District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2025-06-24
CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent the week checking area anglers, following up with various complaints, and assisting local agencies. Violations encountered were angling without a license, no license in possession, overlimit of walleye, angling with extra lines, illegal length walleye, operating an unlicensed watercraft, fail to transfer ownership of watercraft, operating PWC after hours, expired watercraft registration, failure to display watercraft license, and 3rd Degree DWI.
CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) spent the week patrolling Lake of the Woods. Enforcement action was taken for keeping illegal-length fish, overlimit of walleyes, numerous extra lines, and several PWC violations. Fontes reports that fishing has slowed down overall.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Baudette West) spent the week instructing at the DNR Enforcement Academy at Camp Ripley. Prachar worked an AIS detail with other local Conservation Officers where enforcement action was taken for numerous AIS violations. Other enforcement action was taken on a gross over-limit of walleye.
CO Paul Kennedy (Baudette East) continued checking anglers and ATV activity this week. Anglers reported better success with bigger fish being caught as the week went on. He responded to nuisance animal complaints in the area. Enforcement action included expired watercraft registration, angling with an extra line, and illegal length fish.
CO Bobby Stringer (Thief River Falls West) reports another active week on local waterways. Although that is the case, most angling success has been towards the evening hours. Stringer wants to remind all to please follow the no trace philosophy as litter along waterways has increased over the last few weeks. Enforcement actions for the week included no helmet for youth ATV operator, allow illegal operation of a class II ATV, and operation of OHM/ATVs in the road rights-of-way.
CO Nick Bruesewitz (Karlstad) provided ride along opportunities during the week for individuals interested in becoming a Conservation Officer. Enforcement action was taken for multiple ATV violations.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Blackduck North) monitored angling activity on Upper Red Lake. Officer assisted with an AIS check station in Lake of the Woods County.
CO Brianna Shaw (Blackduck South) spent the week patrolling for angling and recreational vehicle activity. Additional time was spent working a nuisance bear case with CO Brown. Shaw assisted with an AIS check station and followed up on a tip call regarding a turkey harvested out of season.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2025-06-24
CO Andrew Ladzinski (Bemidji #1) spent his time following up on calls for service and checking anglers out on the lakes. He conducted inspections for delinquent commercial records and assisted other officers with a firearm safety class and an ATV safety training class. Enforcement action was taken for failing to drain water related equipment before transport, transporting aquatic vegetation on a jet ski trailer, fishing without a license, and fishing without a trout stamp.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) spent the week training with K9 Axel and other members of the DNR K9 team. CO Swedberg also assisted with a firearms safety field day, with other area COs. Other time was spent assisting with an AIS detail in the Baudette area and doing a K9 demo for an event in Crosslake.
CO Jordan Anderson (Osage) reports working fishing and boating enforcement during the week. An aquatic plant investigation is ongoing, related to removal of vegetation without a permit. Area State Forest campgrounds were checked after the wave of storms that went through. The local forest campgrounds were not affected, but anyone with plans to camp at Itasca State Park should check the DNR website, as areas of the park were affected by the storms.
CO William Landmark (Moorhead) assisted with academy training at Camp Ripley.
CO Angela Warren (Mahnomen) spent time on angling and boating activity. Patrol was conducted for ATV and off road vehicle activity. Officer Warren assisted with a firearm safety class and an AIS compliance work detail was worked near Baudette. Misc animal questions were answered.
CO Matthew Boyle (Pelican Rapids) worked area lakes for angling and recreation activity and received various fish and game related phone calls; including a call for dead geese on a lake. Boyle also worked an AIS check station near Baudette
CO Jamus Veit (Bemidji #2) spent the week checking area anglers, monitoring ATV activity, assisting with a firearms safety class with other district COs, and working with the DNR intern.
CO Curtis Jepson (District #2) reports working AIS enforcement this past week. A call of a possible fish overlimit was fielded, and a follow-up investigation determined that the party was within their daily and possession limits. Questions and concerns about various wildlife were also answered.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2025-06-24
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) worked boating, fishing, and ATV enforcement over the week. Concerned callers reported sick animals and multiple bear sitings were reported with bird feeder damage reported. Dogs running and trespassing calls were handled. Several boaters, PWC, and tubers were observed over the heated weekend.
CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) reports checking anglers and boaters throughout the week. Reminder to leave wildlife alone even if they seem orphaned as mother could be close by. He also assisted the Grant County Sheriff’s Office with an arrest.
CO Jake Homan (Alexandria) attended a detail in the metro area this week. Time was also spent checking anglers, recreational boaters, and ATV operators in the station. Enforcement action was taken for a variety of watercraft related offenses.
CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) spent a significant amount of time monitoring ATV/dirt bike, angling, and boating activity in Pope, Douglas, and Todd counties. She even spent time patrolling the Mississippi River. Officer Znajda encountered numerous violations including but not limited to fishing without a license, several registration violations, and speeds over 100 mph.
CO Emily Douvier (Morris) reports working fishing and recreational enforcement throughout the week. Planning was done for an upcoming district FAS class. Douvier also took part in a training with the local Sheriff’s Office.
Glenwood – vacant.
Wheaton – vacant.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2025-06-24
CO Patrick McGowan (Cass Lake) assisted at the conservation officer cadet academy at Camp Ripley. Instruction was given to the new officers on recreational vehicle operation/laws, and emergency response driving. CO McGowan also worked Cass Co lakes where enforcement action was taken for numerous violations.
CO Corey Sura (Remer) assisted with ATV and emergency vehicle operations training at the CO Academy at Camp Ripley.
CO Levi Brown (Staples) responded to multiple nuisance bear complaints this week. Brown would like to remind people that most bears are searching for food right now and a good way to deter them is to keep your surrounding area clean of trash and sources of food. Some sources of food can be bird feeders, grills, and livestock feed.
Walker – vacant.
ATV rec officer – vacant.
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