Conservation Officer reports
CO Sean Williams (Ely #1) reports: He attended a specialized watercraft training as well as annual firearms training over the week. Bear baiting activity picked up over the weekend as the season opener approaches. Violations included: Failure to register a bear bait, no bear bait ID sign, and litter.
CO Brent Ihnen (Ely #2) spent the week checking anglers and watercraft operators. CO Ihnen also monitored bear baiting activity and prepared for the upcoming season. Additional time was spent training at Camp Ripley.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Grand Marais) spent time in the BWCAW checking anglers. Time was also spent working ATV’s, anglers on inland lakes and bear bait stations. Enforcement action was taken for boating violations. CO Hudson Ledeen (Hovland) spent time over the week patrolling ATV, angling and bear baiting activities. Ledeen attended annual training at Camp Ripley, along with watercraft training on Big Sandy Lake. Station equipment maintenance was performed.
CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) attended annual training. Several cases were worked on with the county attorney’s office. Bear baiting was monitored. A driver was cited for speeding after being observed driving at an extremely high rate of speed.
CO Megan Franzen (Silver Bay) spent the week primarily attending trainings and continuing work on a background for a candidate for hire. Time was spent attending a kayak training as well as an annual training at Camp Ripley. Ongoing public water-related complaints were also investigated.
CO Trent Anderson (Tofte) focused on bear baiting and angling enforcement for the week. Bear baiting is in full swing and anglers are finding a few salmon on Superior. Annual training was attended.
CO Cassie Block (Two Harbors) Spent time this week training with the K9 Unit at Camp Ripley. Block and K9 Jet attended the Itasca County Fair with a fellow handler and gave K9 demos to fairgoers. Time was also spent patrolling the area for seasonal activity.
District 5 - Eveleth area
CO Paul Kennedy (International Falls #1) attended annual fall in-service held at Camp Ripley this year. He fielded several calls related to the upcoming bear season and baiting activity. Kennedy also followed up with a report of a potential wetland violation.
CO John Slatinski IV (Ray) Attended training at Camp Ripley. Time was spent answering questions about bear baiting and hunting. Bait stations were checked for compliance. Anglers were out enjoying the lake as temperatures moderated a bit and light jackets were required for the morning bite. The afternoons were still conducive to swimming activities. Families are active trying to get in one outing before school starts and sporting activities require attention.
CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports monitoring area lakes, checking public access sites, and checking area forest roads. Activity has slowed as the start of school approaches. Fishing remains poor with little observed being caught. Administrative work and equipment work are on going.
CO Sean Cannon (Cook) spent time this week monitoring ATVs and activity relating to the upcoming bear season. Baiting is ongoing with many hunters reporting activity on baits, so the season looks promising. Time was also spent checking anglers and monitoring boating activity. One day was spent at Camp Ripley for training as well.
CO Aaron Larson (Tower) worked primarily ATV, angling, and big game hunting activity. He spent time on local ATV trails and roads checking bear baiting activity. He also spent time following up on public waters violations, and attended a yearly training.
CO Marc Johnson (Hibbing) primarily worked ATV, boating, and angling enforcement. In addition, time was also spent training at Camp Ripley, investigating depredation calls, and checking bear bait stations.
CO Shane Zavodnik (Virginia) Time was spent training at Camp Ripley over the week. Additional time was spent completing a wetland violation case, squad maintenance, and handling nuisance bear calls.
