DNR Report

[Lee Borgersen]

                  DNR Report......Page #1

September 13, 2018   


District 1 – Baudette area

CO Eric Benjamin (Warroad) reports the early goose season was off to a slow start last weekend, but during this past week, the geese have been coming in strong and hunters don’t seem to be having a problem bagging their limits. Benjamin also responded to a call about a bear with its head stuck in an old 10-gallon milk can. He worked with the reporting party to free the bear from the can. Holes had to be drilled into the can so the bear could breathe while efforts were being made to free him. After two hours of gaining no ground and with options running out, Benjamin enlisted the help of the Roseau Fire Department. Within 20 minutes of their arrival, using the jaws of life and a spreader, Benjamin and rescue personnel were able to free the bear, unharmed. Exhausted but alive, the bear regained its composure and made its way back into the woods. A big thank you to all involved!

CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls) monitored early goose hunting and bear-hunting activity. Some successful youth who had harvested limits of mallards were checked during Youth Waterfowl Day.

CO Nicholas Prachar (Blackduck) reports that bear and goose hunters are taking to the field. Enforcement action was taken for illegal ATVing activity. Prachar also assisted the sheriff’s office with the arrest of an individual with a warrant.

District 2 – Bemidji area

CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports following up on a shoreline violation. A report about a deer being shot out of season was checked.

CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji) and COC Shane Zavodnik worked fishing, boating, and ATVing enforcement during the week. Many ATV drivers were found not operating with their headlights on and not having registration. Anglers targeting northern pike were educated regarding the new regulations and protected slot limit, with some pike having to be released due to being within the protected slot. Verbal warnings were issued to the anglers because it was an honest mistake, but the officers strongly advised they know and follow the new regulations. Later in the week, the officers responded to a complaint about individuals shooting geese after legal shooting hours. Five individuals were found to have shot three geese (one banded) well after legal shooting hours. Party members said they thought they were allowed to shoot a half-hour past sunset, which isn’t the case. Upon doing a safety/license check with the party, multiple violations were found, such as possession of lead shot, no plug, no small game license, and no HIP certification.

CO Chris Vinton (Perham) and COC Garrett Thomas responded to a complaint about an illegally set fox trap, checked shoreline anglers, inspected a pheasant game farm and multiple commercial bait dealers, and worked both youth waterfowl and early goose hunting seasons. Additionally, they assisted the local sheriff’s office in apprehending and arresting an armed and fleeing felon who had run into a local cattail slough.

CO Angie Warren (Mahnomen) spent time on boating and angling activity. Areas were patrolled for early goose hunting activity with hunters reporting fair numbers of birds. Complaints about illegal leeching activity were investigated. Warren also assisted Becker County and White Earth tribal officers with a rollover accident.

CO Bill Landmark (Pelican Rapids) checked waterfowl hunters and bear-hunting activity. Landmark spent most of the week following up on violations discovered during compliance checks of aquatic plant management permits.

District 3 – Fergus Falls area

CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) and COC Annette Kyllo report low numbers of early goose hunters. Time was spent finishing an investigation involving an individual using an ATV in a WMA to bait bears. The individual also did not have a bear-hunting license, which is required to run a bear-baiting station, and had not registered or signed the bait.

CO Daniel Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the week were concentrated on checking anglers, boaters, ATV operators, and monitoring AIS law compliance. Baumbarger also assisted the sheriff’s office with a pursuit, leading to the arrest of a wanted felon.

District 4 – Walker area

CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) spent the week out of the area while working on a background investigation for a CO applicant. An extra-line TIP on Cass Lake was referred to CO Regas.

District 5 – Eveleth area

CO Darrin Kittelson (International Falls) and COC Blong Lor spent the week checking bear hunters and Rainy Lake anglers. They finished off the week by teaching laws regarding trapping at a trapper education class and hosting a firearms safety field day.

CO John Slatinski (Ray) reports angling and boating continue to be popular activities on area waterways. Good reports have been heard from bear hunters in the area.

CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports monitoring bear hunters, checking ATVing activity, and monitoring area lakes and public access sites. Problems with wolves and beavers continue.

CO Duke Broughten (Cook) spent the week monitoring angling, boating, ATVing, and bear-hunting and goose-hunting activity. Anglers and hunters reported limited success. Broughten also investigated complaints regarding trespass and litter.

CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) worked anglers, boaters, ATV riders, bear, goose, and youth waterfowl hunters, state park and invasive species enforcement, and attended a deer hunter orientation meeting for an upcoming special deer hunt.

CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) checked few anglers and boaters in the Virginia area after the Labor Day weekend. Most sportsmen and women seem to be eager to move on to small-game hunting. A birch pole-cutting incident was investigated with the assistance of the U.S. Forest Service. A TIP call was taken regarding a deer that was killed out of season.

CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) checked wild rice harvesters throughout the week. Most report not many quality ricing areas this year.

District 6 – Two Harbors area

CO Sean Williams (Ely) assisted St. Louis and Lake county rescue squads inside the BWCAW. A call for help was made from a campsite after a member of the group had not returned after leaving the site on foot a day earlier. By the time officers and the Rescue Squad made it on scene, the camper had been missing for 25 hours. After several hours of searching, the missing person was found several miles from camp in a low swamp where he’d spent the previous night under a pine tree. During the day he attempted unsuccessfully to signal aircraft. He was returned to his party and rescuers assisted the group in leaving the BWCAW.

CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) checked bear hunters and anglers during the week. He also assisted the Forest Service with a BWCAW detail.

CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) assisted with a drowning incident in Ely, assisted with a firearms safety field day in Babbitt, attended training, completed case reports, followed up on complaints, and worked bear-hunting enforcement.

CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) spent the week focusing on bear-hunting activity. Time also was spent checking ATVers and anglers and following up on complaints.

CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) worked bear hunting and ATVing activity during the week. Archery deer hunters were out preparing stands and looking for deer activity ahead of next week’s opener. Fishing remained good on inland lakes, and the annual fall colors have started to arrive along the North Shore.

District 7 – Grand Rapids area

CO Randy Patten (Northome) worked bear hunting and late-summer fishing activities. He also checked ATV operators and conducted general patrol.

CO Jayson Hansen (Bigfork) worked with COC Nathan Benkofske in training. Time was spent working bear-hunting cases, ORV recreation, and sportfishing. Work also was done with the area DNR hydrologist in investigating local water complaints.

CO Mike Fairbanks (Deer River) checked anglers, monitored OHVing activity, and assisted the county with an injured person who fell from a deer stand.

CO Thomas Sutherland (Grand Rapids) and COC Hochstein performed aquatic vegetation site visits and follow-up work. Citations were issued for spraying aquatic vegetation without a permit. 

CO Jimmy Van Asch (Pengilly) reports working bear hunters, anglers, goose hunters, and ATV riders. Many outdoor enthusiasts were seen preparing for the upcoming small-game and archery deer seasons.

District 8 – Duluth area

CO Kipp Duncan (Duluth) and COC Leah Kampa worked fishing enforcement on area lakes. Other enforcement activities included boat and water enforcement, AIS at public accesses, and ATVing enforcement.

CO Scott Staples (Carlton) worked bear hunting and fishing activity in the area this past week. Success appeared to be slow with both activities. Enforcement action was taken for having garbage in a bait. A complaint was received about a wolf attacking a dog. Paperwork was done on deer stands and trail cameras that were seized last fall for being left in an area state wildlife management area. Unclaimed items are considered abandoned and will be turned in for disposal. With the upcoming seasons, hunters are reminded that they need to know what they can and can’t leave on WMAs.

Lake Superior Marine Unit

CO Matt Miller (Lake Superior Marine Unit) reports fall colors are just starting to emerge along the North Shore. Miller and COC Elwell noticed a slight increase in success by area walleye anglers on the St. Louis River and on inland lakes. A steady east wind has kept smaller vessels off Lake Superior, so time was spent patrolling area ATV trails and enforcing fishing and boating regulations on inland waters. Miller and Elwell, along with other officers, were involved with a TIP call alleging that a sturgeon was illegally taken from the St. Louis River.

District 9 – Brainerd area

CO Eric Sullivan (Pequot Lakes) checked bear hunters in the area. Hunters are having success, and several bears have been harvested so far this season. One bear bait was improperly signed, and enforcement action was taken.

CO Jim Guida (Brainerd) patrolled area lakes for boating and angling activity. Numerous boating violations were detected. Guida also checked area early goose hunters.

CO Bob Mlynar (Aitkin) talked with a few youth waterfowl hunters and goose hunters and worked ATVing and bear-hunting activity. A weed roller issue was addressed, and hunting information was given during a local radio show.

CO Scott Fitzgerald (CCSRA) continued training with COC Jacqueline Hughes. They worked on a case involving two individuals living in the CCSRA. They also did boat, water, and fishing enforcement. Fitzgerald and Hughes took the ATV to the Soo Line/Red Top ATV trail and looked for ATV and big-game hunter activity. They also looked into a possible wetland violation and determined it was unfounded.

District 10 – Mille Lacs area

CO Gregory Verkuilen (Garrison) checked hunters prepping for next weekend’s season openers. Some were putting up deer stands, which resulted in trespass concerns. Excellent weather continued to bring people out to the lakes, but water temperatures are falling fast.

CO Dustie Speldrich (Willow River) worked on a background investigation. She also checked bear hunters and followed up on public waters violations.

CO Dan Starr (Onamia) took enforcement action for illegal fires and a pending ATV case from last week. Bear-hunting activity was monitored with less success this year due to acorns dropping like a hail storm. Starr assisted local law enforcement agencies with various calls, worked wild rice harvest, and checked remote areas for marijuana grow operations.

CO Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley) and COC Jacob Swedberg continued to patrol state forest areas for bear-hunting activity and took complaints about hunters using ATVs in restricted areas. Nice weather also resulted in an increase in fishing activity. While checking some remote fishing spots late one evening, one small lake was found with a single boat and three occupants who had the lake to themselves. After having a good time and catching northern pike, the trio became quiet and nervous as they returned and found conservation officers waiting at the dock. The anglers had no fishing licenses and no life preservers in the boat.

CO Eugene Wynn (Pine City) checked bear hunters and anglers during the week. He also spent time checking WMAs and state forests for ATVing and hunting activity.

CO Luke Croatt (Wealthwood) checked bear and early goose-hunting activity during the week and weekend. A few hunters were out scouting for the upcoming archery season, and questions were taken on license issues.

District 11 – St. Cloud area

CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) spoke at the Buckman ATV safety class and had the TIP Wall of Shame trailers at the Pierz Octoberfest and Little Falls Arts and Crafts Festival. While working fishing and ATVing enforcement, Kuske noticed black smoke coming from behind a residence. It turned out to be a family cleaning out a storage shed. The homeowner said he was just burning cardboard and old clothes, but in checking the burn pile it was found he was burning household garbage, cans, bottles, metals plastic, furniture, and old clothes.

CO Todd VanderWeyst (Paynesville) worked angling and hunting activity in the area. He also worked with neighboring officers on boating enforcement. A cattle-in-an-area-WMA investigation continues with assistance from the Wildlife Section of the DNR.

CO Chad Thesing (Albany) worked the Youth Waterfowl Day. All youth checked got some good shooting in and most had some ducks to show for it. One group of two brothers and a dad shot two swans thinking they were geese. Other hunters in the area called in the violation to the TIP line. The father and sons left the area but then returned to turn themselves in for the violation. Education and enforcement action were taken. Thesing also assisted some anglers in freeing a loon that had a bunch of fishing line wrapped around its beak and inside its mouth. The loon swam away likely happy to be able to eat again.

CO Frank Rezac (St. Cloud) reports checking anglers and early-season goose hunters. Complaints about illegal aquatic vegetation removal also were investigated.

District 12 – Princeton area

CO Phil Mohs (Center City) focused on bear-hunting and goose-hunting activity. Time was spent with area youth during the Youth Waterfowl Day and a field day at the Carlos Avery WMA.

CO Angela Londgren (Cambridge) continues to work on a background investigation. Time also was spent checking anglers, bear baits, hunters, and ATV riders. Londgren worked with other agencies on wetland and public waters violations, and took complaints about nuisance animals.

District 13 – West Metro area

CO Arnaud Kpachavi (Mound) worked goose hunting and angling and AIS activity during the week. He followed up on AIS violations and patrolled area lakes and fields for hunters and anglers.

CO Alexander Birdsall (Waconia) spent the past week patrolling the station for hunters and anglers. Assistance was given to Canadian conservation officers in regards to a trespassing issue.

CO Tim Maass (Osseo) investigated a report of a person who was illegally in possession of a broad-winged hawk. Maass also gave a law and ethics presentation to 25 students at a firearms safety class in Osseo. Time was spent checking anglers and early goose hunters.

CO Brent Grewe (Minnetonka) spent the week checking anglers and patrolling public accesses with K9 Shelby. Grewe also assisted the sheriff’s office with crowd control during the Toby Keith concert on Lake Minnetonka during the weekend and made a BWI arrest.

CO Vang Lee (ELCOP) worked AIS, anglers, and dove hunters in the metro area. He answered phone calls about nuisance animals in Minneapolis and answered questions from the Asian community on small-game hunting regulations.

District 14 – East Metro area

CO Scott Arntzen (Forest Lake) spent the week checking anglers, boaters, and early goose hunters. Arntzen also did a falconry inspection and fielded questions about the upcoming deer season.

CO Chris Tetrault (Maplewood) fielded several calls regarding upcoming seasons, including small game, archery deer, and waterfowl. Youth waterfowl hunters were seen enjoying their time in the outdoors with the great weather.

CO Luke Gutzwiller (White Bear Lake) spent time working angling, AIS, and waterfowl enforcement. While checking an angler, the person explained that he had left his license at home and gave Gutzwiller the name of someone else he knew who had a valid license because he had not purchased an angling license this year. Enforcement action was taken for angling without a license and giving false information to a peace officer.

District 15 – Marshall area

CO Jim Robinson (Slayton) spent the week working early fall hunters and ATV enforcement. Many deer hunters continue to have questions about the upcoming season.

CO Andrew Dirks (Worthington) checked goose hunters, anglers, and watercraft operators throughout the week. Time also was spent at Camp Ripley during the week attending training.

CO Matt Loftness (Marshall) spent the week checking goose hunters, youth waterfowl hunters, and mourning dove hunters. Time was also spent working fishing, ATVing, and boating enforcement.

Continued..............................

[Lee Borgersen]

Report continued....  page #2

District 14 – East Metro area

CO Scott Arntzen (Forest Lake) spent the week checking anglers, boaters, and early goose hunters. Arntzen also did a falconry inspection and fielded questions about the upcoming deer season.

CO Chris Tetrault (Maplewood) fielded several calls regarding upcoming seasons, including small game, archery deer, and waterfowl. Youth waterfowl hunters were seen enjoying their time in the outdoors with the great weather.

CO Luke Gutzwiller (White Bear Lake) spent time working angling, AIS, and waterfowl enforcement. While checking an angler, the person explained that he had left his license at home and gave Gutzwiller the name of someone else he knew who had a valid license because he had not purchased an angling license this year. Enforcement action was taken for angling without a license and giving false information to a peace officer.

District 15 – Marshall area

CO Jim Robinson (Slayton) spent the week working early fall hunters and ATV enforcement. Many deer hunters continue to have questions about the upcoming season.

CO Andrew Dirks (Worthington) checked goose hunters, anglers, and watercraft operators throughout the week. Time also was spent at Camp Ripley during the week attending training.

CO Matt Loftness (Marshall) spent the week checking goose hunters, youth waterfowl hunters, and mourning dove hunters. Time was also spent working fishing, ATVing, and boating enforcement.

District 16 – New Ulm area

CO Shane Vernier (Willmar) spent time working angling and goose-hunting activity. He also continued work with aquatic plant-management issues. Vernier assisted with a shoreline issue and took several calls from the public about the upcoming deer season.

CO Nicholas Klehr (Litchfield) worked ATV enforcement with ATVs being used for agricultural work and recreational riding this time of year. Other time was spent checking anglers and following up on aquatic vegetation and wetland issues.

CO Thor Nelson (New Ulm) gave a laws and ethics presentation at a firearms safety range and field day. Nelson also worked waterfowl, boating, angling, ATVing, and invasive species activities.

CO Mike Gruhlke (Jackson) checked activity relating to angling, ATVings, the early goose season, dove season, and the youth waterfowl hunt. He also followed up on a complaint regarding a public access and wildlife management area issue. Gruhlke also assisted Nobles County officials with traffic control at an accident scene and attended the state 4H shooting sports and wildlife invitational.

District 17 – Mankato area

CO Brent Ihnen (Waseca) spent the week checking anglers, boaters, and ATV operators. Ihnen also checked goose and youth waterfowl hunters. Additional time was spent monitoring AIS compliance at area accesses.

CO Chad Davis (Owatonna) rescued an eagle that was stuck near the auger hole in an open-top grain bin. The eagle was released and was able to fly away.

District 18 – Rochester area

CO Brittany Hauser (Red Wing) spent time giving a safety and regulation talk at Red Wing’s “Soup Campbell” Youth Waterfowl Hunt. Many kids were present and most were successful during the organized hunt. A call also was received regarding a deer that found itself tangled in the grape vine netting of a local winery. Upon arrival, Hauser and a sheriff’s deputy located a small buck whose antlers had become ensnared in the netting. With the assistance of two vineyard workers, the netting caught in the antlers was cut free and the deer leapt with joy back into the woods.

CO Tom Hemker (Winona) received complaints about youth duck hunters shooting at swans. He also followed up on a possible public waters violation.