Deer opener was too hot for many

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officers were busy during the opening of the firearms deer season last week. Here is what some of the officers from the region reported:

Scott Staples (Carlton) worked a baiting case and other tips that were called in. One person who has had several DNR violations in the past was found to be hunting deer over bait, hunting deer without a license and unlawfully possessing a firearm. Assistance was given with a medical call where a hunter fell 16 feet out of his deer stand. Other violations encountered over the weekend included operating an ATV during prohibited hours, untagged deer, failure to register deer, and faulty ATV registration.

Jeff Humphrey (Cromwell) fielded numerous calls and questions before the season started. He followed up on baiting complaints and unlawful target shooting. He assisted local law enforcement with a suspicious vehicle, received calls of an orphaned bear cub in the Cromwell area and issued wildlife possession permits. Deer opener was tempered by mild weather and little deer movement, Humphrey reported. Hunters were reporting mixed results. Several hunters checked were in T-shirts. A few decided to go golfing. Some common violations encountered included transporting loaded firearms, ATV operation, deer license and tagging, allowing youth to commit game and fish violations and no blaze orange.

Andy Schmidt (Duluth West) worked baited stand complaints and answered questions regarding the deer season. Very warm weather and few hunters resulted in few deer taken in the area. Trespassing complaints, baited stands and ATV violations were most common issues observed during the week.

Jacob Willis (Brookston) said activity was slow compared to prior seasons in the station but there were still plenty of hunters afield. Willis assisted another officer with a DWI arrest on an ATV in the far northern part of the station. Enforcement action was taken for operating an ATV without headlights, trespass and hunter harassment.