MN DNR Weekly Report

[Lee Borgersen]

          MN DNR Weekly Report

  District 5 - Eveleth area

CO Darrin Kittelson (International Falls) continued training with a Conservation Officer Candidate (COC). CO Kittelson and the COC monitored boating, AIS, ATV use, angling, waterfowl and small game hunting. Calls for service this past week included a gray wolf depredation complaint, where a farmer claimed that wolves had taken one of his calves. Enforcement action for the week included failure to register a bear bait station and failure to register a bear within 48 hours of the harvest.


CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports monitoring forest roads and checking public access sites and beginning seasonal equipment transition. Equipment work continues as does computer work and returning phone calls.

CO Brad Schultz (Cook) reports checking a few grouse hunters throughout the week and all reported seeing very few birds. A few muskie anglers were observed and said the fish were starting to get active.

CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) spent time checking duck hunters on Virginia area lakes. Most hunters report taking at least a few ducks, some even reported taking their limits. All duck hunters that CO Frericks came across were spoken to about the importance of removing all aquatic vegetation from their equipment prior to leaving the access. Area grouse hunters encountered and checked, report almost zero success. A majority of hunters told CO Frericks that despite being out on trails for hours, few if any birds were seen or even heard.

CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) worked waterfowl and grouse hunting the area. More grouse are being seen and a few ducks are being taken. Fredin encountered three hunters on a golf cart operating on a county road. They showed him two birds they had shot and asked what they were; they were identified as grebes. They also were found to have a loaded shotgun in the golf cart. Fredin took care of a cow and calf moose that were hit by a train.

International Falls # 2 - vacant.

Ray - vacant.

Tower - vacant.

District 6 - Two Harbors area

CO Sean Williams (Ely) reports waterfowl hunting pressure was low, although weather conditions for duck hunting had improved. Officer Williams assisted District Officers with ATV enforcement on heavily used trails near the north shore. Violations included: fail to display current ATV registration and taking small game without blaze orange.

CO Marty Stage (Ely) worked grouse hunters and duck hunters. There were a few more grouse visible now that the leaves are gone and the cold weather brought a bunch of ducks down so it was a good weekend. Officers are again working reports of deer baiting.

CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) attended meetings and training during the week. He took phone calls regarding blaze orange requirements for small game and beavers causing problems for roads and snowmobile trails.

CO Mary Manning (Hovland) worked a busy week checking grouse hunters and a few anglers. The officer also participated in a work detail on the trail systems in the Finland and Silver Bay areas; compliance was generally good and many riders were out enjoying the fall colors.

CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) worked Lake Vermilion one day and again encountered several violations. One out of state angler was angling with an extra line and in possession of a closed season smallmouth bass. He said he hadn’t bothered to look at the regulations in Minnesota, and he was also unaware of the walleye and northern slot limits on the lake. Other violations included walleye over limit, no type IV PFD, and no license in possession. The rest of the week was spent following up on complaints, answering public questions, preparing an upcoming presentation, completing a case report, and checking duck and grouse hunters.

CO David Schottenbauer (Silver Bay) worked area small game hunting activity. Time was spent checking ATV trails. CO Schottenbauer worked an area duck hunting complaint and ATV work crew as well.

CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) spent the week checking hunters, anglers and monitored ATV trails. The officer assisted the county with several calls, responded to wildlife calls and was involved in an ATV work detail in Lake County with area officers. Enforcement action was taken for hunting and ATV violations and transporting a loaded handgun in a motor vehicle.

CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) worked waterfowl, invasive species, and big game enforcement activities during the week. Hunting activity increased with more birds being taken. Murray also assisted with a youth ATV course were kids were taught safe ATV operations and earned their certifications. A call of an injured eagle was also handled by the officer and several deer hunting questions were answered.

District 7 - Grand Rapids area

CO Randy Patten (Northome) checked grouse and waterfowl hunters, looked for aquatic invasive species compliance, answered questions about the firearms deer season, worked a shining complaint, and took care of a trespass call. Enforcement action taken for trespass and operating an ATV on a public highway.

CO Jayson Hansen (Bigfork) checked anglers, worked small game, big game, waterfowl, and ATV activity. Violations included over-limits of ducks/geese, no license in possession, no small game license, ATV's on the roadway, ATV equipment violations, hunt in a game refuge, operate a motor vehicle in a closed area, uncased gun in a game refuge, youth w/o helmet, and waterfowl hunting w/o stamps.

CO Mike Fairbanks (Deer River) checked anglers, worked waterfowl complaints, checked small game hunters and monitored bough harvesting activity. The recent cold weather and wind has knocked down the foliage in the area. Grouse hunters had better success. The weather also brought more waterfowl to the area. Enforcement action was taken for insufficient PFDs, no license in possession and transport aquatic vegetation.

CO Sarah Sindelir (Grand Rapids) spent time working on a background investigation for the division this past week. She also investigated a complaint of possible late shooting while duck hunting in the Prairie Lake area. She handled several calls about the upcoming firearms deer season. She took a complaint of possible illegal activity involving the cutting of boughs.

CO Thomas Sutherland (Grand Rapids) worked small game hunters in the area with some success had with the leaves falling fast. Enforcement action was taken on one group who had a grebe in their truck from the mornings duck hunt. The pied-billed grebe is a protected migratory bird that passes through the area on its way south like other migratory birds this time of year. Make sure of your target and be up on your species ID in those early morning low light conditions.

CO Gary Lefebvre (Pengilly) worked fishermen, ATVs, waterfowl, small game and archery deer hunters. He also worked bough cutting permits and investigated a timber theft complaint.

CO Shawn Wichmann (Hill City) worked small game, big game, waterfowl, and ATV activity. Enforcement action was taken for unlawfully transporting loaded firearms and operating ATV on closed forest road.

CO John Velsvaag (NE Region ATV Officer) checked ORV and ATVers this past week. He also checked waterfowl and grouse hunters while conducting AIS checks. CO Velsvaag received calls on the upcoming water trapping season.

District 8 - Duluth area

CO Andy Schmidt (Brookston) completed training with a COC. Officers responded to TIP complaints of illegal ATV operation and enforcement action was taken. Officers worked AIS at public accesses and continued to check waterfowl hunters. Groups have been having some luck with many species seen.

CO Kipp Duncan (Duluth) spent the majority of the week working grouse, waterfowl, and archery deer hunters. Several hours were worked educating waterfowl hunters on aquatic invasive species. A few nights were spent working complaint areas for night deer shining activity. Officer Duncan assisted with a big game violation that involved taking a bear illegally. A wolf control zone was monitored, many telephone calls were returned, and time was spent assisting a USFWS Special Agent with an investigation. Officer Duncan also made arrangements for two moose to be salvaged after being hit by a train.

CO Randy Hanzal (Duluth) worked waterfowl hunters, archery hunters, small game hunters and ATV users during the week. Fail to report an incidental catch, hunt waterfowl with a gun capable of holding more the three shells, no small game license, no HIP endorsement, cutting trees on state property and littering are some of the violations found this last week.

CO Jeff Humphrey (Cromwell) focused on waterfowl, big and small game enforcement. Waterfowl hunters took advantage of inclement weather during the week with many mallards, teal, wood ducks, ringnecks and geese observed. Small game hunters reported better visibility in the woods with high winds removing some of the leaf cover. Patrols were made into the Fond Du Lac State Forest and local wildlife mgt. areas. Calls and questions continued to be received about upcoming deer season. CO Humphrey worked reports of deer shining and investigated the death of a collared timber wolf. Violations for no license in possession, waterfowl stamps, possessing lead shot and possession of drug paraphernalia were encountered.

CO Scott Staples (Carlton) gave a talk to DNR Human Resources about the job duties of a CO specializing in the K9 unit. Waterfowl hunting showed some success on local lakes this past weekend. Most hunters were found to be in compliance with the law. After checking waterfowl hunters at one remote access, a pickup truck was found to be blocking the exit road. After waiting a short time and the truck still not moving, it was noticed that the cab was full of smoke. CO Staples approached the vehicle to see if they needed assistance and found that the occupants were smoking meth. The driver of the vehicle was taken to jail and is facing numerous drug charges. Complaints of ATV’s operating carelessly and illegally were investigated and enforcement action was taken for operating a class 1 ATV on the Road and no safety cert. Training and paperwork continues for K9 unit activities.

WREO Mike Scott participated in Conservation Education Days, an educational program that has been sponsored by UMD Forestry at the UMD Forestry Center in Carlton County for the last 46 years. For two days, 5th grade classes from around Carlton County participated in the program learning about conservation as part of their educational science studies. A station for AIS education was staffed by Officer Scott, MN Sea Grant staff and a college student presenting educational information to 24 different 5th grade groups about AIS prevention and education. A commercial minnow harvesting training was conducted in Tower with DNR Ecological Services certifying several new groups for harvesting minnows and bait from infested waters. Continued work on a background investigation for the current CO Prep hiring program

Lake Superior Marine Unit

Sgt. Keith Olson (Marine Unit) checked small game hunters during the week. Hunters are reporting pockets of success for grouse in the woods north of Duluth. Officer Olson checked landings for the close of Lake Trout season on Lake Superior and followed up on a trespass complaint in Normanna Twp.

CO Matt Miller (Marine Unit) checked anglers wrapping up the 2014 lake trout season. An ATV detail was worked in the Finland area and an individual was found cutting his own trail system in an area State Park. A local Two Harbors resident was also found burning furniture in his back yard and creating quite a plume of black smoke. Enforcement action was taken for ATV, angling, burning and state park violations.

CO Troy Ter Meer (Marine Unit) checked waterfowl hunters, and AIS regulations during the week. The majority of the time was spent working on a background investigation for a conservation officer candidate.