.jpg)
District 6 - Two Harbors
CO Brent Ihnen (Ely #2) checked anglers and boaters this week. He also patrolled for ATV activity and AIS violations.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Grand Marais) spent the week monitoring ATV and angling activity. Time was spent following up on various wildliferelated complaints. Enforcement action was taken for angling and watercraft violations.
CO Hudson Ledeen (Grand Marais #2) reports that folks fishing out of the Grand Marais harbor are starting to see salmon hitting their lures. Nuisance bears continue to persist, even though berries seem to be abundant. One bear took the opportunity to cool off in a backyard pond.
CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) spent most of the week instructing at the CO Academy. Time was spent on the water and working ATV/OHM enforcement. Enforcement action was taken for expired ATV registration, no helmets on operators and passengers under age 18, no ATV safety certificate, and no non-residentOHMtrailpass.Numbers of ATV injury and fatality crashes continue to happen in the Arrowhead, and helmet- and juvenile-operation violations will not be tolerated.
CO Trent Anderson (Tofte) focused on angling and boating enforcement for the week. Time was spent assisting local agencies. Most anglers reported a slow walleyebitewithafewsmallmouthbass seen in coolers.Enforcementactionwas taken for various angling license and boating equipment violations.
CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) worked boating and ATV activity during the week. Warm weather arrived, promptinganincreaseinwater-related activity. Some nuisance-bear activity continued but incidents are decreasing with wild berries ripening for natural foraging opportunities. A complaint of state forest campground violations was investigated.
District 5 - Eveleth area
CO Darrin Kittelson (International Falls #1) spent the week instructing the cadets of CO Academy 23 at Camp Ripley.
CO Curtis Simonson (International Falls #2) reports working Rainy Lake and the Rainy River this past week. Checking anglers and boating safety checks were the primary focus throughout the week. Anglers reported the bite being good and the warm weather had many people out recreating on the waterways. Enforcement action was taken for taking fish without a license, transporting filleted walleyes on a special regulation lake, transporting walleyes with no skin patch, and an overlimit of walleyes.
CO John Slatinski IV (Ray) reports theextremeheathaskeptmostangling activity confined to early morning and evening hours. There was no shortage of people using the lake trying to stay cool. The successful people were in the water because even a boat ride did not provide relief from the heat. Animalrelated complaints and concerns were heard and followed up on. Aquatic vegetation and dock questions were answered and addressed. Work continues on a background investigation for a potential employment candidate.
CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports nuisance- bear reports continued over the week. Boating activities continue to be monitored.Fishingremainspoor.ATV activities were checked, along with area forest roads. Public access sites were visited and work on station equipment is ongoing. Administrative tasks were also completed.
CO Sean Cannon (Cook) spent time this week checking anglers and boaters, monitoring ATV activity, and maintaining equipment. The bite has started to pick up again on Lake Vermilion, with anglers having the best luck in early morning and in the evening. Enforcement action taken this week included angling without a license, PFD violations, and personal watercraft violations.
CO Aaron Larson (Tower) worked primarily ATV and angling enforcement. Time was spent on the Eagles Nest chainoflakesandcheckingotherlakes as well. He spent time on the ATV trails in his station and worked on wildliferelated complaints.
CO Duke Broughten (Aurora) spent the week monitoring fishing, boating, andATVactivity.Anglerscontinuedto report limited success. Boating activity increased with the warmer weather. Several complaints were received of ATVs illegally operating in the traffic lane and blocking highway traffic. ATV operators are reminded when on the roadway they are to be to the extreme right, not in the traffic lane. Broughten alsofieldedcallsregardingrecreational shooting and vehicles on bike trails.
District 7 - Grand Rapids area
CO Vinny Brown (Northome) patrolled area lakes and monitored ATV activity.Enforcementactionwastaken fornumerousfishinglicenseviolations, and illegally operating ATVs on the highway. Brown responded to a onevehicle crash involving a Class 2 ATV (side by side). A 12-year-old passenger was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital for a non-life-threatening leg injury.
COJaysonHansen(Bigfork)worked ATV riders and anglers. He patrolled campgrounds and trails. Numerous game and fish-related questions were answered. He also responded to wildlife-related complaints.
CO Thomas Sutherland (Grand Rapids) worked angling activity with the area fish bite beginning to slow downwithwarmerwater.Enforcement actionwastakenfornothavingenough life jackets aboard a watercraft, failing to transfer the title of a watercraft, and having expired registration on a watercraft.
CO Brian Holt (Grand Rapids) worked on a wetlands violation complaint and followed up on open cases. Time was also spent monitoring ATV activity and AIS compliance in the area. Holt continued working on a background investigation on an applicant for the next CO Academy.
CO Jimmy Van Asch (Pengilly) worked angling, boating, AIS, and ATV activities throughout the surrounding areas. Enforcement action was taken for various angling and AIS violations. Time was also spent instructing at the CO Academy.
Water Resource Enforcement
WREODustieSpeldrich(NorthMetro) attended training and law updates. Speldrich reviewed restoration orders and assisted with multiple APM violations. Questions regarding trapping and use of aqua-thruster type devices were answered.
Aviation Section
CO Pilot Jason Jensen (Brainerd) reports flying a Leech Lake creel flight and updating old case files.
CO Pilot Charles Scott (Grand Rapids) repositioned aircraft for maintenance and conducted a return-toservice flight. Scott rescheduled prior cancelled telemetry and creel flights.
NR Pilot Brad Maas (Brainerd) worked on items for the ongoing cattail project,andrecord-keeping.Healsoassisted Brainerd Regional Airport maintenance personnel with cattail plants identification and working through the required steps for removal within the designated airport safety areas at the end of a runway. He also attended to administrative tasks.
NR Pilot Gracie Zeller (Brainerd) continued invasive cattail spray flights. Many units in west central Minnesota were completed before the windy weather called for a stop.
Enforcement Education
Please check the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov for a current class listing of all DNR Enforcement Education Courses and instructor training sessions.
If you missed a fall class and are over 18, check online for the online course information. (It’s also at www. mndnr.gov.)
Please check the DNR website www. mndnr.gov for a current class listing of all DNR Enforcement Youth and Adult Snowmobile Safety Courses and instructor training sessions.
Please direct questions to 1-800-3668917 or 1-888-MINNDNR.
Reminder: Anyone born after December 31, 1979 cannot purchase a license to hunt in Minnesota without first taking a DNR Safety Training Course and receiving a certificate. In addition, many states have even more stringent mandatory Hunter Education requirements. Check before you go!
Reminder: Any resident born after December 31, 1976, who operates a snowmobileinMinnesotamustpossess a snowmobile certificate. Two options are available to complete certification. Ages 11 and older can take the online course and hands-on day or attend the traditional youth course. Those 16 or older can take the online course.
