MInnesota Cuffs & Collars

[Lee Borgersen]

MInnesota Cuffs & Collars  - April 13th, 2012


District 1 – Baudette area
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) investigated and took enforcement action on an individual who started a non-permitted fire that got out of control.
CO Larry Milbridge (Warroad) spent the week checking anglers, ATVers, invasive species, and illegal fires.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls) taught the law and ethics portion of the firearms safety class in Argyle and spoke to members of the Argyle Sportsmen’s Club regarding new regulations and gray wolf delisting.
CO Angie Warren (Thief River Falls) checked angling activity on area rivers. The public is reminded that it is illegal to target fish, including walleyes and northern pike, during a closed season, even if they are caught and released.
CO Keith Backer (Blackduck) reports assistance was provided to the sheriff’s department with a boating accident on Clearwater Lake.
CO Robert Gorecki (Baudette) reports fire danger continues to be high due to dry fuels and high winds.

District 2 – Bemidji area
CO Tim Gray (Bagley) attended Use of Force instructor training. Gray assisted other law enforcement officers with an overturned sail boat and multiple drownings on Clearwater Lake.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji) monitored spring fish run activity. Anglers and ATVers were checked.
CO Chris Vinton (Perham) checked anglers pursuing suckers on several rivers. AIS boat stickers were handed out, and the number of calls about AIS laws has increased.
CO Phil Seefeldt (Moorhead) reports a complaint of shooting too close to a residence resulted in charges against two juveniles for shooting muskrats, geese, and turkeys during the closed season, and shooting from a motor vehicle. Seefeldt assisted Lake of the Woods officers with an investigation of a fish house left on the ice after the removal deadline.
CO Joe Stattelman (Detroit Lakes) reports several burning complaints and TIP calls were investigated. Two wildfire arson investigations are under way.

District 3 – Fergus Falls area
CO Troy Richards (Fergus Falls) reports anglers are pursuing panfish and getting out in their boats. Time was spent checking anglers, beaver trappers, monitoring the fish run, and enforcing forestry regulations.
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) received calls regarding nuisance beavers, goose depredation, and sandhill cranes.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) responded to calls about incidentally taken otters, double-tripping, overlimits, and burning. There have been numerous calls from area boat owners and watercraft-related businesses asking where they can get copies of the new AIS boating sticker.
CO Daniel Baumbarger (Wheaton) checked fishermen and ATV operators, monitored the fish run, and checked boaters for AIS compliance.
CO Tony Anderson (Morris) focused enforcement efforts on invasive species laws, boating safety equipment checks, anglers and ATV operators. AIS checks were continued at Lake Minnewaska access sites

District 4 – Wadena area
CO Paul Parthun (Lake George) investigated a wolf depredation complaint and checked commercial leeching activity. He also worked on an active trapping case and monitored ATV and fire activity. Officer Parthun checked public accesses, wildlife management areas, and trout lakes.
CO Sam Hunter (Park Rapids) checked fishermen and ATV operators during the week. She assisted the sheriff’s department regarding a call about farm equipment that had rolled over and was blocking the road. CO Hunter also received a number of trapping complaints that remain under investigation.
CO Greg Oldakowski (Wadena) attended in-service training. He also investigated a wetlands case involving the digging of a ditch across several tracts of land, resulting in the issuance of citations and a cease and desist order. CO Oldakowski also assisted with suppression of a large wildfire, the cause yet to be determined, and a firearms safety class.
CO Gary Sommers (Walker) received many questions and comments regarding an early fishing opener and wolf-hunting concerns.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) continued to check a few anglers targeting perch and crappies. He also assisted Division of Waters staff with an inspection of an alteration case on Leech Lake and followed up on a timber trespass case with a U.S. Forest Service officer. Officer Mathy also monitored streams and rivers for illegal activity associated with the spring walleye run.
CO Larry Francis (Remer) reports spring beaver trapping continues with several more accidentally caught otters turned in. He encountered a logger’s feller-buncher on its side and notified the logger. He learned from the logger that it was an act of vandalism.
CO Duke Broughten (Longville) spent the week monitoring spring trapping and angling activity. CO Broughten also investigated a wildfire and monitored spring fish run activity.
CO Shane Siltala (Water Resource Enforcement officer) spent time with invasive species enforcement around the Alexandria chain of lakes. He also assisted a local Soil and Water Conservation District with a wetlands violation and assisted with a large grass fire south of Nimrod.

District 5 – Eveleth area
CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports monitoring outdoor activities, checking forest roads, and monitoring public access sites.
CO Brad Schultz (Cook) reports the Minnesota State Patrol was assisted with a call.
CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) worked trapping, ATV, and other spring activities. The officer taught a wildlife identification class to the COC’s at the conservation officer academy at Camp Ripley.
CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) monitored area streams and rivers for spring fish run activity. Numerous ATVers and OHMers were stopped, with enforcement action being taken on the parents of juvenile operators. A moose that was running around in the production area of a local mine had to be destroyed after it fell down a steep bank and ended up in a rocky ditch. The moose was transported to St. Paul and turned over to researchers.

District 6 – Two Harbors area
CO Marty Stage (Ely) spent time working ATVers and checking early fishermen. Many complaints have come in about early illegal fishing activity that people have observed.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) checked anglers and trappers, and installed radios in boats. He took enforcement action for no fishing license.
CO Dan Thomasen (Two Harbors) continued to monitor fish run activities along North Shore rivers as well as inland creeks and rivers. CO Thomasen also attended a high school health fair that’s held annually and alternates between Two Harbors and Silver Bay high schools. Students were able to ask questions about DNR safety training programs and had access to their choice of training DVDs and literature. CO Thomasen also spent a day assisting the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department in searching for a child who had been abducted by his father. The pair was found several days later by deputies.

District 7 – Grand Rapids area
CO Mike Fairbanks (Deer River) checked anglers, spoke to Deer River High School civics classes about tribal and state angling laws, spoke to Grand Rapids High School fisheries and wildlife classes about being a conservation officer and conservation methods, worked the smelt run in the Grand Rapids station, and monitored trapping activity.
Water Resource Enforcement Officer Tony Arhart (Grand Rapids) continued working aquatic invasive species enforcement efforts at Rainy River, with citations issued for transporting watercraft with plugs in.
CO Randy Patten (Northome) checked anglers and commercial leech trappers, patrolled for ATV activity, performed invasives checks, and investigated a wolf-livestock depredation complaint.
CO Sarah Sindelir (Grand Rapids) spent time entering bear bait registration data. She also took a phone call concerning smelting.

District 8 – Duluth area
CO Jeff Humphrey (Cromwell) worked fire and angling enforcement throughout the week . CO Humphrey patrolled in the Blackhoof WMA and Fond du Lac State Forest where spring road and trail closures are in effect. CO Humphrey also followed up on a wolf depredation complaint. CO Humphrey, along with other District 8 officers, assisted the BCA and the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department with the search of a remote area.
CO Andy Schmidt (Brookston) followed up on complaints about ATVers trespassing and operating in wetlands.
CO Kipp Duncan (Duluth) continued to work the spring fish run in Lake Superior area tributaries. Some invasive species education and burning violations were worked during the week.
CO Randy Hanzal (Duluth) reports several trash-dumping incidents were reported and investigated.
Water Resource Enforcement Officer Mike Scott (Northeast Region) attended lake service provider training in Grand Marias. A restoration order was issued to a party in the Ely area regarding some Wetland Conservation Act violations in conjunction with a public waters violation. Information about a public waters violation and aquatic plant management restoration order were requested by an attorney for the responsible party. The request was forwarded to the St. Paul office for action.
Lake Superior Marine Unit
CO Matt Miller (Lake Superior Marine Unit) worked issues surrounding the spring rainbow trout run. Anglers were checked along the shore and in rivers. Parking and overnight mooring violations were addressed at area public accesses. Several TIP calls were received regarding rather flagrant violations  pertaining to migrating steelhead. However, in some cases the caller waited to report the violations until he watched it happen for two or three days. When officers received the information and worked the complaint, the suspects were gone. Please call the TIP line immediately to report violations.

District 9 – Brainerd area
CO Nikki Shoutz (Pine River) reports a dead eagle with a sucker clutched in its talons was found on the shoreline of the Pine River. Foul play is not suspected, and it appears the bird may have dived into the high wire while fishing.
CO Jim Guida (Brainerd) received a conviction notice regarding a case from last fall in which an individual cleared an area of state land – in the process destroying numerous hand-planted trees – for a food plot. The individual was sentenced to pay $686.71 in fines and restitution for the damage that was done.
CO Tim Collette (Pequot Lakes) saw many people out on ATVs after the seasonal closure in the Foothills State Forest was lifted. The officer spent time answering questions at the TIP booth at the Outdoor Expo in Brainerd.

District 10 – Mille Lacs area
CO Dustie Heaton (Willow River) investigated trap thefts and incidentally trapped otters.  Heaton followed up on an ATV violation in which the officer observed an individual operating an ATV on a non-motorized state bike trail. The operator later was located and received a citation for the illegal operation and no ATV registration. Heaton received a report regarding a local lake with hundreds of dead fish. The information was forwarded to DNR Fisheries staff. Other calls included possible public waters violations and a request for assistance with planning an ATV ride for a fund-raiser.
CO Mike Lee (Isle) received a complaint from an individual reporting a dozen traps being stolen from different locations. The theft information was turned over to the Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Department. Officer Lee also assisted in monitoring netting and spearing activities on Mille Lacs Lake by tribal members.
CO Eugene Wynn (Pine City) followed up on wetland and waters complaints throughout the week. He also spent time checking anglers and monitoring state forest activities.
CO Scott Fitzgerald (Malmo) reports monitoring tribal netting on Lake Mille Lacs. The officer also did some follow-up on a fishing complaint.

District 11 – St. Cloud area
CO Keith Bertram (Sauk Centre) spent the week checking anglers and trappers. CO Bertram also tagged minnow traps for a bait harvester to use in infested waters.
CO Paul Kuske (Pierz) reports continued monitoring of walleye-spawning areas. CO Kuske also assisted with instruction at the conservation officer academy.
CO Brian Mies (Annandale) checked anglers. CO Mies attended radiological training in St. Paul.
CO Robert Haberman (Little Falls) checked anglers on local lakes and rivers. CO Haberman also conducted AIS enforcement and met with county officials regarding ATV issues.
CO Mike Martin (St. Cloud) checked ATV and OHM operators, as well as anglers and watercraft operators, during the week. A suspect’s wife called CO Martin to ask that several fishing poles be returned to the offender. Officer Martin seized the rods and reels as evidence when the suspect was observed angling with too many lines.

District 12 – Princeton area
CO Tony Musatov (Sauk Rapids) checked anglers and boaters. TIP calls were received regarding walleyes taken out of season, overlimits of panfish, and extra lines.
CO Angela Londgren (Princeton) continued to follow up on trapping cases as well as several wetland violations. Officer Londgren also issued commercial permits/tags, assisted at fires, checked anglers, and received calls about nuisance animals.
CO Mitch Sladek (Big Lake) followed up on a complaint about an illegally shot deer, which resulted in summonses and written warnings issued.
CO Todd Langevin (Center City) assisted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in searching for a suspect that had assaulted a deputy.
CO Brian Dobbick (Cambridge) worked anglers on area lakes and rivers throughout the week. A public waters violation was investigated.

District 13 – West Metro area
CO Steve Walter (Waconia) investigated litter and encroachment onto the Luce Line State Trail. Anglers were checked all week having good success. Three teenage girls were out on Lake Waconia on a paddle boat when it started sinking. Luckily, they were wearing their life jackets since they had to swim 300 yards to shore in 51-degree water. They were all taken to the hospital for treatment of possible hypothermia.
CO Tony Salzer (Osseo) patrolled Hennepin County for angling activity. Officer Salzer also investigated the illegal online sale of fish and investigated the dumping of freshly cut logs into the Mississippi River in Champlin. Enforcement action was taken.
CO Jackie Glaser (Mound) checked fishermen on area lakes. She responded to several TIP calls about people taking bass out of season.
CO Aaron Kahre (Minnetonka) worked with a local police department regarding the possible poisoning of animals.
CO Thor Nelson (Bloomington) investigated complaints about solid waste and the theft of state property.
CO Thephong Le (ELCOP) received a distress phone call regarding a boater stranded on the Minnesota River. Upon arrival, the CO located two people in a beached boat on the river bank. CO Le transported one individual back to his truck to get a battery pack, and also transported him back to the boat.

District 14 – East Metro area
CO Jason Jensen (Metro WREO) issued a cease and desist order and issued a citation for failing to obtain a landowner statement before performing work in a wetland. This is a requirement for contractors before working in wetland areas.
CO Vuthy Pril (ELCOP) checked anglers around some of the metro lakes and rivers. Violations found included fishing without a fishing license, fishing with extra lines, attempting to take fish during the closed season, and no fishing license in possession.

District 15 – Marshall area
CO Matt Loftness (Marshall) worked fishing, boating, ATV, and invasive species enforcement. Complaints continue to be worked regarding taking walleyes and northerns out of season. An initial game farm inspection was done in the vacant Redwood Falls station, and an accidentally trapped otter was seized. Assistance was given to the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office and Marshall Police Department with a suspect that fled into a field and was apprehended.
CO Gary Nordseth (Worthington) issued numerous out-of-state minnow transport permits throughout the week. Numerous questions were fielded regarding the required AIS sticker on watercraft.
CO Jim Robinson (Slayton) spent the week checking ATVers and anglers. Use of force instructor training was attended.
CO Ed Picht (Montevideo) reports a spring beaver trapper set traps on about 15 miles of the Minnesota River. This generated multiple complaints, because landowners frequent the river with their dogs. The traps were inspected and all were in the water.
CO Doug Lage (Marshall) reports ATV activity is picking up, with some registration problems. Norwegian Creek Campground in Lincoln County has passed an ordinance that ATVs no longer are allowed in the campgrounds.

District 16 – New Ulm area
CO Jim Steffen (Willmar) spent the week checking fishermen and ATV and OHM riders, and working spring fish-run activity. Lots of complaints are coming in related to ATV activity on the roadways and people keeping out-of-season fish.
CO Mike Gruhlke (Jackson) checked area anglers, enforced ATV laws, and discussed invasive species with folks. Assistance was provided to Jackson County with a fire (hay bales).
CO Eric Schettler (Fairmont) responded to several locations due to individuals burning areas while high winds were blowing.
CO Wayne Hatlestad (Litchfield) checked angling and boating activity. Additional time was spent checking for and advising boaters and anglers about invasive species.

District 17 – Mankato area
CO Chris Howe (St. Peter) assisted in the DNR booth at the Mankato career fair. A trespass complaint and a complaint about dogs chasing deer were investigated.
CO Brent Ihnen (Waseca) patrolled his station for fishing, boating, and ATV activity. Officer Ihnen also assisted with inter-agency standby regarding a local WMA burn.
CO Julie Siems (Faribault) reports working mostly angling enforcement. The laws and ethics portion of a firearms safety class was instructed.
CO Tom Hutchins (Albert Lea) checked anglers. Time also was spent checking watercraft and ATV operators. A presentation was given to the Fountain Lake Sportsmen’s Club about AIS laws.

District 18 – Rochester area
CO Tom Hemker (Winona) investigated complaints about trespass, taking fish in closed areas, snagging fish, an overloaded boat, taking minnows in a closed area, and operating ATVs and OHMs in a closed area. Hemker found a person fishing without a license and eventually found he also had a felony warrant for his arrest.
CO Mitch Boyum (Rushford) reports checking anglers in the area. Violations encountered included no license in possession and angling with extra lines.
CO Phil George (Rochester) checked anglers and ATV operators throughout the week. He took complaints about treestands left in WMAs and a dog caught in a beaver trap. The dog was successfully released from the trap and was reunited with its owner. He also attended the Minnesota Coon Hunters Association’s youth dog show competition and hunt.
CO Tyler Quandt (Red Wing) reports checking anglers and doing AIS checks. Time also was spent investigating a waters complaint and wrapping up the last deer case from the 2011 deer season. Some fishing and invasive species violations were detected.