District 6 - Two Harbors CO Sean Williams (Ely #1) spent the weekend focusing on grouse- and waterfowl-hunting activities. The typically busy MEA weekend saw fewer hunters than in the recent past. Many hunters were still checked and success continued to be fair. CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Grand Marais) spent the week checking small-game hunters and recreational ATV riders. Nuisance-animal calls and hunting-related complaints were handled. Enforcement action was taken for hunter harassment and license violations.
CO Hudson Ledeen (Hovland) reports the woods were busy with grouse hunters testing their skills at harvesting a grouse. Hunters’ success continues to vary from hunter to hunter and the amount of effort they put in. Enforcement action was taken for hunting and ATV violations. CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) worked the busy MEA weekend. Most activity appeared geared toward camping, grouse hunting, and ATV riding. Few youth deer hunters were observed, no waterfowl hunters, and few anglers with the windy weather. Enforcement action was taken for the following violations: no small-game license, unlawful combination license (not married), transporting a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, transporting grouse without attached wings, and burning without a permit.
CO Megan Franzen (Silver Bay) spent the week primarily monitoring small-game and youth deer-hunting activity. Rainy weather turned sunny and windy over the weekend, and hunters reported low success. Time was also spent assisting state park staff with a special use permit violation. CO Trent Anderson (Tofte) worked grouse hunting and angling activities during the week. Grouse hunting remained slow with some hunters opting to go fishing instead of chasing pressure-wary birds. Nuisance bear issues are increasing as fall continues. A reminder to remove any easily accessible food sources such as bird seed and fallen fruit to reduce conflicts.
CO Cassie Block (Two Harbors) spent time this week checking hunters throughout the area and patrolling for ATV activity. Mixed levels ofsuccessamongsmall-game hunters were noted.
District 5 - Eveleth area
CO Paul Kennedy (International Falls #1) reports a busy week leading into the long weekend. Kennedy took several calls of nuisance and injured animals. He assisted with recovering an injured eagle for transport to the Raptor Center. Reports were followed up from the previous week. Grouse hunters continue to report low numbers of birds. Enforcement action for the week included several juvenile violations related to ATV operation and registration violations. Kennedy was also assisted by local partners and partner agencies with illegal cutting of spruce tops. CO John Slatinski IV (Ray) reports the signs of a shift in the season become more prominent as the leaves carpet the ground. Youth deer hunters were successful and happy to be out. Assistance was provided with navigating the new license and tagging system. ATV activity saw a sudden spike with the long weekend providing additional time to get out in the beautiful weather. Juveniles not wearing helmets has been a common violation observed in the past few days. No matter what type of ATV is being used, helmets are still required for juveniles.
CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports monitoring area forest roads. Grouse numbers remain low and hunting success has been poor overall. The youth firearms deer hunt was uneventful as no youth were observed in the field hunting. Duck hunting was minimal as hunters wait for ducks to arrive. Beaver problems continue. Equipment work was completed.
CO Sean Cannon (Cook) spent time this week checking grouse hunters and monitoring ATV activity. Grouse numbers remain down, with few birds seen. Time was also spent checking anglers and monitoring decorative materials harvesting. Some time was spent working the early youth deer season, with many questions fielded regarding the new license system and deer registration. Please remember to buy licenses early and spend some time learning the new system before the season.
CO AaronLarson (Tower) worked primarily hunting and ATV activity around his station. He spent time primarily checking grouse hunters and youth deer season hunters. Violations were related to taking a doe in a bucks-only zone, taking deer with the aid of bait, failing to validate a deer tag, and allowing youth to violate fish and game laws.
