District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2021-08-09
CO Troy Richards (Fergus Falls) reports doing some follow up regarding previous fishing complaints. Time was also spent discussing youth safety classes and enforcing recreational vehicle laws.
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) attended annual in-service training, followed up on ATV and personal watercraft complaints, and checked anglers throughout the week. Low water levels are making large boats launch at several public access sites. Juveniles operating ATVs was the most common complaint over the week. AIS inspections of boats were conducted.
CO Andrew Goodman (Elbow Lake) attended in-service training at Camp Ripley this week. Additional time was spent monitoring angling activity and responding to calls regarding AIS and big-game complaints. A stop of an ATV on a non-motorized trail lead to numerous violations and a warrant arrest.
CO Hannah Wood (Wheaton) spent majority of the week at Camp Ripley assisting with and participating in training. She fielded calls regarding nuisance animals and also issued minnow-transport permits.
CO Brian Holt (Osakis) checked anglers, boaters and AIS compliance. Time was also spent attending training at Camp Ripley and following up on open cases. A youth firearms safety field day was held in the Osakis area.
CO Emily Douvier (Morris) reports working fishing and recreational vehicle enforcement. Enforcement action taken included operating unregistered ATVs and OHMs, no ATV safety certificate and no non-resident trail stickers.
CO Dan Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the week were focused on checking angles and boaters and monitoring AIS law compliance. Baumbarger attended training at Camp Ripley and participated in an ATV work crew at the Appleton ATV Park over the weekend.
District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2021-08-09
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked anglers on the Roseau River and Lake of the Woods, with spotty fishing results. Annual in-service training was attended at Camp Ripley, and campers who were living in Beltrami Island State Forest were talked to for violating the 14-day camping limit.
CO Corey Sura (Baudette East) attended annual training at Camp Ripley. Sura took several calls regarding nuisance bears and checked anglers fishing Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River. Enforcement action was taken for possession of illegal-length walleyes and failure to remove the drain plug prior to transporting watercraft. The boat had come from a body of water in Wisconsin that is designated infested with several aquatic invasive species.
CO Ryan Brown (Karlstad) reports seeing fewer people enjoying the outdoors than in recent weeks due to poor air quality and low water levels. He worked mainly ATV and fishing activity. Brown also fielded calls about some nuisance bears in the area and answered questions regarding the upcoming bear season.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls West) investigated a complaint of three campers in a dispersed camping area of the Beltrami Island State Forest for multiple months. They had taken on the area as their own and had multiple state forest violations, including cutting live trees, litter and violating the dispersed camping length of stay. Enforcement action was taken for exceeding the maximum number of days allowed to disperse camp.
CO Tony Elwell (Thief River Falls East) conducted ATV enforcement, dealt with a nuisance bear and received training at Camp Ripley this week. Elwell also prepared for the upcoming bear season.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Blackduck North) reports that ATV activity is ramping up around the area. Before riding, make sure to have a helmet for anyone under 18 years old. Enforcement action was taken for failure to display registration on an ATV, individual under 18 on an ATV without a helmet and operating an ATV in a restricted area.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2021-08-09
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports working a detail with other officers. Time was also spent checking anglers and following up on a waters complaint.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji #1) patrolled area lakes for boating and angling activity and spoke to a lake association about boating regulations and issues on the lake. ATV trails were also patrolled.
CO Chris Vinton (Perham) reports patrolling area trails for ATV and off-highway motorcycle activity, conducting AIS inspections at public water accesses and checking anglers. Low water is limiting some access to area lakes. An RPN was issued for the area DNR hydrologist. Reports of sick skunks and raccoons were received and the callers were provided advice on how to handle them. Due to drought conditions, wildlife has become susceptible to a lot of diseases.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) worked AIS, boating, and ATV enforcement this week. A lot of area residents have started removing watercrafts and lifts from their lakes, as they are worried the drought will lower lake levels even further and make removal even more difficult. Other time this week was spent attending annual in-service training. Swedberg also assisted Becker County and the State Patrol with multiple calls over a busy WE Fest weekend.
CO Al Peterson (Osage) assisted a local sheriff?s office with event-related calls and worked ongoing cases.
CO Steve Chihak (Moorhead) spent the week working sport fishing, ATV and boating and water safety enforcement. Chihak attended the National Night Out event in Ada and responded to miscellaneous wildlife-related complaints.
CO Angie Warren (Mahnomen) worked angling and boating activity, performed AIS compliance checks, and patrolled for ATVs and off-road vehicles. WMAs were also monitored. Warren attended a youth fishing tournament and gave a talk on safety and regulations.
CO Bill Landmark (Pelican Rapids) spent time patrolling complaint areas for OHM and ATV violations, as well as following up on reports of vegetation and wetlands violations. Landmark attended annual in-service training at Camp Ripley and responded to injured-animal calls and questions about upcoming seasons. Enforcement action was taken for operating an OHM on a highway, operating an OHM without a helmet/eyewear, and operating a motor vehicle while license privileges were suspended.
Bemidji #2 vacant.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2021-08-09
CO Adam Seifermann (Staples) reports focusing efforts on learning area geography including state and county hunting lands. He continues to receive complaints of ATVs operating within the boundaries of wildlife management areas. General provisions for use of WMAs can be found under MN Rule 6230.0250. He also reports an increase in nuisance-bear complaints. Additional information on bear complaints/concerns can be found online or by contacting your local DNR Wildlife office.
CO Nick Baum (Park Rapids) patrolled the area for recreational vehicle and fishing activity. Baum assisted Hubbard County with ATV patrol on county and state lands. Baum attended training at Camp Ripley.
CO Jacque Hughes (Longville) checked angling and ATV activity. She also went to a call of an injured fawn. Enforcement action was taken on a bear-hunting violation.
CO Michael Cross (Lake George) worked off-highway vehicles, anglers and boaters. He also attended training at Camp Ripley. Enforcement action was taken for taking minnows without a license, untagged minnow traps, youth off-highway motorcycle violations, boating safety violations and angling violations.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) checked anglers, boaters, AIS, and ATV activity. Nuisance-bear complaints were received. Bear Committee-related items were also worked on. Enforcement action was taken for angling license violations and PWC and boating violations.
CO Calie Kunst (Remer) spent time working anglers and ATV riders throughout the week. Kunst also attended a lake association meeting in Cass County and responded to a deer vs. vehicle crash.
CO Patrick McGowan (Walker) assisted other law enforcement agencies with calls for service. He also patrolled for ATV activity and assisted DNR Forestry with a wildfire arson investigation.
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