Minnesota Outdoor News Cuffs & Collars – June 29, 2018

District 1 – Baudette area

CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked anglers on Lake of the Woods. Violations encountered included angling with an extra line and possessing illegal-length walleyes.

CO Eric Benjamin (Warroad) worked AIS, angling, and boat and water enforcement. ATVing activity is picking up in the forest, and riders should be sure to check that all of their lights are in working condition and that their headlights are on while operating. 

CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls) investigated a possible gray wolf depredation report and a watercraft abandoned at a state park, and patrolled for AIS violations. 

CO Demosthenes Regas (Blackduck) worked AIS enforcement and angling activity on special-regulation lakes. Time also was spent providing officer water-survival instruction at the CO Academy at Camp Ripley and handling reports about nuisance beavers and assorted calls about wildlife. Regas investigated a report about an eagle that had been found in the ditch with its head cut off. However, the investigation found it was not an eagle but rather a turkey vulture that had apparently been struck by a car.  

District 2 – Bemidji area

CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports attending an ATV safety class in Crookston and staffing a DNR informational booth at the Norman County Fair. Time also was spent following up on open wetland and public waters cases. 

CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji) worked angling and boating activity in the area. Time also was spent at Itasca State Park and Camp Ripley. He assisted in teaching trailering and boat operations to the cadets at the CO Academy. Vollbrecht also responded to a call of CPR in progress with CO Prachar. After arriving on the scene, the officers performed CPR and other life-saving procedures until an ambulance crew arrived. 

CO Chris Vinton (Perham) reports TIPs regarding possible overlimits and anglers who were making multiple trips per day. Vinton, with the assistance of CO Quittschreiber, conducted consent searches at a couple of resorts, with one resulting in a violation for an overlimit of bass. 

CO Angie Warren (Mahnomen) patrolled area trails, forest roads, and wildlife management are trails for off-road vehicle activity. She received calls about a cougar sighting in Mahnomen County and a bear up a tree in the city of Ottertail. 

CO Kyle Quittschreiber (Detroit Lakes) assisted with two medical incidents regarding tubers on the Otter Tail River. He urges tubers to be safe as low water has left several hazards exposed. Quittschreiber also investigated wolf depredation, littering, and boating complaints. He investigated two complaints about chemicals being dumped at a public access.

CO Bill Landmark (Pelican Rapids) spent the week investigating AIS and aquatic vegetation violations. He also attended emergency vehicle operation training at Camp Ripley. 

District 3 – Fergus Falls area

CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) focused on AIS enforcement, along with boating and fishing activity. Numerous bear sightings were reported, and lake access issues were addressed.

CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked fishermen, boaters, ATVers and OHMrs. Several calls about injured animals were taken and given to the DNR Division of Wildlife in the Fergus Falls and Glenwood offices. Osborne is working with the aquatic plant management specialist in Glenwood on scheduling APM compliance checks.

CO Brian Holt (Osakis) focused primarily on angling and boating during the week. Time also was spent on AIS compliance and public accesses. The officer has received complaints about bowfishing and rough fish left on the banks, public accesses, dumped along roads, and even discarded in a county park. Call the TIP line if you know who is responsible. 

CO Daniel Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the week were focused on checking fishermen and boaters. Additional time was spent investigating complaints about dogs chasing deer, illegal cattail removal, littering, and follow-up on a protected waters restoration order.

District 4 – Walker area

CO Colleen Adam (Park Rapids) worked on aquatic plant management issues, aquatic invasive species issues, and nuisance-animal complaints. Enforcement action was taken for no license, no license in possession, insufficient personal flotation devices, extra lines, and failure to display registration. 

CO Randy Posner (Staples) worked on aquatic invasive species prevention on Fish Trap Lake and Lake Alexander. Plugs in boats and aquatic vegetation on trailers were found. He also found people operating ATVs in camping areas and youth under 18 with no helmets at the Dower Lake Recreation Area.

CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) primarily checked boaters and anglers. A district meeting was attended that included annual training items. Aquatic plant herbicide use and personal watercraft complaints were investigated. 

District 5 – Eveleth area

CO Darrin Kittelson (International Falls) reports fishing and boating activity on Rainy Lake was limited as storms moved in during the weekend. He looked into a possible wetland violation and a previous waters violation. Wolf-depredation investigations continue in the Littlefork area.

CO John Slatinski (Ray) worked a presidential security detail with a contingent of conservation officers and officers from local, state, and federal agencies. He also assisted with a crash involving and car and UTV. 

CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports checking anglers, monitoring boating activity, and checking area forest roads. Equipment work is ongoing.

CO John Velsvaag (Cook) checked anglers and boaters this past week. Velsvaag also assisted with a couple of TIP complaints and took several calls from unhappy people regarding the new pike regulations.

CO Marc Hopkins (Tower) spent the early part of the week at training in Camp Ripley. He also assisted with security for President Donald Trump’s visit to Duluth. The rest of the week was spent patrolling Lake Vermilion. 

CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) completed a three-day BWCAW fishing patrol in the Grand Marais area. A not-so-happy ATV driver was stopped for a registration violation, and it was discovered her driver’s license was suspended. She was told to call someone to pick her up and not to drive or she would be cited again. Less than five minutes after the stop, the driver was spotted driving again, but when she spotted the officer, she tried to give him the slip. It didn’t work, and Bozovsky got the driver stopped once again and she was cited one more time. Surprisingly, she was more cordial after the officer said he was going to tow the ATV. 

CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) spoke at two ATV safety classes and one firearms safety class. 

District 6 – Two Harbors area

CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) worked mainly angling and boating inside and outside the BWCAW. Several folks were cited for fishing without licenses. Other enforcement action was taken for expired watercraft registration and no PFDs, including one individual on a nine-day solo BWCAW kayak trip. He had no flotation device and already had capsized once. 

CO Sean Williams (Ely) reports angling activity was high during the week and peaked during the weekend in spite of surprise thunderstorms and much cooler weather. 

CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) worked fishing activity and handled calls about nuisance wildlife during the week. 

CO Mary Manning (Hovland) patrolled BWCAW lakes, checking boaters and anglers. She also assisted Cook County with the removal of two people from a residence and subsequent warrant arrests.

CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) did a canoe patrol into the BWCAW, checked border lakes, and did a work detail in the Duluth Harbor.

District 7 – Grand Rapids area

CO Randy Patten (Northome) patrolled area trails, checked anglers and boaters, and enforced AIS regulations. He also handled calls regarding fishing without a license, taking “slot” fish, refusing AIS inspection, and removing emergent vegetation without a permit. 

CO Jayson Hansen (Bigfork) worked ATV activity, fishing, boating, AIS, and state forest campgrounds. He also assisted the county with various issues. He dealt with various wildlife-related complaints and wetlands violations and assisted with the apprehension of a person who stole a truck that was hooked up to a boat and trailer. 

CO Mike Fairbanks (Deer River) attended K9 trials, instructed at the CO Academy, worked the presidential security detail, checked anglers, and assisted the county with a stolen OHM case.

CO Jimmy Van Asch (Pengilly) worked boating, angling, and AIS enforcement. Van Asch also spent time preparing for a big-game case that is scheduled for trial. Enforcement action was taken for illegal-length walleyes, no angling license in possession, and several AIS violations in the area.

District 8 – Duluth area

CO Jacob Willis (Brookston) assisted with the protection detail for President Trump’s visit to Duluth. Willis also conducted boating law-enforcement efforts in the Duluth Harbor area. 

CO Andy Schmidt (Duluth) handled calls pertaining to aquatic management areas, nuisance and orphaned animals, and an ongoing trespassing complaint. 

CO Kipp Duncan (Duluth East) worked fishing and boating enforcement on area lakes. Duncan also assisted with training conservation officer candidates at Camp Ripley.  

CO Scott Staples (Carlton) attended annual testing with K9 Schody where the K9 officer was certified for working another year as a patrol dog. A call about a loon that was found possibly injured on a local road was looked into. The bird couldn’t be located. It was found out later that a concerned citizen put it back into a nearby lake after determining it was unhurt. A complaint about a tent left in a scientific and natural area was investigated. The owner was not found, and the tent was removed from the property.

Lake Superior Marine Unit

CO Keith Olson (Lake Superior Marine Unit) assisted with the presidential detail in Duluth. Marine Unit officers also worked with the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety and Security Team in the Duluth-Superior Harbor. Olson also instructed at the Conservation Officer Academy for watercraft and water survival classes. Lake Superior has been producing good catches of lake trout. Area lakes north of Duluth were worked for boating safety enforcement during the warm weather. 

CO Matt Miller (Lake Superior Marine Unit) presented watercraft operation training at the CO Academy. 

District 9 – Brainerd area

CO Jim Guida (Brainerd) worked fishing and ATV enforcement. He received a call from DNR Parks and Trails about trespass occurring on an area public water access. The adjacent landowner is suspected of storing equipment on the property.

CO Patrick McGowan (Pine River) patrolled for angling and commercial minnow-harvesting activities throughout the week. McGowan also assisted at Camp Ripley, teaching new recruits watercraft enforcement techniques. 

CO Bob Mlynar (Aitkin) worked angling, boating, ATVing, and invasive species activity. A law presentation was given at a firearms safety class. Enforcement contact was made for marijuana use, illegal removal of wild rice, and a group of three anglers who had nine illegal-length walleyes.

CO Scott Fitzgerald (CCSRA) reports assisting at the CO Academy with training new COs on boating operation. He also patrolled the CCSRA for park violations and illegal ATVing activity. Fitzgerald also checked accesses for damage and dumping, and time was spent working AIS enforcement. 

CO Karl Hadrits (Crosby) reports activity this week included patrolling fishing, boating, and ATV trail activity, the Cuyuna Country State Recreational Area, Crow Wing State Forest, and responding to issues of nuisance and injured wildlife, illegal operation of ATVs and OHMs in the state forest and recreation area, and illegal burning.

District 10 – Mille Lacs area

CO Dustie Speldrich (Willow River) patrolled complaint areas for ATV violations. She also issued nuisance-beaver permits and answered boating regulation questions. Speldrich responded to a missing inner tube rider in her partner’s station. She was canceled en route when CO Wynn located the tuber.

CO Dan Starr (Onamia) worked fishing and ATVing activities and found good compliance. A case of angler harassment was investigated. A dock owner became upset because somebody was fishing for the “family pet fish” under his dock, so he threw rocks to scare the fish. Grandkids had been feeding the large bass worms and leeches, which caused the concern. 

CO Eugene Wynn (Pine City) took calls about nuisance animals and followed up on a nuisance bear that was shot. He assisted with an AIS detail in Pine City and checked boaters and anglers in the area. Wynn also assisted the Pine County Sheriff’s Office with searching state properties for a missing person, and he assisted the sheriff’s office with the successful recovery of a missing tuber on the Snake River. The individual had gone to shore to go to the bathroom and when he came back, his tube was gone. He proceeded to float downstream near shore until officers found him. 

District 11 – St. Cloud area

CO Caleb Silgjord (Sauk Centre) spent time during the week checking anglers and monitoring boating activity. Silgjord also assisted with water safety training at the CO Academy, where the cadets’ swimming skills were put to the test. 

CO Todd VanderWeyst (Paynesville) worked angling activity and observed his first brood of pheasant chicks. 

CO Frank Rezac (St. Cloud) reports checking area lakes in Wright and Stearns counties. Good compliance of watercraft and fishing regulations was observed.

CO Keith Bertram (Long Prairie) reports several bear-related complaints were handled. One bear would not let the homeowner exit her car after she came home from work. The bear was more concerned about eating bird feed than the honking car horn. After the woman finally got into her house, the bear would not leave the deck area, prohibiting the homeowner from mowing the lawn.

District 12 – Princeton area

CO Angela Londgren (Cambridge) checked anglers, boaters, and bowfishermen. Time also was spent conducting commercial inspections and responding to complaints about animals. Several wetland and public water site visits were conducted.

CO Mike Krauel (Mora) spent the week following up on animal-related complaints and checking anglers. Krauel also worked on computer equipment and other equipment maintenance. 

CO Phil Mohs (Center City) spent the week at Camp Ripley, helping train CO candidates in boat and water operations. 

District 13 – West Metro area

CO Brent Grewe (Minnetonka) spent the week checking anglers and following up on complaints. Grewe also spoke at two water safety events for kids, assisted with training at Camp Ripley, and continued training with K9 Shelby.

CO Thephong Le (ELCOP) provided a ride-along to an individual who has graduated from college and has expressed interest in becoming a Minnesota conservation officer. 

CO Alexander Birdsall (Waconia) spent the past week monitoring boating and fishing in the station. A littering complaint was investigated involving dumped trash and furniture. The suspect’s cell phone statement in the trash led Birdsall to the offender’s house. Assistance was given to the Hennepin County Water Patrol for underage drinking enforcement on Lake Minnetonka.

CO Arnaud Kpachavi (Mound) worked with the Hennepin County Water Patrol during the weekend on an alcohol enforcement detail in which numerous alcohol-related violations were encountered. 

District 14 – East Metro area

CO Chris Tetrault (Maplewood) reports rivers and lakes have high water. The St. Croix River has no-wake regulations until the water recedes. 

CO Joe Kulhanek (Hastings) spent the week monitoring river anglers. He also spent time checking for AIS compliance at area landings and assisted county deputies with calls.

District 15 – Marshall area

CO Andrew Dirks (Worthington) spent the week checking flood conditions at area lakes and rivers due to heavy rains throughout the area. The Nobles County Sheriff’s Office has issued a slow/no wake order on Lake Okabena due to high water and debris floating in the lake. 

CO Jim Robinson (Slayton) reports a fish identification and fishing law summary workshop was taught to a group of Karen refugees in Marshall.

CO Luke Gutzwiller (Madison) spent time on an investigation involving angler trespass and forwarded information to the Nobles County Attorney’s Office regarding past enforcement action. 

District 16 – New Ulm area

CO Nicholas Klehr (Litchfield) spent most of the week at Camp Ripley, instructing officers on emergency vehicle operations. Complaints are still being taken about ATVs being operated in ditches illegally and trespassing. 

CO Eric Schettler (Fairmont) checked anglers and boaters. High water due to excessive rains in the area has prompted the sheriff to impose a slow/no wake ordinance on all lakes in Martin County. 

District 17 – Mankato area

CO Jeremy Henke (Albert Lea) spent time checking anglers and boaters. All boaters are reminded that Freeborn County lakes are under a no-wake restriction due to high water levels. Henke assisted local law enforcement with a kayak rescue, an armed robbery incident, and vehicle pursuit.

CO Chris Howe (St. Peter) reports all lakes in Le Sueur County are under a no-wake ordinance at this time. Boating on the Minnesota River is not recommended at this time. 

District 18 – Rochester area

CO Brittany Hauser (Red Wing) patrolled for ATV and fishing activity throughout the week. A wetlands complaint was followed up on, and a call regarding a car-kill bear was handled. 

CO Phil George (Rochester) spent the week checking boaters and anglers. The high water and rain kept things a little quiet at times. 

The post Minnesota Outdoor News Cuffs & Collars – June 29, 2018 appeared first on Outdoornews.

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