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Conservation Officer Weekly Report for Dec. 17

District 5 - Eveleth area
CO Shane Zavodnik (International Falls #2) spent time working ATV, snowmobile and angling enforcement. Ice conditions seem to be on the rebound after the warm spell from the previous week. Snowmobile trails are OK, but snow is definitely needed. With decreased flow on the Rainy River, anglers have begun to pull permanent ice houses out between Clementson and Frontier. Reports of good fishing were heard on the ice as well as higher up the river where anglers were still open-water shore-fishing. Time was also spent checking anglers on Upper Red Lake. Success seemed to vary from house to house with reports of smaller walleyes and perch being caught.
CO John Slatinski (Ray) reports the prominent fishing activity in the area has switched from spearing to angling, although the spearers are still finding some success. Anglers are reporting mixed results. Time was spent processing incidental furbearer catches. Seasonal equipment maintenance was tended to. Enforcement activities included illegal-length fish and license violations.
CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports winter angling and spearing is in full swing as ice conditions continue to improve. Snowmobile activity is nonexistent due to lack of snow. Public access sites were checked and area forest roads monitored. Equipment work is ongoing.
CO Duke Broughten (Cook) spent the week monitoring angling and spearing activity. Anglers reported limited success. Snowmobilers are waiting for more snow.
CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) worked angling and trapping activity during the week and worked an angling trespass complaint. Enforcement action was taken on untagged snares.
CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) started investigations on numerous trapping violations, including lynx zone violations. Few anglers were seen out on area lakes. Of the few anglers checked, Frericks recognized one. The angler previously had his angling license suspended and revoked for several years due to failure to appear and previous violations. Frericks and the angler spoke about his absence from the lake and the angler replied that he was never doing that again.
CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) primarily worked angling around the station and on Lake Vermilion. Ice remains around 10 inches and its thickness has not increased at all during the week due to warm weather. Violations of not displaying shelter license or identification, unattended lines, and no license in possession where found.
District 6 - Two Harbors area
CO Sean Williams (Ely #1) reports that although a few additional inches of snow fell in the Ely area, there was still far too little for any regular activity on the local trails. The fishing activity continued to be slow due to the generally slow bite. Most anglers checked were found to be just out enjoying the mild weather.
CO John Velsvaag (Ely #2) checked anglers this past week. He also checked snaring and trapping activity. Snowmobiling conditions are still poor around the area.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) checked anglers by snowmobile patrol during the week.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) checked anglers and patrolled snowmobile trails and forest roads. She also handled equipment maintenance issues and took a report of a collared white-tailed deer.
CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) spent much of the week following up on deer-hunting violations, with many citations issued for offenses such as harvest registration violations, unlawful use of bonus tags, and taking does without antlerless permits. Time was also spent checking ice-fishing activity. Additional enforcement action was taken for cans in the BWCA and operating a vehicle on a snowmobile trail.
CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) worked angling and snowmobile activity during the week. Area trails are still not groomed due to lack of snow but lake riding is starting to pick up. There?s also some riding in areas farther north where there is more snow. Murray took nuisance-animal calls and responded to a wolf-depredation complaint in the Finland area.

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