District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2021-06-28
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked anglers on the Roseau River and followed up on an ATV-related complaint in the Palmville WMA. Training was attended in St. Paul.
CO Corey Sura (Baudette East) participated in training in Hibbing and took part in a multi-agency training exercise in Baudette. Sura also worked ATV enforcement in the Waskish area and checked anglers on Lake of the Woods. Enforcement action was taken for operating an unregistered ATV.
CO Ryan Brown (Karlstad) attended training in Hibbing and focused his efforts on fishing and boating activities throughout the week in and around his station. Reminder to have enough life jackets for everyone onboard a watercraft and to remove boat plugs prior to transportation. ATV activity was also worked, with a good number of riders out and enjoying the summer weather.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls West) monitored area recreational activity and responded to an ATV-rollover crash. Enforcement action for the week included angling without a license, no helmet on a juvenile ATV passenger, allowing illegal operation of an ATV by a juvenile, no PFD on a watercraft and ATV/watercraft registration violations.
CO Demosthenes Regas (Blackduck South) reports working AIS enforcement and boating and angling activity throughout this past week. Time was spent following up on an ongoing investigation, patrolling area ATV/ORV trails and working an Upper Red Lake enforcement detail. Enforcement action for this past week included an overlimit of bluegills, AIS violations, ATVs operating on a state trunk highway and angling license violations.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Blackduck North) reports an increase in ATV activity as fishing activity decreases on Upper Red Lake. Prachar attended training with Lake of the Woods County and surrounding agencies at the Lake of the Woods County School. Enforcement action was taken for illegal operation of ATVs on public road rights-of-way.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2021-06-28
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports helping staff the TIP trailer at a local county fair. Time was also spent assisting with an ATV safety class in Crookston. Public water and water appropriation cases were worked on. Anglers and ATV operators were checked.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji #1) worked angling and boating activity on area lakes. He worked boat and water safety shifts with CO McGowan on Upper Red Lake.
CO Hannah Mishler (Bemidji #2) spent time training with K9 Storm and the other K9/handler teams at Camp Ripley. Firearms training was also completed. In addition, a radio interview was done with a local Bemidji station and a nuisance-bear complaint was handled.
CO Chris Vinton (Perham) reports investigating TIP calls of possible overlimits and fishing without a license. Public-access-related complaints were taken as scuba divers and swimmers were blocking access to a boat landing. A video was shared with Vinton that appeared to show a wolf that had killed some chickens. The video was passed on to Wildlife staff and they agreed it did look like a wolf but behaved more like a wolf/dog hybrid. Enforcement action was taken for no license in possession, insufficient number of PFDs and watercraft-registration issues.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) spent the week patrolling for boating and AIS activity. Swedberg also spent time assisting the local 4-H group with a fishing clinic for kids. The kids caught a lot of sunfish and had a great time. Other time was spent doing administrative paperwork from previous cases.
CO Al Peterson (Osage) worked anglers and boaters and followed up on a possible wetland case and other ongoing cases. Peterson also assisted a local sheriff?s office with a probation violation arrest.
CO Steve Chihak (Moorhead) investigated a wolf-depredation complaint. Time was also spent responding to public requests for information.
CO Angie Warren (Mahnomen) spent time on angling and boating activity. Areas were patrolled for ATV and off-road vehicle activity. Extra patrols were conducted in complaint areas. A complaint of dogs chasing deer was received. Information was provided for bear activity. She attended firearms training and qualifications.
CO Bill Landmark (Pelican Rapids) spent the week following up on calls ranging from nuisance animals to possible poaching instances. In one case a deer was reported to have been shot. After Landmark investigated, it was determined the deer was struck by a car and moved from the scene of the crash. Landmark also attended court for a case from last deer season.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2021-06-28
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked anglers, boaters and ATV riders. A complaint of injured geese along a state highway was investigated. A reminder to the people to leave baby animals in the wild as the mother is usually near and they turn out not to be abandoned.
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) continues to work with the Amish community on ELS licensing issues. Plautz worked boating, fishing, and AIS enforcement through the week and spoke to an Amish firearms safety class on rules and regulations. Violations encountered were insufficient PFDs onboard, illegal-length northern pike, failure to display boat registration, and non-compliant boater with an AIS inspector. Plautz patrolled Glendalough State Park, which has seen a continued increase in activity.
CO Daniel Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the week were concentrated on checking anglers and boaters and monitoring AIS law compliance. Additional time was spent on nuisance-animal complaints.
CO Hanna Wood (Wheaton) spent the past week focused on angling and recreational vehicle enforcement. She took calls from people with concerns and questions, and issued minnow permits. Violations for the week included taking an overlimit of walleyes and insufficient PFDs.
CO Brian Holt (Osakis) worked boating safety and angling activity during the previous week. Time was also spent monitoring AIS compliance in the area. Complaints were received concerning nuisance and injured animals.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) had a busy week of water-related activity as both anglers and recreational users took advantage of beautiful weather. Lots of good contacts took place on the water, but a few resulted in enforcement action. Multiple people were cited for angling without licenses, using extra lines and operating personal watercrafts after hours. One angler was cited after being observed slamming a small bass off his boat motor cover simply because it swallowed the hook. An adult side-by-side ATV operator was also cited for driving down a paved county road with three juveniles onboard. None were buckled or wearing helmets.
CO Emily Leeb (Morris) continued to work primarily fishing, boat and water, and AIS activity on and around area waterways. ATV and fire activity was also monitored. Nuisance/injured-animal complaints were received.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2021-06-28
CO Michael Cross (Lake George) attended training in Hibbing for a majority of the week. Time was also spent patrolling local ATV trails, local lakes, and continuing follow up on an open case.
CO Patrick McGowan (Walker) worked area lakes for angling and boating activity. McGowan also spent time following up on TIP complaints. Enforcement action was taken for numerous angling and boating violations.
CO Jordan Anderson (Wadena) worked fishing and boating enforcement during the week. Nuisance-animal calls were also handled. Enforcement action was taken for numerous instances of illegal use of hydraulic jets to remove aquatic vegetation and excavation of public waters.
CO Calie Kunst (Remer) checked anglers, boaters and ATV riders throughout the week. Kunst also responded to a call of a grass fire and received various nuisance-animal calls. Enforcement action was taken on various violations, including taking illegal-length northern pike, no angling license in possession and no throwable PFD in boat.
CO Adam Seifermann (Staples) reports focusing enforcement efforts on angling, watercraft and ATV enforcement. Calls from the public included ATV-related and nuisance-animal complaints.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) worked ATV, angling, and boating enforcement. Anglers had a tough time this past week, with catches hindered by a large fly hatch on area lakes. Time was spent on Bear Committee items and taking-nuisance-bear-related complaints. Enforcement action was taken for illegal-length northern pike, nonresident ATV without a trail pass, juveniles on ATVs without helmets, and boating equipment violations.
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