11/22/09 Report (Dist. 18)

[Woody]

  for the delay in posting this.

District 18 - Rochester area
11/22

CO Tyler Quandt (Red Wing) reports spending most of the week working on cases from the first deer season. The opening weekend for the second season was fairly quiet. Lots of hunters were commenting on the lack of deer movement and they attributed it to the heat and amount of corn still in the fields. Some time was also spent working shining complaints.

CO Dan McBroom (Rochester) spent the week on migratory waterfowl and deer hunting. The estimated number of geese in the Rochester is at 28,000 as of Friday. Many hunters where out taking advantage of the new birds in the area and the fields that have opened up. Hunters are having good success. 3B season deer hunters had great weather, but the comment heard most was, “Where are the deer?” Many hunters where checked and compliance was very high.

CO Mitch Boyum (Rushford) reports working the B season opener. Hunters were frustrated with the lack of deer movement. Warm weather and standing cornfields seemed to be the reason, according to hunters. Violations encountered were insufficient blaze orange, failure to validate site tag, failure to register deer and trespass. A few trappers were also out. It seems the raccoons are moving about as much as the deer as trappers and raccoon hunters are saying the going is tough.

CO Joel Heyn (Plainview) worked deer and goose hunters during the week. Hunter success was mixed. One hunter was very lucky. While sitting on stand for deer an arrow went through the hunter’s blaze orange coat sleeve and shirts. It’s unknown where the arrow came from.

CO Kevin Prodzinski (Zumbrota) reports working another very busy 3-B deer opener. Hundreds of hunters were out and most were having some success and enjoying the fantastic weather. Enforcement action including hunting deer without a license, fail to tag a deer, along with several other investigations regarding illegal deer continue. He also located 27 snow, blue, and Ross geese along with 6 drake mallard’s whole carcasses dumped near the intersection of Alta Ave. and Sciota trail in Dakota (where the bridge crosses the Cannon River). These birds were probably harvested recently in Canada or the Dakotas. Anyone with information regarding this violation is asked to call the TIP line at 1-800-652-9093

CO Scott Fritz (LaCrescent) reports the warm weather and fields of corn has once again made deer harvest a challenge. The fog on opening morning made it almost impossible to safely see and shoot a deer. Many deer were taken Sunday. Fishing has slowed down on the river. He gave a talk on invasive species. Enforcement included failure to site tag and no deer license in possession.

CO Scott Moran (Wabasha) reports the 3B opener didn’t seem to have as many hunters out as the 3A. Common complaints remain trespass and shoot from the road. Lots of questions are still coming up about law changes, especially the gun case law. One disgruntled hunter wanted to know when the shoot from the road law was changed. The Officer told him there have been no changes to the law in the 30 deer seasons the Officer has worked. Many hunters commented on the deer not being on the move. The corn harvest is going full tilt, which may make a difference as well as a predicted weather change.

Rochester #1 - vacant.