MN DNR Conservation Officer
District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2024-10-29
CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent the week checking area small game hunters and anglers. Time was spent at the NW Angle following up on various complaints.
CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) spent the week patrolling the Beltrami Island State Forest and following up and various cases. Enforcement action was taken for driving a vehicle down a closed road. Fontes assisted with the investigation of a deceased bull elk as well.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Baudette West) reports an increase in small game and fishing activity. Time was spent concluding a commercial minnow investigation. Enforcement action was taken for selling minnows without a commercial retail license.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls West) conducted field training with COC Mooers. Area anglers and small game hunters were checked, unfortunately success rates seemed lower than average. Enforcement action taken for ATV registration and light violations as well as for operating a motor vehicle in closed area of WMA and transporting a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle.
CO Sarah Jahn (Thief River Falls East) conducted a wolf depredation investigation. Time was also spent speaking to a high school class about evidence collection with State Patrol. A complaint of permanent structures on a WMA was taken and investigated. Assistance was given to Marshall County regarding a tractor fire.
CO Nick Bruesewitz (Karlstad) spent the week checking waterfowl hunters with mixed success. Additional time was spent investigating big game violations. Enforcement action was taken for operating an ATV without registration.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Blackduck North) patrolled area ATV trails and forest roads for grouse hunting activity. Time was spent checking fall anglers and investigating a wildland fire.
Baudette East vacant.
Blackduck South vacant.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2024-10-29
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports working on taxidermy inspections. Time was also spent checking anglers, archery deer hunters, and duck hunters.
CO Andrew Ladzinski (Bemidji #1) spent time patrolling for hunting activity and following up on TIP calls. Multiple game cameras were seized for hunting/trespassing violations. A detail was worked with other officers, in a problem area. Enforcement action was taken for violating the Beltrami County feed & attractant ban and various ATV violations. As a reminder to citizens, salt and mineral licks are not allowed to be used in Beltrami County or other counties with feeding and attractant bans.
CO Andrew Goodman (Perham) continued to monitor waterfowl hunting and angling on area waterways. Questions regarding trespass and legally posting land were common calls fielded the past two weeks. All hunting, fishing and recreational vehicle regulations booklets published by the DNR each year contain trespass and posting guidelines. Trapping season started poorly for one individual with their traps being stolen within hours of setting them. Anyone with information regarding trap tampering in the central Ottertail County area is encouraged to make a TIP report.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) spent the week checking small game hunters and migratory waterfowl hunters. It was a very slow week for the waterfowl hunters, as there were not a lot of birds around the area. Some had luck finding mallards and some widgeon, but otherwise was fairly slow. CO Swedberg also completed taxidermy inspections and checked some fishermen.
CO Jordan Anderson (Osage) attended training at the Towards Zero Death (TZD) Conference and handled various animal related complaints. There has been a lull in waterfowl in the area, and only a few waterfowl hunters were encountered. Both a moose and elk have been spotted in the station, and it?s a good time to remind hunters of ?be sure of your target? prior to the upcoming firearm deer season opener.
CO William Landmark (Moorhead) spent the week checking archery deer hunters and conducting taxidermy inspections. Very few ducks are around and most hunters have now seemed to put their focus on pheasants and deer. CO Landmark spoke at a youth deer hunt at Buffalo River State Park and answered questions from the public, regarding upcoming seasons and regulations. Enforcement action was taken for gross misdemeanor using an artificial light to take deer and other associated violations.
CO Angela Warren (Mahnomen) reports patrolling WMAs and WPAs for hunting activity. Areas were worked for illegal shinning. Angling activity was monitored. Time was also spent on small game, waterfowl, and archery hunting. Officer Warren also assisted with the search for a missing juvenile.
CO Brady Manteufel (Bagley) checked waterfowl and archery hunters and patrolled forest roads on ATV this week. A deer carcass and bag of trash dumped at a lake access was investigated and an area detail was worked. A possession permit for antlers was issued for two large bucks found locked up together and youth were spoken to about laws and ethics at a firearms safety class.
CO Jamus Veit (Bemidji #2) spent the week monitoring ATV, angling, and small game activity. He received reports of suspected shining activity and patrolled late evenings for shiners. Time was also spent working with neighboring COs on a deer decoy detail. Enforcement action was taken for ATV youthful helmet required.
Pelican Rapids vacant.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2024-10-29
CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) continued to monitor angling and hunting activity throughout the week. Reports of miscellaneous wildlife calls were received and fielded.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) and COC Petersen continued checking for waterfowl and small game hunting activity. Multiple big and small game TIPs were worked over the week. The officers are starting to see more success with waterfowl hunters as the weather cools off. The officers then participated in a trick or treating event held by local resort owners.
CO Jake Homan (Alexandria) spent the week patrolling Douglas County. An ongoing big game case was worked. Time was spent checking waterfowl, pheasant, and anglers. Enforcement action taken for various hunting and ATV violations.
CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) spent a busy week checking small game hunters and anglers while spending late nights monitoring shinning complaints. She has found multiple deer stands, blinds, and cameras left on WMAs overnight. Trespassing complaints and TIP calls were investigated.
CO Emily Douvier (Morris) reports working small game and recreational vehicle enforcement throughout the week. Public water violations were also addressed, and questions answered about the upcoming firearm deer season.
CO Daniel Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the week were concentrated on checking fishermen, ATV operators, and waterfowl hunters. Additional time was spent checking pheasant hunters and investigating a trespass complaint.
Wheaton vacant.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2024-10-29
CO Corey Sura (Remer) worked small game and ATV activity.
CO Nick Baum (Park Rapids) patrolled the area for Small Game, Waterfowl, Big Game and Recreational Vehicle traffic. CO Baum continues to investigate various ongoing cases in the area. CO Baum wants to remind hunters to review the regulation book for firearm handling within the State Game Refuge.
CO Adam Seifermann (Staples) Reports conducting commercial taxidermy inspections. He also utilized K9 Jet for locating evidence for other officers. He continues to investigate big game complaints and check big game small game, and waterfowl hunters. Some enforcement action consisted of prohibited hunting in Scientific Natural Areas (SNA), overnight camping violations in Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) and no HIP certification for waterfowl hunting.
CO Jacque Johnson (Longville) checked hunting activity and followed up on open cases. She issued multiple possession permits and assisted the county.
CO Patrick McGowan (Walker) worked Leech Lake throughout the week for waterfowl and angling activity. Anglers are reporting a slow bite, and waterfowl hunters are reporting limited success with the warm fall temperatures. CO McGowan also investigated a wildland wildfire. Enforcement action was taken for numerous waterfowl hunting violations.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) checked a wide variety of outdoor activities as hunters, anglers, and ATV riders continue to enjoy the nice fall. Mathy responded to a hunter harassment incident in the state forest that led to enforcement action being taken. A call of a sick deer was forwarded to DNR Wildlife division. Enforcement action was taken for ATV, angling, and hunting violations.
ATV rec officer vacant.
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