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Many larger lakes have had pressure ridges and random areas of open water.
CO Sean Williams (Ely #1) reports angling activity has slowed as concern grows over the quality of the ice on local lakes. Many trout lakes were found to be empty over the week and for those who were out success was very limited. Violations included angling without a license in possession.
CO Brent Ihnen (Ely #2) focused on checking anglers this week. Additional time was spent patrolling for ATV activity.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Grand Marais) checked anglers on area lakes. He followed up on an ongoing big-game investigation. Time was also spent at Camp Ripley.
CO Hudson Ledeen (Grand Marais #2) spent time this week patrolling in the BWCA. Many anglers were contacted, and a few fish were observed being caught. Time was also spent investigating violations pertaining to last year’s hunting season.
CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) reports checking anglers and ATV compliance. Time was spent on a shoreline violation and looking into a road/public access issue. Lots of damage was noted at public water accesses where ice has pushed up concrete. Many larger lakes have had pressure ridges and random areas of open water. Enforcement action was taken for ATV registration violations and failure to have a state park vehicle permit.
CO Trent Anderson (Tofte) focused on angling enforcement and patrolling the BWCA for the week. Anglers were out enjoying the sunny conditions and a few nice trout were seen on the ice. Enforcement action was taken for fishing with extra lines, fishing without a license, and ATV registration violations. Anglers are advised to use caution as ice conditions are expected to change quickly.
CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) worked angling and ATV activity during the week. Ice conditions vary greatly in the area and caution should be used with the arriving warm weather eroding the ice. Maple sap is running, and signs of spring have arrived. With the lack of snow coverage, burning permits are required and fire danger can increase quickly as spring progresses.
District 5 - Eveleth area CO Darrin Kittelson (International Falls #1) reports ice conditions on Rainy Lake continue to deteriorate, so people are reminded to use extreme caution. Ice shelter removal should occur sooner rather than later. Open-water fishing activity on the Rainy River is still limited. People are reminded to make sure they have all safety equipment and current registration on their boats.
CO Curtis Simonson (International Falls #2) reports spending time this past week checking anglers on the Rainy River. More open water has shown up the last few days on the Rainy River with the warm weather. Simonson would like to remind people to double check boat registration and all required safety equipment before jumping in the boat this spring.
CO John Slatinski IV (Ray) reports that with ice conditions questionable at best, angling activity has slowed, although there have been spotty positive reports. Slatinski took a report of a non-portable fish house that fell through the ice. It appeared the ice had deteriorated under the shelter from sun warming the structure. The owners were able to retrieve the shelter without incident. As the snow and frozen conditions begin to release their grip, be mindful of damage that can be caused to trails and roadways with unnecessary use. Trail closures and restrictions should be monitored.
CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports monitoring area lakes and checking angling activity. Area forest roads were checked, along with public water access sites. Equipment work is ongoing. Administrative tasks continue.
CO Sean Cannon (Cook) spent most of the week checking the few ice anglers still getting out in the area, monitoring trapping activity and patrolling area forest roads. Some ATV activity was seen as well. A local farmer was assisted with extinguishing a grass fire before it got out of control. The fire was spotted by members of the Aviation Unit while out working another detail. Time was also spent working on an ongoing investigation. CO Aaron Larson (Tower) worked primarily trail and angling enforcement. Larson also spent time checking on the spring thaw and for spring trapping. He assisted another CO with a trapping case and worked on a potential wetlands case. CO Marc Johnson (Hibbing) primarily worked angling and ATV enforcement. In addition, time was spent training at Camp Ripley and completing an inventory and maintenance on station equipment. Violations encountered included speed, expired registration, allowing youth without ATV helmets, and arresting an individual with an outstanding warrant.
CO Duke Broughten (Aurora) spent the week monitoring fishing and ATV activity. Anglers reported limited success. Lake ice continues to slowly deteriorate. Broughten fielded calls regarding injured animals and suspicious activity.
Aviation Section
CO Pilot Jason Jensen (Brainerd) flew a fire detection flight and had two training/proficiency flights. Numerous wetland violations were noted again this week.
CO Pilot Bob Geving (Mankato) finished required online training, attended to administrative tasks and flight planning.
CO Pilot Tim Gray (Bemidji) assisted District 5 officers with a work detail near the border.
CO Pilot Charles Scott (Grand Rapids) conducted flight training with NR Pilot Zeller. A remote location equipment flight was completed. Scott also worked on training lessons for upcoming flights.
NR Pilot Grace Zeller (Brainerd) completed fire suppression refresher training, completed fixed wing training and worked on updating load calculation worksheets.
NR Pilot Brad Maas (Brainerd) worked on helicopter radio updates and prepped a helicopter for fire duty. He also taught a class for middle school students about moose, deer, and elk surveys, and attended an aviation fire training webinar.
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 di rect 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!
