District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2024-01-29
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) assisted with a detail in the metro area. Area snowmobile and ATV activity was monitored, and work is underway regarding a possible stolen ATV. Patrols were completed at Hockey Day Minnesota in Warroad.
CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent the week checking area anglers and following up on complaints. Violations encountered were overlimits of walleyes/sauger, possession of fillets on the ice, no license in possession, and angling with extra lines.
CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) spent the week monitoring angling activity on area waters. Time was spent on a detail in the metro area, and assistance was provided with Hockey Day Minnesota in Warroad.
CO Jamus Veit (Baudette East) monitored angling activity on Upper Red Lake and Lake of the Woods. Time was also spent investigating an overlimit of walleyes/sauger with other conservation officers on Lake of the Woods. Enforcement action was taken for extra-line violations, possessing dressed fish or fillets or unmeasurable fish, taking fish with unattended lines, taking fish with a spring device, and taking a walleye/sauger overlimit.
CO Sarah Jahn (Thief River Falls East) spent time working ice fishing and recreational vehicle enforcement. Time was spent on Upper Red Lake where enforcement action was taken for extra lines and unmeasurable fish. An overlimit case was worked with other COs on Lake of the Woods, resulting in enforcement action taken and seizure of fish. A snowmobile safety class was also taught in Grygla. Other enforcement action was taken for failure to display registration on ATVs.
CO Nick Bruesewitz (Karlstad) spent the week working on big-game cases from the previous deer season. Time was also spent working fishing enforcement on area lakes. Enforcement action was taken for extra lines and overlimits.
CO Demosthenes Regas (Blackduck South) reports working angling activity on special regulation lakes this past week. Time was spent monitoring ATV and snowmobile activity on area lakes as the trails are in poor condition with too little snow to groom. Violations encountered and addressed this past week included no shelter tags, litter on the ice, possession of northern pike within the protected and angling license violations.
Baudette West vacant.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2024-01-29
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports spending time this week in the metro area on a work detail. Time was further spent addressing wildlife-related complaints and checking anglers and recreational vehicle operators. Work also continues on big-game-related cases.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji #1) monitored angling activity on area lakes. Ice conditions slowly continue to improve, but ice depths vary greatly from lake to lake. Caution is advised when traveling on the ice.
CO Andrew Goodman (Perham) responded to multiple complaints of debris and commercial vehicles parking in public water accesses during the week. Goodman educated users on public access rules and referred commercial operators to contact Parks and Trails before beginning a project requiring public access parking lot use. Additional time was spent checking anglers and answering general calls from the public.
CO Jordan Anderson (Osage) attended a field sobriety instructor training during the week. A few anglers were checked over the weekend, with a slow bite reported locally. Aeration system inspections were also completed on area lakes.
CO Bill Landmark (Moorhead) continued working on a background investigation for the 2024 CO Academy.
CO Angie Warren (Mahnomen) spent time on ATV and snowmobile activity. Angling and spearing activity was worked, as was a local angling derby. Warren assisted White Earth Police with a disturbance at a local store.
CO Brady Manteufel (Bagley) spoke to youth at a local snowmobile certification class. The week also focused on angling checks, proper fish house registration display, and ATV and snowmobile enforcement action on registration was taken. A fair number of old sleds were encountered, and the collector registration option was discussed. Phone calls were answered about ice thickness, fishing regulations, and follow up on an animal-related complaint was also addressed. Property left on public lands was also investigated.
CO Brett Fox (Bemidji #2) spent the week patrolling for ATV and angling activity. Fox also supported a detail in the metro during this past week. Violations this week included no license in possession and failure to register a furbearer in the allotted time.
Pelican Rapids vacant.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2024-01-29
CO Hanna Wood (Fergus Falls) spent the week focusing on angling enforcement, follow up from deer season, and finishing her background investigation.
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) finalized a background investigation, took calls related to state park violations, and fielded complaints of ice fishing activity. A shoreline violation is being investigated, and coyote hunters were checked.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) patrolled Douglas County this week for fishing and a slight amount of snowmobiling activity. Warm weather is greatly deteriorating winter conditions, slush is starting to appear, and snowmobile trails are impassible. A parent was issued a citation for allowing a 13-year-old to drive a Class 2 ATV down a county road without a helmet to go ice fishing.
CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) reports checking angling activity throughout the week. He wants to remind anglers that warmer weather is forecasted for the next few days and ice conditions are beginning to become unstable in areas. Reports of vehicles breaking through area waters are on the rise. TIP complaint investigations were also worked.
CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) saw a rise in anglers over the weekend, with the weather working in their favor. No license in possession was a common violation. She encountered multiple violations on wildlife management areas and followed up on big-game investigations.
CO Emily Douvier (Morris) reports working on background investigations for the Division and fielding various questions.
CO Daniel Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the week were concentrated on checking anglers and ATV operators. Additional time was spent checking fish houses for required identification and licenses. ATV traffic on area lakes increased this past week, but ice thickness is still highly variable.
Wheaton vacant.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2024-01-29
CO Corey Sura (Remer) patrolled area lakes. Anglers have been successful targeting trout and panfish. One angler was cited for fishing without a license.
CO Michael Cross (Lake George) worked local lakes for angling, followed up on big-game cases, and responded to calls for service. Cross saw a lot more activity on lakes, including three-quarter ton trucks and very large Ice Castle-type fish houses. Cross reminds people ice conditions are still variable this year and not what they normally are, especially with the current high temperatures we are experiencing again.
CO Patrick McGowan (Walker) patrolled Cass County lakes for angling activity. The recent warm weather has made snowmobile conditions poor, and there are poor ice conditions in spots on area lakes. Leech Lake has numerous ice heaves and cracks and anglers should use caution. Enforcement action was taken for perch over limits, and numerous other violations.
CO Adam Seifermann (Staples) reports conducting a background investigation on a potential new hire candidate.
CO Landyn Saewert (Wadena) conducted aeration inspections while monitoring ice conditions and angling activity. Angler success has been variable, but a few folks have found the panfish and northern pike. Ice anglers were checked on Upper Red Lake and enforcement action was taken for several people fishing with extra lines. A report of an incidentally caught fisher was handled. Saewert also assisted with fur registration in Wadena.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) completed a background investigation of a conservation officer applicant. The majority of the other time was spent checking anglers. The lakes were busy, with some anglers getting out for the first time this season. Enforcement action was taken for angling and ATV violations.
ATV rec officer vacant.
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