CO Sean Williams (Ely #1) reports trail conditions continued to improve. Warmer weather and heavy snow did not improve the slush and ice conditions on area lakes. Some lakes, including Burntside, continue to be dangerous for travel. Violations included failure to transfer snowmobile registration and operating an unregistered snowmobile.

CO Mary Manning (Hovland) checked snowmobile trails and riders this past week. She also assisted CO Hill on an illegal trapping case that included numerous violations.

CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) attended court on a deer case, followed up on violations from deer season, checked marten traps and trappers, and patrolled lakes and trails by snowmobile. A case where an individual purchased their archery license during the season and registered a deer during the same day led to additional lend/borrow violations with another hunter in the group. Enforcement action included taking deer with an invalid license, lend/borrow deer tags, taking a doe without a permit, fishing without a license, and expired snowmobile registration.

CO David Schottenbauer (Silver Bay) worked area trapping activity. He spent much of the past week working on background checks.

CO Kylan Hill (Tofte) reports seeing more anglers out this past week as many younger people are in the middle of winter break. Perch are being caught in shallower lakes in around 10 feet of water. Hill picked up a road-killed wolf near Grand Marais. A trapping investigation began as Hill located approximately 25 illegally set box traps. Hill was finally able to contact the trappers on the last day of the season as they were picking up their boxes. Charges are forthcoming and illegally taken fur was seized. Other than this case, Hill did not see much for fisher and pine marten traps, and he did not hear of many people in the county who took part in the season.

CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) worked an abundance of snowmobile activity along the North Shore with freshly groomed trails. Slush continues to be problematic on area lakes as heavy, wet snow continues to fall. The most common snowmobile violation continues to be loud modified mufflers and licensing violations.