MN DNR Conservation Officer

Weekly CO report

District 1 – Baudette area

Last updated: 2025-02-03

CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked area snowmobiling and angling activity. Fishing has slowed a bit on Lake of the Woods. Assistance was given to a local fishing guide with getting a suspected cardiac arrest victim off Lake of the Woods. Minor violations were encountered this week.

CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent the week checking area anglers. Violations encountered were no license in possession, angling with extra lines, possession of fillets on the water, and transporting fillets without skin patches.

CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) spent the week patrolling Lake of the Woods. Enforcement action was taken for taking an overlimit of walleyes, possession of an illegal-length fish, and expired snowmobile registration. Fontes also assisted local agencies with a medical emergency that occurred on the lake.

CO Nicholas Prachar (Baudette West) sent time as an instructor at snowmobile training for the DNR Enforcement Academy. Prachar also worked with local COs on Lake of the Woods. Enforcement action was taken for angling with no license and leaving lines unattended.

CO Paul Kennedy (Baudette East) monitored angling and snowmobile activity throughout the week. Snowmobilers have been out and taking advantage of recent snowfall in the area. He also assisted a neighboring agency with a report of a snowmobile crash.

CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls West) checked area anglers and continued with follow-up investigations from the deer season. Enforcement action for the week included possession of illegal-length northern pike, taking deer with an invalid license, taking deer in a closed season, and taking deer without a license.

CO Sarah Jahn (Thief River Falls East) attended snowmobile training in International Falls. Several nuisance-animal calls were handled. Enforcement action was taken for no trail pass on a grant-in-aid trail.

CO Nick Bruesewitz (Karlstad) spent the week training on snowmobiles in International Falls. Additional time was spent on Lake of the Woods working angling activity.

CO Brice Vollbrecht (Blackduck North) monitored angling activity on Upper Red Lake. He attended a meeting at Camp Ripley to go through the upcoming CO Academy watercraft training.

CO Brianna Shaw (Blackduck South) spent the week monitoring angling and recreational vehicle activity. Additional time was spent assisting in the rescue of a great horned owl. Enforcement action was taken for failure to display registration.

Weekly CO report

District 2 – Bemidji area

Last updated: 2025-02-03

CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports attending a firearms safety class in the Fertile area this past week. Time was also spent checking anglers on local lakes and rivers.

CO Andrew Ladzinski (Bemidji #1) spent time patrolling local lakes and trails. He continues to see shelter violations on the ice. He also answered questions at the Bemidji State University ice fishing 101 event.

CO Andrew Goodman (Perham) patrolled area snowmobile trails in southern Becker and northern Otter Tail counties. Unfortunately, trail conditions remain in poor condition due to inadequate snow accumulation. A few riders were contacted during a vintage snowmobile run. They were happy to be out after missing a season last year due to no snow. Additional time was spent checking anglers and coyote hunters.

CO Jordan Anderson (Osage) continues to work angling activity, as snowmobile conditions are poor in the area. Time was also spent preparing coursework for the upcoming CO Academy.

CO William Landmark (Moorhead) spent the week checking anglers and snowmobilers in the Moorhead and Detroit Lakes stations. Some snowmobilers operating mostly vintage snowmobiles were out enjoying the Midnite Riders Old Timers run despite the high winds on Saturday. Calls from the public included reports of incidentally taken animals. Enforcement action was taken for failure to display snowmobile registration and snowmobile stop sign violations. Operators are reminded state law requires snowmobiles to stop prior to crossing a roadway, regardless of if the crossing is signed or not.

CO Angela Warren (Mahnomen) spent time on ice angling activities. Fish house checks were performed, and people are reminded to have identification and ice shelter tags visible. Snowmobile activity was worked and illegal operation of a motor vehicle on a snowmobile trail was investigated.

CO Matthew Boyle (Pelican Rapids) pent time following up on cases from the deer season. Multiple deer were seized. Time was also spent checking anglers during local fishing derbies. Violations included fishing with extra lines, keeping protected-size crappies and northern pike, no shelter tags or ID, expired snowmobile registration, litter on ice, and no angling license in possession.

CO Brady Manteufel (Bagley) attended snowmobile training in International Falls. Time was also spent working on equipment and responding to calls about licensing and trapping. Deer-license violations were also reviewed during the week.

CO Jamus Veit (Bemidji #2) attended snowmobile training in International Falls. Time was also spent patrolling area snowmobile trails and checking anglers on area lakes.

District 3 – Fergus Falls area

Last updated: 2025-02-03

CO Hanna Wood (Fergus Falls) spent the week working on angling enforcement and follow up from the deer season.

CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) continues to work ice fishing and fish house violations. Angling success has been tough but scattered through the area with plenty of ice and little snow. Deer-season investigations are ongoing, and volunteer instructors were contacted regarding upcoming firearms safety classes.

CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) reports checking anglers and snowmobilers throughout the week. Additional time was spent with nuisance-animal complaints and investigating ongoing cases.

CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked anglers, fish houses, ATV riders, and snowmobile riders. Fishing and injured-animal complaints were received and investigated. Fish house identification and licensing were the most common violations encountered.

CO Jake Homan (Alexandria) spent the week attending training in International Falls. Time was also spent checking anglers on area lakes. Enforcement action was taken for a variety of angling and ATV violations. Assistance was given to another CO on an overlimit walleyes and an overlimit of northern pike.

CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) focused her week on ice fishing activity. She patrolled public waters in Douglas, Todd, Grant, and Pope counties. Overall, there were lots of fish in the buckets, but anglers report more patience is needed to find and catch fish. Multiple violations were encountered, including fishing after revocation, fishing with too many lines, unattended lines, no shelter licenses, and litter on the ice.

CO Bobby Stringer (Wheaton) reports drastically changing conditions on Lake Traverse and the Mustinka River due to the upswing in temperatures. Stringer reports a 20-foot open gap north of Halls Landing access, which stretches for approximately 800 yards. This open gap does not present upward heaving to provide a warning for anglers on the ice. It is imperative to approach with caution. Other work this week included an angling gross overlimit investigation and enforcement action for litter on the ice, multiple ATV violations, and failure to provide information on a fish house as required.

CO Emily Douvier (Morris) reports working fishing and recreational vehicle enforcement. Deer-season violations were followed up on and patrol efforts were given during a predator hunt in a neighboring county. Enforcement action was taken for deer license violations, as well as warnings issued for various ice fishing and ATV-related violations.

CO Daniel Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the week were concentrated on checking anglers, trappers, and ATV operators. Additional time was spent investigating complaints of overlimits and unattended fish houses stored at public accesses.

District 4 – Walker area

Last updated: 2025-02-03

CO Michael Cross (Lake George) primarily worked fishing throughout the week. A background investigation was concluded.

CO Nick Baum (Park Rapids) patrolled the local area for ice angling and snowmobile activity. Baum found varying success on area lakes. Baum found several groups of snowmobile riders out enjoying the fresh snow for the weekend. Baum wants to remind recreational vehicle riders to check for required equipment and registration prior to riding on the trails. Registration renewal is available online for recreational vehicles.

CO Patrick McGowan (Walker) worked Leech Lake throughout the week. Some anglers are seeing some perch, but the walleye bite remains very slow. McGowan also assisted with snowmobile training in International Falls for a group of new conservation officers. Enforcement action during the week was taken for numerous angling violations.

CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) primarily checked anglers. Perch anglers had some success but otherwise the bite was slow. Ice heaves and pressure ridges are continuing to cause some ice and travel hazards on large lakes. Some time was spent working on the new licensing system. Enforcement action was taken for angling violations.

CO Corey Sura (Remer) patrolled angling activity on area lakes and joined CO Benkofske for a patrol on Big Sandy Lake. There, tullibee were the primary species coming topside, with a few crappies, northern pike, and walleyes in the mix. Miscellaneous calls of questions and complaints were fielded through the week.

CO Jacque Johnson (Longville) checked angling, ATV, and snowmobile activity. Enforcement action was taken on shelter violations.

CO Adam Seifermann (Staples) reports checking anglers and snowmobilers. He worked the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake with local officers. Enforcement action consisted of no snowmobile registration, failure to display registration, no helmets on youth under 18, and no ATV headlights when required.

ATV rec officer vacant.