Weekly CO report

District 1 – Baudette area

Last updated: 2025-06-02

CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked anglers on Lake of the Woods and the Roseau River. Assistance was given with attempting to capture a couple of orphaned bear cubs. Garbage dumped on the wildlife management area and state forest were investigated. Violations for the week included anglers found in possession of an overlimit of walleyes and angling with an extra line.

CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent the week checking area anglers and following up with various complaints. Anglers are reporting success with lots of big walleyes still being caught. Violations encountered were walleye overlimit, no license in possession, angling without a license, and angling with extra lines.

CO Nicholas Prachar (Baudette West) reports sporadic angler success on Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River. Enforcement action was taken for no helmet on a youth ATV rider, transporting a boat with a drain plug in, and driving after revocation.

CO Paul Kennedy (Baudette East) worked angling and ATV activity. He checked several anglers on Upper Red Lake and Lake of the Woods. They reported success. ATV activity was slower earlier in the week with few riders observed. A public waters complaint was investigated. He also provided a presentation at a local ATV safety class over the weekend. Enforcement action for the week included no angling license in possession, watercraft safety violations, and expired watercraft registration.

CO Bobby Stringer (Thief River Falls West) reports an active week with multiple nuisance-bear incidents. Enforcement actions for the week included failure to have a lifesaving device onboard a watercraft and multiple instances of operation of both class I and class II ATVs on the road or road rights-of-way.

CO Nick Bruesewitz (Karlstad) spent the week monitoring ATV and angling activity. Nuisance-animal complaints were handled throughout the area.

CO Brice Vollbrecht (Blackduck North) monitored angling activity on Upper Red Lake throughout the week. He patrolled area ATV trails and forest roads. He watched for individuals transporting watercrafts down the road with drain plugs still in the boat.

Weekly CO report

District 2 – Bemidji area

Last updated: 2025-06-02

CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports checking anglers and watercraft operators this week. Time was further spent monitoring AIS enforcement.

CO Andrew Ladzinski (Bemidji #1) dedicated his patrols to boating and ATV enforcement. Anglers are reporting the bite slowing down over the week, but a few lucky anglers had full livewells when checked. Enforcement action was taken for angling without a license, expired watercraft registration, ATV registration issues, and operating ATVs without safety training.

CO Andrew Goodman (Perham) handled a variety of calls this week regarding wildlife, aquatic plants, and recreational vehicle operation. It is that time of year to remind people to leave newborn wildlife alone and prevent unwanted visitors by removing outdoor food sources. Many hours were worked on the water focused on boating safety and angling enforcement, with enforcement action taken for equipment, registration, and license deficiencies.

CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) spent the week training with other members of the K9 Unit. Swedberg also assisted with an AIS detail in the Upper Red Lake area. Other time was spent patrolling area lakes, checking anglers and boaters.

CO Jordan Anderson (Osage) saw an increase in recreational boating activity, as the water warmed over the weekend. Several wildlife-related complaints were handled, including enforcement action for an individual who brought a fawn in their house to “care” for it. People should leave fawns alone. Just because the mother is not standing over it does not mean it is abandoned. Other enforcement action during the week included youth helmet violations on recreational vehicles, operating personal watercraft after hours, no navigational lights, gunwale riding, and other boating violations.

CO William Landmark (Moorhead) spent the week checking anglers, boaters, and ATV operators in the Moorhead station. The first official weekend for many people at the lakes was hot, and boaters and anglers were out in full force. Prior to the busy boating season, Landmark would like to remind operators that it is illegal for passengers to be outside the compartment on a pontoon, or on the back deck of a wake boat, while the boat is underway. Panfish anglers were also having good success on most every lake, as the panfish are currently spawning. Calls included reports of bear sightings and other miscellaneous animal-related calls. Enforcement action was taken for gunwale riding.

CO Angela Warren (Mahnomen) worked angling and boating activity. AIS inspections were performed. Leeching activity was monitored for regulation compliance. Follow up was conducted on possible Waterfowl Production Area and fire violations. Off-road vehicle and ATV activity was worked.

CO Matthew Boyle (Pelican Rapids) spent time checking anglers on area lakes. Walleyes and panfish are biting well. Many anglers on Lake Lida are reporting they are catching more northern pike than anything else. Violations for the week included burning prohibited materials, fishing without a license, fishing with extra lines, and no lifejacket onboard a boat.

CO Brady Manteufel (Bagley) checked area lakes for angling and boating activity. Public lands were also checked during the final days of the turkey season. Aquatic invasive species work was conducted with fellow officers at Upper Red Lake. Miscellaneous bear- and wildlife-related calls were answered, and a turtle trap was seized from an area county campground. Manteufel would like to remind people that turtle traps are no longer legal to utilize.

CO Jamus Veit (Bemidji #2) spent the week at Camp Ripley receiving training and assisting in training the cadets of the CO Academy in defensive tactics and firearms use. Time was also spent handling wildlife-related complaints.

CO Curtis Jepson (District #2) spent time checking anglers and recreational boaters throughout the week. Enforcement action included PWC age of operator and wake violations, failure to display current registration on watercraft, and no personal flotation device on board a kayak. Angling violations included no angling license, angling with two lines, and no license in possession. Nuisance-animal calls were also fielded for swans destroying newly planted crops and beavers damaging trees.

District 3 – Fergus Falls area

Last updated: 2025-06-02

CO Hanna Wood (Fergus Falls) spent the week following up on complaints received regarding snagging at Phelps Mill, large motors on Orwell, and nuisance-animal complaints. She assisted the Fergus Falls Police Department with a bear at the golf course and held an ATV safety class.

CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) took calls about injured and abandoned animals, issued a permit for a road-killed otter, and monitored fishing, boating, and AIS enforcement. Nuisance-beaver permits were issued, and a wetland restoration order violation was enforced.

CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) continued to monitor angling and boating activities over the week and into the weekend. Overall compliance was good with a few violations encountered. The crappie bite was reported to have improved, according to anglers. Brown also assisted another CO with an ATV safety class over the weekend.

CO Jake Homan (Alexandria) spent the week patrolling Douglas County for angling and recreational boating activity. Time was spent attending training at Camp Ripley. Follow up was completed for ongoing cases. Assistance was provided to local law enforcement agencies on a felony assault.

CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) spent her week focusing on heavy angling activity. Low winds and warm weather made for a very busy weekend in the Osakis station. Numerous violations were encountered, with watercraft registration and fishing without a license being common. She continues extra patrol because of complaints about ATV and dirt bike operations.

CO Emily Douvier (Morris) reports working fishing and recreational enforcement. Douvier also helped teach an ATV safety class. Enforcement action was taken for angling with extra lines, keeping northern pike within the protected slot, failure to remove boat plugs before transportation, and various boating safety violations.

CO Daniel Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the week were concentrated on checking anglers and boaters and monitoring AIS law compliance. Additional time was spent following up on wetland and public water cases. Areas were also patrolled for ATV activity.

Wheaton vacant.

District 4 – Walker area

Last updated: 2025-06-02

CO Michael Cross (Lake George) worked angling, boating, and recreation vehicles throughout the week. Cross additionally responded to multiple wildfires in the area. Enforcement action was taken for boating, angling, and recreational vehicle violations.

CO Patrick McGowan (Cass Lake) worked Cass County lakes for angling and boating enforcement. McGowan also spent time at Camp Ripley for training. Assistance was also given to other law enforcement agencies with calls for service.

CO Corey Sura (Remer) worked angling and ATV activity in the area. Enforcement action was taken for fishing without a license, fishing with extra lines, and possession of illegal-length walleyes and northern pike.

CO Jacque Johnson (Longville) check ATV and angling activity. She also responded to a medical incident. Enforcement action taken on taking fish without a license, extra line, and northern pike within the protected slot limit.

CO Levi Brown (Staples) attended training this past week at Camp Ripley. Over the weekend he checked anglers and responded to bear-related complaints.

Walker vacant.