District 6 - Two Harbors
CO Sean Williams (Ely #1) patrolled areas of the BWCA over the weekend. Angling activity was low between alternating downpours and driving rain. Violations included angling without a license and failing to display watercraft registration.
CO Brent Ihnen (Ely #2) patrolled this week for fishing and boating activity. Ihnen also checked ATV and offhighway motorcycle operators. Time was also spent working bear-baiting activity.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Grand Marais) spent time working in the BWCAW checking anglers. He assisted the county with calls and worked AIS and ATV complaint areas. Enforcement action was taken for boating and angling violations.
CO Hudson Ledeen (Hovland) reports many hunters have been tending their bear baits. Multiple calls were fielded about bear-baiting regulations. Ledeenattendedanannualmeetingand training for the region. Time was also spent working security at the State Fair.
CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) continued field training with COC Kris Ryan. They worked primarily angling, boating, and ATV enforcement this week. Time was also spent in the BWCAW. Enforcement action was taken forcans/glassintheBWCAW,noPFDs, unlicensed watercraft, fishing license violations, and camping longer than 14 days in a state forest. Officers assisted with a rescue in the BWCAW.
CO Megan Franzen (Silver Bay) spenttheweekmonitoringanglingand ATV activity around the area. Time was also spent checking bear baits and attending a regional enforcement meeting. Nuisance-bear complaints were also handled.
CO Cassie Block (Two Harbors) spent time this week checking anglers on area lakes. Block also spent time at the State Fair for the K9 Unit’s demos. Time was also spent following up with ongoing complaints in the area.
District 5 - Eveleth area
CO Curtis Simonson (International Falls #2) reports working bear-baiting, ATV,andfishingactivitythispastweek throughout the area. Enforcement action was taken for illegal bear baits and ATV registration issues.
CO John Slatinski IV (Ray) reports anglers were reporting a better bite this past week. Frequent rain showers and wind kept many anglers’ trips shortandclosetothecabin.Equipment maintenance was tended to. A training event was also attended.
CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports monitoring area forest roads and lakes. Public access sites were visited. Outdoor activity continues to slow as school is around the corner and high school sports kick off. ATV activity was checked. Phone calls at all hours have again become common as the fall seasons are upon us.
CO Sean Cannon (Cook) spent time monitoring bear-baiting activity this week. Berries and other natural food sources are still abundant, so bears might not yet be as cooperative as last year. Time was also spent checking anglers and monitoring ATV activity. A regional meeting was attended as well.
CO Aaron Larson (Tower) spent time checking anglers and following up on complaints. Larson spent time investigating illegal camping, prohibited firewood, and a dog off leash. He also investigated other complaints in state parks. He spent time checking anglers, which resulted in license violations and safety equipment violations. He also spent time at a regional meeting.
CO Marc Johnson (Hibbing) primarily worked big-game and ATV activity. In addition, time was spent attending a regional training in Grand Rapids and checking registered bear baits. Temperatures dropped and winds increased over the weekend, leading to a reduction in recreational activity. Hunters who drew a bear tag report a lot of activity around their bait sites.
CO Shane Zavodnik (Virginia) and his trainee, Conservation Officer Candidate Jacob Peterson, patrolled local lakes and checked anglers over the week. They also worked a wolf-depredation investigation and continued to investigate a trespassing case. They assisted local law enforcement departments with calls, helped with an ATV safetyclass,andattendedacommunity outreach program.
CO Duke Broughten (Aurora) spent the week monitoring fishing, boating, ATV, and bear-baiting activity. Outdoor recreationalactivityslowedassummer is winding down. Anglers still reported moderate success. Bear baiting is underway. Bear hunters report there is a lot of natural food for bears, which may limit contact with their baits. Broughten also fielded calls regarding ATV registration, injured animals, and questions related to wild rice.
District 7 - Grand Rapids area
CO Vinny Brown (Northome) talked CO Jayson Hansen (Bigfork) worked ATV, boating, big-game, and fishing activities. He patrolled area trails and campgrounds. Numerous game and fish-related questions were answered. He also responded to wildlife-related complaints.
CO Mike Fairbanks (Deer River) attended regional training, checked anglers, monitored bear baiting, and responded to nuisance-animal complaints this week. Fairbanks and his K9 partner Fennec also attended monthly K9 Unit training and provided demonstrations at the State Fair. Enforcement action was taken for license issues and bear-baiting violations.
CO Thomas Sutherland (Grand Rapids) worked angling, ATV, and water resource laws over the past week. Sutherland took enforcement action for angling without a license in possession, failing to have a permit to destroy aquatic vegetation in a waterbed, and for ATVs trespassing on private property. Once again, he also took multiple nuisance-bear reports.
CO Jimmy Van Asch (Pengilly) reports working angling, boating, ATV, AIS, and big-game enforcement throughout the surrounding areas. Bear-baiting activity was monitored, with several hunters contacted making pre-season preparations. Assistance was also given to other law enforcement agencies with calls for service.
CO Taylor Hochstein (Hill City) monitored bear-baiting activity, ATV trails, and boating and fishing on local lakes. Several nuisance-bear and miscellaneous wildlife-related calls were handled. Assistance was given to local law enforcement agencies with calls for service and enforcement action was taken for various ATV violations.
CO Brian Holt (Grand Rapids) checked bear baiting and recreational vehicle activity during the previous week. Time was also spent on angling and AIS compliance. Holt attended a day of training and followed up on complaints. Enforcement action involved AIS violations.
Aviation Section
CO Pilot Jason Jensen (Brainerd) reports flying waterfowl telemetry, beartelemetry, and forest health sketch mapping.An aquatic plant management flight was also flown, where bear damage and wild rice health areas were assessed. An illegal prohibited material burn site was located on this flight, and evidence was sent to the local officer for follow-up.
CO Pilot Charles Scott (Brainerd) attended regional meetings to present on Aviation Unit activities. He also conducted training flights with NR Pilot Zeller. Flight planning was also completed for upcoming survey flights.
CO Pilot Ryan Hanna (Grand Rapids) patrolled the Rainy Lake area for angling activity. Hanna received a report of illegal OHM activity and patrolled the area. The OHM users were gone prior to arrival.
CO Pilot Tim Gray (Bemidji) flew forestry flights and handled ongoing aircraft maintenance.
NR Pilot Gracie Zeller (Brainerd) attended a regional meeting addressing safety and other division updates. Zeller flew a fixed-wing training flight. Upcoming projects were discussed and tentatively scheduled. Vehicle maintenance was also attended to.
