District 6 - Two Harbors CO Sean Williams (Ely #1) reports hunting pressure waned over the week, and activity only picked up slightly over the weekend. Most hunters contacted reported seeing deer or recent sign, but little success was reported. Violations included hunting with no license in possession and hunting with insufficient blaze orange.
CO Brent Ihnen (Ely #2) focused primarily on checking firearms deer hunters this week. Ihnen also checked small-game and waterfowl hunters. Additional time was spent monitoring fishing and boating activity.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Grand Marais) focused on working deer hunters. He responded to baiting TIP and ATV-related complaints. Time was also spent working shining complaints.
COHudsonLedeen(Hovland) spenttheweekchecking deer hunters, grouse hunters, and anglers. Deer hunters continue to express their discontent with the lack of deer in the area. Commercial netting is in full swing on Lake Superior, bringing a lot of nice herring to market. CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) continued field trainingwithCOCKrisRyan. Throughout the week, time was spent on a spruce top investigation. Deer hunters and camps were checked throughout the week, with most groups having little to no success. Enforcement action was taken for burning prohibited garbage and driving after revocation. Several investigations are ongoing.
COMeganFranzen(Silver Bay) spent the week checking big-game and small -game hunters around the area. Grouse hunters reported varied success with most noting that bird numbers appear to be down from previous years. Time was also spent assisting park staff with an event at Splitrock Lighthouse State Park.Enforcementactionwas taken for a big-game-registration violation.
CO Trent Anderson (Tofte) focused on deer-hunting activity over the firearms deer opener. Deer hunters reported minimal deer sign. Grouse hunters and a few late-seasonduckhunterswere checked enjoying the recent warm spell. Preparations are beginning for the upcoming winter seasons.
CO Cassie Block (Two Harbors) spent time this week checking hunters throughout the area. Block focused efforts on big-game-hunting complaints. Time was also spent training with K9 Jet.
District 5 - Eveleth area CO Paul Kennedy (International Falls #1) reports a busy week leading into the second week of deer season. Most hunters contacted stated they have been seeing fewer deer with lower numbers harvested. He took several trespassing complaints along Canadian National Railway property. Permits were issued for car-struck deer. He assisted local agencies with a medical call and a report of a person who got his ATV stuck. Kennedy assisted neighboring officers on a report of someone shooting from the roadway, which led to an arrest for possession of a firearm by an ineligible party. Enforcement action for the week included operating an unregistered ATV, operating an ATV on a state highway, and failing to validate a tag. CO John Slatinski IV (Ray) reports deer hunting remained the main activity in the area, although a few grouse hunters were also encountered. Reports of hunting success were encountered in some areas and in other areas shacks were void of hunters altogether. A report of shooting from the road was received and two individuals were found to be involved in multiple violations. Whitefish netting was also monitored. Slatinski also assisted with a complaint of hunting within city limits.
CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports a very quiet week in the deer woods with few hunters observed and fewer deer observed harvested. Wolf reports continue as does the report of signs of these animals in the field. A variety of public inquiries were responded to. Area forest roads were checked with little activity noted. Administrative tasks continue.
CO Sean Cannon (Cook) continued work through the second weekend of deer season. There continues to be less deer hunting activity in the area. Several groups of hunters were talked to, with mixed reports of deer numbers and activity. Cannon responded to a report of a doe shot in a private field off County Highway 22. The deer was shot from the road and left lying there. Anyone with information on this is encouraged to report it. Several grouse hunters were checked through the week as well.
CO Aaron Larson (Tower) worked primarily on deer-hunting enforcement. Time was spent checking hunters throughout his station and working TIP complaints. Larson investigated illegal taking of deer, trespass complaints, and spruce top theft. He also assisted in locating a lost hunter.
CO Marc Johnson (Hibbing) continued working the firearms deer season, which remained quiet. Fewer hunters were observed in the field and several camps that were full on opening weekend had already been vacated. More doesandfawnsarebeingseen than in past years, but bucks remain elusive. Time was also spent attending meetings and providing a ride-along to someone interested in becoming a conservation officer.
CO Shane Zavodnik (Virginia) and Conservation Officer Candidate Jake Peterson worked on wrapping up various big-game violation investigations over the week. The COs interviewed a person who was found to have illegally taken a doe. It was found that the hunter shot out of the ATV window and across the roadway to harvest the deer. The hunter attempted to decrease the severity of the violations stating, “I looked both ways before I shot.” Additional time was spent working in COC Peterson’s future station.
CO Duke Broughten (Aurora) spent the week monitoring deer-hunting activity. Fewer deer hunters were out after opening weekend. Success continued to be limited. Some hunters reported seeing no deer and others reported seeing a few does. Broughten fielded calls regarding dumped deer carcasses, trespass, and party hunting questions.
District 7 - Grand Rapids CO Vinny Brown (Northome) spent most of the past week and second weekend of the firearms deer season in the woods, checking deer and small-game hunters. Numerous wildlife-related calls were answered, and TIP calls were investigated. Enforcement action was taken for several deer-hunting and ATV-related violations, including transporting loaded firearms, untagged deer, failure to validate deer tags, operating ATVs during closed hours, and allowing youth to operate/ride ATVs without helmets. Numerous deerwereseized,andongoing investigations continue.
