11/22/09 Report (Dist. 1-5)

[Woody]

  for the delay in posting these.

District 1 - Baudette area
11/22


CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked deer hunters throughout the week. Information was received of a vehicle driving around the Wannaska area with 8 untagged deer in the back. Anybody with information is urged to call Turn in Poachers (TIP) at 800-652-9093. CO Huener also assisted arson investigators in Kittson County. People are reminded to obtain burning permits.

CO Larry Milbridge (Warroad) spent the week checking deer hunters and anglers on the Rainy River. The nice weather brought anglers out but fishing success was poor. Numerous trespass complaints were investigated. Enforcement action was taken for angling, boating safety and trespass violations.

CO Jeff Birchem (Baudette) continued follow-up on investigations from the firearms deer season. Enforcement action was taken on shooting from roadway, trespassing, and wanton waste.

CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls) continued to perform investigations on cases handled during the firearms deer season. He attended the Marshall County Community Health and Hobby fair where he displayed pelts of mammals of Minnesota and talked to participants about firearm safety. He conducted an interview with a reporter from the Grand Forks Herald concerning violations encountered during the deer season and answered injured deer complaints.

CO Keith Backer (Blackduck) continued working deer season activity and handled several additional complaints illegal trail use and trespassing. Trapping activity was monitored. CO Backer assisted the US Forest Service with illegal stand and tree cutting activity. A complaint of a dog killing domestic animals was received. Enforcement action was taken for operating a motor vehicle on a closed trail.

CO Brice Vollbrecht (Blackduck) reports a slow week for deer hunters. Very few deer hunters were seen in the field and the hunters that were checked reported seeing few deer. One night a vehicle was observed where the occupants were conducting shining activity. After watching the activity for a period of time CO Vollbrecht apprehended one of the men in a field with a freshly killed deer that had been shined and shot. CO Vollbrecht later apprehended the other suspect that was driving the vehicle. Both men were booked into jail for gross misdemeanor shining charges.

CO Robert Gorecki (Baudette) monitored hunting and fishing activity throughout the week. Deer hunting success continued to be lower than last year, with many hunters seeing very few deer. Numerous complaints were handled including trespassing, shooting from the road, property disputes, baiting, and shining. A work detail was worked on the Rainy River with CO Milbridge. Enforcement action taken during the week included hunting, fishing, and boating violations.

Karlstad - vacant.



Warroad #2 - vacant.



District 2 - Bemidji area
11/22

CO Stuart Bensen (Erskine) continues to investigate complaints from the firearms deer season. Trespass is the most common complaint, and most involve property line location issues. Contacting a surveyor was recommended several times. Grouse hunters and walleye anglers are having some success.

CO Dan Malinowski (Fosston) investigated trespass, taking deer after the season closed, and altering a waterway complaint. Complaints from the firearm deer season are being worked. The officer assisted other law enforcement officer in the search for a missing aircraft.

CO Tim Gray (Bagley) utilized a deer decoy in several complaint areas. Trespass and litter complaints were investigated.

CO Stacey Sharp (Bemidji) checked deer hunters during the final days of the Zone 1 Firearm Deer Season. Complaints of trespass, deer shining, shooting from the road, and wanton waste were investigated. Fewer numbers of deer hunters were out and very few deer appear to have been taken during the final days of the season. Some deer tagging and license validation issues were addressed.

CO Chris Vinton (Perham) spoke to a Youth Snowmobile Safety Class regarding laws, safety, and riding ethics. Complaints from the deer season are being investigated. Mild weather has allowed anglers to continue to pursue walleyes from boats.

CO Phil Seefeldt (Moorhead) investigated shooting from the road, trespass, and using a rifle in the shotgun zone complaints. One group was found illegal party hunting and admitted to doing it for several years.

CO Joe Stattelman (Detroit Lakes) continues to follow-up on complaints and TIP Calls from the deer season. The officer assisted with the search for a missing aircraft located in Clearwater County. He also assisted with a wildfire arson investigation in Roseau, Kittson, and Marshall counties.

CO Al Peterson (Osage) responded to calls of deer hit and injured by vehicles, and three dogs fighting with a bear. The bear was gone on arrival and the dogs appeared to be unharmed. The officer assisted with the search for a missing aircraft in Clearwater County.

CO Gary Forsberg (Pelican Rapids) investigated complaints and violations from the firearm deer season. He assisted North Dakota Game and Fish Officer with an investigation involving an over limit of deer in ND by a Minnesota resident. Angling and waterfowl hunting activity was monitored. There are few ducks in the area.



District 3 - Fergus Falls area
11/22

CO Troy Richards (Fergus Falls) investigated complaints from the firearm deer season. Waterfowl hunters, pheasant hunters, trappers, and walleye anglers were checked. The Canada goose numbers in the area are good but duck numbers are low.

CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) checked pheasant and waterfowl hunters. There are few ducks in the area. Complaints of trespass, carcasses dumped, and illegal trapping were investigated.

CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) continues to investigate complaints related to the firearms deer season. Trappers, pheasant hunters, and waterfowl hunters were checked. The officer worked with a bank regarding a lien release for a boat forfeited from a boating while intoxicated case.

CO Mike Shelden (Alexandria) checked anglers, pheasant hunters, and waterfowl hunters. Complaints from the firearm deer season continue to be investigated. Duck numbers in the area remain low. Snowmobile Safety Classes will begin soon in Alexandria,

CO Jeff Johanson (Osakis) continues to investigate complaints from the firearms deer season. One complaint involved a husband filling his wife’s deer tag while she was at work. Johanson assisted another officer regarding a turkey being shot out-of-season. Pheasant hunters, waterfowl hunters, archery deer hunters, trappers, and anglers were checked.

CO Daniel Baumbarger (Wheaton) reports some success by pheasant hunters as the corn is being harvested. Duck numbers remain low in the area. Shooting from a motor vehicle, trespass, and deer baiting complaints were investigated. The officer appeared in court regarding a minnow case and taking a turkey without a license case.

CO Tony Anderson (Morris) checked pheasant and waterfowl hunters. Pheasant activity is increasing as the corn harvest continues. Duck numbers remain low in the area. The officer spoke to a Youth Snowmobile Safety Class about laws, safety, and riding ethics. Complaints and violations from the firearms deer season continue to be investigated, including a Hunting While Intoxicated case.

CO Kurt Nelson (Glenwood) reports some pheasant hunting in the area, but numbers of hunters and birds are lower than normal. Waterfowl hunting and numbers are almost nonexistent. Some trappers are out.



District 4 - Wadena area
11/22

CO Paul Parthun (Lake George) handled complaints of illegal ATV operation, deer shining, deer baiting, hunter harassment, and firearms hunters on a closed game refuge. Officer Parthun also assisted the Clearwater County Sheriff’s Department with locating the site of a plane crash and worked with the BCA and prosecuting attorneys on pending cases. Enforcement action included transporting loaded firearms, operating ATVs on a non-motorized trail, and hunting in a closed game refuge.

CO Sam Hunter (Park Rapids) checked deer hunters during the Zone 1 firearm deer season. She investigated a complaint of trespassing. Officer Hunter also received complaints of an injured deer and a deer carcass being dumped.

CO Greg Oldakowski (Wadena) conducted follow up investigations after the rifle season and reports some upcoming activity likely during the muzzleloader season. A few waterfowl hunters are still out trying their luck, with limited success. Trappers for the most part pulled their traps during the firearms deer season, and will likely have them back out soon. Officer Oldakowski received a nuisance beaver complaint. The landowner was referred to a local trapper who will be able to help him out.

CO Gary Sommers (Walker) focused on big game hunting activity. He also received two complaints of dressed deer carcasses being dumped, assisted the Longville CO with a complaint of trespass/shooting from the road, and checked on a report of bait being used. The bait was determined to be salt blocks. Officer Sommers assisted the Cass County Sheriff’s Department on a call which involved the threatened use of weapons, received a complaint of someone cutting a bog apart on Leech Lake, and received a TIP call regarding boats fishing at night without using navigation lights. Officer Sommers also continued enforcement efforts related to on-going violations of trespass, deer being shot from roads, and ATV’s operating during closed hours.

CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) continued to check deer hunters in the area. He continued to investigate deer baiting and shining complaints. Officer Mathy also took calls regarding trap tampering, an injured eagle, and nuisance beavers.

CO Larry Francis (Remer) reports that deer season issues still abound. He completed follow-up investigation on a trespass complaint and several instances of shooting from roadway. Officer Francis also answered questions related to the deer season and prepared summer equipment for off-season storage.

CO Duke Broughten (Longville) continued to monitor deer hunting activity. Deer hunting activity in the Longville area increased during the last weekend of the regular firearms season. Overall, deer hunting success was down from last year with registration numbers down about 100 deer in Longville. CO Broughten assisted the Cass County Sheriff’s Office with a warrant arrest of an individual charged with felon in possession of a firearm. CO Broughten also responded and assisted with the evacuation of an elderly individual who fell from his deer stand. Enforcement action was taken on operating a class 1 ATV on the roadway, failing to validate a site tag, and shining.

CO Jeff Halverson (Staples) worked deer hunting complaints and investigated complaints of deer carcasses being dumped along road ditches during the last week. He received many complaints of beaver activity resulting in flooded farmland, exacerbated by high water levels. He assisted the Staples Police Department with an ATV accident investigation.



District 5 - Eveleth area
11/22

CO Darrin Kittelson (International Falls) reports the last weekend of firearms deer season as being busy with just as many people being in the field as opening weekend. CO Kittelson worked with CO Pilot Buchert and CO Steen. Enforcement action was taken for operation of ATV during closed hours, borrow/lend licenses, illegal party hunting, and shooting from road right-of-way at deer decoy.

CO Lloyd Steen (Ray/Kabetogama) worked the last week of the firearms deer season patrolling roads and checking deer camps. Most hunters were pretty discouraged in the area for lack of deer numbers seen and harvested, but the unseasonable weather was enjoyed by many. He worked a detail with CO Kittelson where some local hunters were cited for shooting rifles from a public roadway.

CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports monitoring angling and ATV activities, while deer hunting activities continue. Administrative tasks and equipment work continues. Litter was a common sight over the week, on the roads, in the ditch, under deer stands, at parking areas etc.

CO Brad Schultz (Cook) reports the firearms deer season came to a rather quiet close. Harvest numbers appear to be down. Most hunters report not seeing many deer, however lots of wolves. Anglers continue to catch walleyes and muskies.

CO Dan Starr (Tower) fielded numerous complaints over the week about wolf populations. Deer hunter frustrations were fielded about not seeing deer. Media interviews were completed. Complaints of deer hide drop boxes, that are not MN Deer Hunter Association related, were looked into. Apparently, somebody is collecting deer hides for personal profit. Deer hide donators should be aware of this and look for MDHA boxes if they wish to see the hides go for habitat.

CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) worked the myriad of complaints that were generated during the last week of the deer gun season. One included a person shooting a deer out the window of a vehicle on posted land. Enforcement action was taken on fail to validate deer site tag, burning prohibited materials, no small game license in possession and operate a motor vehicle on a state trail.

CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) observed the 2009 rifle deer season come to a close with some very unethical and disturbing hunter behavior seen. Some hunters resorted to road hunting. One particular stretch of road saw more 15-20 mph vehicle traffic in one afternoon than it would see all year. Most of those vehicles were seen multiple times driving up and down the same roads all afternoon. CO Frericks received a TIP call concerning one of those particular vehicles. The hunter shot at two deer from the road and when he was approached by the TIP caller he quickly left the area. CO Frericks stopped the vehicle a short time later. The hunter was still transporting a loaded rifle and admitted to shooting at the deer. After a State Patrol Trooper arrived on scene the hunter was arrested for DWI. Enforcement action was taken on other hunters for trespassing and hunting deer over a baited area.

CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) received a call that a male and female shot a deer off a posted field. The homeowner was able to take a picture of the two and truck and relay license information. Vehicle was located with the male inside the truck reading the trespass laws; he stated he was trying to figure them out. He was arrested for an outstanding warrant and the female who beamed this was a first deer was charged and the deer seized. Fredin also spent some time out on the lake and saw musky fishermen and a few walleye fishermen.

I. Falls # 2 - vacant.