District 5

CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports duck hunting appeared nonexistent as clear sunny skies and temps in the 80s settled in for the week. ATV activities were monitored, and area forest roads were visited. Area lakes and public access sites continue to be visited. Grouse-hunting success remains light. Mosquitos remain persistent. Fire danger is back due to lack of rain.

CO Sean Cannon (Cook) spent time this week checking waterfowl hunters, monitoring ATV activity, and checking grouse hunters and anglers. It seemed a lot of people are waiting for fall-like weather to return before hunting hard, as it was unseasonably warm all week. Cannon also spent time assisting St. Louis County throughout the week, including a burglary in progress and a search for what ended up being a lost person deep in the woods East of Crane Lake. Cannon located the person lost. They were miles from their vehicle. Cannon was able to get them to the shore of Crane Lake and arranged for St. Louis County personnel, searching by boat, to pick them up and get them safely back.  

CO Aaron Larson (Tower) worked primarily angling, ATV, and small-game enforcement. Larson spent time checking grouse hunters and waterfowl hunters who were still having little success. Larson spent time checking anglers on Lake Vermilion, finding mixed bags with most people finding at least a few fish. Violations were primarily related to licenses and boating safety equipment.

CO Shane Zavodnik (Virginia) reports unusually warm weather over the week brough back boating activity throughout the area. Surprisingly, duck numbers have increased over the week and hunters continue to have above-average success in the field. Several calls were fielded over the week pertaining to trespass and motorized boat use. With bear activity starting to ramp up, Zavodnik wants to remind homeowners to keep garbage indoors and take bird feeders down if possible.

CO Duke Broughten (Aurora) spent the week monitoring hunting, fishing, and ATV activity. Warmer weather this week brought out more anglers than hunters. Anglers reported moderate success. Grouse hunters continued to report seeing few birds. Few ducks were found in hunters’ bags. Waterfowl hunters are reminded, if using watercraft, to be sure to have life jackets.

District 6

CO Brent Ihnen (Ely #2) worked this week focusing on small-game and waterfowl-hunting activity. Ihnen also checked anglers and watercraft operators. Additional time was spent monitoring ATV and OHM activity.

CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) worked a variety of activities this week including recreational vehicles, anglers, small-game hunters, and waterfowl enforcement. A variety of violations were addressed, including hunting without a small-game license, transporting a loaded shotgun on an ATV, OHM violations, and use of live minnows on a trout lake. As a reminder, off-highway motorcycle use is prohibited on roadways. There has been a noticeable uptick in that activity as of late, particularly by juveniles, and those violations will be worked and enforced.