District 8 - Duluth area

CO Derek Peterlin (Brookston) attended training at Camp Ripley, assisted with investigating the cause of a grass fire and saw an increase in ATV and angling activity throughout the area. He investigated a complaint of an ATV operating on a snowmobile trail and addressed a turkey that was taken out of season.

CO Andy Schmidt (Duluth West) monitored angling activity during the week as the Lake Superior Tributaries were finally flowing. ATV/OHM activity was high this week with the nice weather and multiple violations were observed. Calls regarding injured and nuisance wildlife were handled and one dog call resulted in the lost canine being returned to appreciative owners. And now, what everyone cares most about based on the number of calls and questions: No smelt have been observed yet.

CO Kipp Duncan (Duluth East) spent the first part of the week at Camp Ripley participating in annual spring training. Time was spent patrolling the North Shore for the annual spring steelhead run and time was spent investigating an incident involving a cow killed by timber wolves. This investigation found evidence that multiple wolves were involved, resulting in the USDA being contacted to assist with the wolf depredation.

CO Tony Elwell (Cloquet) monitored ATV and angling activity this week. Annual training was completed at Camp Ripley, a wolf-depredation complaint was investigated, and a trapping investigation was started. Nice weather this weekend brought lots of people out. High ATV activity and even some boating activity was observed. Enforcement action was taken for taking northern pike and walleye during the closed season, AIS violations, watercraft registration violations and various ATV violations including no helmets on youth passengers under 18.

CO Mikeena Wehr (Carlton) continued working on special projects. Calls were fielded regarding nuisance animals and wildlife-related complaints. Fire danger is increasingly high. Please check the DNR website before burning.

CO Aimee Hand (Willow River) started the week by investigating a trapping complaint. A friendly reminder to call in illegal trapping suspicions as interfering with legal trapping activity is a violation. ATV activity remained strong with the nice weather. Fire response and investigations also continued with the dry and windy conditions. Enforcement action for the week included fishing without a license, operating an OHM on a roadway, and expired ATV/OHM/watercraft registration.

CO Ben Karon (Pine City) spent the week at Camp Ripley for annual in-service training. Calls for various wildlife-related complaints and issues were handled. A wetland investigation was completed and patrols for ATV/OHM and anglers were conducted. With boat traffic picking up, Karon checked trailered boats for AIS violations.

Hinckley vacant.
Statewide Marine Unit
CO Arnaud Kpachavi (Marine Unit - Metro) focused on training activity during the week. In addition to assisting with training at Camp Ripley, he patrolled Lake Minnetonka. Enforcement action was taken for registration violations.

CO Joe Kulhanek (Marine Unit Metro) spent the week monitoring boating activity on the Mississippi River. He also assisted area officers with the busy stream trout opener. Enforcement action for the week included slow/no-wake violations, registration violations, and taking fish without an angling license.

CO Matt Miller (Marine Unit Duluth) attended spring in-service training at Camp Ripley. A Fisheries meeting was attended regarding steelhead management, and some time was spent at a hatchery helping with spring operations. Preparations were made for upcoming training delivery to officers of other agencies. Steelhead anglers and smelt harvesters were checked in tributary streams. Enforcement action was taken for angling violations.

CO Mitch Lawler (Marine Unit - Alexandria) monitored increasing boating activity this week with the warm weather. Lots of people are getting their boats out for the first time. A reminder to all to make sure you have adequate life jackets, fire extinguisher and horn, or whistle on board. An angler was cited for possessing an overlimit of crappies, a mistake he said resulted from simply not counting accurately.

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