Conservation Report District – 5

CO Darrin Kittelson (International Falls #1) and COC Choua Khang spent this week checking traps, monitoring grouse hunters on ATVs, and checking fishing activities along the Rainy River and Rainy Lake. The temperature has dropped this week but the anglers who are still on boats have been successful in bagging their daily limits. Youth have been out enjoying the nice weekend riding ATVs and hunting with their families. Enforcement action was taken for unlawfully transporting game birds, no license in possession, youth ATV operations, and transporting unlawfully taken fish from Canada.

CO Curtis Simonson (International Falls #2) reports working the Rainy River and working ATV/small-game activity throughout the area. Enforcement action was taken for allowing illegal operation of an ATV by a juvenile, operating an ATV without a required helmet, and transporting loaded firearms.

CO John Slatinski IV (Ray) reports angling activity has slowed considerably as recreationalists have shifted their focus to small-game hunting and ATV riding. Although the leaf drop accelerated rapidly this past week there is still a considerable amount of underbrush foliage, providing a challenge to find grouse that have flushed. Waterfowl hunters are still waiting for the migration to start pushing fresh birds into the area. Time was spent working ongoing cases. Several injured-animal calls were received and followed up on.

CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports ATV and small-game-hunting activities were monitored over the week. Time was spent checking public access sites and area forest roads. Numerous phone calls and permits were issued over the week. He continued work on equipment and various administrative tasks.

CO Aaron Larson (Tower) primarily worked small-game, ATV, and angling enforcement. Larson spent time checking anglers on Lake Vermilion who were having mixed success. Violations included failure to have a life jacket on a watercraft, allowing youth to not wear a life jacket while underway, and litter. Larson is also currently investigating other hunting related violations.

CO Marc Johnson (Hibbing) attended a week-long training course in the Twin Cities over the week. Various calls were also fielded while at training.

CO Shane Zavodnik (Virginia) spent time completing a lengthy overlimit case during the week, which entailed two anglers in possession of a mixed bag consisting of largemouth and smallmouth bass, perch, bluegills, and rock bass. The end result yielded a combined total of 68 largemouth and smallmouth bass and 60 bluegills, resulting in 56 bass and 20 bluegills over the legal possession limit. During the initial interview, it was discovered the party typically makes an annual fishing trip up to the lake where Zavodnik made contact with them. When Zavodnik asked how the fishing trip went, one of the party members stated, ?not so good.? The two individuals were charged with a gross misdemeanor and gross overlimit of largemouth and smallmouth bass plus an overlimit of bluegills.

CO Duke Broughten (Aurora) spent the week monitoring fishing, hunting, and ATV activity. Anglers and hunters reported limited success this week. Broughten fielded calls regarding trespass, nuisance animals, and recreational vehicle registration.

Cook vacant.