District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2024-02-26
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) monitored area coyote-hunting and ATV activity. Enforcement action was taken against an individual for public nuisance on Lake of the Woods in the Swift Ditch area. Training was also attended at Camp Ripley with the rest of the Division.
CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent the week checking area anglers, attending annual training, and following up on various complaints. Violations encountered were no license in possession and angling with extra lines.
CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) spent the week patrolling Lake of the Woods, assisting with Honor Guard details, participating in annual training, and following up on cases. Fontes assisted with the funeral for Sgt. Ryan Piper, of the Minnetonka Police Department, as well as the funeral for retired police chief and LEMA founder, Jim Crawford. Enforcement action was taken against a motorist who was traveling around 40 MPH over the posted speed limit.
CO Jamus Veit (Baudette East) spent the week monitoring angling activity on Upper Red Lake and attending training at Camp Ripley. Most anglers reported success for crappies and walleyes on Upper Red Lake throughout the week.
CO Sarah Jahn (Thief River Falls East) spent time wrapping up a big-game case and handling various wildlife-related complaints. Time was also spent attending an in-service training. Ice conditions appear to be rapidly changing with the warmer weather and anglers are encouraged to use caution when driving on the ice.
CO Nick Bruesewitz (Karlstad) participated in training and the awards ceremony at Camp Ripley. Time was spent working fishing enforcement at the Warroad Port of Entry. Further time was spent working small-game and ATV enforcement.
CO Demosthenes Regas (Blackduck South) reports checking anglers on area lakes and monitoring recreational vehicle activity throughout the area. Regas noted the steady dose of warmer weather has caused ice conditions to slowly deteriorate, with reports of only about 12 inches of ice on many lakes, and some with slightly less. Regas advised to use caution when venturing out on the ice in motor vehicles. Time was spent attending annual training at Camp Ripley and handling wildlife-related calls. Enforcement action for the week included angling license violations.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Blackduck North) reports a busy close to the inland walleye season on Upper Red Lake. Fishing success for both walleyes and crappies was noted. Prachar attended annual training at Camp Ripley, patrolled for ATV and angling activity, and assisted Beltrami County with a domestic.
Baudette West vacant.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2024-02-26
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports spending time at Camp Ripley for training. Time was also spent checking ice anglers and ATV operators.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji #1) monitored angling activity on area lakes. Most people have removed shelters from the lakes and anglers are fishing from portables. He attended training at Camp Ripley and continued investigating a case from the deer season.
CO Andrew Goodman (Perham) attended training at Camp Ripley and checked fish houses, anglers and ATV operators. Time was also spent conducting follow up on license-violation cases and fielding wildlife-related calls.
CO Jordan Anderson (Osage) worked fishing and off-highway vehicle enforcement in the station. Ice conditions are changing quickly and an ATV went through on an area lake where the operator said he?d driven only a few hours before. Luckily, he had ice picks along and was able to get out of the water. Burning restrictions are in effect, and except for campfires, an activated permit is required to burn.
CO Bill Landmark (Moorhead) spent the week checking anglers and attending the Division?s annual awards and training at Camp Ripley. Anglers with houses still on area lakes are encouraged to get them off immediately and not wait until the deadline. Ice conditions held up this weekend, but could deteriorate fast with the warm weather this coming week. Enforcement action was taken for angling without a license.
CO Angie Warren (Mahnomen) spent time on angling and ATV activity. Anglers are urged to use caution as ice conditions continue to vary. Divisional training was attended at Camp Ripley.
CO Brady Manteufel (Bagley) responded to calls about big-game and furbearing animals this week. Department training was also conducted, and public lands were patrolled for small-game and coyote hunting. The week ended with Manteufel attending a local sportsmen?s club coyote tournament weigh-in event and speaking with members.
CO Brett Fox (Bemidji #2) spent the week patrolling for angling and ATV activity. Fox also attended training and a DNR award ceremony at Camp Ripley. Violations this week included burning a brush pile without obtaining a burn permit.
Pelican Rapids vacant.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2024-02-26
CO Hanna Wood (Fergus Falls) spent this week focused on angling enforcement and follow up from the deer season. Time was also spent at Camp Ripley for annual awards and training.
CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) reports spending enforcement efforts on angling and ATV activity throughout the week. Time was also spent with annual training and equipment maintenance.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked anglers, ATV riders and fish houses. Complaints of fish overlimits and dead bald eagles were received over the weekend. Annual training was attended at Camp Ripley.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) attended annual training at Camp Ripley this week. Lawler and a few other officers attended ice rescue training. They learned many different techniques and tactics on how and what to do to rescue someone who has fallen through the ice.
CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) continued to check anglers, who had some fish in the buckets. Fishing reports are becoming poorer, as are ice conditions. Several lakes have open water. She reports finding shelters partially going through and having to contact the owners. Various violations encountered throughout the week including but were not limited to overlimits on special regulation lakes.
CO Emily Douvier (Morris) reports working on various tasks for the Division and attending training at Camp Ripley. Questions and complaints from the public were also fielded.
CO Daniel Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the week were concentrated on checking anglers, trappers, and ATV operators. Additional time was spent attending training.
Wheaton vacant.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2024-02-26
CO Landyn Saewert (Wadena) spent time in the Huntersville State Forest on ATV. Several deer stands were located and marked. Deer stands in violation of Minnesota Rule 6100.1650 will eventually be removed. Saewert responded to many wildfires over the week. Enforcement action was taken for burning prohibited materials and burning without a permit. Two days of training at Camp Ripley were completed.
CO Michael Cross (Lake George) worked angling and open big-game cases and attended training. Ice conditions are changing by the day and vary lake to lake. Use extreme caution on all lake going forward. Cross saw as few as 5 inches of ice up to 13 inches of ice around the area.
CO Patrick McGowan (Walker) worked Leech Lake throughout the week and followed up on wetland cases. Ice conditions in the area are poor and anglers are advised to use caution. Enforcement action was taken for numerous violations.
CO Jacque Johnson (Longville) checked angling activity. She also responded to a car vs. deer crash and assisted with a traffic stop.
CO Corey Sura (Remer) attended Camp Ripley for annual training. Anglers getting out for the last weekend of the pike/walleye season, as well as for panfish, were checked. Sura found slow to moderate success amongst anglers. Enforcement action was taken for expired ATV registration.
CO Adam Seifermann (Staples) reports attending mandatory training at Camp Ripley, attending the Safari Club International convention with his K9 partner Jet, completing annual training and checking small-game hunters afield. Enforcement action was taken for litter and leaving a smoldering fire.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) primarily checked ice anglers. The walleye fishing was pretty good for the last weekend of walleye/pike ice fishing. The ice continues to fluctuate with the warm, cold, and wind creating cracks and ridges regularly. Mathy also attended annual training. Enforcement action was taken for angling and public water access violations.
ATV rec officer vacant.
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