Most anglers meet deadline for removing fish houses

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Most anglers in the Douglas County area removed their fish houses on time and cleaned up their mess.

That’s according to the weekly conservation officers (CO) report provided by the Department of Natural Resources.

Here’s a look at what was reported for March 1-8 in the District 3 area, which includes Douglas County:

CO Troy Richards (Fergus Falls) reports deteriorating snowmobile trail conditions. Areas of bare ground and mud are common on the trails. Law compliance with removal of fish houses and shelters from area lakes was very good. Anglers continue to pursue panfish and success is increasing.

CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) monitored fish house removal, angling, and snowmobile activity. Coyote hunters are having some success. The removal of fish houses from area lakes has gone well and anglers are cleaning up around their shelters as they leave.

CO Paul Nelson (Elbow Lake) checked anglers and snowmobiles. Snowmobile trail conditions are deteriorating rapidly. The officer spoke to a firearm safety class regarding laws, safety, and ethics.

CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked area lakes for fish house removal and litter clean up. Law compliance was very good. One fish house floor, covered by ice, was left behind, and lots of garbage left on the ice. The top of the house had been cut off and removed. The officer had marked and recorded the house earlier. The owner will be contacted.

CO Mike Shelden (Alexandria) worked with a DNR enforcement aircraft to check the Alexandria area lakes for fish houses left on the ice after the deadline. No abandoned fish houses were located and the ice looked fairly litter free. Anglers and snowmobilers were checked. Snowmobile trail conditions are deteriorating. Planning for spring firearm safety classes is under way.

CO Jeff Johanson (Osakis) reports one fish house left on the ice after the removal deadline. Some litter issues are also being addressed. Anglers, snowmobiles, ATVers, trappers, and predator hunters were checked. The officer assisted North Dakota Game and Fish officers with an investigation. The officer spoke to an Osakis second grade class about wild animals and conservation officer duties.

CO Daniel Baumbarger (Wheaton) reports deteriorating snowmobile trail conditions in the area. Anglers are still moving around on the lakes. People traveling on the ice are cautioned to monitor conditions as water flows increase. Anglers, snowmobilers, and predator hunters were checked. Complaints of shining were received and investigated.

CO Tony Anderson (Morris) focused enforcement efforts on fish house removal, angling, and predator hunting activity. All the shelters on area lakes were removed by the removal deadline, despite some challenging conditions. Snowmobile trail conditions went from excellent to poor in a week. Predator hunter complaint areas continue to be checked and more citations issued for transporting loaded firearms in a motor vehicle.

Tags: ice fishing, fish house, news, anglers, fishing, lakes, dnr