decal. Many sportsmen have decided to pursue crappies instead of snowmobiling. Some anglers decided to try their luck without first buying an angling license. Those anglers were issued citations for angling without a license.


CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) took care of a situation where an individual drove his car down State Snowmobile trail and got stuck. He was allowed to leave the car overnight and remove the following morning and was advised to walk or ride a sled back to the car. The following morning to check his progress it was discovered he drove a van down the trail to attempt to get the car out, the van then got stuck. It was also discovered that this same person drove a vehicle and got stuck on a State Trail in the Hibbing area three weeks prior. Both vehicles were removed by a wrecker company. Fredin check fishing in the area and a few crappie were seen but overall a slow bite. Snowmobile trials are hard packed due to the warmer temps.


Ray - vacant.


I. Falls # 2 - vacant.




District 6 - Two Harbors area


CO Mary Manning (Hovland) patrolled snowmobile trails and checked sledders on trails. The officer also gave a radio interview on ice safety and handled calls on road kill deer, dead owls and spearing for northern pike. Enforcement action was taken for failure to have angling license in possession and careless operation of snowmobiles.


CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) worked a Lake of the Woods detail with other officers during the week. Violations encountered included extra lines, unattended lines, unregistered snowmobiles, no trail stickers on snowmobiles, unregistered ATVs, drug possession, people fishing without licenses, and no snowmobile safety certificate. A citation was also issued in the CO’s station for no trout stamp while possessing trout. Follow up interviews and reports for a commercial investigation were also completed.


CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) monitored area lakes and snowmobile trails. Snowmobile trails are still in good shape. Cross country skiers were checked with overall good compliance


CO Marty Stage (Ely) worked snowmobile and ATV enforcement. ATVs are coming out again and the common observation with both types of machines is the not stopping at road crossings. It’s not just stop signs; it’s road crossings. Recreational vehicle operators are reminded that they must stop at all road crossings, not just the crossings posted with a stop sign. CO Stage observed an ATV operating on a sidewalk in town and not stopping at the road crossings but enforcement action was not possible at the time. The officer believes he knows who the operator is and will follow up accordingly.


CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt / Ely) worked anglers and snowmobilers throughout the week, as well as checked a couple beaver trappers. Fish houses being removed were monitored for litter left behind. Two ride-alongs were given to college students. Enforcement action was taken for snowmobile registration and trail sticker violations, snowmobile speed, allow illegal ATV operation by a juvenile, and litter.


CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) worked snowmobile and angling activity during the week. Area trails were freshly groomed and in great shape over the weekend which enticed some riders to exceed the 50 MPH speed limit. Enforcement action was taken for speed violations. CO Murray and CO Miller responded to a call of a snowmobile crash near Brimson when the rider lost control at night and hit a tree. Officers assisted EMS and Search and Rescue with reaching the crash site and hauling out the injured rider. The rider’s injuries were severe and the accident is under investigation.


CO Brad Johnson (Silver Bay) reports that he checked anglers and snowmobilers throughout the week. He patrolled at Tettegouche and Split Rock State Park. CO Johnson did some follow up investigation on a falconry violation.


Ely #1 - vacant.




District 7 - Grand Rapids area


CO Mike Fairbanks (Deer River) checked anglers, patrolled for snowmobile activity and responded to calls of injured deer. The snowmobile trails are still in good condition. Enforcement action was taken for angle without license, no angling license in possession and snowmobile registration issues.


Water Resource Enforcement Officer Tony Arhart (Grand Rapids) worked anglers, frozen down shelters, and bait on area infested and on other waters. Perch and panfish success has increased. Anglers complained of tough traveling conditions, travel by snowmobiles is still advised. Some fish houses are being engulfed in slush. Wetland Conservation Act cases were tracked. Enforcement action was taken for snowmobile registration and for roadway operation violations.


CO Jayson Hansen (Bigfork) and COC Belgard worked snowmobile enforcement. Trails were busy as snow and weather conditions are good. A number of violations were written including speed, operate on roadway, no registration, no trail sticker, fail to display registration, fail to display trail sticker, no snowmobile safety certificate, and fail to stop at stop sign. A call was taken of a fence being constructed on the right of way of a state highway. Enforcement action was taken on the violation. A call of a bobcat under a homeowner’s residence was also handled.


CO John Velsvaag (Region II ATV officer) helped out at a volunteer instructor banquet in Grand Rapids. CO Velsvaag checked a few anglers, mostly with poor success. CO Velsvaag checked snowmobilers who had very good conditions this past week.


CO Shawn Wichmann (Hill City) spent the week working snowmobile and fishing activity. Enforcement action was taken for speeding and failure to display registration. Pan fishing has picked up due to the warmer weather. Enforcement action was also taken on a subject burning prohibited materials. Wichmann assisted with the District instructor appreciation banquet that was held in Grand Rapids.


CO Sarah Sindelir (Grand Rapids) attended a career fair at Greenway High School. She also took a complaint of a deer stuck in a fence. She checked anglers and worked snowmobile enforcement.


CO Randy Patten (Northome) checked anglers, patrolled area snowmobile trails, and helped with a volunteer appreciation banquet for the district.


CO Gary Lefebvre (Pengilly) worked fishermen, snowmobiles, and cross country ski trails. He also taught a snowmobile safety class during the week and assisted at an appreciation dinner for the safety training instructors.


CO Thomas Sutherland (Grand Rapids) worked snowmobile activity over the past week with many snowmobilers out hitting the trails. Enforcement action was taken for expired registration and for ATV’s operating on a Grant-In-Aid snowmobile trail. Enforcement action was also taken for burning of prohibited materials.




District 8 - Duluth area


CO Kipp Duncan (Duluth) worked area ski and snowmobile trails. North Shore snowmobile trail was worked with focus on speed enforcement. Anglers were checked along north shore and inland lakes. Ice houses checked and marked in preparation of removal dates. Officer Duncan followed up on a trapping complaint.


CO Randy Hanzal (Duluth) followed up on a few cases left over from last year’s deer season. Local snowmobile trials are reportedly in very good shape due to the recent snows. Angling seems to have slowed on most area lakes. The lack of fishing activity was blamed by a couple of anglers as the reason they decided to smoke marijuana. Unfortunately, the smell was so strong that the officer smelled it as he was passing by on a snowmobile and followed his nose to the violators. Several boreal owls have been found dead due to the difficult winter and turned over to be used as an educational tool at various schools.


CO Scott Staples (Carlton) checked several fish houses with the removal deadline approaching. Enforcement action was taken for fish houses being left on area public accesses. Fishing activity in the area is slow with some reports of an evening bite for crappies happening on area lakes. Enforcement action was taken for angling without license in possession and taking game fish out of season. Snowmobile activity has slowed in the area. Trails are reportedly in fair to poor condition in the area. A complaint of a deer that was caught in a fence was looked into. The deer freed itself and ran off before officers arrived on scene.


Water resource Enforcement Officer Mike Scott (NE MN) worked on AIS issues in St. Louis County and North Shore area. Information was exchanged with Lake County Attorney for AIS Road check this summer. Follow up on report of illegal minnows being used for bait in the Ely area. More info to follow. Assisted Officer Hanzal with completing several big game cases from deer season. Interview with person for shooting from the road resulted in citation issued for shooting at big game from the roadway. Snowmobiles were out on local lakes several checks were made while at road crossings. An ATV with two juvenile females was investigated resulting in a citation for allowing illegal operation of ATV by a juvenile.




Lake Superior Marine Unit


Sgt. Keith Olson (Lake Superior Marine Unit) checked anglers along the North Shore and fielded calls for a boreal owl and fisher found along the roadways.


CO Matt Miller (Lake Superior Marine Unit) checked shore anglers on Superior and monitored snowmobile activity in the Two Harbors and Duluth area. Officers Miller and Murray responded to a late-evening snowmobile crash and assisted with transporting EMS and rescue personnel to the crash site. The rider was found to have multiple broken bones but luckily survived his cold weather rescue. Alcohol and speed were found to be among the contributing factors in the crash. Cross country ski passes were checked in the Duluth area, with an unfortunately high violation rate found among skiers on grant-in-aid trails. Enforcement action taken for ski and snowmobile violations.


CO Troy Ter Meer (Lake Superior Marine Unit) checked anglers on Superior Bay, St. Louis River, and Lake Superior. He also worked the snowmobile trails. An investigation was completed along with the reports. He attended a meeting and transferred some items to St. Paul for auction. Enforcement action taken for angling, snowmobiling, and controlled substance violations.