MN DNR Conservation Officer
District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2026-07-28
CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) spent the week patrolling the Beltrami Island State Forest. Fontes reports that a lot of folks have been out foraging blueberries, and notes that they are out in abundance. Enforcement action was taken for operating an ATV under the influence of alcohol.
CO Bobby Stringer (Thief River Falls West) reports an increase in traffic in and around local wildlife management areas and the state forest as the berries flourish. Overall, good harvests were observed with minimal enforcement actions required. Stringer wants to remind foragers of approved camping sites and highlight that mowing, disturbing, and removing large sections of vegetation is prohibited within WMAs. Other enforcement actions for the week included angling without licenses in possession, no Type IV throwable on watercraft, allowing dogs to chase deer in a state park, and a variety of ATV violations.
CO Sarah Jahn (Thief River Falls East) taught an ATV safety class to youth at the Marshall County fair. Enforcement action was taken for juveniles without helmets on an ATV. Training at Camp Ripley was also attended.
CO Nick Prachar (Blackduck #1) worked fire duty in northeastern Minnesota.
Baudette #1 – vacant.
Blackduck #2 – vacant.
Baudette #2 – vacant.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2026-08-03
CO Jamus Veit (Bemidji #1) spent the week patrolling for sport fishing and recreational vehicle activity. Additional time was spent assisting other agencies and fielding calls regarding nuisance bears. Enforcement action was taken for an extra-line violation, insufficient life jackets, watercraft/ATV registration issues, operating personal watercraft during closed hours, and illegal-length northern pike.
CO Andrew Goodman (Perham) focused on ATV and AIS enforcement over the weekend. Angling activity increased slightly, with most boaters still choosing to recreate instead. Goodman presented laws and ethics to a firearms safety class and assisted with field day activities, certifying 30 students.
CO Angela Warren (Mahnomen) worked angling, boating, and leeching activities. AIS compliance was worked and patrol was conducted for ATV and off-road vehicle activity.
CO Bill Landmark (Moorhead) spent the week assisting Montana game wardens with an investigation and continuing work on a background investigation for next year’s CO Academy. Time was also spent assisting a local TV station with an interview about the changes in hunting regulations and licensing. Enforcement action was taken for off-highway motorcycle violations.
CO Grey Corbus (Pelican Rapids) spent the week checking anglers and monitoring boating activity. ATV activity has been higher, with many local events occurring in the area. Angling activity has slowed with the warmer weather. Anglers who get out have had varying success and very few limits have been observed.
CO Brady Manteufel (Bagley) assisted in instructing the new records management system to fellow officers at Camp Ripley this week. Calls and questions about wildlife, water access, and new licenses were addressed. Public lands and public accesses were patrolled this week.
CO Ryan Schaefer (Bemidji #2) spent this past week checking local anglers and monitoring ATV activity. An illegal-garbage-dumping complaint was investigated. He also fielded several wildlife-related complaints from the public.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2026-08-03
CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) reports monitoring angling and boating during the week. Possible wetland violations were encountered and investigated. Training was also conducted in St. Paul.
CO Jake Homan (Alexandria) spent the week patrolling Douglas County for ATV, boating, and angling activities. Time was spent following up on ongoing cases. Additional time was spent at the Minnesota Trappers Association annual convention completing a law and ethics talk.
CO Emily Douvier (Morris) reports working fishing and recreational enforcement. Complaints about garbage being dumped at local accesses were fielded. She also received a report of a stringer of walleyes that was left and wasted at a local lake. Any information about potential suspects regarding this incident is appreciated.
CO Andrew Ladzinski (Glenwood) spent his time on boating safety and recreational vehicle enforcement. He received multiple complaints of jet skis operating after hours and harassing wildlife. Enforcement action was taken for operating jet skis after hours and for youth not wearing helmets while operating ATVs.
Wheaton – vacant.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2026-08-03
CO Landyn Saewert (Wadena) worked area lakes monitoring recreational activity with the warmer weekend weather. Angling activity remained low and there’s been a lack of success. Time was spent at Camp Ripley for training. A laws and ethics presentation was given at the Verndale firearms safety class. A firearms safety field day was attended at Knob Hill Sportsman’s Club.
CO Patrick McGowan (Cass Lake) worked Leech, Winnibigoshish, and Cass lakes during the week. Most anglers are reporting a slow bite with the hot weather. Enforcement action was taken for illegal-length walleye, illegal-length northern pike, angling with extra lines, and numerous boating violations.
CO Jack Lien (Walker) patrolled area lakes to check anglers and watercraft safety. He visited a summer camp in the Longville area and provided a presentation to campers about firearms safety and hunting rules. Nuisance-bear calls continue to keep him busy. He investigated them while providing resources for when bears populate busy areas. A reminder to the public: Make sure not to leave trash out in areas where bears are around. Once bears determine a location has no reward, most of the time they move on.
CO Corey Sura (Remer) followed up on miscellaneous wildlife-related complaints throughout the week. Boating and angling enforcement was worked on area lakes. Enforcement action was taken for ATV riders operating on State Highway 6.
CO Levi Brown (Staples) noticed a decrease in anglers and outdoor enthusiasts this week due to the heat. However, that did not stop some determined recreationists from braving the elements. Enforcement action was taken for fishing and ATV violations.
ATV rec officer – vacant.
Comments