Weekly conservation report

[Lee Borgersen]

   Weekly Conservation Officer's report

District 2 - Bemidji area
Last updated: 2017-10-16

CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports spending time checking waterfowl hunters and archery deer hunters. Time was also spent contacting anglers, small game hunters, and bear hunters. Possession permits for deer were issued and commercial minnow activity was monitored.

 CO Tim Gray (Bagley) checked waterfowl and bow hunters. He also took a trespass and litter complaint.

 CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji #1) monitored angling activity on area lakes. CO Vollbrecht checked several limits of walleye and observed a good crappie bite on small area lakes. Officer Vollbrecht checked grouse and waterfowl hunters seeing mixed results. The woods were busy over the weekend with people preparing for the upcoming firearms deer season. Time was also spent working a detail on Leech Lake.

 CO Brian Holt (Bemidji #2) worked big and small game hunting during the week. CO Holt checked recreational vehicle activity in the Mississippi Headwaters State Forest. Time was also spent following up on complaints involving hunter harassment and trespassing.

 CO Al Peterson (Osage) attended a firearm safety class and spoke to kids about laws and ethics. He also checked small game hunters and followed up on complaints of wolf damage and shining.

 CO Angie Warren (Detroit Lakes) spent time on small game and waterfowl hunting activity. Hunters reported more diving ducks and better visibility in the woods. Archery hunting activity was worked. Pheasant opener was worked with most hunters finding a bird or two. Follow up on open cases continued. A car kill deer permit was issued. Angling and boating activity was worked. AIS compliance was also worked and water fowlers are reminded to clean their watercraft.

 CO Bill Landmark (Pelican Rapids) spent the week monitoring waterfowl hunting, pheasant hunting, deer baiting, and angling in the Pelican Rapids and Moorhead stations. Assistance was given to a neighboring officer with an interview and a search warrant. Calls from the public included requests for wildlife possession permits, nuisance beaver problems, and other miscellaneous wildlife calls. Pheasant hunters were out in full force on opening weekend with most everyone at least seeing a rooster or two, though the officer saw very few birds in hunter?s bags. Pheasant hunting should improve later in the year as there are still a lot of standing crops. Enforcement action was taken for hunting pheasants without a small game license.

 Fosston vacant.

 Pelican Rapids vacant.

District 9 - Brainerd area
Last updated: 2017-10-16

CO Eric Sullivan (Pequot Lakes) investigated a report of a subject transporting water from an area lake. The subject was located and cited for failure to drain water related equipment. CO Sullivan also investigated big game violations and assisted with area firearms and ATV training.

 CO Tim Collette (Crosslake) checked fall anglers where many nice walleyes were seen, monitored AIS issues at boat landings, checked many grouse hunters, and worked areas of deer shining complaints. Assistance was also given at a multi-vehicle accident.

 CO Karl Hadrits (Crosby) worked shining and baiting complaints, checked fishermen, small game, turkey, waterfowl, and archery deer hunters, assisted local law enforcement, responded to nuisance bear and beaver issues, CWD feeding ban issues, and numerous questions, complaints, and permitting associated with the upcoming firearms deer season.

 CO Amber Ladd (McGregor) contacted several waterfowl hunters this week as well as anglers. She patrolled ATV activity and had contact with several juveniles who were not wearing helmets, did not have ATV safety, or were operating in areas they were not permitted to be. CO Ladd also received reports of ATVs on sections of snowmobile trails.

 CO Patrick McGowan (Pine River) patrolled for angling and waterfowl hunting throughout the week. Waterfowl hunters are reporting very limited success with the warmer temperatures. Enforcement action was taken for numerous fishing and waterfowl hunting violations.

 CO Bob Mlynar (Aitkin) worked waterfowl, grouse, and archery deer hunters. A deer baiting case is under investigation. Time was also spent training.

 Cuyuna SRA vacant.

District 8 - Duluth area
Last updated: 2017-10-16

CO Andy Schmidt (Duluth West) followed up on numerous nuisance bear complaints along with other various animal complaints. A hunter harassment complaint was investigated and trespassing complaints were handled. Baiting complaints have begun along with shining issues. ATV use permits were issued and questions about the upcoming deer season were handled. TIP complaints regarding illegal waterfowl were investigated.

 CO Kipp Duncan (Duluth East) investigated trespass complaints and checked small game, waterfowl, and deer hunters. Officer Duncan also spent time working with the area DNR Hydrologist on a waters complaint.

 CO Scott Staples (Carlton) worked the TIP Wall of Shame display at an outdoors expo in Moose Lake. K9 Schody was used to help check a DNR building where the door was open and it was believed to be a possible break in. The building was cleared and re-secured after nobody was found inside. Lots of hunting and recreational vehicle activity to report over this past week with enforcement action taken for hunting bear in the wrong zone, operating in closed area, and ATV and OHM registration violations. Patrols continue in Jay Cooke State Park with the busy fall season. Numerous enforcement contacts were made for no vehicle permits and having dogs off leash. A trespass complaint was received and is currently under investigation


District 10 - Mille Lacs area
Last updated: 2017-10-16

CO Gregory Verkuilen (Garrison) checked hunting activity which started to pick up as the weather cools off and leaves are coming down. Anglers were still out and some may be doing too well with their fall bite. CO Verkuilen also issued car kill tags and monitored ATV complaint areas.
 CO Scott Fitzgerald ( Malmo)reports working small and big game hunters. A few grouse hunters were having some luck but most reported a lot of cover yet for the birds. A few waterfowl hunters were out and some birds were seen in the area. Patrol was done in the Solana State Forest for ATV and hunting activity and many outdoor law related questions were fielded throughout the week. Watercraft were monitored for AIS as many parties were pulling their boats out of the water for the season. A call was received of a dead eagle and the bird was picked up and transported to the Garrison Vet Clinic so it could be transferred to Rapture Center. The Officer also assisted a local agency with a call for service.
 CO Dustie Speldrich (Willow River) spent the week checking small game hunters. She received a call of a bow killed deer that was left to rot on state property without any of the meat being harvested. CO Speldrich completed a trespass investigation where gravel was taken from state property and a litter/dumping investigation. She answered many questions regarding feeding deer, hunting over bait and what is considered bait. Just because a store sells it, doesn?t mean it?s legal to hunt over it. Please read the ingredient list on all deer feed.
 CO Dan Starr (Onamia) worked on small game, fishing, and deer season items. Assistance was given on a shining case and a reported dead wolf was investigated that turned out to be a dog. Beaver complaints continue to come in with high water levels. Hunters were found to be prepping their stands for the upcoming deer firearms season.
 CO Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley) checked hunters during the final days of bear season. Several cases were finished up with enforcement action taken for hunting over unregistered bear baits, unsigned bear baits, transporting untagged bear, and failing to validate site tag. Waterfowl hunters were also checked along with large numbers of small game hunters that were out looking for squirrels and grouse.
 CO Eugene Wynn (Pine City) spent time answering questions about trespassing and baiting deer. He followed up on WMA complaints and assisted the Pine County Sheriff's department on traffic stops and a complaint of dogs being stolen from local residents.
 CO Luke Croatt (Wealthwood) checked small game, waterfowl, and archery deer hunters. A few more hunters were seen chasing grouse with fair success. Time was also spent checking ATV riders on the Soo Line trail system.

District 11 - St. Cloud area
Last updated: 2017-10-16

CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) made contact with a hunter dog training on a WMA. The hunter was warned that the rules are that dogs must be kept under control of the hunter and it is illegal to allow them to run on private neighboring property. A duck hunter was educated about the baiting laws for waterfowl hunting on the pond in their back field. All feed must be gone ten days prior to hunting the area to be legal. CO Kuske is finding a number of ATV operators ages 18 to 28 that have not taken ATV safety training. Then when they do take the training they fail to complete the certification process where they have to pay and print their certificate.

 CO Caleb Silgjord (Sauk Centre) spent time checking waterfowl and pheasant hunters. A district meeting was attended and a background investigation was completed. A few new ducks have moved into the area but few hunters were seen. The pheasant opener was worked but few hunters and even fewer birds were seen.

 CO Chad Thesing (Albany) worked pheasant opener in Stearns County. Action was slow as far as birds in the bag. Time was spent working deer hunters, anglers, and duck hunters. Hunter harassment complaints were taken as well as trespass issues. Deer shining activity was monitored in complaint areas.

 CO Frank Rezac (St. Cloud) reports investigating trespass complaints and a case involving taking protected species. Pheasant and waterfowl hunters were also checked in the Annandale and St. Cloud stations. Numerous calls regarding regulation questions were also taken.