Caption: DNR Assistant Commission Bob Meier (far left), DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen (second from left) and Col. Rodmen Smith, DNR Enforcement Division director (far right), are pictured here with the 18 new conservation officers who graduated from the CO Academy and now are field training across the state.

Weekly CO report

District 1 – Baudette area

Last updated: 2025-01-27

CO Ben Huener (Roseau) monitored area snowmobile and angling activity. Fishing on Lake of the Woods has slowed. Violations for the week included possession of an overlimit walleyes/sauger, angling with extra lines, possession of illegal-length walleyes, no shelter license, and snowmobile speeding.

CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent the week checking area anglers. Anglers are having limited success. Violations encountered were driving after revocation, expired registration, angling without a license, angling with extra lines, illegal-length walleyes, no shelter tag, unmarked shelter, and no license in possession.

CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) spent the week patrolling Lake of the Woods. Fontes reports good angling success despite the bitter cold at the beginning of the week. Enforcement action was taken for angling without a license, overlimit of walleyes, and no angling license in possession. Most notably, enforcement action was taken against a large group of anglers who were in possession of 150% of their legal walleye and sauger limit.

CO Paul Kennedy (Baudette East) monitored angling activity on area lakes. He spent time at a fur registration station earlier in the week. He also worked the ICOG 2025 event held on Upper Red Lake. Enforcement action for the week included angling with extra lines and no shelter license.

CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls West) gave a presentation to the Stephen Lions on new regulations, responded to injured-deer calls, and conducted follow-up investigations on cases from the deer season. Enforcement action included taking a deer without a license, transporting illegally taken big game, taking deer with an invalid license, untagged deer, and overlimit of buck deer.

CO Sarah Jahn (Thief River Falls East) time was spent monitoring angling and snowmobile activity. Several big-game cases were started from last deer season. A classroom visit was done at St. Bernards School and the third-grade students had a chance to learn about Minnesota animals and view pelts. Enforcement action was taken for failing to tend traps.

CO Nick Bruesewitz (Karlstad) spent the week checking ice anglers. Time was also spent investigating big-game violations that occurred during the 2024 deer season.

CO Brice Vollbrecht (Blackduck North) monitored angling activity on Upper Red Lake. He worked activity around the annual ICOG celebration.

CO Brianna Shaw (Blackduck South) spent the week patrolling for angling and recreational vehicle activity. Additional time was spent patrolling Upper Red Lake with CO Paul Kennedy. Enforcement action was taken for angling without a license and no shelter license.

District 2 – Bemidji area

Last updated: 2025-01-27

CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports spending time this week monitoring a late-season landowner deer hunt in Deer Permit Area 661. Time was also spent checking anglers, ATV operators, and snowmobile operators in the local area. Various fishing related violations were encountered.

CO Andrew Ladzinski (Bemidji #1) spent his time patrolling area lakes and trails for angling and snowmobile activity. Calls for service were answered for unattended portable shelters on lakes and snowmobiles trespassing. A portable shelter was seized for no identification, no shelter license, and litter on the ice.

CO Andrew Goodman (Perham) investigated a public waters violation and attended a local government unit meeting for updates on wetland cases. Additional time was spent checking anglers and monitoring recreational vehicle activity.

CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) spent time working on cases from the deer season and performing equipment maintenance. Swedberg also answered questions from the public regarding heaved accesses, shelter IDs, and spearing regulations.

CO Jordan Anderson (Osage) spent time on the lakes and trails with trail conditions varying greatly between the north and south ends of the station. Enforcement action was taken for a variety of angling violations as well as litter and shelter license/ID violations.

CO Angie Warren (Mahnomen) spent time on snowmobile activity. Anglers were checked, with reports of fair to good success. Anglers are reminded to have identification on ice houses. Warren spoke at a snowmobile safety class in Mahnomen.

CO Matthew Boyle (Pelican Rapids) spent time on area lakes. Reports of success vary greatly across the area, but the bite and fishing activity have decreased. Anglers are hopeful that warmer weather will heat up the bite.

CO Brady Manteufel (Bagley) checked anglers throughout the week in the area and on Mille Lacs Lake this past weekend. ATV registration and operation without lights were addressed. Common violations were no licenses in possession and improper or no registration displayed on fish houses.

CO Jamus Veit (Bemidji #2) spent the week monitoring area angling activity and answering various wildlife-related questions. Most area trout anglers continue to find success. Enforcement action was taken for fishing without a trout stamp, fishing without a license, and shelter license violations.

District 3 – Fergus Falls area

Last updated: 2025-01-27

CO Hanna Wood (Fergus Falls) spent the week focused on angling and recreational vehicle enforcement. Time was also spent working on follow up from the deer season. Several northern pike were seized over the weekend for being within the 22- to 26-inch protected slot. A reminder of the importance of knowing the regulations and having something to measure your fish.

CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) spent the week checking ice anglers and coyote hunters. A furbearing registration was attended. Several bobcats were harvested. Violations of unmarked fish houses and failure to display shelter tags are much too common. Other violations encountered were fishing without a license, fishing without a license in possession, and fishing with extra lines.

CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) reports checking angling and snowmobile activity during the week. The lakes saw an increase in pressure during the weekend with a continued trend of low fishing success. The most common violations encountered this week were illegal-length northern within the protected slot, no license in personal possession, and angling with extra lines.

CO Jake Homan (Alexandria) spent the week patrolling Douglas County. Time was spent following up on big-game violations as well as checking anglers on area lakes. Assistance was given to a game warden from Montana Fish, Game, and Parks on a big-game violation. Enforcement action was taken for a stolen snowmobile that Homan found operating on an area lake, sunfish overlimit, and a variety of other violations.

CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) spent the week monitoring heavy angling activity and partnering with surrounding wardens to hit bigger waters. As usual, the most common violation seems to be extra lines. She received complaints of trespassing and dogs chasing deer. Shelter identification and license requirements continue to be an issue, and she noticed more litter on the ice this week. Various enforcement action was taken.

CO Bobby Stringer (Wheaton) reports increased angler numbers despite frigid temperatures and high wind warnings. Overall, moderate success was seen on northern Lake Traverse and the Mustinka River. Despite great work by county employees to mitigate ice heaves and pressure ridges, Halls Landing and County Park accesses remain closed. Expect additional pressure ridges and heaves as the temperatures rise over the next week. Enforcement action for the week included no license in possession, extra lines, ATV-related violations, and failure to display reflective material and information on a fish house as required.

CO Emily Douvier (Morris) finished her background investigation for a potential hire.

CO Daniel Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the week were concentrated on checking anglers, trappers, and ATV operators. Warmer weather over the past week has brought out more fish houses on area lakes.

District 4 – Walker area

Last updated: 2025-01-27

CO Michael Cross (Lake George) worked ice fishing and continued a background investigation. He answered questions and calls for service. Enforcement action was taken for angling, spearing, and ATV violations.

CO Nick Baum (Park Rapids) patrolled the area for angling and snowmobile activity. Baum assisted with an aerial moose survey in Ely. He found several snowmobile riders enjoying the local trail systems. Local trails have a good base, allowing travel on most trails, but snow depth is still variable in the area. Baum continues to find varying success in the area for anglers.

CO Patrick McGowan (Walker) patrolled Leech Lake throughout the week for angling activity. Overall, the bite remains slow, and anglers are urged to use caution when traveling on the lake as several ice heaves are present. Enforcement action was taken for numerous angling violations.

CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) primarily checked anglers. Some nice perch were seen but it was a tough bite for most other species. Mathy also spent time working on items related to the new licensing system. Enforcement action was taken for angling violations.

CO Corey Sura (Remer) assisted with furbearer registration at the Grand Rapids office. Sura worked ice angling activity, encountering several violations over the weekend including fishing with extra lines and possessing/using live minnows on designated trout lakes. ATVs with expired registration and permanent fish houses without required shelter tags have been a common theme over the past month, as well.

CO Jacque Johnson (Longville) checked angling and snowmobile activity. Enforcement action was taken for fishing without a license, no shelter tag, and no license in possession.

CO Adam Seifermann (Staples) checked anglers and snowmobilers. Ice conditions remain consistent on area lakes, but snowmobile trails are poor.

ATV rec officer vacant.