MN DNR Conservation Officer
District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2025-02-10
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked anglers on Lake of the Woods. Enforcement contacts involved anglers in possession of an overlimit of walleyes and anglers using too many lines.
CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent the week monitoring snowmobile activity. Assistance was also given to Roseau County Sheriff Office with a DUI arrest.
CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) monitored angling activity on Lake of the Woods. Enforcement action was taken for use of an extra line, use of unattended lines, overlimit of walleyes, and possession of dressed fillets. Fontes notes an unusual uptick of phones that people had reportedly dropped into the lake. One of these instances occurred in the presence of Fontes during the attempted concealment of an extra line. Tethers are always a good idea to prevent phones from becoming fish habitat.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Baudette West) spent time training CO Academy participants on snowmobile operation. Time was spent working angling and snowmobile activity.
CO Paul Kennedy (Baudette East) checked ice anglers throughout the week. He attended snowmobile training in International Falls with other COs. Enforcement action for the week included no license in possession, failure to display registration, and no shelter license.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls West) worked a detail on Lake of the Woods this past weekend. Anglers were seeing moderate success. Enforcement action for the week included angling with an extra line, possessing dressed fillets on a special regulations water, no ice shelter license, possessing a walleye overlimit, and angling license violations.
CO Nick Bruesewitz (Karlstad) spent the week checking anglers on the Red Lake River and giving presentations to a ninth-grade class and snowmobile safety class. Violations encountered included no shelter tag, expired registration, and allowing illegal operation of a snowmobile by a juvenile.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Blackduck North) monitored angling activity on Upper Red Lake. The bite remains inconsistent with the weather changes. Wind and snow throughout the week made angling challenging.
CO Brianna Shaw (Blackduck South) spent the week patrolling for angling and recreational vehicle activity. Additional time was spent attending a four-day snowmobile training course in International Falls. Enforcement action was taken for operating a snowmobile without registration.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2025-02-10
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports checking anglers on area lakes this week. Time was also spent working predator-hunting activity. ATV operators and snowmobile operators were checked.
CO Andrew Ladzinski (Bemidji #1) focused his time on snowmobile enforcement. The fresh snow brought out lots of snowmobile activity in his area. The most common violation seen was no registration decal displayed, and decals displayed in the wrong position.
CO Andrew Goodman (Perham) continued snowmobile trail and fishing enforcement efforts. Fresh snow has improved most trails to a rideable condition and ditches are full of fresh powder. A decent number of riders were contacted over the weekend; compliance with registration and trail rules were high. Angling pressure has been reduced with a slower bite and some ice flooding occurring. Anglers should monitor their ice shelters frequently this time of year, to ensure they do not become stuck to the ice.
CO Jordan Anderson (Osage) patrolled area lakes and trails, with a noted uptick in snowmobile activity due to recent snowfalls. Enforcement action was taken for snowmobile and trail pass-related violations. People who purchase licenses, permits, or trail passes are reminded it is their responsibility to know what they need to purchase and not the clerk at the local convenience store or sport shop.
CO William Landmark (Moorhead) spent the week following up with ongoing cases.
CO Angela Warren (Mahnomen) reports working snowmobile activity on area lakes and trails, with trails in wooded areas being in better condition. Angling activity continues to increase, with most anglers reporting fair to good success. Follow up was conducted on complaints of possible taking of overlimits, litter, and fish house identification issues.
CO Matthew Boyle (Pelican Rapids) spent the week patrolling on snowmobile in International Falls. Trail conditions were excellent, with lots of fresh snow. Snowmobile traffic was minimal, with colder weather and wind. The trails around Pelican Rapids are greatly improving with the weekend snowfall.
CO Brady Manteufel (Bagley) followed up on deer license and registration violations. Enforcement action was taken for deer harvest with the use of invalid permits and licenses and late registration. A TIP case was completed that resulted in discovering a deer that was not registered. Snowmobile trails were patrolled, and area lakes were checked, for angling activity and shelter permits. Overall, current sled registration and shelter permits/ownership display were very good in the area.
CO Jamus Veit (Bemidji #2) spent the week patrolling area snowmobile trails and monitoring angling activity. Area snowmobile trails were busy over the weekend, as trail conditions continue to improve. Enforcement action was taken for expired snowmobile registration.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2025-02-10
CO Hanna Wood (Fergus Falls) spent the week focused on angling activity. Decent snow fall in the area has resulted in an increase in snowmobile traffic. Wood would like to remind people to operate with safety in mind and to always let someone know your plan.
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) worked ice fishing enforcement and a local ice fishing derby that brought a great crowd. Recent snow has resulted in some snowmobile activity, but trails are just starting to see a groomer. Violations found this week were no fishing license in possession, operating a snowmobile with expired registration, unmarked fish houses, and failure to display a shelter tag as required.
CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) checked anglers and snowmobilers during the week. According to anglers, fishing success has continued to be slow on area lakes. Snowmobile activity has increased due to the snow that fell towards the end of the week.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked anglers, ATVs, fish houses, and snowmobiles. The region received a good amount of snow, making the snowmobile trails somewhat useable. Fishing with extra lines, unattended lines, and fish house identification were the common violations.
CO Jake Homan (Alexandria) spent the week patrolling Douglas County. Time was spent checking anglers on area lakes. Enforcement action was taken for multiple overlimits of sunfish and other angling violations. Homan would like to remind anglers to check lakes prior to fishing as there are special regulations on many lakes throughout the state.
CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) spent the week patrolling Lake Osakis and other lakes throughout her station. There was lots of snowmobile activity over the weekend after a dump of snow. Enforcement action was taken for taking illegal-length walleyes on special regulation lakes, extra lines, unattended lines, no shelter license, no fishing licenses, and snowmobile registration issues.
CO Bobby Stringer (Wheaton) reports a decrease in angling activity on Lake Traverse and other local waterways due to significant weather events. However, there appears to be a good fish bite towards late afternoon to evening hours. Stringer attended snowmobile training in International Falls and the Traverse County Pheasants Forever Chapter 44 annual banquet. Enforcement action for the week included a gross fish overlimit, angling with extra lines, and litter on the ice.
CO Emily Douvier (Morris) reports working fishing and recreational vehicle enforcement. Enforcement action was taken for fishing with extra lines and no fish house ID displayed.
CO Daniel Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the week were concentrated on checking anglers and snowmobile operators. Additional time was spent addressing fish house license and identification issues on area lakes.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2025-02-10
CO Michael Cross (Lake George) worked angling and snowmobile patrol. Increased activity was seen on the trails with the recent snow while the fishing bite has slowed in the area recently.
CO Nick Baum (Park Rapids) patrolled the area for snowmobile and ice angling activity. Baum found varying success on the area lakes. He observed numerous snowmobilers enjoying the recent snowfall. Trails in the area are being groomed and are in good condition. Baum assisted the Hubbard County Sheriff Office with perimeter control for the apprehension of a suspect in in a motor vehicle theft. Baum wants to remind snowmobilers to ensure their snowmobile registration is up to date and affixed properly to the upper portion of the engine cowling. Baum took enforcement action on snowmobile trail pass and registration.
CO Landyn Saewert (Wadena) primarily checked ice anglers; minimal success has been observed. With the recent snowfall snowmobiles have been observed on local trails. Riders are reminded to make sure their registration is up to date. An aeration inspection was also completed.
CO Patrick McGowan (Walker) patrolled Leech Lake for angling activity. Fishing remains on the slow side, and numerous ice heaves are still present. McGowan also assisted with snowmobile training for the most recent Academy class in International Falls.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) continued to primarily check anglers. The bite remains slow. With recent snow, a few snowmobiles were seen on the trails. Mathy assisted the Hubbard County Sheriff Office with an incident and worked on items related to the new licensing system. Enforcement action was taken for angling violations.
CO Corey Sura (Remer) assisted with snowmobile training for the most recent CO Academy. Area trails were patrolled. Many riders were out enjoying the trails for the first time in two years.
CO Jacque Johnson (Longville) checked angling and snowmobile activity. Enforcement action was taken on illegal-length fish, no license in possession, and placing trash on the ice.
Staples vacant.
ATV rec officer vacant.
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