Conservation Officer Report: Dangerous Ice | Sports & Recreation ...

The Minnesota DNR provided the following summaries of last week's activities by Conservation Officers:

CO Brad Schultz (Cook) reports working on some leftover items from the rifle deer season and the first wolf hunting season. The bays of area lakes have frozen over with very thin ice.? Please don?t put your life, and the lives of the first responders, at risk by going out on this dangerous ice. Also, keep a close watch on the kids and pets and keep them away from the thin ice.

CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports monitoring forest roads, snowmobile activity has been observed, public access sites continue to be monitored. Lakes have frozen.

CO Dan Starr (Tower) finished up some deer season issues and marked some baited stands to visit next year. A wolf season case continues to be investigated. Trapping and muzzleloading season started with a few deer around, but mostly moving at night. Snow and cold are welcome by some, but dreaded by others who stayed inside. A meeting was held with the county attorney to resolve a pending DUI case and upcoming jury trial. Some hare hunters were checked, but fresh snow made the white critters hard to see.

CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) followed up on cases from the rifle deer season and worked muzzleloader, wolf, fisher and marten openers. A trespass follow up revealed violations of trespassing, driving after revocation, fail to validate site tag and fail to register deer. A deer hunting complaint that involved a felon in possession of a firearm and a number of deer hunting violations was worked and is nearly readied for charges. The saga of dumped deer carcasses continues. An individual hunting grouse without adequate blaze orange admitted to illegally dumping pieces of his processed deer into the river. While dealing with that issue, the officer found an illegally set trap from another individual. Enforcement action was taken.

CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) spent time preparing reports to be turned into court stemming from big game violations. More follow up into other violations that occurred during the deer season are still ongoing. An alarming number of deer carcasses have started to be found in road ditches throughout the Virginia area. CO Frericks would like to remind people that not only is this littering but it also gives hunters and sportsmen a poor image. CO Frericks advises that people dispose of their deer carcasses by taking them to a local landfill and spending a dollar or two instead of risking a $185 fine. ?

CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) received numerous calls from outraged people on three deer carcasses dumped in a ditch by Bass Lake. Two of the deer had heads removed. The third was a doe only partially processed leaving back straps and hindquarters unprocessed. Other hind quarters were discarded off to the side unprocessed. CO Fredin while doing a routine check of hunters in deer stands found one to be hunting without a license and the other to be hunting on an invalid license due to purchasing the license during the season and not waiting he required two days before hunting. Thanks to fresh snow many traps were check for fisher/marten/wolf seasons.?? ?

CO John Velsvaag (Ely) checked up on several deer baiting complaints this past week. CO Velsvaag took several calls on the upcoming second wolf season. He also followed up on complaints of early pine marten trapping.

CO Marty Stage (Ely) worked on cases that were left over from the deer season. Time was spent putting away boats since the lakes are frozen up now. The second wave of hunters has shown up for wolf, muzzleloader, and marten and fisher trapping. Trappers are reminded that if they don?t want the conservation officer to alter their sets any more than is absolutely necessary, they should not roll their ID tags into a little ball. Doing this makes the tag difficult to read.

CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt / Ely) reports the first snowstorm of the year and ice forming on the lakes, bringing winter sports here soon. An investigation from deer season was completed with enforcement action taken for hunting deer without a license and a rifle was seized. Whitefish netting was monitored. A busy wolf, muzzleloader deer, and fisher/marten opener was worked. Other enforcement action for the week included over limit of crappies, unregistered ATV, trespass, commercial records violation, fail to register deer, transport loaded gun in motor vehicle, no blaze orange while trapping, fail to validate marten site coupon, set trap on pole with illegal diameter, and no trapping license in possession.

CO Sarah Sindelir (Grand Rapids) spent time this past week working on follow-up complaints from deer season. She also taught snowmobile laws at a snowmobile safety class. She took several questions concerning the muzzle loader season.

CO Shawn Wichmann (Hill City) worked post firearms deer season investigations. Enforcement action was taken on an individual taking a deer during closed season with artificial light and bait. Wichmann also checked the area for trapping activity.

CO Jayson Hansen (Bigfork) worked small game, trapping and started field training work with COC Belgard. Violations of trespass and ATV?s on the roadway were encountered.

CO Randy Patten (Northome) checked trappers and muzzleloader hunters and continued to work on investigations from the rifle deer season.

CO Thomas Sutherland (Grand Rapids) worked trapping activity the last week with multiple furbearer seasons opening over the weekend. CO Sutherland also finished up work from the regular firearms deer season and started work on muzzleloader deer season.

CO Mike Fairbanks (Deer River) worked with COC Belgard. They checked small game and deer and wolf hunters/trappers. Enforcement contacts were made for a small game license violation and a wolf trapping violation.

CO Andy Schmidt (Brookston) completed investigations from the firearm deer season. Deer carcass dumping complaints continue after the season.

CO Jeff Birchem (Baudette) continued to follow up on cases from the firearms season. Area trappers were checked and CO Birchem also assisted young trappers from the Baudette school. Muzzleloader hunters were checked on the opening weekend. Ice conditions are very poor in the bays and extreme caution should be used. ?

CO Robert Gorecki (Baudette) monitored early ice fishing, muzzleloading, and trapping activity throughout the week. A few early ice anglers were checked on Upper Red Lake, but ice conditions are inconsistent and vary greatly. Caution should be used. CO Gorecki assisted CO Birchem in a trapping field exercise, and muzzleloader hunters were checked during the week. ?

CO Keith Backer (Blackduck) checked muzzleloader hunters and several trappers. Ice on area lakes will require much additional cold weather before safe for foot travel.

CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji) conducted follow up investigations from the firearm deer season. A district meeting and training was attended at Itasca State Park. CO Vollbrecht worked with the area Local Gov?t Unit (LGU) on wetland violations.

CO Gary Sommers (Walker) reports primary enforcement efforts this past week focused on big and small game hunting, and trapping activity.

CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) checked muzzleloader deer hunters, trapping activity, and late season wolf hunters. He received calls about an injured owl, wolf law questions, and an injured goose. Officer Mathy also continued to work on cases initiated during the firearms deer season.

CO Larry Francis (Remer) continued to follow-up on cases from deer season. He put equipment into storage and prepared his snowmobile for use. Winter is here; lakes are freezing and the snow is falling. This past weekend brought out quite a few muzzleloader hunters; compliance with regulations was good. ?

CO Duke Broughten (Longville) spent the week monitoring hunting and trapping activity.? Muzzleloader deer season is off to a slow start with few hunters observed over the weekend. CO Broughten continued to receive calls concerning the dumping of deer carcasses and also followed up on cases from the firearms deer season.
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Source: http://northernmn.wdio.com/news/sports-recreation/52602-conservation-officer-report-dangerous-ice

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