The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources K9 unit. Left to right: Lt. Phil Mohs and K9 Mack; Conservation Officer Mike Krauel and K9 Bolt; Conservation Officer Mike Fairbanks and K9 Fennec; Conservation Officer Adam Seifermann and K9 Jet; and Conservation Officer Luke Gutzwiller and K9 Earl.
District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2023-08-14
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) taught at the CO Academy at Camp Ripley and checked bear baits at the NW Angle.
CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent the week checking area anglers and monitoring ATV traffic.
CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) spent the week working fishing and watercraft-related activities, as well as assisting local agencies. Enforcement action was taken for using an extra line, no license in possession, and lack of safety equipment. Fontes assisted on several calls for service including a mental health crisis, domestic, and DUI.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls West) monitored the opening weekend for establishing bear baits and instructed at the Conservation Officer Academy. He also assisted the State Patrol in a search for a driver that fled the scene of a motor vehicle accident on foot into the woods. The subject was later apprehended. Enforcement action for the week included OHM registration and operation violations as well as bear bait sign violations.
CO Demosthenes Regas (Blackduck South) reports checking anglers and boaters on area lakes throughout the past week. Time was spent patrolling station ATV and Recreational vehicle trails, monitoring for early bear baiting, handling reports of nuisance bears causing crop damage and assisting the sheriff’s office and State Patrol locating reckless vehicles in a reported road rage complaint.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Blackduck North) reports increased ATV activity in the area. Time was spent instructing at DNR Enforcement Academy. Prachar assisted Beltrami County and Bemidji PD with numerous calls for service. Enforcement action was taken for subjects riding on gunwales of a boat, failure to display registration, and violation of Slow- no wake zone.
Baudette East vacant.
Baudette West vacant.
Thief River Falls East vacant.
Karlstad vacant.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2023-08-14
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports spending time this week instructing at the CO Academy at Camp Ripley. Time was further spent speaking at a FAS class in the Fertile area. Bear bait sites and anglers were checked.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji #1) monitored angling and boating activity on area lakes. Aquatic Plant Management complaints were taken and investigated. Time was taken to work the TIP Trailer at the Beltrami County Fair.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) spent the week working boating, WCA, and APM cases in the area. Several complaints were fielded regarding APM issues and those cases remain ongoing.
CO Angie Warren (Mahnomen) Spent time assisting academy staff a Camp Ripley. A complaint of a possible wolf depredation was investigated.
CO Bill Landmark (Pelican Rapids) spent the week assisting with Game Week instruction at the CO Academy. Cadets were educated on regulations and patrol tactics for small and big game hunting seasons. Work continued on a background and a case was reviewed for an upcoming trial.
CO Brett Fox (Bemidji #2) spent the week patrolling for ATV, watercraft, and angling activity. Fox also spent time doing community outreach; meeting with the board at the Bemidji Area Shooter Association as well as manning the TIP trailer at the Beltrami County Fair. Violations this week include fishing without a license.
CO Al Peterson (Osage) assisted at the academy, assisted with a search warrant and worked on-going cases.
Bagley- vacant.
Perham- vacant.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2023-08-14
CO Andrew Goodman (Fergus Falls) continued work on trespass and aquatic plant cases on area lakes. Time was spent checking anglers in popular shore fishing spots with limited success reported as water levels remain low. Goodman spoke at the annual Woody Camp about laws and ethics related to waterfowl hunting.
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) assisted teaching the academy on small game, big game, night shining, and baiting laws this week. Plautz received multiple notifications of a possible mountain lion sighting, and is investigating a waters violation.
CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) checked angling and boating activity. He also worked at the Game Fair in Anoka County.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) assisted with commercial enforcement investigation and worked ATV complaints in Otter Tail County. Preparation for a presentation on ATV safety and violation trends was completed. Aquatic plant management and excavating lakebed violations were investigated.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) spent time this week monitoring angling activity as well as boaters/PWCs. An annual roadside pheasant survey was completed for the wildlife division. While on the pheasant route, CO Lawler observed a large smoldering fire near a rural shed. After looking a bit closer, it was discovered a fiberglass boat had been completely burned up the night prior. Fiberglass shreds, metal pieces as well as the actual boat motor were still visible in the ashes. The owner was contacted nearby and cited for the burning violation.
CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) focused her time this week on angling and ATV activity. CO Znajda continues to encounter angling without license violations. She also contacted several juveniles in possession and consuming alcohol on a watercraft. Various enforcement action taken.
CO Hanna Wood (Wheaton) spent the week working on her background investigation and assisting at the academy. Time was also spent assisting the wildlife division on August Roadside Surveys.
CO Emily Douvier (Morris) reports working fishing and recreational enforcement. Work continues to be done on a background investigation. Douvier also attended a community event at the local county fair.
CO Daniel Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the week were concentrated on checking fishermen, boaters, and ATV operators. Additional time was spent teaching an ATV class in Glenwood.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2023-08-14
CO Michael Cross (Lake George) worked Off Highway Vehicle traffic, angling and boating enforcement, and early bear baiters. Cross additionally investigated multiple aquatic plant and wetland violations. Enforcement action was taken for Off Highway vehicle, watercraft, wetland, and aquatic plant violations.
CO Patrick McGowan (Walker) patrolled Cass Co lakes for angling and boating activity. Overall, anglers on Leech Lake are reporting a slow bite, while recreational boating activity was high on Cass Co lakes. Enforcement action was taken for numerous boating violations, and a walleye overlimit.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) primarily worked on a background investigation of a CO applicant. Some time was spent checking bear baits and ATV?s. Mathy also worked on a couple bear committee related work items.
CO Jacque Hughes (Longville) spoke at a firearm safety class. Enforcement action was taken on fail to comply with a restoration order, extra fishing line, expired watercraft reg, fail to display registration, and no license in possession.
CO Adam Seifermann (Staples)- Reports checking anglers and watercraft operators on local lakes. He received calls about wildlife and general hunting questions. Enforcement action was taken for taking Canada geese out of season, toxic shot violation, wanton waste, and transporting aquatic macrophytes. He encourages hunters with questions to read the regulations and utilize the DNR Information Center at 651-296-6157 or 888-MINNDNR (646-6367).
CO Corey Sura (Remer) patrolled area ATV trails and has begun switching gears to focus on the upcoming bear and other early fall hunting seasons. A TIP call was received about an individual fishing with too many lines on Wabedo Lake. The caller attempted to advise the suspect that fishing with two lines is not allowed, to which he received an unkind, two-word, explicit response. The suspect was located and observed fishing with two lines and cited.
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