District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2024-05-06
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) monitored area ATV, turkey hunting, angling, beaver-trapping, and minnow-trapping activities throughout the area. An investigation was conducted regarding big-game license issues, and citations were also issued for turkey hunting license infractions. A district meeting and training was attended in Bemidji, and assistance was given instructing boat and water deputies at Camp Ripley.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls West) taught the law and ethics portion of the Newfolden youth firearms safety class, attended training, prepared for instruction at the CO Academy, and monitored area ATV and fishing activities. Enforcement action was taken for angling without a valid license and taking bass in a closed season.
CO Nick Bruesewitz (Karlstad) responded to a variety of wildlife-related calls over the week. Time was spent monitoring turkey hunting activity and angling activity throughout the area. Enforcement action was taken for various ATV violations during the week.
CO Demosthenes Regas (Blackduck South) reports working spring beaver-trapping activity and monitoring spring fish spawning run activity this past week. Time was spent handling reports of incidental catches, patrolling area recreational vehicle trials and assisting instructors at the Blackduck ATV and firearms safety training field days.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Blackduck North) worked the sturgeon keep season on the Rainy River. Several individuals were observed catching sturgeon, with one angler reporting a 72.5-inch sturgeon being caught earlier in the day. The river has been very busy throughout the season. He also checked minnow traps in the Waskish area and followed up on a fire investigation.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Baudette West) reports increased success for sturgeon anglers. Enforcement action was taken for no angling license in possession and operating an ATV on a state highway.
CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) spent the week assisting with the Deputy Boating School at Camp Ripley and patrolling the Rainy River. Enforcement action was taken for no angling license in possession. Fontes also took enforcement action in a situation where a boat had two inflatable life jackets for three people, however, neither of the life jackets were armed. This is a good time of year to inspect all safety equipment, including inflatable life jackets, to ensure that they are all in good working order. Fontes also taught an ATV safety class to a group of juveniles in the Beltrami Island State Forest.
CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent the week checking area anglers, monitoring ATV traffic, attending training, and following up on various complaints. Violations encountered were oversized dock and passing when not clear.
Baudette East vacant.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2024-05-06
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports speaking at two firearms safety classes this week in Fertile and Plummer. Time was also spent checking turkey hunters and anglers. ATV operators were also checked.
CO Andrew Goodman (Perham) worked bowfishing and panfish angling throughout the week. Reminders to bring enough life jackets and update watercraft registration were frequent encounters during the mild weekend. Time was spent investigating illegal sturgeon take on the Ottertail River chain. Anyone with information regarding fish and wildlife violations is encouraged to contact the TIP line, which is available 24 hours a day/seven days a week.
CO Jordan Anderson (Osage) patrolled the state forests for recreational vehicles, worked bowfishing activity, and finished some ongoing investigations. Time was also spent at Camp Ripley assisting with Deputy Boating school and Academy instruction.
CO Bill Landmark (Moorhead) spent the week following up on cases and responding to wildlife-related calls. Time was spent assisting with the Deputy Boating School, where deputies from around the state honed their boat-operation skills and were taught NASBLA seated field sobriety testing. Landmark also spoke at a firearms safety and an ATV safety class.
CO Angie Warren (Mahnomen) worked angling, boating, leeching and spearing activity. Patrol was conducted for ATVs and off-road vehicles. Fire activity and area wildlife management areas and waterfowl production areas were monitored. Warren attended district training.
CO Brady Manteufel (Bagley) patrolled for turkey hunters and angling activity. Calls were fielded about wildlife and nuisance animals. Leech-trapping enforcement action was taken, and education was provided. The week ended with teaching safety and regulations to 22 youth at an ATV safety day.
CO Jamus Veit (Bemidji #2) spent the week attending training, investigating possible wolf depredations, checking bow fishers and leech traps, patrolling area lakes for angling activity, and fielding calls from the public.
Bemidji #1 vacant.
Pelican Rapids vacant.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2024-05-06
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) worked with parents on registration forms from a recent ATV safety class. She continued to investigate a dumping of several waterfowl carcasses and monitored turkey hunting and fish-run activities.
CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) spent most of his enforcement effort on angling and boating throughout the week. He also spoke at a ?Fishing 101? class for people showing interest in the outdoors. Compliance checks on boats were conducted this past week, with only a few violations detected. Anglers reported fishing success to be very slow on area waters.
CO Hanna Wood (Fergus Falls) assisted at Camp Ripley for the Deputy Boating School and spoke with Alexandria-area fifth graders about firearms safety during their Safety Day Camp. Wood and CO Brown also gave a presentation in Morris to members of the Hispanic community about the fishing regulations as well as how/where to fish.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked anglers, ATV riders, and boats. Wetland Conservation Act cases were investigated and completed in Douglas County. Osborne assisted CO Jake Homan with a firearms safety presentation to area fifth graders at Safety Day Camp in Alexandria.
CO Jake Homan (Alexandria) patrolled Douglas County for angling and turkey hunting activities. Homan was assisted by COs Osborne, Znajda, and Wood with a firearms safety presentation at Safety Day Camp in Alexandria. Homan assisted with the Officer Water Survival course attended at the Deputy Boating School. Two ATV classes were also attended.
CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) spent the week checking numerous anglers out with the nice weather over the weekend. Many are eager for the opening weekend next week. She attended the Alexandria Safety Day with her neighboring CO partners to teach several fifth-grade classes from surrounding schools about firearms safety. She attended a firearms safety class in Osakis to present a laws and ethics talk and she assisted in teaching at the Officer Water Survival portion of the Deputy Boating School.
CO Daniel Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the week were concentrated on checking anglers, ATV operators, and turkey hunters. Additional time was spent monitoring AIS law compliance and following up on carp-dumping complaints.
Wheaton vacant.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2024-05-06
CO Corey Sura (Remer) followed up on wetland and public waters investigations. Sura helped at an ATV safety day in Outing with the local ATV club, where 37 new youth riders obtained their ATV safety certificates. Anglers were checked on several area panfish lakes.
CO Patrick McGowan (Walker) patrolled area lakes for angling and boating activity. Enforcement action was taken for angling without a license, keeping northern pike out of season, angling with extra lines, operating a watercraft with illegal exhaust, and numerous other boating violations.
CO Jacque Johnson (Longville) attending an ATV safety class. She also responded to reports of incidentally taken otters.
CO Landyn Saewert (Wadena) checked bow fishers on area lakes. Several boats were observed with expired registration, and enforcement action was taken. A report of dumped carp in a road ditch was taken. The suspects have not been identified. ATV activity has been picking up. Juveniles under 18 are reminded to be wearing helmets even when on side by sides.
CO Adam Seifermann (Staples) reports fielding numerous calls related to nuisance and miscellaneous wildlife-related concerns. He recommends residents in Bear Country review the information at bearwise.org and contact area Wildlife with continued concerns. Residents also reported finding rough fish left behind on the shore from being bow fished. He also reports working at DNR Days at Rippleside Elementary School with K9 Jet, assisting with Deputy Boating School at Camp Ripley, and assisting another agency with a public safety concern. Now is a good time to review fishing regulations and ensure your safety equipment is functioning and in boats prior to the fishing opener.
CO Michael Cross (Lake George) worked angling, ATV enforcement, spring turkey hunting, and beaver trapping. Multiple questions were fielded from the public and equipment was prepared and tested for the upcoming fishing opener.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) primarily checked angling activity. A problem-bear complaint was received. Mathy also investigated a report of ATV use on a paved state trail and a public water-related complaint.
ATV rec officer vacant.
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