Jan. 25-2021
CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) worked primarily trout angling enforcement and snowmobile enforcement this past week, as well as following up on cases from the deer season. Enforcement action included taking an overlimit of deer, taking a doe without a permit, unlawful use of a bonus tag, failure to display snowmobile registration, and fishing with extra lines. Bermel and CO Williams encountered a group in the BWCAW with a gas-powered auger and a 24 pack of beer cans. They also rode their snowmobile into the wilderness, and one individual provided a fake ID with a false date of birth. Appropriate citations were handed out.

Book 'em Danno...

Cuff 'em and stuff 'em...

Hooray.

Who are these people that drive into the BWCA with snowmobiles and use gas ice augers? Are they locals or out state people? No excuse for this. I hope the got fines and confiscated their sleds and gear.

Savage Voyageur: "Who are these people that drive into the BWCA with snowmobiles and use gas ice augers? Are they locals or out state people? No excuse for this. I hope the got fines and confiscated their sleds and gear. "

Curious what the difference is if it's locals or out state people?

Savage Voyageur: "Who are these people that drive into the BWCA with snowmobiles and use gas ice augers? Are they locals or out state people? No excuse for this. I hope the got fines and confiscated their sleds and gear. "

And not only that, but a fake ID . . . ? WTH

Cuff 'em an stuff 'em. How much of a fine can be accessed or these violations?

boonie: "

Savage Voyageur: "Who are these people that drive into the BWCA with snowmobiles and use gas ice augers? Are they locals or out state people? No excuse for this. I hope the got fines and confiscated their sleds and gear. "

And not only that, but a fake ID . . . ? WTH"

I'm assuming the fake ID is related to the beer drinking age... nothing nefarious

Without mentioning names, this reminds me of a particular Ely resident (or former resident) with a history of similar offenses, among a long history of other criminal offenses.

Mike

THEGrandRapids: "

boonie: "

Savage Voyageur: "Who are these people that drive into the BWCA with snowmobiles and use gas ice augers? Are they locals or out state people? No excuse for this. I hope the got fines and confiscated their sleds and gear. "

And not only that, but a fake ID . . . ? WTH"

I'm assuming the fake ID is related to the beer drinking age... nothing nefarious


"

Yeah, probably, I hadn't thought of that angle.

MikeinMpls: "Without mentioning names, this reminds me of a particular Ely resident (or former resident) with a history of similar offenses, among a long history of other criminal offenses.


Mike"

A dark person with a very disturbing perspective on the BWCA.

Remember, there are still many people in northern MN that have a major chip on their shoulders because of how the BWCA was created. And there are still many that want unfettered access to the BWCA is all forms. Without 'tree-huggers', the BWCA would be a network of roads, cabins, and resorts.

I don't know how to say this nicely so I'll just say it. There are fewer of them today that want this than ten years ago and in ten more years there will be fewer still.

Tom

Pinetree: "Appropriate citations were handed out.
"

Good!

Beer cans. I’m 59 years old and am moving 5 boxes of a beer can collection I have had for over 45 years into a new place on Monday Feb 1st. Here’s half my Hamm’s . Let’s face it, every eligible bachelor my age still has a beer can collection and an Utz pretzel jar half full of change. Both significant parts of my retirement strategy.

cheers, scat

boonie: "

THEGrandRapids: "

boonie: "

Savage Voyageur: "Who are these people that drive into the BWCA with snowmobiles and use gas ice augers? Are they locals or out state people? No excuse for this. I hope the got fines and confiscated their sleds and gear. "

And not only that, but a fake ID . . . ? WTH"

I'm assuming the fake ID is related to the beer drinking age... nothing nefarious



"

Yeah, probably, I hadn't thought of that angle. "

Haha- just dawned on me that a likely scenario was an under age drinker with what he thought was a good idea with the fake ID, but then realized didn’t have a matching fishing license.... wonder how many times this has played out... and I wonder how many times the kid didn’t think twice... why yes officer, with a grin on his face, I do have a fishing license...

tumblehome: "

MikeinMpls: "Without mentioning names, this reminds me of a particular Ely resident (or former resident) with a history of similar offenses, among a long history of other criminal offenses.



Mike"

A dark person with a very disturbing perspective on the BWCA.


Remember, there are still many people in northern MN that have a major chip on their shoulders because of how the BWCA was created. And there are still many that want unfettered access to the BWCA is all forms. Without 'tree-huggers', the BWCA would be a network of roads, cabins, and resorts.

I don't know how to say this nicely so I'll just say it. There are fewer of them today that want this than ten years ago and in ten more years there will be fewer still.


Tom"

Wow!! That's one heck on a statement Tom.

While it is good that there will be a lot less of the old-timers who still resent the way the BW was created, There may be a corresponding loss of us as well. Right now, I would take another 10 years with health and contract out then as opposed to what may be or would have been. 84 does not sound so bad.

tumblehome: "

MikeinMpls: "Without mentioning names, this reminds me of a particular Ely resident (or former resident) with a history of similar offenses, among a long history of other criminal offenses.



Mike"

A dark person with a very disturbing perspective on the BWCA.


Remember, there are still many people in northern MN that have a major chip on their shoulders because of how the BWCA was created. And there are still many that want unfettered access to the BWCA is all forms. Without 'tree-huggers', the BWCA would be a network of roads, cabins, and resorts.

I don't know how to say this nicely so I'll just say it. There are fewer of them today that want this than ten years ago and in ten more years there will be fewer still.


Tom"

This worked with the original Natives of this land. Some of your ancestors took the Indians food and land. After death it was "your" land. Much of this land is now your play ground. You know parks and such.

The big city people are still doing this today to small towns in this country. Taking
away their way of making a living and pushing them out.

At my age I think I am one of the Elders you are waiting for to die.

Wendigo41: "

tumblehome: "

MikeinMpls: "Without mentioning names, this reminds me of a particular Ely resident (or former resident) with a history of similar offenses, among a long history of other criminal offenses.



Mike"

A dark person with a very disturbing perspective on the BWCA.



Remember, there are still many people in northern MN that have a major chip on their shoulders because of how the BWCA was created. And there are still many that want unfettered access to the BWCA is all forms. Without 'tree-huggers', the BWCA would be a network of roads, cabins, and resorts.


I don't know how to say this nicely so I'll just say it. There are fewer of them today that want this than ten years ago and in ten more years there will be fewer still.



Tom"

This worked with the original Natives of this land. Some of your ancestors took the Indians food and land. After death it was "your" land. Much of this land is now your play ground. You know parks and such.


The big city people are still doing this today to small towns in this country. Taking
away their way of making a living and pushing them out.

"

Truth. Well played.

Look at any area like an Ely that has ready access to property bordering recreational areas. I grew up in Maine where there was a long tradition of family camps and oceanside fish shacks. Those days are gone. The majority of the prime property, notably waterfront, has been bought up by the more affluent, frequently from out-of-state. The consequent increase in real estate values has priced out the locals. This state-of-affairs exists all through the country. (Who owns the prime land around Jackson Hole, WY or on Cape Cod?) That makes it imperative that we make every effort to preserve public land and access to that land.

I am implying in my statement that there are fewer and fewer people with the chip on their shoulder and bitter about the creation fo the BWCA. Somebody misconstrued my statement to imply that I am eagerly waiting for the m to die which is not the case.
For me, the BWCA is not my playground but a protection of the natural world. And lest we forget, we kicked the natives out of there 100 years ago.

The fight is over. I am thankful there were people before me that had foresight to protect the little natural world we have around us. Without those people, we would have none.

A good example that can also been plainly seen today: Without treehuggers, the giant ancient Sequioa forests would have long been cut down without a single tree remaining. There were plenty of people that were genuinely pissed that they could not go in and take the lumber for profit.

I don’t like a lot of things I see around me and I have a chip on my shoulder about many things. And there are people waiting for me to die too. We all have adversaries.

MikeinMpls: "Without mentioning names, this reminds me of a particular Ely resident (or former resident) with a history of similar offenses, among a long history of other criminal offenses.
Mike"

Yep. And he's on a certain registry now too.

HistoryDoc: "Look at any area like an Ely that has ready access to property bordering recreational areas. I grew up in Maine where there was a long tradition of family camps and oceanside fish shacks. Those days are gone. The majority of the prime property, notably waterfront, has been bought up by the more affluent, frequently from out-of-state. The consequent increase in real estate values has priced out the locals. This state-of-affairs exists all through the country. (Who owns the prime land around Jackson Hole, WY or on Cape Cod?) That makes it imperative that we make every effort to preserve public land and access to that land. "

Doc, every morning, I walk past a Maine coastal house being built by a woman I call Checkbook Chelsea. Checkbook bought a field that gently slopes down to the ocean. There are two houses built in the 1800s behind it, both places lovingly and long tended by Checkbook's neighbors. However, Checkbook doesn't just want the view. She wants the only view, so she opened her checkbook and bought dozens of ball and burlap green giant Thujas, which line her place like sentries on three sides. Each cost thousands of dollars, with thousands more paying for the machinery required to plant them. With all the sunshine they're getting, these already big Thujas should grow three more feet a year. Checkbook plans to spend two weeks at her home each year, but soon her green wall will take away the sea 52 weeks a year for her neighbors. Of course, she also has "No trespassing" signs lining her property too.

I'm guessing the snowmobile and beer crew aren't in Checkbook's tax bracket, i.e. paying tax attorneys instead of taxes, but they share her worldview, which is "Mine, mine, mine." All this reminds me of something Bruce Springsteen said, which is that he's lived in poor neighborhoods and rich and there are good people and jerks in both.

Note: No animals were harmed in the writing of this rant.

tumblehome: "I am implying in my statement that there are fewer and fewer people with the chip on their shoulder and bitter about the creation fo the BWCA. Somebody misconstrued my statement to imply that I am eagerly waiting for the m to die which is not the case.
For me, the BWCA is not my playground but a protection of the natural world. And lest we forget, we kicked the natives out of there 100 years ago.

The fight is over. I am thankful there were people before me that had foresight to protect the little natural world we have around us. Without those people, we would have none.


A good example that can also been plainly seen today: Without treehuggers, the giant ancient Sequioa forests would have long been cut down without a single tree remaining. There were plenty of people that were genuinely pissed that they could not go in and take the lumber for profit.


I don’t like a lot of things I see around me and I have a chip on my shoulder about many things. And there are people waiting for me to die too. We all have adversaries."

Well-replied, Tom.

And we better have adversaries or else this poem is about us:

YOU have no enemies, you say?
Alas! my friend, the boast is poor;
He who has mingled in the fray
Of duty, that the brave endure,
Must have made foes! If you have none,
Small is the work that you have done.
You've hit no traitor on the hip,
You've dashed no cup from perjured lip,
You've never turned the wrong to right,
You've been a coward in the fight.

bwcadan: "While it is good that there will be a lot less of the old-timers who still resent the way the BW was created, There may be a corresponding loss of us as well. Right now, I would take another 10 years with health and contract out then as opposed to what may be or would have been. 84 does not sound so bad."

I see the sentiment that lovers of the wilderness, and BWCA in particular, are all old-timers, that younger people aren't as engaged, around here quite commonly. I firmly believe this to be untrue and a symptom of BWCA.com being a dominantly older-aged echo chamber that reinforces the false belief that the overall BWCA demographic is aging. There are a LOT of us young people out there; you just don't see us around here as much, or we don't make mention of our age as much.

What sucks is that some resentments are taught to children. I've seen younger people hating the establishment of the BWCAW despite it happening long before they were born. They were likely taught to think this way by their resentful parents/grandparents. I see this especially often in discussions surrounding motors in the BWCA among younger anglers/campers who've adopted their parents' attitudes of wanting to motor anywhere they want.

Miss Molly,
As a kid in the 1960's, my folks bought a small camp on Little Sebago Lake in Gray built by a high-school friend of my Dad. I think they spent 15K; big money in those days. This summer my brother and I took a boat ride on the lake and where our camp was is a "MacMansion" that absolutely fills the piece of property. The whole lake was wall-to-wall year-round homes, 50 miles out of Portland. And I recall from my days in Seattle, the legal fights and vandalism resulting when people like your Chelsea who planted trees that blocked others views on the hillsides overlooking Puget Sound. The entitlement mentality is always with us.
Doc
(Sorry folks for the Maine-centric post, but I only know what I know).

HistoryDoc: "Miss Molly,
As a kid in the 1960's, my folks bought a small camp on Little Sebago Lake in Gray built by a high-school friend of my Dad. I think they spent 15K; big money in those days. This summer my brother and I took a boat ride on the lake and where our camp was is a "MacMansion" that absolutely fills the piece of property. The whole lake was wall-to-wall year-round homes, 50 miles out of Portland. And I recall from my days in Seattle, the legal fights and vandalism resulting when people like your Chelsea who planted trees that blocked others views on the hillsides overlooking Puget Sound. The entitlement mentality is always with us.
Doc
(Sorry folks for the Maine-centric post, but I only know what I know)."

Doc, speaking of entitlement, I remember sitting on a park bench in Seattle and initiating a chat with the woman sharing the bench. Out of the blue, she started to rant about the Californians who'd come north with all their money and how they were ruining everything.

I replied, "I was born in Tacoma. How about you?"

She answered, "Well, I come from California, but I came 12 years ago before it was the thing to do."

My point is that people will do mental gymnastics to reach entitlement.

I don't see them problem...
A little roundup is a great cure for ails ya.

HistoryDoc: "...This summer my brother and I took a boat ride on the lake and where our camp was is a "MacMansion" that absolutely fills the piece of property. The whole lake was wall-to-wall year-round homes...(Sorry folks for the Maine-centric...)."

No apologies needed, because it's a universal problem. This last summer my wife and I took a canoe ride on the lake my parents lived on near Cumberland , Wisconsin to see how it changed since it was sold. My parent's former, mostly wild, property was obliterated with a "MacMansion", as were numerous other properties on the lake since we last visited 15 years ago when we moved them to the cities. There are very few "cabin" properties left on the lake.

scat: "







Beer cans. I’m 59 years old and am moving 5 boxes of a beer can collection I have had for over 45 years into a new place on Monday Feb 1st. Here’s half my Hamm’s . Let’s face it, every eligible bachelor my age still has a beer can collection and an Utz pretzel jar half full of change. Both significant parts of my retirement strategy.

cheers, scat"

Man, I never knew hamms came in talls (or packs smaller than 30.

scat: "







Beer cans. I’m 59 years old and am moving 5 boxes of a beer can collection I have had for over 45 years into a new place on Monday Feb 1st. Here’s half my Hamm’s . Let’s face it, every eligible bachelor my age still has a beer can collection and an Utz pretzel jar half full of change. Both significant parts of my retirement strategy.

cheers, scat"

Nice cans !

scat: "







Let’s face it, every eligible bachelor my age still has a beer can collection and an Utz pretzel jar half full of change. Both significant parts of my retirement strategy.

cheers, scat"

Kind of gets one thinking about possible "cause and effect" aspects. ;)

Stumpy: "

scat: "







Beer cans. I’m 59 years old and am moving 5 boxes of a beer can collection I have had for over 45 years into a new place on Monday Feb 1st. Here’s half my Hamm’s . Let’s face it, every eligible bachelor my age still has a beer can collection and an Utz pretzel jar half full of change. Both significant parts of my retirement strategy.


cheers, scat"

Nice cans !
"

LOL

casualbriday: "

scat: "


Man, I never knew hamms came in talls (or packs smaller than 30.
"

Hamm's still comes in talls
I don't see many stores without them.

I don’t drink beer much at all since having chemo, it makes me sick, but there is one pub that has Hamms 16 ounce cans, and the little shooter glasses, and I will sip one of those slowly once in a blue moon. Oh man, what a taste, it’s like liquid aluminum. If I drank three of those it would be like getting giardia all over again.

cheers, scat

Stumpy: "

casualbriday: "

scat: ""

"

What is up with the quotes that won't close sometimes?
Ah, well...

schweady: "

What is up with the quotes that won't close sometimes?
Ah, well...
"

Stumpy triggered it by composing his copy within the quotation function. If Stumpy were to simply highlight everything in that post and delete it, the problem would be fixed. I think there are a couple other ways to fix it, but highlighting and deleting might be the easiest way.

missmolly: "

schweady: "

What is up with the quotes that won't close sometimes?
Ah, well...
"


Stumpy triggered it by composing his copy within the quotation function. If Stumpy were to simply highlight everything in that post and delete it, the problem would be fixed. I think there are a couple other ways to fix it, but highlighting and deleting might be the easiest way."

Yeah, sometimes the simple addition of multiple "/quote" html in brackets works, but not lately.

Stumpy: "

casualbriday: "

scat: "



Man, I never knew hamms came in talls (or packs smaller than 30.
"

Hamm's still comes in talls
I don't see many stores without them."

I live in a small town in southeast MN and my local shop just stocks the 30s. People around here must not be proud to be from the land of the sky blue waters or something, since evidently they'd rather buy beer with mountains on the can.

Slightly more on topic, since this thread put me down a regulations rabbit hole, I may have to bring a couple Mickey's on my trip this year. Pouring a plastic 40 into camp mugs will be different than the grenade bottles, but one of my tripping buddies and I used to drink a few Mickey's while we soaked some crawlers in the reservoir and it was pretty nice.

I guess I'm guilty, about the quote thing.
But Hamm's is still a great beer, and only tastes like aluminum, if it's sat a few months, or years.

Stumpy: "I guess I'm guilty, about the quote thing.
But Hamm's is still a great beer, and only tastes like aluminum, if it's sat a few months, or years."

Best commercials ever made

In the last couple years Ive noticed a great increase of the MN DNR "patrolling the BWCA on Snowmobiles on the ELY side.
Its funny that most Snowmobile tracks that seem to get people excited...were created by the DNR "Patrolling"..
I havent seen much for USFS patrolling on Snowmobiles in comparison.

It seems the MN DNR like to Snowmobiling like anybody else.
I am ok with that...Track it up, leave your mark, make your presence known no mattter how loud the exhaust it!

So next time you are seeking some solitude on crisp winters day and its interrupted by Exhaust noise and unsightly tracks.......rember, its most likely the DNR "Patrolling"

Yes I am aware if Mary using sleddogs....She has my respect!

Great Melinko: "In the last couple years Ive noticed a great increase of the MN DNR "patrolling the BWCA on Snowmobiles on the ELY side.
Its funny that most Snowmobile tracks that seem to get people excited...were created by the DNR "Patrolling"..
I havent seen much for USFS patrolling on Snowmobiles in comparison.


It seems the MN DNR like to Snowmobiling like anybody else.
I am ok with that...Track it up, leave your mark, make your presence known no mattter how loud the exhaust it!


So next time you are seeking some solitude on crisp winters day and its interrupted by Exhaust noise and unsightly tracks.......rember, its most likely the DNR "Patrolling"


Yes I am aware if Mary using sleddogs....She has my respect!

I think that started with Border Patrols by the Feds along the border.
"

scat: ".... I’m 59 years old

... every eligible bachelor my age ...

"

Scat, at 59 can you still be eligible?

Asking for a friend.

Is scat eligible, not sure where that is going , but oh man, whoever is asking better watch what they step in. I’m hoping I’m eligible for sainthood but that is under review right now.

Since I brought up the Utz pretzel jar of change I will share this. If you are trying to amass a fortune in your Utz pretzel jar while raising three, you will notice the jar is like geological strata. One layer is completely bereft of quarters, pilfered by college students, you can just see, oh that was spring break, home for two weeks and nothing but nickels and pennies for two inches or however their grubby little fingers could reach. I did cash one in I could barely carry in the bank and got $587. Once the kids moved out, amazingly it filled up awfully quick.


cheers, scat

tumblehome: "I am implying in my statement that there are fewer and fewer people with the chip on their shoulder and bitter about the creation fo the BWCA. Somebody misconstrued my statement to imply that I am eagerly waiting for the m to die which is not the case.
For me, the BWCA is not my playground but a protection of the natural world. And lest we forget, we kicked the natives out of there 100 years ago.

The fight is over. I am thankful there were people before me that had foresight to protect the little natural world we have around us. Without those people, we would have none.


A good example that can also been plainly seen today: Without treehuggers, the giant ancient Sequioa forests would have long been cut down without a single tree remaining. There were plenty of people that were genuinely pissed that they could not go in and take the lumber for profit.


I don’t like a lot of things I see around me and I have a chip on my shoulder about many things. And there are people waiting for me to die too. We all have adversaries."

As much as people in Ely may resent the creation of the BWCAW, I wonder if they would trade places with those who live around Lake Minnetonka, Lake Vermilion, Mille Lacs, or the Brainerd Lakes area? How many would trade the wilderness for the constant buzz of motors from April to September, or to have much of the land along the water to be inaccessible/private property?

I realize it's not as simple as that and that everyone has to make a living. However, in the 21st century - knowing what we know now about our natural resources and sustainability - anyone expecting to make a career out of logging, mining or otherwise harvesting a resource like grandpa was able to do; AND expects that job to come to them, in their own back yard, is probably expecting too much.

Ely has 3 Border Patrol Agents that live here. They patrol the border all year round. It’s not just the DNR riding snowmobile in the wilderness.

Finnboy: "Ely has 3 Border Patrol Agents that live here. They patrol the border all year round. It’s not just the DNR riding snowmobile in the wilderness. "

The Border patrol is what started the Snowmobile patrol again in the BWCA>not the DNR-yes DNR now goes with them at times-otherwise?

Finnboy: "Ely has 3 Border Patrol Agents that live here. They patrol the border all year round. It’s not just the DNR riding snowmobile in the wilderness. "

Do they wear DNR LE uniforms and Drive DNR Snowmobiles?

Maybe I'm reading it incorrectly, but the tongue-in-cheek way that "patrolling" is mentioned, and in quotes, indicating that the DNR presence in the BWCA is simply an excuse to engage in some recreation. I know every one of those CO's and that is not the case. Moreover, while it may seem like "fun" to spend days on end on a sled/ATV/boat/whatever, the fun fades quickly when you HAVE to do it. Then you have to do it again....and again....etc. I can assure you that there are better things to be doing as warden in MN than freezing on a sled for 8-12 hours at a stretch.

I also "respect" Mary Manning for using her own dog team in the BWCA. I know the huge time and expense involved in mushing. Not everyone can do it. But I also don't expect other officers to do the same. It's not as easy as simply making a choice to travel by one means over another.

We can agree l...there are better things to be doing as warden in MN than freezing on a sled for 8-12 hours at a stretch.

Great Melinko: "

Finnboy: "Ely has 3 Border Patrol Agents that live here. They patrol the border all year round. It’s not just the DNR riding snowmobile in the wilderness. "

Do they wear DNR LE uniforms and Drive DNR Snowmobiles?
"

Pretty sure a federal border agent is not going to wearing a Mn DNR uniform or riding DNR snowmobiles.

Just to clarify ...
I am 100% Ok with the DNR using Snowmobiles in the BWCA.
I think there is some misconceptions about WHO is exactly using a majority of the Snowmobiles in the BWCA.
People see tracks and assume it is a lawbreaker.... when indeed It could be a DNR LE that doesn’t enjoy the cold weather ride.
Who know what they thinking when they see a Airplane!