Larry

Petersen

The winter severity index for the International Falls area was 48 on Wednesday, reports Larry Petersen, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources area wildlife manager.

The WSI was 104 last year at this date, and 64 two years ago.

The average WSI for this date is about 65, said Petersen. The harshest winter in the mid 1990s had an index of 123 on this date.

All the winter severity data dates from 1966 to present.

The snow depth is around 12-16 inches in the International Falls vicinity, reports Petersen.

“We have now reached the point, at least in northeastern Koochiching County, that snow depth will contribute to the index,” he said.

The winter severity index is a standardized number natural resource managers use when considering impacts of the winter on deer. It is calculated using temperature and snow depth in the period from Nov.r 1 through April 30 or whenever winter ends. Every day the daily low temperature is 0 or below is one point, and every day the snow depth is 15 inches or deeper in an open aspen woods is one point. The points are added each week until winter ends.

International Voyageurs Snowmobile Club

Well we finally got some much needed snow today (Tuesday). We received around 3-4" with another couple coming tonight. With all our trail system freshly groomed it should be awesome riding.

Our operators have a large supply of fire wood at our shelters for all to use. Please keep the fires within the fire rings and make sure the fire has died down before leaving. The new bridge on the Arrowhead Trail west of Highway 53 has been completed and the old bridge has been removed with new signage installed by the Department of Natural Resources.

It's MnUSA Winter Rendezvous weekend with a lot of groups out riding from many different areas so please pay special attention on the trails. So get out this weekend and ride the best groomed trails around, and be safe.

Voyages National Park

Voyageurs would like to welcome the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association (MNUSA), members of which will be riding the park and area trails this weekend.

Fresh snowfall this week has helped improve all trails and portages just in time for their 2015 Winter Rendezvous. Snowmobilers can enjoy the ease of traveling on groomed surfaces at Voyageurs National Park thanks in part to the park’s gateway community snowmobile clubs: International Voyageur, Ash River – Kabetogama Snowdrifters, and Voyageur Trail Society.

Visitors to the park can enjoy the groomed trails by visiting a scenic rock formation, Grassy Bay Cliffs. Located on Sand Point Lake between the communities of Ash River and Crane Lake, Grassy Bay received its name from being a portage that was most likely used during the fur trade. The portage was a short cut between Sand Point Lake and Namakan Lake, and its earliest map reference was in 1913 on the International Joint Commission map.

Outstanding geologic outcrops, such as Grassy Bay Cliffs, are one of the reasons Voyageurs National Park was established. Visitors to this area of the park can see a unique outcrop of the Lac La Croix biotite granite, the same rocks that make up much of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. While the geologic story of the park dates back 2.8 billion years and shows a variety of different geologic features, this outcrop shows some of the “younger” rocks of the park, “only” 2.6 billion years old. In addition to its impressive age, this rock outcrop reaches more than 80 feet high and is truly a scenic experience.

The snowmobile speed limit within the park is 45 mph on frozen lake surfaces and 25 mph on all overland portages. Speed limit signs are posted at trailheads and portages. The speed limit for the ice road is 30 mph.

The most up to date winter trail conditions are available at www.nps.gov/voya.

Snowmobile trails

• International Falls to Kettle Falls (Purple Trail) – Open, staked, and groomed
• Rainy Lake/Black Bay to Kabetogama Lake to Ash River (Green Trail) – Open, staked, and groomed
• Ash River to Crane Lake (Green Trail) – Open, staked, and groomed
• Chain of Lakes (Dashed Black Trail) – Open, staked, and groomed
• Ash River to Kettle Falls (Yellow Trail) – Open, staked, and groomed
• East Namakan Lake to Sand Point Lake (Blue Trail) – Open, staked, and groomed

Ice roads

• Rainy Lake Ice Road – Open to Cranberry Bay and around Dryweed Island
• Kabetogama Lake Ice Road – Open

Ski trails

• Echo Bay Ski Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
• Black Bay Ski Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
• Tilson Connector Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
• KabAsh Trail – Open

Snowshoe trails

• Black Bay Beaver Pond Trail – Open, not packed
• Blind Ash Bay Trail – Open, not packed
• Oberholtzer Trail – Open, not packed
• Sullivan Bay Trail – Open, not packed

CO Darrin Kittelson

2-9-2015

District 5 - Eveleth area

• CO Darrin Kittelson (International Falls) reports the week's activities included animal complaints, ice fishing and snowmobile enforcement, vintage snowmobile run, and deer depredation complaint. An invasive species meeting with Koochiching County was also attended. Found on the Arrowhead Snowmobile Trail in the Lake Kabetogama area was a Yamaha black vinyl/leather gear bag, to claim please contact CO Kittelson at (218)285-9501.
• CO Jim Van Asch (International Falls) spent the week checking angling and snowmobilers throughout the area. The recent snow has rejuvenated the trail system for snowmobilers and cross country skiers over the weekend. CO Van Asch observed several machines that were quite dated and very interesting to see participating in a vintage snowmobile run on Kabetogama Lake. Fish on area lakes are still hard to come by although; a few anglers were able to put a couple in the bucket on Rainy Lake. Enforcement action was taken for operating a snowmobile in excess of posted speed limits and angling without a license in possession.
• CO Brad Schultz (Cook) reports the area snowmobile trails remain in poor shape due to the lack of snow. Ice fishing remains slow and not many anglers were observed throughout the week. Office work was completed.
• CO Marc Hopkins (Tower) assisted COs Fredin and Frericks with a search warrant that led to large game violation charges. The officer assisted CO Grundmeier with some problem areas in his station. CO Hopkins and CO Grundmeier interrupted a burglary in progress while checking for anglers on a remote lake at night. The officers found a vehicle coming out of a WMA. The driver was cited for possession of marijuana and sent on his way. Officers then continued their patrol into the remote area and found where tracks from the recently stopped vehicle had come from a private cabin. Further investigation found the private property freshly burglarized and damaged. CO Grundmeier and Hopkins were able to catch up to the suspect’s pickup truck and the driver was arrested for burglary, theft and criminal damage to property.
• CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) worked angling, ATV, and snowmobile activity and assisted local law enforcement in searching for a stolen vehicle and the State Patrol on an impaired driver complaint. A vintage snowmobile run was worked with (nearly 200 sleds) between Chisholm and Kinney. An ATV was stopped for operating on a snowmobile trail and was also found to have drug paraphernalia. Enforcement action was taken on no angling license in possession, no ski pass on a state park ski trail, unregistered ATV, snowmobile registration display, snowmobile speed, operating an ATV on grant in aid snowmobile trail and possession of drug paraphernalia
• CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) completed an investigation stemming from a TIP call about a person who was seen putting a deer in the back of his vehicle. Charges were sent to the county attorney’s office for consideration. Area snowmobile trails remain in poor condition and a groomer was finally seen attempting to groom one particular stretch of trail for the first time all season. Trout anglers have been doing well on area trout lakes.  
• CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) finished up a Big Game case with CO Frericks. Fishing activity was check and a few crappies were being caught. A complaint of unmarked fish house and litter was check into. Snowmobiling is rough and the predicted snow over the weekend did not materialize.
• Ray - vacant. 

District 1 - Baudette area

• CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked anglers on Lake of the Woods. Violations encountered included possess over limit of saugers and extra lines. Another officer was assisted with a group of anglers that were in possession of marijuana.
• CO Eric Benjamin (Warroad) worked snowmobiling and angling enforcement throughout Warroad and the surrounding areas. CO Benjamin worked in conjunction with CO Hanson conducting compliance checks on anglers entering the US from Canada at the Warroad Customs and Border Patrol point of entry. Enforcement action was taken for the following: angling without a license in possession and transporting fish without patch of skin.
• CO Hannah Cowden (Warroad) spent the week checking anglers and snowmobilers. It appeared like the bite was starting to pick up a little bit on the west side of the lake. Enforcement action taken for angling without a license, no angling license in possession, angling with an extra line, and possession of dressed fillets.
• CO Nicholas Prachar (Baudette) investigated a fish house left at a public water access. Time was spent patrolling for ice angling activity on Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River. CO Prachar spent time working on Gull Lake in Brainerd on Friday and Saturday at the One-Lunger 100 vintage snowmobile event. Enforcement action taken included possession of alcohol by persons under 21, reckless driving, fail to display ATV registration and operate ATV with passenger under 18 without helmet.
• CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls) monitored activities during the Minnesota Vikings Arctic Blast Festival in Thief River Falls, giving the safety message prior to the events snowmobile ride. Safety and compliance checks were conducted during the ride. CO Woinarowicz patrolled during a local fishing derby and a coyote hunting contest resulting in enforcement action for transporting loaded firearms in a motor vehicle and an arrest for outstanding warrants. Other enforcement action included angle with extra line, fail to register big game, and no snowmobile registration.
• CO Traci Hanson (Thief River Falls) worked angling, snowmobiling, small game hunting and trapping enforcement. Hanson worked the Arctic Blast snowmobile ride with the Minnesota Vikings. Many snowmobilers enjoyed a ride with the Vikings on the Red Lake River followed by a bon fire, hot dogs and apple cider at Smiley Bridge. One unfortunate participant lost his snowmobile to a fire. There were no injuries, but the snowmobile was a total loss. Hanson assisted CO Benjamin with a port of entry check.
• CO Demosthenes Regas (Blackduck) reports monitoring snowmobiling activity and angling activity on Upper Red Lake and special regulation lakes throughout the week. Time was spent investigating a TIP report, interviewing a suspect regarding a trespassing complaint, case preparation for court trial and testifying in a court trial. Enforcement action throughout the week included, over limit of Upper Red Lake walleye, possession of protected slot limit walleye, angling with extra lines, possession of dressed fillets on the ice, unmeasurable fish and angling license violations.
• Baudette #2 -vacant.
• Blackduck #2 - vacant.
• Karlstad - vacant.