MN DNR K-9 Conservation Officers
District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2023-09-25
CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) spend the first portion of the week at the Law Enforcement Memorial Association Honor Guard Camp. Fontes spent the remainder of the week working the busy Minnesota waterfowl opener. Enforcement action was taken for no license in possession, transporting a loaded firearm, blocking a public road, as well as numerous ATV violations.
CO Demosthenes Regas (Blackduck South) reports working angling and waterfowl-hunting activity throughout this past week and the opening weekend of duck hunting. Time was spent patrolling area trails for ATV, small-game hunting and archery deer-hunting activity. Regas attended in-service training at Camp Ripley. Violations encountered and addressed this past week included juveniles operating ATVs without helmets and duck hunters without the appropriate waterfowl stamp/validations.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls-West) monitored waterfowl-hunting activity during the opening weekend of the waterfowl season. Woinarowicz viewed an abundance of teal harvested, along with a mixed bag of other waterfowl. Enforcement action for the week included angling with extra lines, angling without a valid license, no small-game license, no state or federal waterfowl stamp, and taking non-game migratory birds.
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked duck hunters at the Roseau River Wildlife Management Area during the busy opening weekend of duck season. Hunter success was good overall, with lots of teal and geese in the bag. In-service training was attended at Camp Ripley. Violations for the week included minor license violations. A bird game farm was also inspected.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Blackduck North) reports a busy waterfowl opener. Waterfowl and small-game hunting activities were worked. Enforcement action was taken for expired registration on an ATV, transporting a loaded firearm, hunting while intoxicated, and operating an ATV under the influence of alcohol. During the stop for the hunting while intoxicated, the person was so intoxicated that they lost their own firearm. Prachar located it a short time later. It had fallen into the road ditch.
CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent the week checking area anglers, small-game hunters, and waterfowl hunters. He also followed up on various complaints. Violations encountered were operating an off-highway motorcycle on the public roadway and consuming alcohol in a state park.
Warroad #2 vacant.
Baudette #1 vacant.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2023-09-25
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports working the waterfowl opener. Time was also spent checking archery deer hunters and small-game hunters, and working bear-hunting enforcement. Various WMA-related complaints were addressed.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji #1) continued field training with COC Elizabeth Carlson. They spent time patrolling area lakes for angling and waterfowl-hunting activity. The fall fish bite is getting better, with several anglers catching nice perch during the day. The officers spent time patrolling area ATV trails and forest roads.
CO Andrew Goodman (Perham) attended annual in-service training at Camp Ripley this week in addition to preparing for the regular waterfowl opener. The weekend produced lower activity levels, as limited numbers of ducks and geese and low water hampered hunting success. Cold and wet weather fronts got deer on their feet, with a few archers filling their tags for the season.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) continued training COC Justin Frisch. During the early parts of the week, time was spent checking small-game hunters and following up on a wetland violation. Toward the weekend, the primary focus turned to waterfowl enforcement. Hunters were checked in different areas and several violations were observed, resulting in various warnings and citations. On Sunday, Swedberg and Frisch joined Clay County Pheasants Forever with their youth hunt event.
CO Al Peterson (Osage) checked duck hunters and small-game hunters and worked off-highway vehicle enforcement. Peterson also attended in-service training at Camp Ripley.
CO Steve Chihak (Moorhead) spent much of the week responding to hunting related questions from the public. Time was also spent giving an interview on ATV safety for a local radio station.
CO Bill Landmark (Pelican Rapids) spent the week checking waterfowl hunters, following up with wetland and other ongoing cases, and attending annual in-service training at Camp Ripley. The number of waterfowl hunters appeared to be down from previous years in the area, but those who hunted had decent success, with an average of approximately four ducks per hunter. Bag limits consisted mostly of blue-winged teal and wood ducks. Goose hunters were having better success in wheat fields as more geese trickle into the area. More than the usual number of waterfowl hunters were found without any life jackets in their watercraft. Hunters are reminded not only is it the law to have life jackets in your watercraft, but it might just save your life one day.
CO Brett Fox (Bemidji #2) spent the week patrolling for ATV, angling, small-game, and waterfowl activity. Duck hunters in southern Clearwater County seemed to be doing well, with a lot of teal taken. Violations included no small-game license and various federal duck stamp issues.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2023-09-25
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) spent a day showing off a Wall of Shame trailer to Todd County area sixth-graders for Envirofest. Plautz spoke about the job duties of a conservation officer and what TIP represents. Plautz spoke to an area class of seniors on the rules and techniques of dark house spearing. Plautz worked opening weekend of waterfowl season, finding good success throughout the area. Anglers enjoyed the nice weather and some good success.
CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) reports a large number of waterfowl hunters out for the opener. The early morning rain sent some hunters home early, but the ones who stayed had great success. Brown also attended training at Camp Ripley and fielded nuisance-animal calls.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked anglers, boaters and waterfowl hunters. Waterfowl hunters were having good success on opening weekend, with wood ducks being the primary bird in the bag. Annual training was attended at Camp Ripley.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) attended annual training this week at Camp Ripley. Fall anglers are on the water, especially those targeting muskies, with decent success reported. Waterfowl hunters were monitored over the opening weekend, although numbers of hunters were very low.
CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) spent her week at the Minnesota Law Enforcement Memorial Association Honor Guard camp, where she learned a wide range of Honor Guard skills. With these skills, she will be able to assist the families and home agencies of fallen law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. She made it back to her station for the busy weekend, which included heavy waterfowl-hunting activity. Znajda was able to share a special moment with a father and son with the son?s ?trophy? duck as he made a goal for himself this year to identify and take a specific species. She saw lots of ducks in the bag over the weekend, most being teal.
CO Hanna Wood (Wheaton) spent the week and weekend focused on waterfowl and recreational vehicle enforcement. Wood, CO Baumbarger, and COC Levi Brown went to Breckenridge?s elementary school to give a presentation on invasive species. Some angling enforcement was also worked.
CO Emily Douvier (Morris) reports working waterfowl and small-game enforcement. Enforcement action was taken for an unplugged gun, no small-game license, no HIP certification, and possession of lead shot. Douvier would also like to give a reminder to folks that a possession permit is needed for anyone wanting to keep any car-killed animals.
CO Dan Baumbarger (Glenwood) continued field training COC Levi Brown. This week they checked angler compliance on multiple lakes. During the school week they gave a presentation to approximately 25 fifth-graders on AIS and how to help reduce the spread. This weekend marked the opening days of the waterfowl season. They worked from a watercraft and checked multiple waterfowl hunters. Multiple violations were encountered, and enforcement action was taken.
Fergus Falls vacant.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2023-09-25
CO Adam Seifermann (Staples) reports attending monthly K9 training with K9 Jet at Carlos Avery WMA. He assisted in removing a hawk from a barbed wire fence and transporting it to a wildlife rehabilitation facility. K9 Jet was utilized to search for spent rifle casings from a shoot-from-the-roadway complaint and for zebra mussels on a watercraft/trailer. He also reports completing a bear investigation where a hunter was charged with numerous violations. He has noticed an influx of small-game hunters and anticipates hunters will have more success as the leaves continue to drop.
CO Corey Sura (Remer) attended annual training at Camp Ripley. Duck hunters in the Remer area had overall good success over the opener weekend. Birds harvested included primarily blue-winged teal, wood ducks, ring-necks, and a few mallards. One individual was cited for duck hunting without a state or federal duck stamp. Other miscellaneous equipment and license violations were also encountered.
CO Patrick McGowan (Walker) continued field training a new conservation officer. The officers patrolled Cass County for angling, boating and ATV activity. The officers also worked a busy waterfowl opening weekend. Numerous angling, boating, and waterfowl-hunting violations were addressed.
CO Michael Cross (Lake George) worked ATV, big-game, fishing, migratory waterfowl and small-game enforcement. Cross assisted the Hubbard County Sheriff?s Office with a timber trespass where hunters cut a trail through county land. Cross also visited lake property landowners with DNR staff and addressed shoreline violations. Enforcement action was taken for ATV, bear-hunting, fishing, waterfowl, and small-game violations.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) primarily checked angling and duck-hunting activity. A group of three anglers was found possessing more than 50 perch over their limit. Duck hunters were seen having good success on the opening weekend. Mathy investigated reports of litter and tampering with a DNR Fisheries net. In-service training was attended at Camp Ripley. Enforcement action was taken for angling, boating, and duck-hunting violations.
CO Jordan Anderson (Wadena) continued field training with COC Manteufel. They patrolled for off-highway vehicle activity. Crow Wing area lakes were patrolled on waterfowl opening weekend, along with fishing and boating activity. They followed up on use of hydraulic jet and abandoned property on public lands.
ATV rec officer vacant.
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