District 3 – Fergus Falls area

Last updated: 2021-02-16
CO Troy Richards (Fergus Falls) reports fishing activity was slow during the arctic weather over the past week. Anglers and shelters were still checked, with modest catches observed. Time was also spent on follow up from the deer seasons.

CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) continues to check ice fishing and snowmobile activity. Extreme cold kept the activity very low this past week. Plautz spent time on training and issued car-killed deer permits. A snowmobile safety class had to be rescheduled. Plautz spent much time contacting all students to notify them of the change due to cold weather.

CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked anglers and fish houses, as well as ATV and snowmobile riders. Station equipment maintenance was performed. Phone calls about two wild elk south of Brandon were handled.

CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) worked a slower week on lakes and trails due to frigid weather and strong, cold winds. A few anglers were out braving the cold, and a few were even cited for using extra lines and possessing drugs and paraphernalia. Injured-animal calls were handled, as were trespassing issues. Snowmobile trails are in very poor condition without any measurable snowfalls in the past few weeks.

CO Hannah Wood (Wheaton) spent the past week focused on angling and recreational vehicle enforcement. She took a phone call regarding an injured hawk that she brought to the vet. It has since made its way to the Raptor Center in the Twin Cities. Wood assisted Traverse County in attempting to locate a vehicle involved in a pursuit. Violations for the past week include unattended lines, no shelter tag, fail to display identification on a fish house, and operating an ATV on a state highway.

CO Brian Holt (Osakis) monitored angling and recreational vehicle activity during the previous week. Time was also spent handling miscellaneous wildlife-related complaints and checking fish house compliance. Holt worked on Upper Red Lake over the weekend with a neighboring officer. Enforcement activity involved fish house violations, angling licenses, extra lines, illegal-length fish and possession of unmeasurable fish on the ice of Upper Red Lake.

CO Emily Leeb (Morris) reports working fishing and recreational vehicle enforcement. Fishing has been slow due to the cold weather. Enforcement action for the past week included fishing without a fishing license in personal possession.

CO Dan Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the past week were focused on checking angles and ATV and snowmobile operators. Baumbarger participated in a work crew on Upper Red Lake over the weekend with CO Holt. Additional time was spent inspecting permitted aeration sites and speaking with students in the MinnAqua Program at the Minnewaska Area High School.