District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2026-11-09
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked deer hunters over the busy opener of the firearms deer season. Many questions were received regarding the new licensing system as both the hunters and officers learn the new system. Calls were taken regarding possible deer baiting, trespass, and WMA violations. Overall it was a relatively slow weekend for hunters with the warm weather.
CO Nick Bruesewitz (Karlstad) spent the opening weekend of firearms deer season checking hunters in the field. Enforcement action was taken for hunting over bait, allow youth to violate game laws, transporting loaded firearms, and agricultural trespass.
CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent time checking area deer hunters and following up with various complaints. Violations encountered were failure to validate license, shoot from roadway, participating in the illegal taking of a big game animal, hunting with the aid of bait, and driving after suspension.
CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) focused most of his time on the firearms deer season. Fontes reports that favorable weather conditions resulted in a lot of people out and about for opener. Enforcement action was taken for hunting with the aid of bait, driving after suspension, failure to validate a deer tag, and allow a juvenile to illegally operate an ATV. Fontes also reports that clear skies allowed for the northern lights to be seen in the area during the weekend.
CO Bobby Stringer (Thief River Falls West) focused efforts on the deer firearms opening weekend. Overall, virtuous start to the season as no safety related issues were noted. Muddy fields have pushed hunters into the wooded areas, where an abundance of harvests were checked. Stringer wants to remind hunters of loaded firearms regulations within vehicles, which include ATVs. Enforcement actions for the opener included hunting over bait, failure to validate a harvest, trespass, and ATV violations.
CO Sarah Jahn (Thief River Falls East) The firearms deer season was off to a slow start with the warm weather. Several trespassing complaints were handled. Enforcement action was taken for transporting loaded firearms, use of ATV on a WMA and Trespass.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Blackduck #1) reports a busy firearms deer opener. Enforcement action was taken for hunting over bait and feeding ban violations. Prachar assisted Beltrami County in a search for an assault suspect who ran into the woods. Many hunters commented about how simple it is to use the new Licensing App to register deer.
Baudette #1 – vacant.
Blackduck #2 – vacant.
Baudette #2 – vacant.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2026-11-09
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports spending most of this week working on deer hunting related activity. Many archery and firearms hunters were contacted. Various deer hunting related violations were found.
CO Jamus Veit (Bemidji #1) spent time preparing for the firearm deer opener. Less hunters were observed in many areas, compared to years past, but those who were out saw fair success. Trespass and hunt over bait issues were addressed, as well as many violations of the feeding and attractant ban in surrounding counties. Assistance was also given to local law enforcement, with a stabbing, where the suspect fled into a wooded area.
CO Andrew Goodman (Perham) fielded many calls and questions this week, in anticipation of the firearms deer season. Many hunters had success opening day, followed by a much slower second day. Assistance validating and registering deer was given to hunters navigating the licensing application on their phones. The most common violations encountered were insufficient blaze orange and transporting loaded firearms.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) spent the week preparing for the rifle deer season and checking duck hunters. Small groups of ducks seemed to have moved through the area, but hunters had limited success. The rifle deer season started off strong, with many hunters having chances to see and shoot at deer. CO Swedberg and K9 Axel also assisted another CO by finding a shell casing in a shoot from the road incident.
CO Curtis Jepson (Osage) spent the week checking big game hunters, with most feeling the deer firearms opener started slower than in previous years. Investigations of trespass and baiting were conducted, and numerous other TIP complaints were followed up on. With the new electronic licensing system, validation/registration was a common issue that was overlooked during transportation of harvested big game.
CO Angela Warren (Mahnomen) spent time on big and small game hunting activity. WMAs and WPAs were monitored for illegal stands and usage. Patrol was conducted for ATV and off road vehicles. The firearm deer season opener was worked, with many hunters out and about. Hunters checked reported good success. Follow up was conducted on trespass and baiting complaints. Questions were answered about regulations and licensing.
CO Bill Landmark (Moorhead) spent the week leading up to rifle deer opener checking archery hunters and seizing property left unattended, overnight, on wildlife management areas. Rifle deer opener was the best opener of the last several years, with every hunter seeing deer and having opportunities. Hunters seemed to have adapted to the new technology and all hunters who had success and were checked, had their deer validated and registered on the licensing app. The most common violation over opening weekend was trespassing, whether it was private land trespass or closed public lands. It is the hunter’s responsibility to know where they are and if they can legally hunt there. Enforcement action was taken for a number of ATV violations, hunting in a closed SNA, hunting in a closed duck refuge, and take deer without a license.
CO Grey Corbus (Pelican Rapids) spent the week preparing for and working deer firearms opener, along with other small game activity. Time was also spent investigating trespass and working big game cases. Corbus reports varying success among hunters checked in the field, with many finding success on opening weekend. Enforcement action was taken for hunting deer with the aid of bait, transporting a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, and various licensing violations.
CO Brady Manteufel (Bagley) worked a busy rifle deer opener, in the northern portion of the patrol region. Deer sighting reports were good all-around and successful harvests were checked. Assistance was provided with the new licenses and app system. If you purchased the license online or through a vendor and not the app, you need the printout with you to validate in the field and then register your deer within 48 hours. Night and morning patrols were conducted for shining, poaching, and late shot complaints, and a fence was cut along Clearwater Lake Road on a reported poaching attempt. A deer feeding ban violation was also addressed.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2026-11-09
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) fielded several calls prior to the regular firearms deer season regarding regulations and licenses. Night shining activity and deer hunting enforcement was conducted. Several hunters checked in the field opening day had good success and most of them are navigating the new registration system without major concerns. Dogs chasing deer and trespass were common calls.
CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) reports focusing his enforcement efforts primarily on waterfowl and pheasant activity during the week. The firearms deer season opener saw tremendous success this weekend with several impressive bucks harvested. Enforcement action was taken for shooting within a wildlife refuge, ATV helmet violation, and no license in personal possession.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked deer hunters, waterfowl hunters, and fishermen. Deer opener weather was very mild and perfect for sitting. Several license related questions were received, and deer possession permits were issued.
CO Jake Homan (Alexandria) spent the week patrolling for waterfowl, angling, small game, and deer hunting activities. Time was spent assisting local agencies on a variety of calls for service. Enforcement action was taken for Taking Waterfowl with no valid license, fail to validate deer license, shoot from motor vehicle, and a variety of other offenses.
CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) reports a very busy deer opener in Todd and Douglas Counties. She checked countless hunters Saturday and Sunday with more successful reports said to be from Saturday. She encountered numerous violations including but not limited to failure to validate deer tags, loaded firearms in motor vehicles, children without helmets on ATVs, lack of orange, unregistered ATVs, and no deer license in possession. Various enforcement action taken.
CO Emily Douvier (Morris) reports deer, waterfowl, and small game activity. Enforcement action was taken for various license issues and transporting loaded firearms. Trespass complaints were fielded and help was provided navigating the new online license system.
CO Andrew Ladzinski (Glenwood) spent his time on big game enforcement. Many hunters checked reported low deer movement activity with the warm weather over the opening weekend. Ladzinski still saw a fair amount of hunter success with deer taken. Ladzinski investigated a report of hunters shining and shooting from the roadway before the firearms season was open. Enforcement action was taken for dogs chasing deer and for failing to validate a deer tag.
Wheaton – vacant.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2026-11-09
CO Michael Cross (Lake George) worked small game, off highway vehicles, and the opening firearm’s deer season. Cross saw great success for hunters on opening weekend. Many questions were answered throughout the week and assistance was given. Enforcement action was taken for take big game during illegal hours, use firearm in state game refuge, deer over limit, invalid bonus tag, fail to validate/register deer.
CO Landyn Saewert (Wadena) reports steady activity of hunting, trapping, and angling. Additional time was spent issuing resource protection notices for water resource violations. Questions regarding the new licensing sales application continue to be the most frequent call for service and field contact subjects. The deer hunting opener was busy, several hunters had success hunts. Violations included transporting loaded firearm, shooting from the roadway and hunting deer over bait.
CO Patrick McGowan (Cass Lake) reports working a busy firearms deer opening weekend. Numerous hunters found success over the weekend. McGowan also spent time working waterfowl hunters, anglers, and assisting local law enforcement agencies with calls for service.
CO Jack Lien (Walker) noted overall good success for deer hunters in his station. Many deer were seen taken by high volumes of hunters. Lien patrols a large variety of state and federal land, which has always been a large attraction to outdoorsmen of all recreational activities. Lien additionally noted a small number of violations, and he spent much of his time assisting the public with the new licensing process. A memorable moment for Lien was being present with a hunter who took a nice buck while checking him for his license.
CO Corey Sura (Remer) patrolled the Remer station over the always busy firearms deer opener. Many successful hunters and deer camps were checked over the weekend. Sura took time to help explain and walk hunters through any questions they had with the new license system.
CO Levi Brown (Staples) observed an influx of people in the area for the opening weekend of Firearms Deer Season. Brown spent the weekend talking to and checking big game hunters in between responding to calls. Brown noticed a common theme with pertaining to the new licensing system. To clarify, tags still need to be validated at the site of the kill, whether that be via the app on your phone or by notching the paper copy of the license. License and validation violations were the most common throughout the weekend, but enforcement action was taken for other violations including ATV violations and shining violations.
ATV rec officer – vacant.
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