District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2021-06-07
CO Troy Richards (Fergus Falls) reports checking boaters and anglers with summer recreation in full swing. Richards assisted with a youth ATV safety class in Henning over the weekend. Reminders were provided on some boat safety items.
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) worked numerous complaints including illegal bowfishing, orphaned fawns, loon nest disturbance, an overlimit of fish, and unusual fishing techniques. Plautz instructed an ATV safety class in Henning, certifying over 30 students. ATV and ORV enforcement was monitored. Local Amish families are getting some assistance from Plautz obtaining the proper paperwork for the husband/wife combination license. Plautz attended some Division training this week as well.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) worked a busy week on the water, for both anglers and recreators. Hot weather drove activity to high levels throughout the week and lakes were the destination. Several citations were issued throughout the week for various angling and boating violations. Late PWC operation continues to be a problem on area lakes, with most people in violation unaware of the hour-before-sunset rule. Lots of injured-animal calls continue to come in with fawns now being spotted.
CO Hannah Wood (Wheaton) spent the past week focused on angling and recreational vehicle enforcement. She took calls regarding big-game hunting with a pistol, as well as ?abandoned fawns.? Wood would like to remind people to leave fawns be if found not to move or take them, as their mom is most likely nearby. Several minnow-transport permits were issued and she attended training at Camp Ripley this past week. Violations encountered during the week were operating a class 2 ATV on a U.S. highway, no throwable PFD onboard watercraft, angling without a license in possession, child under 10 without a life jacket, and failure to display current boat registration.
CO Brian Holt (Osakis) worked angling and bowfishing during the previous week. Time was also spent monitoring AIS compliance in the area and following up on open cases. Complaints were received involving public waters violations and nuisance animals.
CO Emily Leeb (Morris) reports working fishing, boating, and recreational vehicle activity throughout the week and weekend. Enforcement action taken included fishing without a fishing license in possession, towing a tuber without a spotter or mirror, no PFD on board a kayak and paddleboard, and no fire extinguisher on board a watercraft. Leeb assisted the Otter Tail County Sherriff?s Office with a minor motorcycle accident. She also assisted CO Plautz with her ATV safety class, certifying a class of over 30 kids.
CO Dan Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the week were concentrated on checking anglers and boaters and monitoring AIS law compliance. Baumbarger attended training at Camp Ripley and handled nuisance-animal complaints.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2021-06-07
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports attending annual training at Camp Ripley. Anglers and watercraft operators were checked. Various nuisance-bear calls were received. AIS enforcement was worked at area public water access sites.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji #1) monitored boating and angling activity on area lakes. He responded to a call of two individuals assaulting a person at the state park and then driving away in a stolen van. The two individuals were later taken into custody by the Beltrami County Sherriff?s Office. Vollbrecht attended firearms qualification at Camp Ripley. Local ATV trails and forest roads were patrolled.
CO Hannah Mishler (Bemidji #2) checked anglers, boaters and ATV riders. Assistance was also given to the county with a fatal car crash/hit-and-run incident. Nuisance-bear complaints were handled and a detail was worked with other area officers over the weekend.
CO Chris Vinton (Perham) focused enforcement activities on boating, AIS and ATV activities. Above-normal temperatures for the area brought out lots of boats and PWCs but slowed the fishing. ATV riders are reminded that ATVs are prohibited in the ditches south of Highway 10 until Aug. 1. Callers were reminded that swimming is allowed at public water accesses, but those using the access should pick up after themselves, be mindful of no parking areas, and not interfere with folks attempting to launch their boats. Enforcement action was taken for an ATV in the ditch south of Highway 10, unregistered ATV and no license in possession.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) spent the week working boating, recreational vehicle, and fishing patrols. Crappie and sunfish have started to move in to shallow areas and fishing activity has increased. The hot weather brought a lot of boaters to the area as well. Swedberg also worked a recreational vehicle detail around the Cormorant area with CO Landmark and CO Chihak during the Turf Wars Racing event.
CO Al Peterson (Osage) attended training, worked ATV patrol, and followed up on a complaint of public land posting.
CO Steve Chihak (Moorhead) spent the past week working sport fishing, AIS and ATV enforcement. He also attended training at Camp Ripley, assisted other area officers on an ATV detail, and spent time speaking to community stakeholders.
CO Bill Landmark (Pelican Rapids) spent the week working AIS, commercial minnow dealer, and ATV/OHM enforcement. Landmark also attended division training at Camp Ripley. ATV/OHM operators are reminded it is their responsibility to know the rules and regulations and to transfer your purchased off-road vehicle into your name within 15 days. Calls from the public included angling questions, boat registration problems, and reports of nuisance bears. If you have a bear in your neighborhood, please remove garbage, bird seed, and all other food sources to deter the bear from staying in the area. Enforcement action was taken for failure to transfer OHM/ATV, operating an OHM within a road right-of-way, careless OHM operation, no valid driver?s license, operating an unregistered OHM, failure to display ATV registration and no ATV safety training.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2021-06-07
CO Calie Kunst (Remer) spent time checking anglers and ATV riders throughout the week. Kunst received a call of a camper staying in a state forest for longer than 14 days, various animal-related complaint calls and a sport fishing violation call. Kunst also assisted at a firearms safety training field day.
CO Jacque Hughes (Longville) investigated a report of blocking a waterway. Enforcement action was taken for fishing without a license, OHM violations, and no license in possession.
CO Michael Cross (Lake George) focused on ATV riders, watercraft operators and anglers. Fishing remained active for some, with most people still catching some of their targeted fish. Enforcement action was taken for no personal flotation device, traveling on a public road with the boat plug in, no navigation lights after sunset, and failure to display valid registration. Cross also spoke at multiple public events, assisted at an ATV safety class, and assisted the Cass and Hubbard County sheriff?s offices.
CO Patrick McGowan (Walker) patrolled area lakes for angling and boating enforcement. McGowan also assisted DNR Forestry with wildfire investigations. Enforcement action was taken for extra lines, overlimit of walleyes, and numerous boating violations.
CO Jordan Anderson (Wadena) spent time on ATV, fishing and boating enforcement during the week. ATV trails are extremely dusty given warm weather and lack of rain. Annual firearms training was completed.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) primarily checked anglers and boaters. Anglers reported fishing was relatively slow, possibly due to the lake fly hatch or extremely warm weather. Mathy presented safety information to kindergarten and first-grade classes at the Cass Lake Elementary School. Assistance was also provided after a drive-by shooting incident. The suspect was later apprehended. Calls about injured deer, nuisance bears, an overlimit of fish, and unmarked gill nets were received and investigated. Enforcement action was taken for angling violations.
CO Nick Baum (Park Rapids) attended training at Camp Ripley this week. Baum also enforced fishing, boating, and recreational vehicle activity. Baum encountered violations for no licenses in possession, no life jacket, no helmet on ATV passengers under 18, and fishing without a license. He also attended an ATV safety class and spoke about ATV laws.
