10/18/09 Report (Dist. 1-5)

[Woody]

District 1 - Baudette area
10/18


CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked waterfowl and deer hunting activity throughout the week. Bow hunters and early youth firearms hunters were checked near the Roseau River WMA. Enforcement action was taken on a bow hunter who was not wearing blaze orange during the youth firearms season. Enforcement action was also taken on some late shooters at Thief Lake.

CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls) responded to a request from Pennington County to assist in a watercraft search for a Thief River Falls woman that had been missing for almost one year. CO Woinarowicz, along with a deputy, located the vehicle of the missing woman submerged in the Red Lake River in Thief River Falls. A search of the vehicle revealed the remains of a female presumed to be the missing individual, pending autopsy and DNA verification. CO Woinarowicz also checked local waterfowl hunters, monitored shining activity, and checked youthful hunters taking advantage of the Northwest Minnesota Youth Antlerless deer hunt. He also concluded an investigation on feeding deer within the Bovine Tuberculosis feeding ban zone, with the landowner cited for feeding deer where prohibited.

CO Angie Warren (Thief River Falls) checked migratory waterfowl hunters and area WMAs were patrolled for activity. CO Warren taught a firearm safety class and the Beltrami Island State Forest was patrolled for hunting and ATV activity. Youth firearm deer season was worked with hunters enjoying nice weather. A call of an archery hunter taking a buck which had its antlers tangled with another dead buck was handled. An injured Canada goose call was received and taken care of accordingly. Areas were monitored for possible shining activity.

CO Keith Backer (Blackduck) reports that it was nice to see parents out duck hunting with kids over MEA weekend. Small game activity was monitored with good numbers of grouse being reported for those hunters willing to walk. CO Backer investigated a fishing complaint, waterfowl over limit complaint, and a shining complaint. Several complaints of trespass were received with information provided on the legal way to post property so the law can be enforced.

CO Brice Vollbrecht (Blackduck) monitored waterfowl and grouse hunting throughout the week. Very few waterfowl hunters were observed, but duck numbers continue to increase with the cold weather. Grouse hunters are finding more birds as the leaves continue to drop. A shining complaint was taken and shining activity was monitored. A public waters violation was investigated.

CO Robert Gorecki (Baudette) spent the week monitoring fishing, ATV, and hunting activity. Fishing proved to be difficult throughout the week due to cold temperatures, snow, sleet, and wind. Grouse hunters are reporting better success as leaves and underbrush continues to fall throughout the area.CO Gorecki investigated a complaint of a poached deer, as well as an injured eagle. Enforcement action taken included ATV and hunting violations.

Karlstad - vacant.

Warroad #2 - vacant.


District 2 - Bemidji area
10/18

CO Stuart Bensen (Erskine) responded to trespass and deer shining complaints. Archery deer hunters are having some success, while duck hunters are having poor success. A college student interested in a conservation officer career did a ride along with the officer.

CO Dan Malinowski (Fosston) checked waterfowl hunters, ATVs, archery deer hunters, and anglers. Complaints of beaver depredation, wetland alteration, a car-kill bear, and an illegally taken deer were investigated.

CO Tim Gray (Bagley) focused enforcement efforts on deer shining complaint area, waterfowl hunting, grouse hunting, and archery deer hunting activity. Two deer shiners were caught. Shining and dead deer complaints continue to be received. Reports of two dead birds of prey were also investigated.

CO Mike Hruza (Bemidji) investigated late shooting complaints by waterfowl hunters and wetland alteration violations. Waterfowl, grouse, and archery deer hunters were checked.

CO Stacey Sharp (Bemidji) and CO Mark Mathy assisted with enforcement efforts on the Rainy River. Boating safety law compliance was very good and angler success was slow. CO Sharp checked waterfowl and archery deer hunters. Complaints of deer shining and wolf depredation were investigated. ATV activity has slowed, probably due to colder weather and construction projects on roads and trails in the state forests.

CO Chris Vinton (Perham) investigated several TIP Calls and participated in a deer shining detection detail. Anglers were checked, beaver depredation issues checked, and car-kill deer permits issued. The officer spoke to a local service club and Chapter of the MN Dark House and Angling Association.

CO Phil Seefeldt (Moorhead) reports a slower than average start to the Prairie Chicken Season. Duck numbers in the area appear to be increasing. Two archery deer hunters were issued citations and had their equipment seized for hunting over bait. Deer shining, trespass, and dumped deer carcass complaints were investigated.

CO Joe Stattelman (Detroit Lakes) checked waterfowl hunters, archery deer hunters, anglers, and ATVs. Trespass, deer shining, and deer baiting complaints were investigated. The officer assisted the sheriff’s department with several calls.

CO Al Peterson (Osage) checked waterfowl, grouse, and archery deer hunters. Anglers are having some success with some big walleyes being caught. Duck hunters appear to be having better success with ring necks, mallards, and some teal in the bag. Several waterfowl hunters were cited for transporting loaded firearms in a motor boat.

CO Gary Forsberg (Pelican Rapids) assisted the Wilkin County SO and MN BCA with the execution of a search warrant. Complaints of deer baiting, taking deer during the closed season, and deer shining were investigated. Waterfowl hunters are having some success. The primary bird in the bag is ring neck. Pheasant hunting success is low. Few crops in the area have been harvested.

District 3 - Fergus Falls area
10/18

CO Troy Richards (Fergus Falls) noticed a dramatic increase in redheads and a few more scaup in the area. Pheasant hunting remains poor with much of the standing crops remaining. Hunters staying at camp setting are reminded their birds must be separated and identified as their own.

CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) checked area bow hunters, fishermen, and small game hunters. Pheasant hunter numbers were down this past week due to the standing crops. Bow hunters are having some success and local duck numbers are down. Plautz also fielded several calls and questions regarding the upcoming deer season.

CO Paul Nelson (Elbow Lake) concentrated on checking waterfowl, small game and deer hunters. Nelson is also working on several TIP calls of trespass and individuals shooting pelicans. Nelson also handled numerous questions on the upcoming deer season.

CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) spent time investigating late shooting complaints, responding to injured animal calls, and working shining activity. Osborne checked waterfowl, pheasant, and archery hunters. Enforcement activity included unplugged shotgun, no pfd's, possession of lead shot, trespassing, no small game license, and failure to have license in possession.

CO Mike Shelden (Alexandria) worked primarily waterfowl and pheasant hunters. There were quite a few duck hunters out during the MEA holiday, but pheasant hunters remain scarce due to the fact that most crops are still in the field. Additional time was spent checking archery deer hunters. Enforcement action was taken for hunting waterfowl with lead shot, wanton waste and taking ducks before legal hours.

CO Jeff Johanson (Osakis) continued to check waterfowl, pheasant, small game and archery deer hunters throughout the week. Additional time was spent working fishing, WMA/WPA, and shining activity and follow up work was done on wetland and aquatic vegetation violations. Pheasant road hunting complaints are starting to come in regarding shooting from motor vehicles and transporting loaded firearms.

CO Daniel Baumbarger (Wheaton) checked fishermen, waterfowl hunters, pheasant hunters, and bow hunters. MEA weekend brought out a lot of hunters, but success was limited on pheasants due to lower numbers and the amount of standing crops. CO Baumbarger also helped with a work crew in Stevens County. Enforcement action was taken for no license in possession, and unsigned federal stamps. CO Baumbarger responded to a compliant of two individuals shooting turkeys without a license and transporting loaded firearms in a motor vehicle. When questioned why they had shot the turkeys, the individuals responded that with the new uncased gun law, they thought it was ok to transport the guns with ammunition in the magazine, and the turkeys were by the road so they took advantage of the situation.

CO Tony Anderson (Morris) reports a pheasant hunters were out in fair numbers this past weekend in the Morris area. Most hunting parties had only a bird or two after a full day of hunting. Most hunters were asking where the pheasants are. The fall harvest of crops is proceeding very slowly due to wet weather and providing a lot of extra cover for the birds. CO Anderson observed a few more ducks and geese in the area. Waterfowl numbers are still considerably lower than in years past. CO Anderson reminds hunters to make sure they have the correct stamps and licenses before they go afield to hunt. He received a TIP on trespassing and a citation was issued. Hunters are reminded to make sure they have secured permission on property they intend to hunt. CO Anderson fielded calls about youth licenses, pheasant season questions, injured animals and deer season licenses/laws.

CO Kurt Nelson (Glenwood) reports rainy weather kept most outdoor activity at a standstill during the week. The rainy cold weather kept numbers in the field down and the long MEA weekend wasn’t much better. Saturday the rain stopped, but heavy fog and no wind made waterfowl hunting tough. Sunday the skies cleared and the wind picked up. So did the action. New geese migrated into the area and the hunters that were out, did quite well.

District 4 - Wadena area
10/18

CO Paul Parthun (Lake George) checked waterfowl hunters and assisted state park personnel with several permit violations. He addressed reports of injured deer and eagles, monitored archery and small game hunting activity, and spent time on a wolf predation complaint. Officer Parthun also found the time to talk to several young hunters participating in the special youth hunt at Itasca State Park. Enforcement action was taken for shooting a non-game migratory bird, timber trespass, and littering.

CO Sam Hunter (Park Rapids) checked archery deer, goose, duck, and grouse hunters in the area during the past week. Officer Hunter also received calls of people shining deer in fields and investigated a trespass complaint.

CO Greg Oldakowski (Wadena) worked with other agencies on wetland related issues at a Technical Evaluation Panel. Officer Oldakowski addressed equipment maintenance issues and completed reports. He reports that illegal nighttime hunting activity has been on the rise during the past week.

CO Gary Sommers’ (Walker) focused on sport fishing, boating, small game and waterfowl hunting activity. He received a call regarding a sick/injured goose. While checking small game hunting activity along a forest trail, a small car drove by at an extremely high rate of speed for the conditions that existed. After passing Officer Sommers the teen driver slid off the extremely muddy, slippery road into some small trees. Fortunately he was not injured. The officer spoke with the driver regarding his driving conduct, who had to call his father to assist him in pulling the car out. Officer Sommers also received a call for assistance from the Cass County Sheriff’s Department to help in locating two lost 15-year-old boys who had gone out grouse hunting. They luckily had cell phone coverage and the county dispatcher was able to get the coordinates of their location through the cell phone carrier. CO Sommers was able to drive within a short walking distance of the lost hunters, where he sounded his patrol vehicle siren so they could follow the sound out. Once the boys were located, Officer Sommers provided assistance to one of the deputies who had got stuck trying to get into the area.

CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) checked angling and hunting activity during the past week. A boat and water safety detail on the Rainy River was completed where enforcement action was taken for boating violations and illegal length walleye. Several calls were received of trespassing and deer poaching complaints. Officer Mathy also presented information at a Lake Winnie Resort Owners Association meeting and served a notice of angling license prohibition/seizure stemming from a gross overlimit of walleye case.

CO Duke Broughten (Longville) monitored hunting and angling activities. Waterfowl hunters are seeing more ducks and geese, however success was limited. Archery deer hunters and fishermen in the area also stated success was slow due in part to poor weather conditions. CO Broughten also gave a presentation and answered questions at the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association Banquet in Longville. Enforcement action was taken on illegal youth ATV operation, operating a class 1 ATV on the roadway, and no blaze orange while small game hunting.

CO Jeff Halverson (Staples) worked hunting and fishing activity in the area and assisted at the annual Camp Ripley Deer Hunt.

CO Colleen Adam (OHV Recreation Officer Park Rapids) worked area forests and trails. Leaves are still hanging on trees hampering grouse hunters efforts. Despite the rainy-snowy weather, MEA weekend brought lots of activity to the forests as people scout for deer signs and prepare for the upcoming firearms deer season.

District 5 - Eveleth area
10/18

CO Darrin Kittelson (International Falls) attended an instructors’ course for vehicle pursuit and emergency response. Grouse hunting activity and answering numerous hunting questions were handled.

CO Lloyd Steen (Ray/Kabetogama) checked hunters and fishermen. He also investigated complaints of hunter harassment and an illegal taking of a deer on private property. Numerous questions continue to come in on transporting uncased firearms and the local area lottery deer season.

CO Troy Fondie (Orr) continues with the ongoing monitoring of fall activities to include public access sites, ATV, angling, hunting, and bough harvest. In addition equipment repairs and maintenance continue, as does the answering of phone calls from the public on a variety of outdoor subjects.

CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) followed up in a hunter trespass case and issued the suspect a citation for trespassing. Area grouse hunters were checked. Most hunters were happy and report seeing and taking good numbers of birds. Waterfowl hunters are not reporting the same and are becoming frustrated. A case where a wetland is being filled is being investigated.

CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) has received numerous calls from hunters requesting ATV off- hour permits for use during the rifle hunting season. Some fall fishing has been taking place. Hunting sites have been checked for baiting and any bait found will be documented and followed up on during the rifle season.

I. Falls # 2 - vacant.