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District 6 - Two Harbors
CO Sean Williams (Ely 1) reports: angling activity was again limited through the week and into the weekend. ATV activity has increased with the warming weather. Violations included: angling with no license in possession and operating an ATV on a closed trail.
CO Brent Ihnen (Ely 2) spent much of his time this week checking fishermen on area lakes. Officer Ihnen also patrolled for ATV activity. Additional time was spent preparing equipment for the upcoming open water season.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Grand Marais) spent the week patrolling on snowmobile checking anglers along the Canada/US border. The officer worked seasonal fishing closures as well. Area Officers attended 911 days at the Sawtooth elementary school with several other emergency responders.
CO Hudson Ledeen (Hovland) spent time patrolled angling activities. Folks were seen out and about fishing the border lakes for walleyes and chasing panfish on a few interior lakes. Rain over the weekend is going to increase the flow on the tributaries heading into Lake Superior. Steelhead anglers report that a few fish are around, but water temps are pretty cold.
CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) worked recreational vehicle enforcement and checked crappie anglers. A district meeting was attended. Local ATV trails are currently closed and will remain closed until conditions dry up. Enforcement action included expired ATV registration, no helmets on youth passengers, and ORV operating on an ATV trail.
CO Megan Franzen (Silver Bay) spent the week checking trout anglers on the local rivers and streams. Anglers have been found fishing the more popular Superior tributaries with varied success. Warm weather and rainfall over the weekend has depleted quite a bit of the snow and ice, but many of the lakes and streams north of the shore are still ice-covered.
CO Trent Anderson (Tofte) focused on angling and trapping enforcement for the week. Anglers found mixed success on border waters and encountered sloppy ice conditions. Steelhead activity remains low but should increase with forecasted rains and warmer temperatures. Enforcement action was taken for various ATV-related violations.
District 5 - Eveleth area
CO Darrin Kittelson (Int’l Falls #1) reports spring fishing on the Rainy River was very busy for the last weekend however the catching was slow. The lack of the necessary boat and water safety equipment was a common theme of violations detected among fishermen. People are reminded to check their safety equipment before venturing onto the water.
CO Curtis Simonson (Int’l Falls #2) reports working the Rainy River this past week. Fishing reports picked up this past week with the warmer weather. Boat and water safety equipment was a main focus while checking anglers throughout the week.
CO John Slatinski IV (Ray) Rain over the weekend changed creeks and small feeder rivers in a hurry, going from solid ice to open water within a matter of days. Time was spent on the Rainy River contacting anglers chasing big walleye and sturgeon. Walleye anglers were reporting less than expected success. A fair number of smaller fish were being caught but water temps in the 36°-38° range was not bringing the numbers they were hoping to see. Trapping activity was checked and a litter violation was followed up on.
CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports monitoring the stream trout opener. ATV activities and spring road closures were checked. Local rivers remain froze. Area lakes still have feet of ice on and remain frozen. Weekend rain diminished outdoor activities. Equipment work continues.
CO Aaron Larson (Tower) worked primarily trapping and ATV enforcement. Larson spent time checking for spring trapping activity as many rivers have opened up. ATV activity has began to pick up with warmer temperatures. A reminder to check for check for trail closures as many ATV trails remain closed as the ground thaws. Time was also spent checking for people targeting panfish.
CO Marc Johnson (Hibbing) primarily worked trapping and ATV enforcement. In addition, time was spent assisting with a nuisance bear presentation in Hibbing. The main take-away from the presentation was to remove all food sources, especially this time of year, to mitigate bear encounters.
CO Shane Zavodnik (Virginia) Time was spent assisting the Wildlife Division with a MDHA meeting during the week. He also spent time monitoring trapping and ATV activity around the Virginia station. Zavodnik patrolled the Rainy River during a busy last weekend of the catch-and-release walleye season. The weekend weather was beautiful, with anglers reporting mixed reviews on sturgeon and walleye success.
CO Duke Broughten (Aurora) spent the week monitoring late ice fishing and trapping activity. Few fishermen were encountered. Lake ice is slowly deteriorating. Bears have been coming out of hibernation, and they will be hungry. It's time to remove food sources and garbage to limit bear and human conflict. CO Broughten also followed up on a trespassing complaint.
Aviation Section
CO Pilot Jason Jensen (Brainerd) reports flying training flights for new camera operators, speaking at the State Patrol dispatcher academy and attending a Commissioner’s Office employee outreach meeting. Potential APM and WCA violations found on training flights were sent to local officers for review.
CO Pilot Charles Scott (Brainerd) assisted with TFO training and attended to aircraft maintenance.
CO Pilot Ryan Hanna (Grand Rapids) performed monthly maintenance and assisted with ongoing TFO training. CO Pilot Hanna also handled facility details.
CO Pilot Tim Gray (Bemidji) flew training flights related to the TFO program and assisted D2.
NR Pilot Gracie Zeller (Brainerd) flew several fixed wing training flights including a night flight. She also prepared a review for all division pilots on water egress procedures.
Water Resource Enforcement Officers
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 is 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 1-800-366-8917 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 snowmobile in Minnesota must possess 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.
Reminder: Anyone born after July 1, 1987, who operates an ATV on public lands and waters in Minnesota must successfully complete the ATV Safety Training online course. People under age 16 must complete the ATV online course and riding component before riding on public lands. Please direct questions to 1-800-366-8917 or 1-888-MINNDNR.
SCHEDULED INSTRUCTOR TRAINING SESSIONS
If you are 18 or older and would like to become an instructor for Snowmobile Safety, ATV Safety, Firearms Safety, Trail Ambassador or one of the Advanced Hunter programs, contact your local conservation officer or regional safety training officer. Instructor clinics are scheduled throughout the state and are listed on the DNR website.
See Also: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/instructors/training.html
