MN DNR Conservation Officer
District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2025-03-24
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) helped instruct at the waterfowl enforcement school, which was held at Whitewater State Park and attended by graduated of the previous CO Academy. The training is held in the spring at this location to show the cadets thousands of migrating waterfowl in full breeding plumage. Huener also checked anglers on Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River. A nuisance-bear complaint was taken in the Greenbush area.
CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent the week checking area anglers and following up with various complaints. Violations encountered were burning prohibited materials (fish house and furniture), angling with extra lines, possession of fillets on the ice, and unattended lines.
CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) spent the week patrolling area woods and waters. Fontes assisted local agencies with a crash, investigated a report of a dead bald eagle, and conducted follow up on open cases. Formal charges were filed against multiple people for crimes pertaining to taking a gross overlimit of pine marten during the December trapping season.
CO Paul Kennedy (Baudette East) attended waterfowl school in southeastern Minnesota earlier in the week. He also checked anglers, with several reporting little success as the week went on. Anglers are eager to hit nearby rivers as they start opening. Enforcement action for the week included no shelter license, angling with extra lines, use of unlawful bait, and no license in possession.
CO Sarah Jahn (Thief River Falls East) spent time working on big-game cases. A presentation was given at the University of Minnesota Crookston for a law enforcement class, as well as for the Kittson County 4H for an outdoor exploration day. Assistance was given to Pennington County on a rolling domestic.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls West) received his first nuisance-bear complaints of the season. Homeowners are reminded that eliminating outdoor food sources will greatly reduce nuisance-bear incidents. He also conducted commercial taxidermist inspections with CO Bruesewitz.
CO Nick Bruesewitz (Karlstad) spent the week following up on big-game violations that occurred during the 2024 firearms deer season. Time was also spent assisting other agencies with calls for service.
CO Brianna Shaw (Blackduck South) spent the week patrolling for angling and recreational vehicle activity. Additional time was spent undergoing waterfowl enforcement training.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Baudette West) reports significant late-season fishing activity. Enforcement action was taken for angling with extra lines and using/possessing illegal frozen bait.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2025-03-24
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports checking angling activity on area lakes and various open-water areas throughout the Crookston station. Time was also spent working on big-game-hunting related complaints/cases.
CO Andrew Ladzinski (Bemidji #1) ensured that shelters were removed from the lakes following the designated deadline. He addressed several deer license violations from the 2024 season, including instances of license lending and borrowing, as well as exceeding the buck limit. Additionally, he dedicated time to investigating the unlawful removal of aquatic plants.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) continued training with his K9 partner Axel.
CO Jordan Anderson (Osage) patrolled area lakes and trails in the station and spent time on a fire investigation. Local forest roads and trails are currently closed due to the spring breakup and fire conditions. Refer to the DNR website to check closures before venturing out. A few anglers were checked on area lakes. They were having limited success.
CO William Landmark (Moorhead) field trained COC Jepson, who spent the beginning of the week at Whitewater State Park for waterfowl training. The remainder of the week was spent on cases involving same-day license purchases and registration of deer. Enforcement action was taken for an overlimit of big-game animals, invalid deer licenses, unregistered deer, and illegal transport of big-game animals. The officers also taught the law and ethics portion of the Hitterdal firearms safety class.
CO Angela Warren (Mahnomen) monitored area lakes for angling activity. Ice conditions vary and people are reminded to use caution. Waterfowl production areas and wildlife management areas were patrolled for activity, deer stands and shooting lanes. Areas were worked for ATV and off-road vehicle activity. Follow up on open cases was conducted.
CO Matthew Boyle (Pelican Rapids) attended a waterfowl training in southeastern Minnesota. Thousands of birds are currently holding on the Mississippi River and working their way north. Mallards and goldeneyes made up most of the birds Boyle saw.
CO Brady Manteufel (Bagley) checked area lakes and public lands for activity, responded to phone calls from people with general questions about the outdoors, and followed up on invalid deer license use from the big-game season.
CO Jamus Veit (Bemidji #2) spent the week monitoring angling and ATV activity. Time was also spent working on big-game-related cases. Enforcement action was taken for failure to renew ATV registration, operating an ATV on the right of way, and no state park motor vehicle permit.
Last updated: 2025-03-24
CO Hanna Wood (Fergus Falls) spent the week focused on wetland and public water violations. Some time was also spent at Camp Ripley for training.
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) conducted ATV and snowmobile maintenance. Fishing activity has declined with the ice conditions, but a few anglers were still found venturing out. Aeration inspections were completed. Plautz met with a college class and talked about the job of a conservation officer.
CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) spent his enforcement effort this week on ATVs and angling. Time was also spent with annual training and provided the law and ethics portion of a firearms safety class in Ashby. Ice conditions are deteriorating quickly. He cautions anglers to wait until the boating season to venture out on area waters.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked area lakes for fishing activity. Ice is pulling away from certain lakes and people should have safety equipment along with them when venturing out on the ice. ATV-operation violation complaints were received.
CO Jake Homan (Alexandria) spent the week patrolling Douglas County for angling and trapping activity. Time was spent following up on trapping violations, lend and borrow otter site coupons, and illegally registering a furbearer. Time was also spent assisting other agencies and completing station duties.
CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) reports few anglers out and inconsistent ice thickness. She continues to remind people that ice is never safe. She came across wetland and public water access violations. With the dryer conditions, she reports a rise in ATV activity.
CO Bobby Stringer (Wheaton) reports significant ice reduction on Lake Traverse. The Mustinka and Bois de Sioux rivers have ice remaining with open holes along bridge accesses. Ice reduction and warmer weather have spurred an increase in waterfowl within the station. Snow geese are plentiful, with hunters observed in the field. Stringer attended waterfowl training in Whitewater State Park and a coordinated CWD deer management meeting with wildlife program specialists and the Traverse County Sportsman’s Club. Enforcement action for the week included no angling license and failure to control a permitted fire.
CO Emily Douvier (Morris) reports working fishing, light goose, and recreational vehicle enforcement. Planning for an upcoming firearms safety class was done, and enforcement action was taken for fishing without a license.
CO Daniel Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the week were concentrated on checking anglers and setting up for a firearms safety class. Additional time was spent closing out old cases and checking ice conditions on area lakes.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2025-03-24
CO Michael Cross (Lake George) checked anglers, conducted equipment maintenance, and completed training. Enforcement action was taken for angling violations.
CO Nick Baum (Park Rapids) patrolled the local area for ice angling activity and closed forest roads. Area ice conditions are diminishing fast with warmer weather. Baum reminds people to check online for trail and forest road closures to ensure they can operate a vehicle on those roads. Baum completed equipment inventory.
CO Landyn Saewert (Wadena) spent the week working on aquatic plant management and wetland issues. A snowmobile safety education class was presented to approximately 25 students at the Knob Hill Sportsman’s Club. A complaint of coyote hunters trespassing on private property was taken.
CO Patrick McGowan (Walker) patrolled Leech and Winnibigoshish lakes throughout the week. Fishing overall was slow in spots, and ice is starting to weaken. Anglers who venture out are urged to use caution. Enforcement action was taken for numerous violations.
CO Corey Sura (Remer) aided in two separate warrant arrests, one of which also resulted in an additional felony level charge. Sura was assisted by neighboring law enforcement agencies. Late-ice panfish fishing activity remains steady in the area with more than 20 inches of ice on most area lakes. However, remember to use caution and be prepared if venturing out this time of year. Enforcement action was taken for people fishing without valid licenses.
CO Jacque Johnson (Longville) checked angling activity. She also assisted searching for a suspect who fled into the woods.
Staples vacant.
Cass Lake vacant.
ATV rec officer vacant.
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