MN DNR K-9 Conservation Officers
Weekly CO report
District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2025-10-20
CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent the week checking area small-game hunters, checking youth deer hunters, monitoring ATV traffic, and following up on various complaints. Violations encountered were driving after revocation, taking small game without a license, operating an ATV without headlights, and leaving a stand overnight in a WMA. Grouse hunters are reporting success with large numbers of birds being seen.
CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) spent the week talking with small-game hunters and addressing public land concerns. Enforcement action was taken for hunting grouse without a license, driving after revocation, and operating an ATV in a WMA.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Baudette West) and COC Jayden Frank spent time patrolling the Beltrami Island State Forest for grouse-hunting activity, checking deer hunters, and following up on a trespass complaint. Time was also spent contacting anglers in the area. Enforcement action was taken for possession of an illegal-length walleye, possession of fillets on the water, operating an ATV on a state highway, and failing to transfer ATV ownership.
CO Bobby Stringer (Thief River Falls West) reports success for local youth deer hunters throughout the area. Overall, it was a safe and productive weekend with no serious injuries or falls reported. Waterfowl hunters continued to have mixed results with a variety of divers noted. Enforcement actions for the week included dogs chasing deer, no small-game license in possession, no waterfowl licenses in possession, and multiple ATV violations.
CO Nick Bruesewitz (Karlstad) reports checking waterfowl hunters and grouse hunters during the early week. Youth deer hunters were observed having some success during the season. A bald eagle was successfully rescued from the grill of a truck and was released into the wild.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Blackduck North) monitored waterfowl- and grouse-hunting activity in the area. He checked several hunters, who were having mixed success. He patrolled areas for ATV activity.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2025-10-20
CO Jamus Veit (Bemidji #1) attended training at Camp Ripley, received nuisance-bear complaints, and answered calls from the public.
CO Jordan Anderson (Osage) patrolled for small-game hunters and worked the youth deer season. Public lands were patrolled, with evidence of illegal structures and abandoned property. Hunters are reminded it is their responsibility to know what licenses, stamps, or trail passes are needed, and not the responsibility of the local gas station or sport shop employee.
CO William Landmark (Moorhead) spent the week checking waterfowl hunters, pheasant hunters, and archery and youth deer hunters in the Moorhead station. Waterfowl hunters and pheasant hunters are still struggling, while deer activity picked up this week. In an abnormality, one youth hunter reported harvesting an antlered deer with no male genitalia. Calls from the public were mainly focused on nuisance-beaver complaints. Compliance among all hunters was high, with no violations encountered.
CO Angela Warren (Mahnomen) spent time on angling, boating and leeching activity. End-of-season removal of watercrafts, docks, and lifts were monitored for AIS compliance. Small-game, archery, and pheasant activity was worked, with hunters checked having mixed results. ATV and off-road vehicle checks were performed. Warren patrolled areas for illegal shinning activity.
CO Brady Manteufel (Bagley) checked waterfowl hunters and public lands for activity. A few youth hunters were also checked for the youth deer season, but activity was slow. Better duck numbers were seen with bluebills, gadwalls, and buffleheads harvested. TIP calls about poaching, baiting, licenses, and regulations were also answered. Assistance was given to a few families of youth hunters, to ensure they purchased correct licenses. Violations encountered were unplugged shotguns and no licenses in possession.
Bemidji #2 – vacant.
Pelican Rapids – vacant.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2025-10-20
CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) reports checking anglers and pheasant and deer hunters during the week. Brown also worked a TIP complaint regarding shooting from a motor vehicle and a wetland investigation was conducted.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked waterfowl, deer, and pheasant hunters. Anglers and ATV riders were also checked. Several hunting related questions were received and answered. Equipment maintenance was completed.
CO Jake Homan (Alexandria) spent the week patrolling Douglas County for angling, hunting, and ATV activities. Due to the cooler weather, angling activities have picked up. Enforcement action was taken for hunter harassment, disorderly conduct, and a variety of other offenses.
CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) continues to patrol for a variety of activities during the busy fall season including angling activity, small-game and big-game hunting, and ATV activity while responding to calls for service. She took several complaints about ATVs and dirt bikes throughout the weekend. Znajda also assisted State Patrol and Douglas County on various calls.
CO Curtis Jepson (Wheaton) spent time patrolling public lands, checking waterfowl and pheasant hunters. The MEA weekend brought a good number of hunters to the field. Pheasant bag limits were coming up short, though. Some reasons hunters gave for not bagging as many birds were seeing a lot of younger birds, making them hard to identify, and more time spent trap shooting. Also, the youth deer hunt was happening over MEA. Congratulations to those who got their first deer.
CO Emily Douvier (Morris) reports working a busy weekend monitoring waterfowl, pheasant, and deer hunting activity. Enforcement action was taken for leaving decoys in public waters overnight, taking waterfowl with an unplugged shotgun, no PFDs, insufficient blaze orange during a firearms season, and allowing unlawful youth operation of an OHM. Multiple trainings were also attended.
CO Andrew Ladzinski (Glenwood) dedicated his patrols towards small-game, big-game, and waterfowl enforcement. Many contacts were made with pheasant hunters and deer hunters during the youth deer hunt. Enforcement action was taken for hunting with the aid of bait, resulting in a firearm seizure. A reminder that youth under 18 need to wear helmets while operating or as a passenger on ATVs in Minnesota.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2025-10-20
CO Nick Baum (Park Rapids) patrolled the local area for angling, recreational vehicle, small- and big-game activity. Baum found hunters with varying success throughout the area. Fall fishing seems to be steady with some anglers finding success. Baum found many ATVs out on area trails with the great fall weather. He continues to investigate several ongoing cases and took various enforcement action.
CO Landyn Saewert (Wadena) focused most of the week on the youth deer and early antlerless. Several calls were taken about types of license and issues people were having with licenses. A poaching complaint was taken of people trespassing and shooting deer late at night on private property. With the help of cell cameras, the suspects were caught, and enforcement action was taken. A bow and vehicle were seized in the incident.
CO Patrick McGowan (Cass Lake) patrolled Leech and Winnibigoshish lakes throughout the week. Waterfowl hunters are reporting slow success, while anglers are doing fair. McGowan also attended training at Camp Ripley. Enforcement action was taken for numerous violations.
CO Corey Sura (Remer) spent time focused on angling, small-game, and waterfowl hunting activities. A few more ducks and geese have shown up in the area over the past few days, and duck hunters checked over the weekend had mixed bags of puddle ducks.
CO Jacque Johnson (Longville) checked hunting and ATV activity. She investigated hunting violations, responded to an injured-animal report, and attended a school event.
CO Levi Brown (Staples) spoke to many hunters out during the early antlerless season and the youth hunt. The warm weather hampered the chances of tagging a deer but made it comfortable for the youth to endure hours in the deer stand. A large increase in waterfowl in the area was also observed this week with hunters seen taking limits of birds.
Walker – vacant.
ATV rec officer – vacant.
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