Minnesota Outdoor News Cuffs & Collars – Feb. 23, 2018

District 1 – Baudette area

CO Ben Huener (Roseau) patrolled the Lost River State Forest and the Thief Lake and Roseau River wildlife management areas.

CO Eric Benjamin (Warroad) reports enforcement for angling with extra lines, angling license violations, failure to stop prior to a road crossing on a snowmobile, and a snowmobile exceeding the speed limit.

CO Nicholas Prachar (Baudette) took enforcement action for possession of fillets on special-regulation waters, possession of marijuana, snowmobile registration violations and snowmobile headlight violations.

CO Demosthenes Regas (Blackduck) checked anglers on special-regulation lakes. He also spent time preparing for a spring firearms safety class and field day.

CO Kyle Quittschreiber (Blackduck) reports enforcement action was taken for angling with extra lines, taking fish with unattended lines, and possession of dressed walleye fillets on special-management waters. He also investigated a TIP call about a possible walleye overlimit.

CO Hannah Mishler (Baudette) handled a TIP complaint about overlimits of walleyes being taken from Upper Red Lake, and followed up on another angling violation involving an illegal-length northern pike.

District 2 – Bemidji area

CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) spent time last week in the Grand Marais area on a work detail. Trout anglers and snowmobile operators were contacted throughout the holiday weekend.

CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji) worked a detail on Lake of the Woods and took calls about dogs chasing deer.

CO Chris Vinton (Perham) assisted the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office when an intoxicated angler called 911 and complained he’d lost heat and power and that the other angler with him had taken his vehicle key. After a search of the lake, and with the help of the angler’s friend, Vinton and the deputy located the angler in his darkhouse. The temperature in the shelter was well into the 80s.

CO Steve Chihak (Moorhead) spent the week working sportfishing, coyote hunting, and snowmobiling activity.

CO Angie Warren (Detroit Lakes) discussed an open case from the firearms deer season with the Becker County attorney, and continued with aeration inspections.

CO Bill Landmark (Pelican Rapids) notes anglers are still doing well spearing pike, but panfish and walleye activity has slowed.

District 3 – Fergus Falls area

CO Troy Richards (Fergus Falls) reports some folks are looking for shed antlers. Richards spoke to a group of scouts in Breckenridge and described some of the work activities of a conservation officer.

CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) assisted a neighboring officer with a ice-fishing tournament. Violations encountered included no license in possession, extra lines, unattended lines, and an unregistered ATV. Plautz took a college student in the natural resources program at the University of Minnesota Crookston on a ride-along. A fire destroyed a fish house on an area lake, but no one was injured.

CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) received and investigated a fish overlimit complaint. The number of fish houses on area lakes has been declining during the past week.

CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) reports several cases were made resulting in citations for extra lines, unattended lines, and expired recreational vehicle registrations. Lawler assisted CO Osborne with a case involving an overlimit of northern pike.

CO Brian Holt (Osakis) monitored coyote hunting and trapping activity. Along with neighboring officers, Holt worked a large fishing contest on Smith Lake.

CO Tony Anderson (Morris) spent time participating in a snowmobile work crew in Grand Marais and the BWCA during the holiday weekend.

CO Daniel Baumbarger (Glenwood) participated in a work crew in Grand Marais and the BWCA during the holiday weekend.

District 4 – Walker area

CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) reports angling success remained limited and snowmobile trails improved with the recent snowfall. Time was spent working on a public water case file.

CO Chelsey Best (Remer) reports enforcement action was taken for registration issues in the vacant Park Rapids station. Incidental fur was again collected.

CO Duke Broughten (Longville) reminds fishermen to check ice shelter removal dates and plan accordingly. Vehicles on snowmobile trails continue to be a problem.

District 5 – Eveleth area

CO Darrin Kittelson (International Falls) assisted Voyageurs National Park with a snowmobile enforcement detail, the Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office with a snowmobile accident, and also handled several nuisance-animal complaints.

CO John Slatinski (International Falls) followed up on a TIP complaint and monitored an area where there’s an ongoing snowmobiler trespass problem. Slatinski also assisted an individual who is attempting to resolve an ATV ownership dispute.

CO Troy Fondie (Orr) encountered numerous angling and snowmobiling violations. Fondie checked forest roads and public access sites, and notes angling success remains limited.

CO John Velsvaag (Cook) checked snowmobilers this past week and followed up on a small-game complaint. Velsvaag fielded multiple questions about snowmobile registration and how to display it.

CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) checked an angler at a tournament and discovered he was unlawfully use of artificial lights to attract fish. The angler was cited for fishing violations three years ago during a tournament on the same lake.

CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) checked anglers on area trout lakes and found some anglers catching lake trout and rainbow trout. He also worked Lake Vermilion and checked anglers coming off lakes in the BWCAW.

District 6 – Two Harbors area

CO Sean Williams (Ely) reports violations included operating a snowmobile on a public roadway and an unmarked fish house.

CO Marty Stage (Ely) worked snowmobile and fishing enforcement. There were a lot of snowmobilers out during the recent warmer weather.

CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) participated in a work detail with other officers in the Gunflint Trail area. They checked snowmobilers and trout anglers.

CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) reports one day of 45-degree heat took a toll on trail conditions, but weekend snowmobile traffic was extremely high anyway. Enforcement action was taken for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, extra lines, fishing without a license, unmarked fish houses, unregistered snowmobiles, failure to transfer snowmobile ownership, and snowmobile speed, including a couple sledders going more than 80 miles per hour. Casework on a felony drug case was completed and submitted for charges, and time was spent on several other cases.

CO David Schottenbauer (Silver Bay) responded to a snowmobile accident north of Finland.

CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) reports Lake Superior ice fishing continues, with some areas losing ice due to high winds.

District 7 – Grand Rapids area

CO Randy Patten (Northome) patrolled area snowmobile trails, checked anglers, and worked ongoing cases. Enforcement action was taken for failure to display snowmobile registration, not stopping at a road crossing, fishing with extra lines, and no angling license in possession.

CO Jayson Hansen (Bigfork) checked area lakes and patrolled area snowmobile trails. Violations included spearing without a license, angling without a valid license, failure to stop at a road crossing while on a snowmobile, no snowmobile safety certification, snowmobiles on the roadway, and no license in possession. One snowmobile operator was found to be over the legal alcohol limit.

CO Mike Fairbanks (Deer River) worked a snowmobile enforcement detail, checked anglers, and issued road-kill possession permits.

CO Sarah Grell (Grand Rapids) reminds license holders that angling licenses expire at the end of the month.

CO Thomas Sutherland (Grand Rapids) worked complaints about trespassing and dogs chasing deer.

CO Jimmy Van Asch (Hill City) worked a snowmobile enforcement detail with neighboring officers. Anglers are reporting steady success on area lakes.

District 8 – Duluth area

CO Kipp Duncan (Duluth) attended a winter water rescue and survival course put on by the U.S. Coast Guard.

CO Jeff Humphrey (Cromwell), along with other officers, assisted TIP at the Duluth Boat, Sports, Travel and RV Show/Northland Outdoors Duluth Deer Classic at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.

CO Scott Staples (Carlton) spent time checking anglers and fish houses in the area. Enforcement action was taken for angling without a license, and information was taken on fish houses that did not have proper identification on them. Patrols were conducted in area state parks, where enforcement action was taken for having dogs off their leashes.

Lake Superior Marine Unit

CO Keith Olson (Lake Superior Marine Unit) attended ice rescue training with the U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Coast Guard. The focus was self-rescue techniques for those working alone in remote locations.

CO Matt Miller (Lake Superior Marine Unit) reports that as a result of high winds, ice has left many of the fishable areas of Lake Superior.

District 9 – Brainerd area

CO Bob Mlynar (Aitkin) gave assistance to the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office with a kids ice-fishing day. One individual was contacted regarding the deer-feeding ban.

CO Jim Guida (Brainerd) discussed some litter and public nuisance concerns with an event coordinator of an area fishing tournament. A couple of animal possession permits were issued for road-killed deer.

CO Eric Sullivan (Pequot Lakes) received TIP reports of illegal-length walleyes being kept and an angler double-tripping and keeping over the limit. Enforcement action included angling with extra lines, possession of a controlled substance, no shelter license, and illegal deer feeding.

CO Karl Hadrits (Crosby) reports patrolling snowmobile and ski trails, checking fishing activity, and monitoring the Cuyuna Country State Recreational Area.

CO Randy Posner (Brainerd) reports working on fishing enforcement this past week. Ice anglers are out but many are starting to remove permanent houses because of poor ice conditions and a slow bite. Complaints about garbage and wood blocks left on the ice were reported and investigated. He assisted one rider who lost part of his hood while driving across a lake.

CO Patrick McGowan (Pine River) worked on trapping and deer-hunting cases from this past fall and winter.

CO Scott Fitzgerald (CCSRA) fielded a call about a dead owl found in a backyard and answered many outdoor law-related questions. Fitzgerald also assisted a local agency with several calls for service and spent time at the Aitkin Rippleside School Fishing Day at a local lake where around 70 kids came out to ice fish.

CO Tim Collette (Crosslake) appeared in court on a case from last summer, and assisted on a work detail for the Fishing for Ducks event in Garrison.

District 10 – Mille Lacs area

CO Gregory Verkuilen (Garrison) worked angler activity, including the Ducks Unlimited fishing contest on Garrison Bay.

CO Dustie Speldrich (Willow River) investigated a TIP call about leaving a portable ice shelter up overnight without a shelter tag. The shelter tag was present, but was faded by the sun. Littering remains an issue on the lakes.

CO Dan Starr (Onamia) started gathering GPS data on fish houses with possible removal issues and possible litter cases if the owners are not attentive.

CO Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley) reports one angler was removed from his fish house and brought to jail due to a warrant for past DWI charges.

CO Eugene Wynn (Pine City) took calls about nuisance animals and questions about ATV operation in state forests.

CO Luke Croatt (Wealthwood) reminds fish house owners to remove all blocking under their houses so area residents don’t have to do shore cleanup. Croatt arrested an individual who had several outstanding warrants. The man stated it would have been nice if the Croatt would have been a few minutes later because he was packing up to leave.

District 11 – St. Cloud area

CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) received calls regarding a trespass complaint regarding people pulling fish houses onto a private lake. But the neighbors were allowing access through their property, so there was no trespass. Kuske is still finding many fish houses with no shelter license or identification on them. She also investigated a TIP call of a contractor doing work in a wetland. The work being done was legal, but the contractor had failed to file the required liability form with the local soil and water conservation district office. It was the sixth time the contractor had been cited for the same violation.

CO Caleb Silgjord (Sauk Centre) fielded and investigated a small game-hunting complaint that resulted in a wanton waste violation. He also conducted follow-up on a big-game investigation that resulted in the discovery of multiple violations, including taking a deer without a license.

CO Frank Rezac (St. Cloud) reports checking ice fishermen and following up on a possible deer-hunting license violation.

CO Keith Bertram (Long Prairie) conducted a game farm inspection.

District 12 – Princeton area

CO Angela Londgren (Cambridge) checked anglers on local lakes. One angler who was cited for an illegal-length northern pike claimed the fish grew in size overnight outside his shelter.

CO Phil Mohs (Center City) handled calls about trespassing and dogs chasing deer.

CO Brandon McGaw (Mora) reports enforcement action was taken for driving an ATV while revoked and operating an off-road motorcycle on a roadway.

CO Rick Reller (Buffalo) checked anglers in Wright and Stearns counties this week. Enforcement action was taken for angling with extra lines, no angling license, and no shelter license.

CO Trent Seamans (Big Lake) responded to a call involving two dead great horned owls. The owls were found in the snow underneath a powerline. They were locked together by their talons.

CO Mike Krauel (Milaca) spent the week checking anglers and following up on big-game violations.

CO Tony Musatov (Sauk Rapids) found violations for angling with extra lines and no shelter ID/licenses. Follow-up was done regarding an ongoing big-game case.

District 13 – West Metro area

CO Brent Grewe (Minnetonka) took a complaint about a stolen portable fish house on Lake Minnetonka.

CO Tim Maass (Osseo) investigated a complaint that involved the illegal filling of a public water and wetland in Hennepin County.

CO Alexander Birdsall (Waconia) has been busy on local lakes with warming weather.

CO Vang Lee (ELCOP) assisted a Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer with a big-game case in Minneapolis.

CO Thephong Le (ELCOP) provided a ride-along to a state parks volunteer who is a POST eligible/National Guard-Blackhawk helicopter pilot.

District 14 – East Metro area

CO Joe Kulhanek (Hastings) spent the week checking ice anglers in the area. Many people were out, but few fish were caught.

CO Vuthy Pril (ELCOP) checked on a complaint regarding possible big-game violations and followed up on an unlicensed fish house case. Pril also attended the Rasmussen College Advisory Board meeting in Eagan.

CO Scott Arntzen (Forest Lake) issued a wildlife possession permit, did aeration inspections and handled a call about a nuisance animal.

District 15 – Marshall area

CO Jim Robinson (Slayton) reports snowmobile trails have deteriorated greatly.

CO Luke Gutzwiller (Madison) attended a fur committee meeting and taught the law and ethics portion of a firearms safety class in Clara City.

CO Arnaud Kpachavi (Benson) responded to a vehicle that went through the ice on Lac qui Parle Lake.

CO Craig Miska (Ortonville) worked a snowmobile enforcement detail with fellow COs in the Arrowhead region of Minnesota.

CO Andrew Dirks (Worthington) spent time checking anglers, snowmobile riders, and coyote hunters throughout the week.

District 16 – New Ulm area

CO Jeff Denz (Willmar) followed up on TIP calls and spent time on commercial activity.

CO Shane Vernier (Willmar) collected an incidentally caught fisher. Vernier also worked trapping and coyote-hunting activity.

CO Nicholas Klehr (Litchfield) reports that while fishing has been generally slow in the area, an overlimit case was made on two individuals with extra crappies.

CO Dustin Miller (Windom) reports heavy winds resulted in an ice shelter and its contents being blown across Kansas Lake in Watonwan County. The shelter, which had been on the lake for some time, had no identification or shelter license. To obtain possession of the shelter, the owner should contact Miller.

CO Eric Schettler (Fairmont) checked anglers and shelters, inspected ATVs, and investigated trapping violations.

District 17 – Mankato area

CO Jeremy Henke (Albert Lea) spent time talking with numerous younger anglers out on the ice this week, many of whom had success icing a few fish and some of whom needed some tips.

CO Chris Howe (St. Peter) checked anglers and ATV operators this week.

CO Brent Ihnen (Waseca) spent time patrolling for litter violations on area lakes and public water accesses.

CO Jamie VanThuyne (Mankato) responded to numerous complaints about injured animals and checked fish houses for litter.

CO Corey Wiebusch (Mankato) offers a friendly reminder to help clear the ice of garbage before leaving the lake. Aeration inspections were conducted.

District 18 – Rochester area

CO Tom Hemker (Winona) found two squirrel hunters using high-top football cleats to navigate the snowy bluffs. Hemker has been getting help from landowners where deer had been shot at night.

CO Brittany Hauser (Red Wing) and CO Kylan Hill gave a presentation for the Cannon Falls Triad group.

CO Kevin Prodzinski (Wabasha) reports working ice fishing on Lake Pepin and the backwaters of the Mississippi River. Prodzinski also provided the county attorney’s office with additional documentation and information in preparation for some upcoming hearings.

CO Mitch Boyum (Rushford) spent time returning calls about the upcoming spring turkey hunt. Shed hunters are active and having success.

CO Joel Heyn (Plainview) worked mainly anglers and snowmobile riders during the week. Some anglers are using their boats.

CO Kylan Hill (Zumbrota) reports working snowmobiling and ice-fishing enforcement with other officers on Lake of the Woods.