District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2023-09-18
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) Checked anglers on Lake of the Woods, ATV activity in Beltrami Island State Forest, and small game hunting activity at Roseau River WMA and Lost River State Forest. A grebe that was found to be stranded in someone?s yard was brought to a river and released since they are unable to take off and fly without getting a running start on water. Violations for the week include shooting within 500 feet of someone?s house, (trespass) fail to retrieve geese, hunting without a small game license, transporting a loaded firearm.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls-West) worked the small game opener in the Beltrami Island State Forest. Success on grouse was marginal but all hunters contacted were happy to be out enjoying the outdoors. He also checked archery deer hunters and anglers. Enforcement action taken for an angle without license, ATV light and registration violations, and an archery hunter utilizing a license that was not yet valid.
CO Demosthenes Regas (Blackduck South) reports working early goose hunting, wildrice harvest and angling activity throughout this past week. Time was spent patrolling area ATV trails and fielding calls with questions from the public regarding upcoming small game and deer hunting seasons. Violations encountered and addressed this past week included included no PFD’s and angling license. Regas encountered one boater without a PFD was wanted on a felony warrant. Regas found lodging accommodations for him at the county jail.
CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent time checking area anglers, small game hunters, monitoring ATV traffic, and following up with various complaints.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Blackduck North ) reports a steady small game opener. A significant amount of hunters report seeing grouse, but few connected due to heavy foliage. Time was spent working small game and ATV activity.
CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) spend the week enforcing migratory waterfowl, small game, big game, and fishing regulations in the area. Additionally, Fontes enforced wetland and motor vehicle laws too. Enforcement action was taken for no license in possession, failure to wear blaze orange, and failure to comply with a wetland restoration order.
Warroad #2 vacant.
Baudette #1 vacant.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2023-09-18
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports spending time at Camp Ripley for training this week. Time was further spent working on small game and bear hunting related complaints. Work continues on wetland and public water related cases.
CO Andrew Goodman (Perham) worked the archery and small game openers, in addition to assisting other Bemidji area officers on an enforcement detail. Early season hunting pressure remained low with few geese around and plentiful natural forage keeping other wildlife hidden. Area lakes saw an uptick in angling pressure with the fall patterns settling in.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) acted as a Field Training Officer during phase two of field training with COC Frisch. The week was spent showing COC Frisch around the area. Time was spent checking small game hunters, big game hunters, and checking anglers. Several violations were observed. Time was also spent investigating a possible wetland violation. Enforcement action was taken for a DWI violation on an ATV.
CO Al Peterson (Osage) worked small game and deer hunting activity, wild rice harvesting activity and worked on ongoing cases. The small game hunters gave mixed reports of success, with the squirrel hunters tending to have more in the bag then the grouse hunters.
CO Steve Chihak (Moorhead) spent the week working migratory waterfowl and ATV enforcement. Time was also spent at Camp Ripley assisting with EVOC and ATV instruction.
CO Bill Landmark (Pelican Rapids) spent the week checking anglers, small game hunters, archery deer hunters, and goose hunters in the Pelican Rapids Station. CO Landmark responded with CO Swedberg, COC Frisch, Becker County deputies and various local fire departments to a report of an ATV crash on a State Forest Trail. Unfortunately the crash resulted in a fatality. Time was also spent at Camp Ripley for Emergency Vehicle training.
CO Brett Fox (Bemidji #2) spent the week patrolling for ATV, angling, and small game activity. Fox gave a ride along to a Lake Itasca State Park Ranger. Fox also assisted district officers with a special enforcement detail.
Bagley vacant.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2023-09-18
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) worked opening weekend of small game and archery hunters. The area was patrolled for goose hunters and this officer spoke to a firearms safety class on laws and ethics. Waterfowl numbers seem very low in the area and fishermen are having scattered success. Several calls were fielded regarding public hunting land rules and regulations.
CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) reports working angling and small game opener. He worked with CO Vinny up in Northome during the small game opener with a high success rate for grouse hunters. Investigations on a public watercourse violation and possession of a wild animal complaint were conducted. Time was also spent in Camp Ripley for training.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked fishermen, ATV?s and boaters. Complaints of people possessing wild animals and camping at public accesses were received and investigated. Injured and nuisance animal calls were received and handled.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) trained at Camp Ripley this week in emergency vehicle operations. Lakes have quieted down a bit, not much recreational activity and slower fishing pressure. Various boating and angling violations were handled.
CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) spent the busy weekend with lots of goose and archery hunters. She reports the archery hunters were thick, but harvest reports were low. Znajda handled various calls throughout the week including but not limited to camping at public access, illegal angling activity, and nuisance animals.
CO Hanna Wood (Wheaton) spent the week focused on waterfowl and invasive species enforcement. She also attended Breckenridge?s ?Conservation Day? where different groups get together and talk to the area 5th graders about what conservation means to them. Injured animal calls were handled and some angling enforcement was also worked.
CO Emily Douvier (Morris) reports working small and big game enforcement. Enforcement action was taken for no game farm license. Training at Camp Ripley was also attended.
CO Daniel Baumbarger (Glenwood) began field training COC Levi Brown. This week they checked multiple goose hunters with a few of them having successful hunts. Over the weekend they patrolled the Appleton ATV Park and contacted many ATV enthusiasts. Enforcement action was taken for multiple violations encountered. It was also opening weekend of archery deer season and the hunters checked reported a slow start to the season.
Fergus Falls vacant.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2023-09-18
CO Michael Cross (Lake George) worked big game, ATV, angling, and aquatic vegetation enforcement. Cross spent time attending training and following up on multiple calls for service. Enforcement action was taken for big game and aquatic vegetation violations.
CO Patrick McGowan (Walker) began field training a new conservation officer. The officers patrolled Cass County for angling, boating and ATV activity. Numerous angling and boating violations were addressed.
CO Jordan Anderson (Wadena) began field training with COC Brady Manteufel. The week focused on sport fishing and boating safety. State forests were patrolled for ATV, small game, and deer archery opener activity. Follow up on personal property left on a WMA and hunting over bait was enforced. A follow up on a report of dogs chasing deer was also conducted.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) checked recreational vehicles, anglers, and saw a few small game hunters out for the opener. A fishing complaint and car on an ATV trail complaint were investigated. Mathy attended emergency vehicle operation training and worked on bear committee related items. Enforcement action was taken for recreational vehicle violations.
CO Corey Sura (Remer) assisted with training at Camp Ripley. Grouse hunters, ATV riders, and archery deer hunters were all checked over a busy weekend. Good bird numbers were reported but thick early season cover made for tough shooting. A bowhunter was cited and equipment was seized for hunting with the use of bait.
CO Adam Seifermann (Staples) reports following up on trespass and possible wetland violations. Small game opener was busy, and hunters had some success with squirrel and grouse. He continues to investigate several bear hunting cases with numerous violations each. Some violations for the week consisted of transport loaded firearms, WMA violations, take snapping turtle in an illegal manner, transport aquatic macrophytes and possessing smallmouth bass during catch and release season.
CO Jacque Johnson (Longville) checked hunting and angling activity. Enforcement action taken on juv. without helmets on ATV and operate ATV without headlights on.
ATV rec officer vacant.
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