MN DNR Conservation Officer

Weekly CO report

District 1 – Baudette area

Last updated: 2025-05-06

CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked turkey hunters and trappers in Roseau and Marshall counties, and sturgeon anglers on the Rainy River and Lake of the Woods. A nuisance-bear complaint was taken near St. Hilaire. Violations for the week includes hunting turkeys without a license and possessing an untagged sturgeon.

CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent the week checking anglers on the Rainy River/Four Mile Bay and checking area turkey hunters. Anglers were having success, with reports of many large sturgeon being caught. Hams would like to remind anglers and boaters to check their boats to make sure all the necessary safety equipment is on board prior to hitting the water. Violations encountered were angling without a license, no license in possession, no throwable PFD, expired boat registration, driving after suspension, expired vehicle registration, and no proof of insurance.

CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) spent the week patrolling the Rainy and Warroad rivers, as well as the Beltrami Island State Forest. Enforcement action was taken for targeting northern pike during the closed inland season, expired boat registration, failure to register a turkey, improper turkey tag validation, and burning without a burn permit. Fontes also taught the law portion of an ATV safety class, and he assisted with boat operations training at Camp Ripley for deputies from around the state.

CO Nicholas Prachar (Baudette West) reports increased sturgeon-angling activity. Prachar wrapped up a months-long investigation of felony timber theft. Prachar worked with DNR Forestry to investigate and determine the extent of the damage to the state forest and campground by one individual. Equipment was seized and charges are pending.

CO Paul Kennedy (Baudette East) checked sturgeon anglers along the Rainy River and Lake of the Woods. Anglers reported better fishing as the week progressed. He worked with several officers on a fire detail during a burn ban over the weekend. A nuisance-bear complaint was also investigated. Enforcement action for the week included several watercraft safety equipment violations, no license in possession, failing to register sturgeon, unattended fire, and failing to have a burning permit.

CO Sarah Jahn (Thief River Falls East) gave a water safety presentation at the Warren Elementary School. She gave a law and ethics talk at a firearms safety class in Newfolden. Time was also spent assisting with deputy boating school at Camp Ripley.

CO Nick Bruesewitz (Karlstad) spent the week preparing for the open-water fishing season. The CO ATV safety presentation portion was presented to an ATV safety class.

CO Brice Vollbrecht (Blackduck North) monitored spring fish run activity. He patrolled area forest roads and assisted the Division of Forestry.

CO Brianna Shaw (Blackduck South) spent the week patrolling for angling and recreational vehicle activity. Shaw assisted the Timber Riders ATV Club in putting on a youth ATV safety field day. Additional time was spent on a burning enforcement detail in northwestern Minnesota.

Thief River Falls West vacant.

District 2 – Bemidji area

Last updated: 2025-05-06

CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports attending firearms safety classes in Fertile and Plummer this week. Time was also spent checking turkey hunters, anglers, and watercraft operators.

CO Andrew Ladzinski (Bemidji #1) focused his patrols on spring fish run and ATV enforcement activity. Training flights were conducted for new aviation equipment. Multiple nuisance-bear calls were handled. Enforcement action was taken for various ATV violations, fishing in a closed spawning area, and people operating off-highway motorcycles in the roadway.

CO Andrew Goodman (Perham) worked a busy week of angling and ATV enforcement. Sturgeon have begun spawning and attracting attention. Informative signs have been placed at spawning areas, but some still needed hefty fines to deter the illegal take of sturgeon. Please leave the sturgeon alone while they are in this vulnerable state. Enforcement action was also taken for ATVs being operated on state highways.

CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) spent the week training with K9 Axel. He also spent time checking shore anglers and following up on several burning complaints.

CO Jordan Anderson (Osage) patrolled area state forests and trails, which are now open. Several ATV-related complaints were handled, and several fires were investigated. Anderson assisted at Camp Ripley with deputy boat school and Academy training.

CO William Landmark (Moorhead) spent the week checking anglers and spring beaver-trapping activity. Time was also spent assisting the Marine Unit with instructing watercraft operation and seated field sobriety to new water patrol deputies from around the state. Spring crappie and sunfish bites have begun to fire up on area lakes and that, paired with nice weekend weather, drew a lot of anglers to the water. Landmark also spent time investigating wolf-depredation complaints and assisting in the instruction of firearms safety courses. Landmark had the privilege of presenting a 30-year award to instructor Tom Hall at the Moorhead firearms safety class. ATV operators are reminded to read the regulations, particularly before permitting juveniles to operate ATVs or OHMs. Enforcement action was taken for juveniles operating ATVs and OHMs on the roadway, juveniles without permits, failure to renew registration, failure to transfer registration, angling without a license in possession, and no Type IV throwable.

CO Angela Warren (Mahnomen) worked angling, leeching, minnow harvesting, and fish run activity. Boating safety checks, ATV, and off-road vehicle activities were also performed and worked. Warren met with a tribal conservation officer to discuss open cases and area issues. Assistance was provided to the Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office and White Earth Tribal Police on a complaint of possible shots fired.

CO Matthew Boyle (Pelican Rapids) spent time patrolling area lakes for angling activity. The panfish bite has continued to increase, with the warmer weather. Suckers are continuing to run in several rivers. Turkey hunting success and sightings have decreased over the past week, possibly due to the continued hunting pressure.

CO Brady Manteufel (Bagley) checked public lands and waters for turkey hunters, fishing, and trapping activity this week. Various questions were answered on trapping, licenses, and animals. A calf killed by a wolf was investigated and enforcement action was taken for illegal operation of an ATV by a juvenile. Manteufel also assisted with training area deputies at the water survival school.

CO Jamus Veit (Bemidji #2) worked angling, ATV enforcement, and spring turkey hunting. Questions were fielded from the public and he assisted in bringing an injured bald eagle a rehabilitator.

CO Curtis Jepson (District #2) started the week by following up and documenting a trespass of illegally placed leech traps. Much of the week was spent checking anglers and ATVs/OHMs. Many anglers had success with finding their limits of crappies. Common violations were no license in possession and no U.S. Coast Guard-approved equipment on board the watercraft. Also, some juveniles were observed operating a dirt bike and a Class 1 ATV on a county highway, and enforcement action was taken.

District 3 – Fergus Falls area

Last updated: 2025-05-06

CO Jake Homan (Alexandria) spent the week patrolling Douglas County. Time was spent attending the deputy boat officer water survival Class. Homan spent additional time checking trapping activity and panfish activity in the station. Enforcement action was taken for a variety of recreational vehicle violations.

CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) reports spending most of his enforcement effort on boating, angling, and trapping during the week. Time was also spent with ongoing investigations and TIP complaints. Brown responded to a boat that capsized on an area lake. Thankfully, no one was injured, and the boat was founded to have drifted away from a dock.

CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) has seen a spike in activity with the warmer weather. Activity ranged from anglers on a good crappie bite to numerous complaints of careless operations of ATVs and dirt bikes. She has spent time on extra patrol in these areas while balancing other station calls. She conducted a wolf-depredation investigation, which has led to successful trapping. She taught firearms safety to over 50 students in Osakis and attended their field day. She attended Safety Day in Alexandria where she and other game wardens spoke to several classes about firearms safety. She also taught at the deputy boat school for officer water survival tactics at the pool in Staples.

CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked anglers, ATVs, OHMs, boats, and public accesses. Several anglers were contacted who were targeting bass out of season and they were educated that they could not target fish when the season was closed.

CO Hanna Wood (Fergus Falls) spent the week focused on angling, turkey hunting, and recreational vehicle enforcement. Wood participated in the Ducks Unlimited Greenwing banquet and spoke with lots of kids and adults. Time was also spent on public waters violations, miscellaneous animal-related complaints, and assistance to local law enforcement agencies.

CO Emily Douvier (Morris) reports working fishing, turkey hunting, and recreational vehicle enforcement. Enforcement action was taken for taking fish in a closed season. Calls about incidentally taken otters were also handled.

CO Bobby Stringer (Wheaton) reports an active week on Lake Traverse as anglers participated in 44th Annual Walleye Masters fishing tournament activities. Overall, there was a great turnout with plenty of fish on the board. Warm weather has brought shore anglers, who continue to have success targeting white bass. Although that is the case, there continues to be trespass complaints investigated. Stringer also participated in the Douglas County youth safety day. Enforcement action for the week included no angling license, no angling license in possession, trespass, and no Type IV throwable immediately available as required.

District 4 – Walker area

Last updated: 2025-05-06

CO Michael Cross (Lake George) worked the Duluth/North Shore steelhead and smelt run at the beginning of the week. The week was finished working the Rainy River sturgeon season. Cross reported good success among those people steelhead fishing, smelting, and sturgeon fishing. Enforcement action was taken for numerous angling and boating violations.

CO Nick Baum (Park Rapids) patrolled the local area for angling and recreational vehicle traffic. Baum found several anglers having various success on area lakes. Baum assisted Hubbard County with a medical call. He took enforcement action for various angling and recreational vehicle violations.

CO Landyn Saewert (Wadena) patrolled Huntersville State Forest and monitored the fish run activity. Several area streams are active with spawning fish. Enforcement action was taken for possessing spears after sunset, youth operating an ATV without a helmet, and a female was arrested for DWI.

CO Patrick McGowan (Walker) worked Cass County lakes for angling activity. McGowan also assisted with wildfire investigations, and a detail was worked on the Rainy River. Enforcement action was taken for numerous angling and boating violations.

CO Jacque Johnson (Longville) checked angling and trapping activity. She also attended a big wheels event, a career fair, and two ATV safety classes.

CO Levi Brown (Staples) focused this week on fishing activity. Brown saw an increase in anglers having luck with panfish both from shore and watercraft. Brown also assisted local agencies with multiple wildfires. Brown would like to remind people to check local burning restrictions prior to activating your burn permit.

Cass Lake vacant.

ATV rec officer vacant.