MN DNR Weekly Report

[Lee Borgersen]

                   MN DNR Weekly Report for June 20, 2016


District 5 - Eveleth area
CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) worked boating and angling activity, state park and invasive species enforcement and taught gun safety and boat safety to the Hibbing Safety Town program. Folks continue to operate paddleboards without registration and without having PFDs on board. Keep in mind that they are considered watercraft and most importantly are less stable, making it all the more important to have PFDs. A number of kayakers were also encountered without PFDs during the week, with the same explanation on why they didn’t have PFDs as the paddle boarders. Two gray fox pups were rescued from the recesses of a house’s egress window well and returned to the wild. Enforcement action was taken on angling without a license in possession, remove aquatic vegetation without a permit, and a number of boating violations.

CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) Responded to two Moose calves that were hit and killed on the highway, both were picked up by DNR Wildlife and necropsy was performed. He received concerned calls about a fisher going through a back yard and bear hanging around a garage and getting into garbage. Violations of ATV’s going through stop signs, operating down center of roadway, and un-licensed driver were addressed.

CO Darrin Kittelson (Int’l Falls) reports fishing activity on Rainy Lake has been hit and miss over the weekend for most people. Other activities included various animal complaints, attended US Customs meeting in regards to public border crossing, and bait transport issues involving Ontario, Canada.

CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports a week of rain kept outdoor activities to a minimum. Fishing remains poor with few fish observed. Public access sites were checked, area forest roads monitored, and equipment worked on.

CO John Velsvaag (Cook) checked anglers and boaters. Fishing success was poor and several complaints came in about illegal operation of personal watercraft and illegal parking at a public access.

International Falls #2 - vacant.

District 6 - Two Harbors area

CO Sean Williams (Ely) patrolled some of his more remote fishing lakes outside of the BWCA. Fishing pressure was high, although most anglers reported poor success after warmer weather arrived. Violations included: failure to display valid watercraft registration, fishing after revocation, and no personal lifesaving device on board a watercraft.

CO Marty Stage (Ely) checked fishermen off and on during the week. Fishing has been good in more than a few locations and lakes have been busy with visitors despite all the rain. Canoers and kayakers are reminded that you are required to have your watercraft registered when it is used in Minnesota even if you are just borrowing it from a friend or family member.

CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) did a BWCAW patrol at the beginning of the week and found lots of wet campers and paddlers. He followed up on a fire investigation and patrolled border lakes and remote areas. Enforcement action was taken for boating violations.

CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) worked a busy week of ATV, watercraft, and angling enforcement. A resort was dealt with for watercraft registration violations. Time was spent working night navigational light enforcement with fairly poor compliance. Enforcement action for the week included fishing with an extra line, fishing without a license, unregistered watercraft, no navigational lights, youth ATV operation violations, and youths without helmets on ATVs.

CO David Schottenbauer (Silver Bay) worked area angling and boating activity. Cold wet weather gave way to warm and sun, activity picked up as well.

CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) checked anglers, boaters and ATV riders this week. The nice weather brought a lot of people outside and on the water. The walleye bite has been steady. Enforcement action was taken for boating and angling violations.

District 7 - Grand Rapids area

CO Randy Patten (Northome) checked anglers and boaters, completed required training, patrolled for illegal ATV activity, and handled complaints on nuisance wildlife and trespass. Also worked ongoing cases and picked up a moose that was killed by a vehicle.

CO Jayson Hansen (Big Fork) worked ATV, sport fishing, boating, AIS, and handled miscellaneous nuisance animal calls. He also assisted with firearms training at the academy. Preparations were made for upcoming firearms training.

O Mike Fairbanks (Deer River) checked anglers, monitored OHV activity and worked AIS enforcement. Enforcement action was taken for possess illegal length walleye, transport aquatic macrophytes, fail to remove drain plug and transport live fish.

CO Thomas Sutherland (Grand Rapids) worked angling activity over the past week with some of the local lakes walleye bite heating up. CO Sutherland took enforcement action for angling without a license, failing to display registration on a watercraft and failing to have enough life saving devices aboard a watercraft.

CO Jimmy Van Asch (Hill City) focused the weeks efforts on angling, boating, AIS, and ATV enforcement throughout the surrounding areas. The fishing success on area lakes has slowed down drastically. A nuisance bear complaint was handled, along with several other calls for service regarding nuisance animals. Enforcement action was taken for illegal length walleye, angling with extra lines, transporting live fish, no angling license in possession, and failure to drain water related equipment.

District 8 - Duluth area
CO Andy Schmidt (Brookston) checked anglers and boaters throughout the week. Anglers were reporting successful outings and numerous fish were observed. Slot restrictions on Fish Lake continue to be a concern as violations continue. The warmest weekend of the summer increased boating activity and numerous life jacket violations were observed. The officer assisted with a wetland complaint, followed up on evidence from completed cases, and performed equipment maintenance. Time was also spent working aquatic invasive species.

CO Kipp Duncan (Duluth) received several natural resource calls from the public that were answered or forwarded for assistance. Several lakes were worked for boating and fishing enforcement. Office work consisted of evidence management, reports, and equipment maintenance. Other activity included working AIS and ATV enforcement.

CO Jeff Humphrey (Cromwell) checked anglers, boaters, and worked OHV and AIS enforcement education during the week. Patrols were conducted in the Fond Du Lac State Forest and Sawyer WMA. CO Humphrey assisted a forest officer with job shadow requirement for certification. Violations for angling, boating, AIS, OHV operation, and litter were encountered.

CO Scott Staples (Carlton) worked on K9 training in preparation for upcoming annual certification that the dogs must go through. Fishing and boating activity has picked up in the area. Several area lakes were patrolled with enforcement action being taken for illegal parking at a public access and angling license violations. Complaints of nuisance fox and bear were received and information was given out on how to avoid future problems.  Follow up work was done on a drug case that was made the previous year. Time was also spent cleaning out old evidence that was kept and cleared court.

Lake Superior Marine Unit

CO Keith Olson (Marine Unit) worked area lakes and rivers for angling and boating activity.  Boating activity increased greatly with the improving weather. Violations observed were careless operation, life jacket violations, registration and failure to transfer ownership of watercraft.  Officer Olson assisted DNR K9 officers with training efforts for their upcoming competitions and certifications. Officer Olson also attended the changing of command ceremony for the

United States Coast Guard Station-Duluth.

Lake Superior Unit - vacant.