11/17/09 Report (Dist. 16-18)

[Woody]

District 16 - New Ulm area
 

CO Jim Steffen (Willmar) spent the week checking deer, pheasant and waterfowl hunters. Time was also spent checking shore fishermen and investigating a possible shoreline violation. Deer hunting has been getting better with some of the crop removal taking place. Fall fishing has also been good on some of the area lakes.

CO Eric Schettler (Fairmont) worked investigations regarding illegal deer harvest and license situations. Trespassing issues continue to plague the deer hunting trade. Officer Schettler was also interviewed for a local news paper.   

CO Wayne Hatlestad (Litchfield) checked archery and firearms deer hunting activity.  Additional time was spent checking trapping, pheasant, and waterfowl hunting activity.  Hatlestad also enforced ATV laws.

CO Angela Graham (Hutchinson) worked deer hunters, and reports seeing more deer the second half of the season. Small game hunters, trappers, anglers, and ATVs were also checked. CO Graham also worked shining activity this past week. Enforcement action and calls were taken on no license in possession, transporting loaded/uncased firearms, driving motor vehicle in WPA/WMA, no blaze orange, no PFD' s in watercraft, trespassing, dogs chasing deer, road-killed deer, wanton waste, injured deer, shooting from a MV, and littering.

CO Jeff Denz (Willmar) continued to work the firearms deer season in addition to checking anglers, bow hunters, trappers, and ATV operators. He investigated a number of baiting complaints and worked illegal shining activity. Enforcement action for the week included a number of cases involving illegal party hunting violations as well as failure to validate deer tag, transport loaded firearms, illegal possession of lead shot, ATV violations and fleeing a Peace Officer on foot.

CO Brett Oberg (Hutchinson) concentrated his efforts on the firearms deer season. Officer Oberg observed very low success rates for deer hunters in the area. Enforcement action taken for license violations. CO Oberg also spent time checking waterfowl and pheasant hunters in the area with hunters having limited success. CO Oberg answered several phone calls regarding the firearms deer season. Complaints of trespassing, shooting from the roadway and baiting were investigated. He also assisted the Hutchinson Police Department in locating a missing person.

CO Mike Gruhlke (Jackson) completed his weekly radio program with KKOJ/ KRAQ discussing topics concerning area activity, the firearms deer season, safety. Gruhlke also patrolled Jackson and Cottonwood counties working deer season, angling, pheasant, waterfowl and other small game seasons, including trapping. CO Gruhlke reports enforcement action taken for trespass and shoot from roadway at big game. Other investigations continue. Gruhlke received calls from the general public concerning the use of blaze orange, car-killed deer and driving where prohibited on SNA and WMA lands. 

CO Greg Abraham (New Ulm) worked the firearms deer season. Same results as last weekend: poor in the Ag areas, better results in the MN River valley. The CO also checked pheasant hunters, trappers, waterfowl hunters, and walleye anglers. Duck hunting results continue to be very dismal.

Windom - vacant.

District 17 - Mankato area
 

CO Corey Wiebusch (Mankato) found the latter part of the deer season to be more productive than the beginning. Many hunters found as the corn disappeared their harvest success increased. Enforcement action was taken for blaze orange violations, failure to validate license, failure to register deer, lend and borrow license violations and shining deer with a firearm in the vehicle.

CO Julie Siems (Faribault) reports working mostly big game enforcement. Several baiting investigations were conducted. Assistance was given to a local agency for an individual that fell out of a tree stand. A restoration order was given on a Wetland Conservation Act violation. Trespass complaints were also investigated. Violations included no ATV safety certificate, illegally take big game animal, felon in possession of a firearm, hunt with an invalid license, and hunting while intoxicated. 

CO Phil George (Mantorville) checked deer hunters, trappers, and few small game hunters.  Complaints of litter and illegal burning were taken. Tip complaints of illegally taken deer and hunting over baits continue. Enforcement action taken for taking big game without a license

CO Chris Howe (St. Peter) spent most of the week working deer hunting activity. Crops are coming out steadily, but there were still lots of standing crops left for deer to use for cover. Harvest seems to be down based on hunter interviews in the field. Several work details were conducted with neighboring officers. CO Howe also assisted local agencies with car-kill permits, checked waterfowl hunters, and spoke on laws and ethics at a snowmobile safety class.

CO Brent Ihnen (Waseca) spent the majority of his time patrolling for deer hunters. Harvest was lower than average for many of the groups checked, but several nice deer were seen harvested. In addition to checking deer hunters, CO Ihnen also checked fishermen, ATV operators and investigated TIP calls.

CO Tom Hutchins (Albert Lea) reports spending the majority of his time working deer hunting enforcement. Many hunter contacts were made throughout the week. Time was also spent checking trappers, pheasant hunters, and anglers. Violations encountered included multiple hunter contacts with no blaze orange, hunting with an invalid license, and hunting while intoxicated.

CO Bob Geving (Mankato) flew two station flights for baiting activity. Geving worked deer hunting activities. Informal reports from local registration stations indicated a slightly above average harvest.  Enforcement actions included transporting loaded and uncased firearms. 

Spring Valley - vacant.

District 18 - Rochester area
 

CO Dan McBroom (Rochester) spent most of the week on deer hunting. The 3A season seemed a little slower with fewer hunters and less deer seen in the bag. Goose hunting in the Rochester area is getting into full swing with most of the fields in the area harvested.  Violations included no license in possession, failure to validate site tag, unlicensed driver on roadway with ATV, trespassing, illegal party hunting, and hunt deer in Gordy Yeager WMA with a firearm. A lot of hunters were still confused about the new regulations for the 3A zone on the last two days of the season.

CO Tom Hemker (Winona) had a busy week of checking deer hunters. He investigated night hunting and a deer baiting incident, which ended in a search warrant being served. He had a hunter on an ATV with a loaded gun try to evade him but was eventually caught. Hemker also investigated a lend/borrow deer license and transport untagged deer case. A snowmobile safety class was attended in the Winona area.

CO Scott Fritz (LaCrescent) reports duck hunting remains slow. Walleye and sauger continue to bite near the dam sites. Most fields had corn standing during the firearm deer season.  Despite the warm temperatures hunters seemed have good success with many trophy does harvested. Enforcement included many trespass complaints, take deer in wrong zone, and no hunting license. He assisted on a search warrant that led to multiple suspects and violations. Best story of the week was a rare site at best. A wife hears two bucks fighting. She sees the larger buck pushing a smaller 8-point buck (about 125 inch deer). Her husband attempts to stalk the two fighting bucks. Their racks were locked together. By the time he gets to the two deer he sees the larger buck stomping and goring the 8-pointer. The larger buck leaves. He sneaks up on the 8-pointer thinking it might be knocked out. Come to find out the larger buck had killed the 8-pointer.Cause of death most likely a broken neck.

CO Tyler Quandt (Red Wing) reports spending most of the week and weekend working deer hunting and shining activity. Many hunters were thoroughly confused with the special restrictions over the last two days of the 3A season. Some time was spent assisting the Winona officer on a large deer case. Some deer hunting violations were detected.

CO Joel Heyn (Plainview) worked mainly deer hunters during the week. It was a slow end to the 3A season with fewer hunters and deer seen taken. Heyn also assisted other officers on cases. 

CO Kevin Prodzinski (Zumbrota) reports working another busy week of deer hunting enforcement with a variety of enforcement activity including unlawful shooting from a road, trespass, shining, untagged and unregistered deer and hunting while intoxicated, etc.

CO Mitch Boyum (Rushford) reports checking deer hunters in the area. Violations encountered were no big game license and trespass. Trespass complaints seem to be up this year compared to last year. CO Boyum assisted neighboring COs on a baiting case and over-limit case for deer. A few trappers were out having some success, as were raccoon hunters.

CO Scott Moran (Wabasha) reports a busy week of deer season that wound down through the weekend. Time was spent working with other District 18 officers on some interesting cases. One involved a search of a residence resulting in several illegally taken deer discovered. A reminder is needed that the state trails in SE MN were closed as of the end of October since users have been found on both the motorized and horse trails.

Rochester #1 - vacant.