DNR report: April 30

Talk about it

Reports filed Sunday from area Minnesota DNR conservation officers:

Mark Fredin (Aurora) attended yearly training at Camp Ripley. Assisted at a forest fire with traffic control and residence checks. Received a complaint of fishing on a designated trout lake. Received a complaint of a fresh processed deer hanging in a shed; inspection revealed the deer was last fall’s kill never taken down.

Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) attended the yearly in-service training at Camp Ripley. He checked stream fishermen and did seasonal maintenance work.

Dan Thomasen (Two Harbors) continued to work the fish run along the North Shore. Time was spent working on outstanding cases, equipment maintenance issues and instructing at a firearms safety class. Also attended annual training at Camp Ripley.

Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) spent the week training officers in firearms and use of force during the first week of in-service at Camp Ripley. Armored shotguns while he was down there. Checked anglers on Lake Superior and monitored streams and rivers.

Mary Manning (Hovland) attended annual training in firearms, emergency management and first aid at Camp Ripley. Patrolled area trout streams, checked inland lakes and beaver traps, and responded to a report of an illegal brush fire.

John Velsvaag (Ely) checked fish run activity this past week and took enforcement action for early fishing. Received several wolf complaints and another early fishing complaint.

He also attended training at Camp Ripley.

Marty Stage (Ely) worked illegal fishing activity in the BWCA via motor and canoe and spent a lot of time watching people at spawning creeks.

There are problems with people thinking they can fish for walleyes and northern even though the season is closed. It is illegal to fish for the closed fish species regardless of whether the fish are released. Some college students were dropping boulders and asphalt chunks on spawning fish from a bridge. Luckily, the walleyes are about done spawning. Interesting encounters included the officer observing a wolf run down the road, then turn off the road, running right between two unconcerned grouse that were also standing on the edge of the road about 60 feet apart. Another was seeing a wolf walk across the rock rapids at Pipestone Falls, where the suckers and walleyes were spawning.

Andy Schmidt (Brookston) spent much of the week working streams and rivers. Smelt anglers were successful. Suckers are running and the officer received numerous complaints regarding early netting and spearing. Schmidt assisted DNR Forestry on numerous fires. Citations were issued for burning violations.

Tags: two harbors, dnr report, outdoors