District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2022-07-25
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) patrolled Lake of the Woods and the Roseau River. Campers were contacted in Beltrami Island State Forest and warned for camping in one location for longer than 14 days. Violations for the week included possessing illegal-length walleyes on Lake of the Woods, angling without a license, and angling with an extra line.
CO Corey Sura (Baudette East) worked ATV activity in the area and checked anglers at various access sites on the Rainy River and Lake of the Woods. Windy conditions made it quite difficult to get out on the lake over the weekend. Many ATV riders were out and about on the trails of the Beltrami Island State Forest.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls West) instructed a youth ATV safety class in Warren, checked local anglers, and prepared for instructing at the Conservation Officer Academy. Enforcement action for the week included angling without a license, no helmet on a juvenile ATV passenger, no lights on an ATV, and operating an unregistered ATV.
CO Tony Elwell (Thief River Falls East) spent the week monitoring angling, boating and ATV activity. Nuisance-beaver calls were handled and a possible wolf depredation was investigated. Violations encountered included non-motorized watercraft registration violations and ATV-operation violations.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Blackduck North) spent time at Academy training recruits in ATV and vehicle operation.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2022-07-25
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji #1) patrolled area lakes for boating activity and checked anglers. The area bite has slowed some, but area lakes are still busy with activity. He patrolled area ATV trails and took nuisance-bear-complaint calls.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) spent the week enforcing boating and AIS laws. He also investigated a complaint of an individual who was in the process of burning down a trailer house on their property. The landowner admitted to setting the trailer house on fire and was cited for their actions.
CO Steve Chihak (Moorhead) spent the week at Camp Ripley assisting with Academy training. Time was also spent addressing miscellaneous wildlife-related calls.
CO Angie Warren (Mahnomen) spent time on ATV and off-road vehicle activity. Angling and boating activity was worked. Warren spoke at and assisted with the Fosston ATV safety class field day.
CO Bill Landmark (Pelican Rapids) spent the week patrolling ATV-complaint areas, following up on reports of possible aquatic plant violations, and continuing to work on ongoing shoreline and wetland cases. Calls from the public included reports of dogs chasing deer. Enforcement action was taken for ATV violations.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2022-07-25
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) responded to a lake with potential aquatic vegetation violations. Plautz worked with local government units along with a DNR aquatic plant management specialist on the sites in question. Plautz spent some time at a local state park and worked AIS, boating, fishing and ATV enforcement. Plautz assisted area Amish individuals with obtaining the proper husband/wife fishing licenses.
CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) reports working angling and boating enforcement as well as checking recreational vehicles. Several aquatic vegetation complaints were received and handled. Additional time was spent on equipment maintenance.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked anglers, boaters and ATV riders. Boating law questions were received and answered. A call about a pigeon with a leg band flying the coop and hanging out at a residence was handled.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) focused this week on investigating complaints of illegal lake weed removal, late PWC operation and injured-animal calls. Any emergent lake weeds that people want removed need to be permitted first. This includes cattails and bulrush, among a few others. Spraying chemicals to kill them is almost always illegal. A citation was issued to an out-of-state angler for not purchasing a license before fishing. He admitted to having a conversation only a few moments before Lawler arrived about not having purchased one, but thought most likely he would not be checked by the DNR. It was a losing gamble.
CO Emily Douvier (Morris) reports working fishing and recreational vehicle enforcement. Douvier also fielded questions about nuisance animals and whether an individual could keep an eagle feather from a deceased bird. You cannot.
CO Daniel Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the week were concentrated on checking anglers, boaters, and ATV operators. Additional time was spent investigating complaints of fish overlimits, illegal wetland work, and a carp-dumping complaint. Baumbarger also fielded calls about orphaned wildlife and set up an ATV safety class for area youth.
CO Hanna Wood (Wheaton) spent the week focused on recreational vehicle and angling enforcement. She worked the weekend with CO Calie Kunst on the Whitefish Chain of Lakes and area ATV trails. Several enforcement contacts were made.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2022-07-25
CO Patrick McGowan (Walker) spent time at Camp Ripley training the new cadets at the Conservation Officer Academy. Time was also spent patrolling area lakes for boating and fishing activity and investigating multiple wildland fires.
CO Adam Seifermann (Staples) reports checking anglers, boaters and ATV riders. Calls from the public consisted of nuisance-bear complaints and injured-animal calls. He also reports spending time on equipment maintenance.
CO Jacque Hughes (Longville) spoke at a firearms safety class. She investigated multiple aquatic plant concerns. Enforcement action was taken for no permit for a mechanical aquatic plant control device.
CO Michael Cross (Lake George) worked the majority of the week on the lakes and ATV/OHM vehicle trails. Cross assisted with a youth firearms safety class in Park Rapids that included more than 20 area youth. Enforcement action was taken for angling, boating, and recreational vehicle violations.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) primarily checked anglers and recreational vehicle riders. Some time was spent working on Bear Committee-related items. Calls of an injured eagle and ATVs operating on a highway were received. Enforcement action was taken for angling, boating, and ATV violations.
CO Jordan Anderson (Wadena) spent time during the past week assisting with training at the CO Academy. A lot of OHV traffic was observed in Huntersville State Forest. Enforcement action was taken on numerous ATV and OHM violations, as well as possession of controlled substances.
