Minnesota CO Report

CO Darrin Kittelson (International Falls) spent time at Camp Ripley for annual in-service training. Sturgeon fishing on the Rainy River has slowed as the Littlefork and Bigfork Rivers have gone out. Enforcement action was taken for failure to attach sturgeon tag, operate watercraft without required navigational lights, and no angling license in possession. A report of a vehicle going through the ice on Rainy Lake was also handled; individual was attempting to remove ice shelter that was left after the deadline.

CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports attending training, river activities were monitored very poor fishing, few people, large icebergs, stumps, and trees observed floating in the river making fishing difficult at best.

CO Dan Starr (Tower) worked sturgeon season on the Rainy River and attended the annual training session in Ripley. Calls about fishing closures were taken, with concerns about waters that are open for fishing. A neighborhood dispute was also heard, as the feeding of bear has started and not appreciated by all people. Ice is just starting to pull away from some of the shoreline. Opener will not be ice free, unless drastic temperature changes occur.

CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) worked anglers (in the limited amount of available open water), ATVs, taught an ATV Safety Class, and dealt with road killed deer and otter. Rivers are free of ice; however, lake ice is keeping hold and may complicate things on the fishing opener. Enforcement action was taken on angling without an angling license, angle with extra lines, and a number of ATV and OHM violations.

CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) attended annual training at Camp Ripley and monitored deteriorating ice conditions on Virginia area lakes. Ice is finally pulling away from shore and no anglers have been seen on area lakes. Anglers were checked on area rivers and suckers have started showing up. Walleyes have started to spawn.

Ray — vacant.

I. Falls # 2 — vacant.

District 6 — Two Harbors area

CO Marty Stage (Ely) worked on old cases and found ATVs riding on the highway. An unregistered 6-wheeled ATV was traveling with a passenger on state highway 169 at the same speed as the cars for about three miles. When the officer eventually spoke to the operator, who said he had gotten lost and needed to take the highway to get back home, the officer pointed out to the operator that there were several problems with his excuse. In order to get where he had just been observed coming from, the operator would have had to have driven on the same state highway, down a county road, drive on a Grant-in-Aid snowmobile trail, across multiple private properties, (some posted with gates), down another county road, and then the state highway he’d just been observed on. Please stay off the county roads and state highways and read the ATV regulations concerning allowed road usage.

CO Sean Williams (Ely) reports that the lakes in Ely are still ice covered, and the rivers have just recently opened up. The snow has recently left the heavily wooded areas and wildlife activity has picked up. Violations included underage possession of alcohol.

CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) worked crappie anglers, ATV enforcement, and spring fish run activity. An ATV law class was put on for several local law enforcement agencies. A TIP call was taken in regards to taking closed season fish. Several questions regarding opener and specific closures were answered, as well as ATV related questions. A reminder to all that a valid driver’s license is needed for operating an ATV on all public roadways unless part of a designated Grant-in-Aid ATV trail. Enforcement action was taken for various ATV violations and for minor possession of alcohol.

CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) reports that Sunday was for the birds. Early in the day, someone called in a Common Loon sitting along a county road. When the CO arrived, the loon was crying and waiving both wings like it was trying to take off. The CO put it in a dog kennel and took it to Lake Superior. The loon went for a quick swim to clean off the road grime, and then it flew away like nothing was wrong. Later in the day the CO was called to an interpretive center along the North Shore for an American Bittern that had gotten into a wire enclosure that protects freshly planted pine trees from deer. The CO lifted up the enclosure and let the bird out. The bird didn’t realize it was freed and wanted to show the CO that it was nothing to mess with. The CO watched it hiss for a while, and then point its beak straight up towards the sky, standing still. Eventually the bird flew away. The ice probably won’t be out in Cook County for the opener. It definitely won’t be a good idea to go ice fishing. The ice will not be safe. Some people are saying that they want to ice fish just to say they did. You can’t say you did if you fall through the ice and drown.

CO Mary Manning (Hovland) checked steelheads on Lake Superior tributaries. Landowners are reminded that river anglers have legal access to public waterways so long as they have lawful access at some point to that waterway; anglers walking below the ordinary high waterline of a river may be there lawfully regardless of land ownership. Manning also attended annual training at Camp Ripley and tended to vehicle repair issues.

CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) worked the Rainy River with CO Fairbanks, checked anglers and instructed firearms training at in-service. Angler success was poor. Enforcement actionwas taken for angling without a license, no license in possession, no type IV lifesaving device on board water craft and failure to display current registration on a watercraft.

CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) worked fish run activity and attended spring training qualifications at Camp Ripley during the week. Deer/car incidents continue to be frequent in the area as deer are trying to find green grass near roadways. Drivers can expect to encounter deer on the roadway this time of year.

CO Brad Johnson (Silver Bay) reports that he attended annual in-service training at Camp Ripley. He also completed on-line administrative training. CO Johnson checked anglers along North Shore rivers.