Weekly CO report

District 7 - Grand Rapids area

Last updated: 2025-04-28

CO Vinny Brown (Northome) spent time checking shore anglers, patrolling state forests, and checking on trapping activity. Calls of illegal walleye fishing and spearing were received. Time was spent patrolling walleye spawning areas. Enforcement action was taken for expired ATV registration and collecting wood from a state forest without a permit.

CO Jayson Hansen (Bigfork) Worked ATV?s, small game, and fishing activities. He patrolled area trails. Numerous game and fish questions were answered. He also responded to wildlife-related complaints.

CO Mike Fairbanks (Deer River) checked anglers, investigated TIP calls, worked trapping enforcement, responded to wild land fires and monitored OHV activity. CO Fairbanks and his K9 partner Fennec also attended training and searched for a set of lost keys. Enforcement action was taken for angle in closed areas, littering, burning prohibited materials and failure to control campfire.

CO Thomas Sutherland (Grand Rapids) worked a first full week of all area lakes having all their ice off. Some anglers are out catching panfish while other are traveling to the border waters north to catch sturgeon. CO Sutherland also worked trapping and checked multiple turkey hunters in the area with some success had by new hunters.

CO Jimmy Van Asch (Pengilly) focused enforcement efforts on angling, boating, ATV, and trapping activities throughout the surrounding areas. Enforcement action was taken for several trapping, angling, and boating violations.

CO Taylor Hochstein (Hill City) patrolled the area for turkey hunting, beaver trapping, and angling activity. The panfish bite is slow to start because most of the water is colder than preferred, but folks targeting suckers, redhorse, and catfish had some success.

CO Brian Holt (Grand Rapids) checked turkey hunting and recreational vehicle activity during the previous week. Time was also spent on trapping, angling, and AIS compliance. Holt monitored closed roads and trails and followed up on complaints. Enforcement activity involved ATV violations.

NE ATV officer vacant.