District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2023-07-17
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) investigated a calf depredation and checked anglers on Lake of the Woods, the Roseau River and the Red River of the North. A meeting was attended with conservation officers from Ontario?s Ministry of Natural Resources. Enforcement action was taken concerning an angler in possession of an illegal-length walleye.
CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) assisted local Wildlife staff with banding geese. He also monitored ATV traffic. Violations encountered were operating an ATV on the roadway and failure to display registration.
CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) worked boat and water safety and angling activity on area waters. Patrols were conducted on Lake of the Woods, the Rainy River, and the Red River of the North. Enforcement action was taken for the possession of an illegal-length fish, no angling license in possession, lack of required safety equipment, and driving after revocation.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls West) continued his investigation into the unlawful harvest and waste of snapping turtles, conducted a ride-a-long with a DNR Parks and Trails employee, and checked area anglers. Enforcement action for the week included angling without a valid license, no ATV registration, and juvenile helmet violations.
CO Demosthenes Regas (Blackduck South) reports checking anglers and boaters throughout this past week. Time was spent handling calls of nuisance animals, investigating reports of livestock lost to predation by wolves, patrolling area ATV/recreational vehicle trails and assisting with instruction for officer water safety training at the CO Academy at Camp Ripley.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2023-07-17
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports attending a firearms safety class in East Grand Forks. Time was also spent speaking at a lake association meeting in Clearwater County. Anglers, watercraft operators, and ATV operators were checked.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji #1) spent time at Camp Ripley for the CO Academy, where the candidates worked on boat handling and trailering. Time was spent completing a deer farm inspection.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) spent the week assisting at the DNR Academy. This week, cadets learned about watercraft operation and laws. Swedberg also worked ATV and boating activity around Detroit Lakes during the weekend.
CO Steve Chihak (Moorhead) spent the week working sport fishing, aquatic invasive species and ATV enforcement. He assisted with the CO Academy at Camp Ripley. Time was also spent giving a law and ethics presentation to a firearms safety class in Hawley.
CO Angie Warren (Mahnomen) spent time assisting Academy staff at Camp Ripley.
CO Bill Landmark (Pelican Rapids) spent the week at the CO Academy assisting in teaching watercraft operation.
CO Brett Fox (Bemidji #2) spent the week patrolling for ATV operators, angling, and watercraft activity. Fox also issued a possession tag for a road-killed bobcat. Violations this week included fishing without a license, boat registration issues, transport of aquatic macrophytes, and lack of Type IV throwable floatation device on a boat that requires it.
CO Al Peterson (Osage) spoke to a firearm safety class about laws, ethics and hunter safety, handled a report of a person who picked up a baby raccoon for a pet, and worked Boundary Waters Canoe Area enforcement.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2023-07-17
CO Andrew Goodman (Fergus Falls) continued follow up on wetland and public waters violations with a state survey crew and area hydrologist. Time was spent investigating TIP complaints and handling wildlife-related calls in additional to traditional ATV and angling enforcement. Goodman contacted a few boaters sponsoring a youth outreach program on more remote area lakes. The anglers had some success and were proud so show off their catch and share fish stories with a game warden.
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) followed up on a TIP call of a fishing violation. She is investigating some illegal fishing in the area. Plautz worked with local Amish firearms safety instructors ensuring supplies for the students were received. A background investigation has started for a possible new employee.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked anglers, boaters and ATV operators. Wetland-filling complaints were received and are being investigated. Aquatic plant management inspections are being conducted on area lakes.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) focused enforcement efforts this week on boaters and anglers. A few anglers were cited for not having a fishing license, as well as a few boaters for failing to renew their registration. Time was also spent at the CO Academy at Camp Ripley instructing watercraft enforcement.
CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) continues to see many panfish in the buckets and overall good fishing reports. She spent time with a group of juvenile anglers at a public access and educated them about fishing tactics, laws, and good sportsmanship. She encountered a variety of violations throughout the week, from angling and boating safety violations to ATV violations. Various enforcement actions were taken.
CO Hanna Wood (Wheaton) spent the week at Camp Ripley for her firearms instructor certification.
CO Emily Douvier (Morris) reports working fishing and ATV enforcement. Injured-animal and license-related questions were also handled.
CO Daniel Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the week were concentrated on checking anglers, boaters, and ATV operators. Additional time was spent monitoring AIS law compliance and handling nuisance-animal complaints.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2023-07-17
CO Michael Cross (Lake George) worked angling, watercraft, and ATV enforcement. Many calls were taken throughout the week with general questions and calls for service. Enforcement action was taken for angling and ATV violations and for a dog chasing deer.
CO Jordan Anderson (Wadena) spent time checking Huntersville State Forest for abandoned property and illegal structures as well as patrolling for ATV activity. A firearms safety field day was instructed, and enforcement action this week included various ATV violations and an ATV DWI arrest.
CO Patrick McGowan (Walker) spent the week at Camp Ripley training the new conservation officer candidates in patrol boating operations. The cadets learned the basics about trailering, boat approaches, and stopping boats on the water. McGowan also prepped training material for the upcoming second week of boating training at Camp Ripley.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) checked anglers and boaters. Time was also spent preparing instructional items at the CO Academy. A background investigation of a CO applicant was started. Mathy received calls of an injured eagle and issued a special beaver permit. Enforcement action was taken for boating violations.
CO Corey Sura (Remer) had one of the DNR Enforcement summer interns with for several ride-along this week. The two checked anglers on Lake Winnibigoshish, where enforcement action was taken for fishing without a license and fishing with an extra line. High-traffic ATV areas were patrolled, as well as some of the smaller area lakes. Other violations encountered included possession of illegal-length northern pike, failure to renew ATV registration, and allowing juvenile ATV passengers to ride without helmets.
CO Jacque Hughes (Longville) checked ATV and angling activity, and also assisted with a medical. Enforcement action was taken on multiple juveniles riding ATVs without helmets on, and other various ATV and angling violations.
CO Adam Seifermann (Staples) reports patrolling area lakes and checking anglers. The fishing report seems to be a little slow, but anglers had luck catching panfish. He also assisted the Minnesota Bear Project, helped at the CO Academy at Camp Ripley and investigated ATV-related complaints.
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