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District 6 - Two Harbors CO Sean Williams (Ely #1) reports waterfowl- and grouse-hunting activity in the Ely area was found to be nearly nonexistent over the weekend. Hunters checked reported seeing very few birds, with waterfowl reports being the worst in recent memory. Violations included operating an ATV on a closed roadway.
CO Brent Ihnen (Ely #2) patrolled his station this week for hunting, fishing, and boating activity. He also spent time monitoring ATV and off-highway motorcycle trails.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Grand Marais) worked the waterfowl opener. Many grouse hunters and recreational ATV riders were checked during the warm week. He completed training at Camp Ripley. Enforcement action was taken for transporting loaded firearms and ATV violations.
CO Hudson Ledeen (Grand Marais #2) reports another busy week on the North Shore as folks visit the area to get a glimpse of the changing fall colors. Grouse hunting remains poor, and fishing remains steady. Enforcement action was taken for hunting, fishing, and ATV violations.
CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) attended emergency vehicle operations training. Time was spent with COC Mitch Nowak in his future station working waterfowl opener. Anglers and deer hunters were also checked. Enforcement action was taken for allowing illegal juvenile ATV operation, no federal duck stamp, transporting dressed ducks with no wings for identification, litter, and fishing without a license.
CO Trent Anderson (Tofte) focused on ATV and small-game enforcement for the week. Time was spent attending training at Camp Ripley. Grouse hunters reported seeing fewer birds overall than the past few seasons. Enforcement action was taken for various ATV- and angling related violations.
CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) worked waterfowl opener as well as grouse and archery deer hunting activity this week. Warm weather and lots of cover still in the woods made for tougher grouse hunting. Hunters with dogs were observed to be getting more birds. Enforcement action was taken for loaded firearms in motor vehicles, litter, and licensing violations.
District 5 - Eveleth area CO Darrin Kittelson (International Falls #1) reports the duck opener was relatively quiet as the weather was not conducive to waterfowl hunting. That, along with the lack of wild rice in the area, contributed to very few ducks. Sturgeon fishing on the Rainy River continues, as does the small-game season and recreational ATV riding. Enforcement action for the week involved illegal-length sturgeon, transporting walleyes illegally, and ATV violations.
CO Curtis Simonson (International Falls #2) reports working small-game hunters, ATV activity, and checking anglers this past week.
CO John Slatinski IV (Ray) reports with the smallgame opener, ATV traffic has increased as well. Take a few moments before heading out to make sure registration is up to date, and review the regulations related to ATV operation. Waterfowl opener allowed for additional opportunity to spend time chasing game. Several groups were contacted and mixed reports were heard, with most having a few waterfowl species to show for their efforts. Grouse continue to be reclusive and not a lot of positive reports have been heard, especially with high expectations after last year.
CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports that grouse hunting remains poor with few birds observed in field patrols and fewer harvested. ATV traffic was monitored, as was boating activity. Duck hunting saw very few ducks and low hunter numbers. Area forest roads and public access sites were checked. Administrative reporting is ongoing.
CO Sean Cannon (Cook) spent time this past week monitoring bear-hunting activity, grouse hunting, ATV activity, and checking anglers. Waterfowl hunters were checked as the primary season opened this weekend, with mixed success seen. A taxidermy inspection was completed as well.
COAaronLarson(Tower) worked primarily smallgame and waterfowl enforcement. Larson encountered grouse hunters who were reporting fewer numbers than previous years and were having little success. Duck hunters had mixed bags over opening weekend. Everyone had at least a few birds, but the poor quality of rice this year may be affecting some typical hunting areas. Violations included taking an overlimit of waterfowl and license/ stamp violations. Larson also assisted with a fire that got awayfromapersonandbegan burning into the woods. Local fire departments arrived quickly and were able to put it out before it was able to spread too far. A complaint from one of the state parks was also investigated.
CO Shane Zavodnik (Virginia) reports time was spent investigating a goose-dumping case over the week with COC Matt Boyle. They also worked ATV and boat patrol over the week. Duck opener and grouse harvest remained slow during the weekend. Various ATV registration and angling violations were encountered.
CO Duke Broughten (Aurora) spent the week monitoring hunting, fishing, and ATV activity. Hunters and anglers reported limited success. Very few waterfowl hunters were encountered over the regular season opener. ATV traffic slowed this week. Broughten also fielded calls regarding youth hunting regulations, dogs chasing deer, and injured wildlife.
District 7 - Grand Rapids area CO Vinny Brown (Northome) and COC Andrew Struffert spent time working ATV enforcement and checking anglers. A considerable amount of time was also spent checking grouse hunters and waterfowl hunters for the opener. Violations included unplugged shotguns, no federal duck stamp, youth not wearing helmets on an ATV, and consuming alcohol and camping where prohibited on a wildlife management area. The officers also want to pass on that a 23-year-old Arabian chestnut gelding with white blaze named Taz went missing from Cutfoot Sioux Horse Camp. Taz was last seen wearing a blue halter. If you have any information or locate Taz, please contact the Itasca County Sheriff’s Office.
CO Jayson Hansen (Bigfork) worked ATV riders, hunters, and anglers. He patrolled campgrounds and trails. Numerous game and fish-related questions were answered. He also responded to wildlife-related complaints.
COMikeFairbanks(Deer River) worked the waterfowl opener, checked archery hunters, and performed safety inspections on watercrafts. Fairbanks and his K9 partner Fennec also attended training and provided a demonstration this week. Enforcement action was taken for stamp requirements, insufficient PFDs, and no HIP certification.
CO Thomas Sutherland (Grand Rapids) continues field training with COC Trevon Pietz. They checked duck hunters on the opening weekend of duck hunting. They found that hunters were successful, with most shooting at least a couple of ducks. No-license violations were found.
