MN DNR K9 Conservation Officer
District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2022-03-21
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked anglers on Lake of the Woods and Hayes Lake. Lake of the Woods has gotten very sloppy with the warm weather. Walleye anglers report slow activity and northern pike anglers had varying success. Violations encountered during the week included fishing for pike during the closed season (Hayes Lake), no license on a portable left overnight, unregistered snowmobiles, possessing illegal-length pike, and an overlimit of walleyes. Two people were interviewed after it was discovered they killed a deer during the fall of 2021 and purchased a license afterwards to cover the illegal deer.
CO Corey Sura (Baudette East) spent what he expects to be the ?last hoorah? weekend checking anglers on Lake of the Woods, as well snowmobilers out enjoying the last days of decent trails. Northern pike fishing success was not fast and furious but the average size of fish being caught was exceptional. Walleye anglers who isolated themselves using snowmobiles and portables found some success. Enforcement action was taken for fishing without a valid license, no shelter license and fishing with extra lines. Sura also spent time picking up miscellaneous trash and debris off the lake. Let?s all work a little harder to keep our waters clean!
CO Ryan Brown (Karlstad) reports checking ice conditions in preparation for fish house removal. Ice has become extremely unstable with standing water possibly preventing travel on and off the lakes. He also monitored ATV and snowmobile activity in the area. Violations this past week included juvenile passengers on an ATV with no helmets being worn, ATV headlight violations, and too many passengers on an ATV.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls West) continued to monitor the removal of ice shelters from area waterways and patrolled snowmobile trails for riders looking for their last ride of the season. Follow up on deer-license issues from the previous season was also conducted.
CO Tony Elwell (Thief River Falls East) continued to monitor angling and snowmobile activity this week, as well as ATV activity. Enforcement action was taken this week for expired snowmobile registration, failure to transfer ownership of a snowmobile and taking fish out of season.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Blackduck North) reports deteriorating snowmobile trail conditions. He spent time working snowmobile and angling activity.
Warroad #1 vacant.
Warroad #2 vacant.
Baudette #1 vacant.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2022-03-21
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports checking anglers and ATV operators this week. Time was also spent checking area lakes for fish houses left on the ice prior to the removal deadline.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji #1) monitored angling activity on area lakes. He patrolled area snowmobile trails; conditions have deteriorated throughout the week, making most trails un-rideable. Vollbrecht worked Leech Lake with CO McGowan and marked fish houses that were still on the lakes.
CO Chris Vinton (Perham) reports spring panfish anglers were taking advantage of the nice weather to chase a few crappies and sunfish. Compliance was good. Slush on area lakes remains a problem, as Vinton responded to a call of a minivan stuck in the slush a half mile from the access. The angler was provided local tow companies to contact, with one offering to get him off the lake for around $700. The angler was going to ?shop around? and told Vinton he had supplies for two days. When Vinton checked the next day, the angler and his van were gone. An injured deer was dispatched and a complaint of deer meat being dumped on a township road was investigated. Vinton assisted Wildlife and Nongame Wildlife staff with a local farmer upset there were too many swans in their standing corn from last year.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) spent the week checking area lakes for remaining fish houses and patrolling the quickly melting snowmobile trails. Warm weather has pretty much melted any snowmobile trails not protected from sunlight and many area lakes have multiple inches of standing water, mixed with the snow, on top of the ice. Swedberg also assisted the local sheriff?s office with calls for service and assisted U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officers with some motor vehicle trespass issues.
CO Al Peterson (Osage) conducted snowmobile patrol on deteriorating trails, worked ongoing cases and monitored ice shelter removal.
CO Steve Chihak (Moorhead) spent the week working sport fishing and ATV enforcement. Time was also spent giving a law and ethics presentation to a firearms safety class in Hitterdal.
CO Angie Warren (Mahnomen) worked angling activity, with a few anglers out and about. Fish house removal and public accesses were monitored. An interview about fish house removal was performed. Snowmobile activity was worked, with most trails deteriorating quickly. A call of a deceased deer in a yard was received. The death appeared to be related to the hard winter.
CO Bill Landmark (Pelican Rapids) spent the week attending NASBLA airboat training in Wisconsin with other Minnesota and Wisconsin conservation officers. Lake travel has improved with the snow melt this week, but anglers are encouraged to watch for drain holes and weak ice around certain shorelines. Calls from the public included questions about firearms safety courses, lake conditions, and ATV complaints.
Bagley vacant.
Bemidji #2 vacant.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2022-03-21
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) conducted mandatory online training, responded to injured deer along a nearby railroad tracks, and fielded calls about dead owls and turkeys. Plautz spoke to a firearms safety class on laws and ethics of hunting and safe handling of firearms.
CO Andrew Goodman (Fergus Falls) reports the snowmobile-riding season has ended on area trails as much-welcomed sunshine and warmer weather have depleted the majority of snow cover. Anglers took advantage of the spring-like conditions to fish on buckets for panfish, with success being variable lake to lake. Goodman responded to a TIP complaint of illegal angling methods and answered questions regarding road right-of-way access to waters. Enforcement action included angling license and ATV violations.
CO Shane Osbourne (Evansville) checked anglers and ATV and snowmobile riders. Canada geese have been arriving this past week, signaling winter has finally let go of its long, cold embrace of west central Minnesota. Firearms safety class talks have been scheduled with area instructors. Please consult the DNR website for firearms safety classes in your area.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) worked throughout the station this past week, checking for any panfish anglers who may still have been out. Ice conditions are still thick in most places but the top few inches are getting very melted and slushy. Follow up on deer-season investigations and some small-game-hunting complaints were handled as well.
CO Hannah Wood (Wheaton) spent the week patrolling the area for angling and ATV enforcement. Commercial inspections were done and minnow transport permits were issued. Wood also assisted the Breckenridge Police Department with a traffic stop and followed up on TIP complaints.
CO Emily Douvier (Morris) reports enforcement efforts for the week were focused on anglers and commercial license checks. Douvier is also planning a local firearms safety course with area instructors.
CO Dan Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the week were focused on checking anglers and ATV operators. Snow around the area has diminished greatly through the week, allowing anglers to travel freely around area lakes. Additional time was spent on equipment maintenance.
Osakis vacant.
Elbow Lake vacant.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2022-03-21
CO Adam Seifermann (Staples) reports checking anglers and conducting equipment maintenance. Enforcement action was taken for a shelter left out past the deadline, expired snowmobile registration, failure to obey a stop sign on a grant-in-aid trail and no angling license in possession. He also reports receiving several wildlife-related calls, coordinating ice shelter removal with family members of a deceased angler, and removing trash and debris from area lakes.
CO Nick Baum (Park Rapids) patrolled the area for anglers and snowmobilers. Baum took enforcement action for various angling and snowmobile violations.
CO Jacque Hughes (Longville) checked angling activity. She also investigated complaints of people feeding deer and assisted the county.
CO Patrick McGowan (Walker) patrolled Cass County for snowmobile and angling activity. Time was also spent maintaining Division equipment and training. Enforcement action was taken for numerous violations.
CO Calie Kunst (Remer) spent time checking anglers throughout the week. ATV activity has been picking up with the warmer weather as well. Kunst wants to remind riders that ATVs may not be operated on grant-in-aid snowmobile trails until April 1. Enforcement action was taken for taking fish without a license, operating an unregistered ATV, no helmets on juvenile passengers on an ATV, and failure to display valid registration on an ATV.
CO Jordan Anderson (Wadena) spent time on snowmobile working snowmobile and fishing activity. Several illegal structures (box blinds) and abandoned deer stands were documented in Huntersville State Forest. Anglers are reminded to check the new regulations as there were some changes related to the Quality Sunfish Initiative in the area.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) primarily checked anglers and monitored fish house removal. Spring-like weather has eroded the snowmobile trails and travel is not advised. Lakes in the area have a ton of water and slush on the surface and shallow-water ice areas are starting to erode quickly. Fishing success remains quite slow. Enforcement action was taken for angling and snowmobile violations.
ATV rec officer vacant.
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