District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2023-05-08
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) followed up on complaints of multiple Badger-area residents violating the deer-feeding ban. Turkey hunters were checked in northern Marshall County, and prescribed fires were checked for permit compliance. A nuisance-bear carcass was surrendered after it was shot by a landowner in their yard.
CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent time during the week attending training.
CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) spent the week working angling activity with a focus on boat and water safety on area waters. Fontes also spent a part of the week participating in a training exercise.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls West) assisted in an arson investigation, gave a presentation to area third-graders on furbearers of Minnesota, and investigated a complaint of a trespassing turkey hunter. Enforcement action included taking a wild animal from a motor vehicle and recreational trespass.
CO Demosthenes Regas (Blackduck South) reports working spring beaver-trapping activity and monitoring activity surrounding the spring fish spawning run throughout this past week. Regas noted the ice on Blackduck Lake went out on Friday and most other lakes in the area are ice-free. Time was spent patrolling area recreational trails closed for seasonal thaw conditions, assisting instructors with the ATV safety field day, giving the laws and regulations presentation and handling reports of incidental catches by spring beaver trappers. Regas assisted Forestry with investigating the cause and origin of a wildfire, with enforcement action taken on the landowner for failure to extinguish a fire. Regas also worked a district fire detection detail; a grass fire was located and the cause was investigated. Regas also found a couple of residents open burning yard debris, with enforcement action taken for open burning of yard debris without obtaining a permit.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Blackduck North) reports a busy fish run. Prachar investigated the illegal taking of game fish and took enforcement action on taking fish in closed waters. Time was spent working a fire detail, ATV activity, and commercial minnow activity.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2023-05-08
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports checking anglers this week. The area crappie bite started recently. Time was also spent working trapping and fire-related enforcement.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji #1) monitored spring fish run activity, beaver trapping, and ATV trails. He also attended training.
CO Chris Vinton (Perham) reports seeing more fish in area creeks as the fish run has heated up due to warming weather. All lakes in the Perham area are ice-free. A loon was rescued after it had attempted to land on a wet road. It was released, unharmed, to a neighboring lake. A permit for a car-killed fisher was issued to a biology professor from Concordia College in Moorhead and a TIP of a large pile of suckers dumped in a field was taken. A young turkey hunter called to report he had accidentally shot a hen turkey. The turkey was surrendered and Vinton used the opportunity to educate the young hunter about the importance of knowing your target.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) spent the week working bow fishers, conducting commercial leeching checks, and monitoring recreational vehicle activity. Swedberg also attended training and prepared equipment for the upcoming open-water season.
CO Steve Chihak (Moorhead) spent the weekend working spring turkey hunting, sport fishing and ATV enforcement. Time was also spent responding to miscellaneous wildlife-related complaints.
CO Angie Warren (Mahnomen) spent time assisting with Academy related activity at Camp Ripley. Preparations were made for an upcoming outreach program. Information was provided about nuisance beaver and bear activity and questions about a floating bog were answered. Leeching issues were also discussed for White Earth conservation.
CO Brett Fox (Bemidji #2) spent the week patrolling for ATV and angling activity. Fox also attended training and responded to calls concerning incidentally caught otters, a road-killed bear, and sick deer.
CO Al Peterson (Osage) attended training, monitored the spring fish run, checked bow fishers, and investigated a report of a possible illegal deer kill.
Bagley vacant.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2023-05-08
CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) spent most of his enforcement efforts on angling and ATV activity in the area. Additional time was spent on complaints related to nuisance/injured animals.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked anglers, boaters, ATV riders and turkey hunters. Several lakes opened this week from the long, strong hold of winter, with fishing pressure high right after. A reminder to do your safety checks on safety equipment before venturing out in the boat for the first time.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) started to see the first panfish fishing success both from shore and boat around the Alexandria area this week. Several people were checked with some nice sunfish and crappies in hand. Training was attended, and time was spent meeting and visiting with the new conservation officer candidates at Camp Ripley as the CO Academy is now underway.
CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) reports seeing an increase in fishing and spearing activity. Not many fish in the buckets, but the nice weather is drawing the anglers out. She is continuing to see dumped rough fish. Various enforcement action was taken, including for taking northern pike out of season, fishing with too many lines, fishing without a license, and ATV-related violations.
CO Hanna Wood (Wheaton) spent the past week working on angling enforcement and training. She attended training in the metro alongside other agencies and participated in Alexandria?s Safety Day Camp speaking with fifth-graders about general firearms safety. The nice weather brought out lots of anglers. Wood reminds people that the border water line is the State Highway 117 bridge.
CO Daniel Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the week were focused on checking anglers, turkey hunters, and ATV operators. Additional time was spent investigating overlimit complaints and teaching a firearms safety class.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2023-05-08
CO Michael Cross (Lake George) had a busy week attending training, checking turkey hunters and beaver trappers, and monitoring the spring fish run. Beaver-trapping activity has increased dramatically over past years. Cross has seen trapping activity in almost all areas that contain beaver activity. Cross reminds trappers to stay familiar with the regulations and consistently check their traps for legality, such as if there is identification on the trap.
CO Jordan Anderson (Wadena) spent time working bowfishing activity and responding to unpermitted and uncontrolled fires. Anderson spent time training at the CO Academy and completed additional training. Enforcement action was taken for burning without a permit, failure to control a campfire and fishing related violations.
CO Patrick McGowan (Walker) patrolled Cass County lakes for angling activity. Most lakes in the area are becoming ice-free. McGowan also attending training, completed a wildland fire investigation, and prepped for upcoming boating trainings that will be taught to other agencies.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) primarily checked anglers and recreational vehicle riders. A dogs chasing deer complaint was taken. Mathy also responded to a wildfire incident. Patrol boats were prepared for the upcoming season.
CO Corey Sura (Remer) attended training. An ATV operator was stopped and cited after being observed operating a Class 1 ATV on a state highway while also driving southbound in the northbound lane. The ATV?s registration was expired, and the operator?s driver?s license was suspended. Sura is beginning to take a few calls of black bears meandering near residences. This is a good reminder to keep any potential food sources such as bird feeders and garbage stored where it is inaccessible to bears.
CO Jacque Hughes (Longville) checked trapping activity and collected multiple incidentally caught otters.
CO Adam Seifermann (Staples) reports attending training and an outreach event at Aitkin Elementary, assisting with a crash with injuries, and checking turkey hunters and anglers. Time was spent investigating an incident that garnered numerous TIP calls regarding early walleye angling. He also received calls about incidentally trapped otters and a TIP complaint of possible game fish being speared. He also fielded a report of an injured/sick deer, which was likely the result of giving birth to a fawn. He would like to remind people that young fawns are very rarely abandoned and that the mother will almost always return. Wildlife-related calls should be directed to Area Wildlife when feasible.
ATV rec officer vacant.
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