District 1 – Baudette area
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked bear baits in the area and checked early goose, bear, and dove hunters. He also attended the funeral of CO Kyle Quittschreiber in Frazee.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Baudette) reports a large number of hunters in the area. He also spent time patrolling for bear and early goose hunters. Enforcement action was taken for multiple bear-baiting violations.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls) worked the bear and early goose opening weekend, checked anglers, and monitored ATVing activity.
CO Demosthenes Regas (Blackduck) reports working ATVing enforcement, early-season goose hunting, bear baiting/hunting activity, AIS enforcement, and checking anglers throughout the week. Time was spent handling assorted requests from the public regarding upcoming deer-hunting seasons, monitoring wild rice harvest, and a number of wildlife-related calls about coyotes and foxes with mange.
CO Hannah Mishler (Baudette) spent the week focusing on bear-baiting and bear-hunting activity. Time also was spent checking ATVing activity and following up on ATV-related complaints.
District 2 – Bemidji area
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports checking early goose hunters and bear hunters. Time also was spent following up on a fire case and a Wetland Conservation Act case.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji) and COC Shane Zavodnik worked fishing, boating, and ATVing enforcement during the week. With the past couple days of warmer weather, recreational boaters were getting their time in on the lake before the start of school. Boaters and passengers are reminded that riding on the gunwale, port deck, and transom deck are not allowed while the boat is underway unless a safety railing is put in place to keep you inside the boat.
CO Chris Vinton (Perham) checked early-season goose hunters and multiple shore anglers at nearby dams and lakes, inspected rice in anticipation of the upcoming harvest, and took enforcement action on a variety of cases.
CO Steve Chihak (Moorhead) spent the week working sportfishing, boat and water safety, and ATVing enforcement. An interview was done for a local radio show.
CO Angie Warren (Mahnomen) spent time on angling and boating activity. AIS compliance was monitored, with boat and dock removal beginning to ramp up among area cabin owners. Contacts were made with ATV/OHM riders on area trails. Bear baiting and hunting activity was monitored.
CO Bill Landmark (Pelican Rapids) spent the week monitoring ATVing activity, angling activity, and dove- and goose-hunting activity. CO Landmark received a phone call about an osprey stuck in bailing twine in a nest. Fortunately, an experience linesman volunteered to climb the pole and because of his efforts, the osprey was released after a ball of twine was removed from its talons. Landmark also assisted other local agencies in the search for a lost juvenile horseback rider in Maplewood State Park. The rider was found after a brief search. Landmark also worked on issuing citations for non-compliant weed rollers and hydro jets on area lakes.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) continues to field-train a new officer. Plautz and COC Kyllo picked up a dead bald eagle and took it to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials for disposal. The two met with a landowner regarding an immature bald eagle that was captured and taken to the Raptor Center for rehabilitation. They notified the landowner the eagle was showing symptoms of West Nile virus.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) patrolled area lakes and fields for fishing/boating and early goose-hunting activity. A parent was cited for allowing his 12-year-old son to drive a personal watercraft with his 7-year-old brother as a passenger. Neither had taken watercraft safety or knew of age requirements for PWCs.
District 4 – Walker area
CO Colleen Adam (Park Rapids) worked on aquatic plant management issues and patrolled for early goose and bear hunters. She also patrolled area lakes for boating and fishing enforcement and patrolled trails and forest areas, checking bear baiting and ATVers operating in wetlands.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) reports many people were outdoors, enjoying the nice Labor Day weekend. ATVers, boaters, anglers, bear hunters, and goose hunters were out and about. One goose hunter self-reported injuring a sandhill crane after mistakenly shooting it.
CO Randy Posner (Staples) spent time in the Pillsbury State Forest. Evidence of vehicles being operated on closed forest roads and causing damage was found. The CO also received a tip call about ATVers in the closed forest.
District 5 – Eveleth area
CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports monitoring area lakes and related angling and boating activity, checking public access sites, checking area forest roads, and continuing to work on equipment.
CO Duke Broughten (Cook) spent the week monitoring angling, boating, ATVing, and bear-hunting and goose-hunting activity. Broughten also assisted with locating a lost individual in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
CO Marc Hopkins (Tower) spent the week working bear hunters, wild ricers, anglers, and doing ATV enforcement. Even with a good wild berry and nut crop, Hopkins found many hunters were successful in harvesting bears.
CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) worked anglers, boaters, aquatic invasive species and state park enforcement, and the early goose- and bear-hunting openers. He also investigated a truck load of litter dumped in the woods and followed up on a fire investigation and an illegal bridge case.
CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) attended the funeral of fellow CO Kyle Quittschreiber. An issue of a stripped-down watercraft that was abandoned at a local public access was investigated.
CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) continued to work on a background investigation of a CO applicant. Fredin also responded to two separate anonymous complaints about wetlands violations but discovered no violations at either site. Fredin also checked bear-baiting activity and received a complaint from a hunter about stolen trail camera. He also believes someone urinated on his bait site, which is a tactic known to deter bears from baits.
District 6 – Two Harbors area
CO Sean Williams (Ely) spent the week focusing on bear baiting and hunting enforcement. Rain off and on as the opener neared and into the weekend made for some difficult baiting conditions, although most hunters still reported some activity.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) checked bear baits, hunters, and ATVers. Anglers also were checked. Assistance was given to the U.S. Forest Service.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) worked the bear-hunting opener, checking hunters and bait stations. She also handled a complaint about bait tampering during the week before season.
CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) attended the funeral of CO Kyle Quittschreiber, worked bear baiting and the bear opener, and worked a boat and water shift on the Whitefish Chain. One individual operating a PWC an hour and 40 minutes after legal hours was arrested for BWI. Another individual was arrested for DWI on an ATV after having two small children without helmets and a loaded firearm loose in the back of the ATV.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) spent time checking angers and bear hunters, and answering calls about wildlife. Some nice bears were harvested, and hunters were happy.
CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) worked a busy Labor Day weekend. Bear season opened with some camps getting a few nice bears on opening day. ATVing activity was high and the weather cooperated, with the exception of a few fast-moving thunderstorms that allowed riders to ride dust-free on most trails.
District 7 – Grand Rapids area
CO Randy Patten (Northome) checked anglers, boaters, and bear hunters, patrolled for illegal ATV operation, and worked ongoing cases. He also responded and assisted Itasca County with a drowning incident.
CO Jayson Hansen (Bigfork) reports working with COC Nathan Benkofske. Time was spent working ATV riders, campers, bear hunters, and anglers. Enforcement action was taken for bear hunting without a license, juveniles not wearing helmets on ATVs, failing to drain water-related equipment, littering, and dogs off leashes in a campground.
CO Mike Fairbanks (Deer River) checked anglers, worked the bear opener, checked early goose hunters, and provided a K9 demonstration. Bear harvest was down in the area.
CO Thomas Sutherland (Grand Rapids) and COC Hochstein monitored bear-baiting activity and worked bear hunters during the opening weekend of hunting. Enforcement action was taken for failure to remove a drain plug from a watercraft on the roadway, wild ricing after hours, no angling license in possession, angling without a license, and no throwable flotation device on board a watercraft. Sutherland and Hochstein also assisted the Itasca County Sheriff’s Office with search and rescue efforts in association with a drowning victim on an area lake.
District 8 – Duluth area
CO Kipp Duncan (Duluth) and COC Leah Kampa continued to work on a public waters violation and an early bear bait complaint. Fishing enforcement was worked on Lake Superior, and areas of ATV traffic were patrolled. A wildlife possession permit was issued.
CO Scott Staples (Carlton) checked several bear hunters during the opening weekend of hunting and found few successful hunters in the area. An investigation into a deer that was shot and dumped near somebody’s doorstep south of Carlton is still under investigation.
Lake Superior Marine Unit
CO Keith Olson (Lake Superior Marine Unit) worked inland for the bear opener in the Duluth area and spent time on Lake Superior in the Duluth-Two Harbors area, where lake trout are being caught in deeper water, with a few Chinook salmon also seen. Olson encountered violations for extra lines and for camping on a public access.
CO Matt Miller (Lake Superior Marine Unit) and COC Tony Elwell conducted fishing, boating, and ATVing patrols and checked bear baits along the North Shore of Lake Superior. Miller and Elwell also aided local fire departments with the rescue of a hiker in Jay Cooke State Park who had sustained a back injury.
District 9 – Brainerd area
CO Scott Fitzgerald (CCSRA) continued training with COC Jacqueline Hughes. They did boating, fishing, and water enforcement in the CCSRA and also patrolled the park during the busy holiday weekend. The two also did ATV enforcement along the Soo Line and Red Top ATV trails. Fitzgerald and Hughes answered multiple outdoor law-related questions throughout the week. They also addressed a TIP complaint about the wildlife feeding ban, assisted other local agencies with several calls for service, and issued a special beaver permit regarding beavers doing damage. Enforcement action was taken for various fishing, boating, ATVing, and big-game violations.
CO Bob Mlynar (Aitkin) worked late-summer outdoor activity. Contact was made with wild ricers harvesting nearly two hours late. Assistance was given to county sheriff’s deputies with an ATV accident.
CO Karl Hadrits (Crosby) reports checking bear baits and bear hunters, wild rice harvesters, early goose season hunters, and boating and fishing activity. He also patrolled the Crow Wing State Forest and grant-in-aid ATV trails. Other activity included responding to complaints about wildlife crop depredation and illegal wildlife feeding in the CWD feeding ban area.
District 10 – Mille Lacs area
CO Dustie Speldrich (Willow River) assisted the DNR Honor Guard with the funeral of CO Kyle Quittschreiber. She also worked the bear hunting opener and found non-biodegradable material in baits, potential bear-guiding violations, and ATV violations while going to and from stands. One ATV operator was surprised to see a CO standing nearby after he finished spinning donuts on a gravel road. He was educated on the fact that what he’d done was considered property damage and spent the next 10 minutes fixing the ruts he made. Speldrich also took a call about a horse loose on a local highway.
CO Eugene Wynn (Pine City) checked bear baits and bear hunters during the week. He also spent time answering questions about floating bogs, ATV operation, and questions about the upcoming deer season. He finished up the week working a bear-hunting detail and spent time checking areas along the St. Croix River for hunters and anglers.
CO Luke Croatt (Wealthwood) checked bear hunters during the weekend. Success was a bit slow with the heavy acorn crop and turbulent weather. Some areas received golf ball size and larger hail, along with 70-plus-mph winds. The State Patrol was assisted with a car rollover.
District 11 – St. Cloud area
CO Chad Thesing (Albany) worked anglers, boaters, and ATVers. He also attended the funeral of CO Kyle Quittschreiber. Thesing worked the DNR information booth at the Minnesota State Fair, answering questions from the public and speaking with outdoors people.
CO Frank Rezac (St. Cloud) reports checking anglers and boaters on area lakes and rivers. Calls regarding injured wildlife also were taken.
CO Keith Bertram (Long Prairie) spent the week checking anglers and goose hunters. Enforcement action was taken for an unplugged gun, no license, no federal stamp, and boating safety violations.
District 12 – Princeton area
CO Angela Londgren (Cambridge) continues to work on a background investigation and attended the DNR’s deer season open house in Cambridge. Time also was spent checking early goose and bear hunters during the holiday weekend.
CO Trent Seamans (Big Lake) reports time was spent checking early goose hunters and investigating an off-trail riding complaint in the Sand Dunes State Forest.
District 13 – West Metro area
CO James Fogarty (Prior Lake) assisted the Minnesota State Patrol and Scott County Sheriff’s Office with rounding up cattle on Highway 169 outside of Belle Plaine. The rowdy group of cattle saw the greener grass on the other side of the fence and made a break for it. Their buffet was interrupted and they were placed back into the fenced area and traffic was able to flow freely again. Many vehicle operators were observed driving while distracted, as they were trying to capture the moment on video. Fogarty also took a TIP call about a person angling with three lines on Marion Lake near Lakeville. A person was located on the fishing pier with three lines in the water. Enforcement and education action were taken.
CO Brent Grewe (Minnetonka) spent the week checking anglers and goose and dove hunters. Grewe and K9 Shelby attended the State Fair and provided demos and worked a shift at the information booth.
CO Alexander Birdsall (Waconia) welcomed the start of the 2018 hunting season. Early goose hunters reported seeing few birds but dove hunters had mixed success. The CO also manned the State Fair information booth during the week.
CO Tim Maass (Osseo) patrolled area lakes and rivers for angling activity. Maass also handled several nuisance-animal calls and complaints.
CO Thephong Le (ELCOP) worked angling and boating activities. He also worked the dove and early Canada goose openers in Carver County.
District 14 – East Metro area
CO Scott Arntzen (Forest Lake) reports checking anglers and boaters and patrolling wildlife management areas. He spent time fielding questions about the early goose season and handled calls about nuisance animals. Arntzen also issued a couple of special beaver permits and did maintenance on equipment.
CO Joe Kulhanek (Hastings) spent a very busy early goose and dove opener patrolling the Dakota County area. Dove hunters did well on the opener, but limited success was seen with geese. The CO also responded to wetland and fishing complaints.
District 15 – Marshall area
CO Matt Loftness (Marshall) reports fishing, boating, AIS, and ATVing activities were the main enforcement focuses. An AIS check station also was worked with other COs on Big Stone Lake during Labor Day weekend. The early goose and mourning dove openers began with mixed success.
CO Craig Miska (Ortonville) monitored angling, boating, and OHVing activities during the week. Early goose and dove hunting activities also were monitored.
District 16 – New Ulm area
CO Jeff Denz (Wilmar) checked boaters, anglers, and ATV operators. He educated boaters about AIS laws.
CO Shane Vernier (Willmar) followed up on several weed roller-related complaints and a road right-of-way complaint. Vernier also worked goose-hunting activity.
CO Nicholas Klehr (Litchfield) worked ATVing enforcement, with ATVs being used for agricultural work and recreational riding. All ATV users are reminded that anyone under the age of 18 needs to wear a helmet.
CO Thor Nelson (New Ulm) represented the Minnesota DNR Enforcement at the 52nd annual Basil Irwin Conference and Pistol Match. He also worked boating, angling, early goose hunting, mourning dove hunting, invasive species, and ATV enforcement.
CO Mike Gruhlke (Jackson) patrolled his area and checked activity relating to angling, ATVing, and boat and water safety. Gruhlke also worked the dove and goose openers.
District 17 – Mankato area
CO Chris Howe (St. Peter) spent time working mourning dove and early goose hunters. Heavy rains during the Labor Day weekend dampened the enthusiasm of some outdoor recreation enthusiasts.
CO Corey Wiebusch (Mankato) and COC Tony Flerlage conducted taxidermy inspections this past week. Early goose hunting activity was worked, too.
CO Jeremy Henke (Albert Lea) attended the funeral for his good friend and partner CO Kyle Quittschreiber.
District 18 – Rochester area
CO Phil George (Rochester) checked anglers and watercraft users. He and his COC assisted with a ginseng investigation that led to charges against two people.
CO Tom Hemker (Winona) reports a busy holiday weekend on the river, with goose hunting, fishing, and boating activities. He checked goose hunters in the Owatonna area but the weather limited most hunters’ time in the field. CO Hemker also received a complaint about a deer hunter putting treestands on a property he was told not to hunt.
CO Kylan Hill (Zumbrota) reports citing an ATV operator for driving after revocation and ignoring a stop sign. While talking to the person, Hill also discovered the same operator was cited for driving after revocation a day earlier. Hill had contacted the person on a previous occasion for driving after revocation and for felony possession of methamphetamine. Multiple anglers were found to be fishing without licenses throughout the week. He also staffed the DNR information booth at the Minnesota State Fair.
The post Minnesota Outdoor News Cuffs & Collars – Sept. 7, 2018 appeared first on Outdoornews.
from Outdoornews https://ift.tt/2Nm8RwQ
No comments:
Post a Comment