DISTRICT 1 CO Ryan Aho stopped an unregistered ORV with two subjects on it who weren’t wearing helmets. Both subjects had just been released from prison and became verbally abusive and were making violent threats to the CO. Backup was called, and the subjects were issued several tickets. CO Marvin Gerlach assisted with an illegal bear bait investigation being conducted…
NORTHWEST REGION •Butler County WCO Christopher J. Deal said there has been a sharp increase in reported fisher sightings. •Forest County WCO Daniel P. Schmidt handled two injured birds of prey at the end of August. “The first was an immature bald eagle that was reported by a concerned citizen near Hunter’s Station Golf course just south of Tionesta,” he…
District 1 – Baudette area CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked early goose hunters around Roseau River WMA. Duck, goose, crane, grouse, and bear hunting activity were monitored throughout the weekend. Hunter success on Thief Lake was good, but access to the lake was very tough. CO Jeff Birchem (Baudette) checked duck and goose hunters, finding many had a successful opening…
Region I During a detail on Lake Holiday, a District 6 CPO arrested an individual for operating a watercraft under the influence of alcohol. A large pontoon boat full of people came up to the club house docks. During a boat safety inspection the operator could barely keep his balance even though the boat was tied to a dock and…
District 1 — Ashland area Warden Jill Schartner, of Drummond, spent time checking people harvesting wild rice on the Chippewa and Totogatic lakes, where she cited people for harvesting rice without a license. She also issued several warnings to nonresidents who showed up at the landings to harvest rice, but were denied because Wisconsin does not allow nonresidents to harvest…
Greedy fishermen (Jefferson County) On May 1, ECO Mark Malone and Lt. Chris Handley were working a covert detail in an unmarked vehicle in the city of Watertown because this was the day that the Black River was being stocked with 2-year-old brown trout. In years past, individuals were known to catch their daily limit two or three times in…
District 1 – Baudette area CO Ben Huener (Roseau) monitored area goose, sandhill crane, grouse, bear, elk, and archery deer hunting activity. ATV complaints were investigated in Badger. CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls) reports an unpermitted fire was investigated and small-game hunters were checked on opening weekend. CO Angie Warren (Thief River Falls) checked anglers and boaters on area…
Central Ohio – Wildlife District 1 • In August, state wildlife and watercraft officers teamed up to work a stream litter and boating compliance project on the Mad River in Champaign County. Officers contacted 24 recreational users. They issued 18 summonses for open containers of alcohol, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, no personal flotation devices (PFDs), and two warnings…
DISTRICT 1 CO Jason Wicklund was on patrol in Gogebic County when he observed an ORVer coming toward him. The driver was not wearing a helmet, so the CO stopped to speak with the operator. The CO observed several beer cans and a liquor bottle in a cooler on the front of the ORV and the driver admitted to drinking….
NORTHWEST REGION •Crawford County WCO Jacob J. Olexsak is investigating a case in which an 8-point buck was shot from a roadway, just after sunset in August. •Forest County WCO Daniel P. Schmidt reports the bald eagle nest across the Allegheny River from Tionesta was destroyed by lightning. “Tionesta VFD personnel responded after lightning struck the tree splitting it in…
District 1 – Baudette area CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked area bear and goose hunters. A deer-shining complaint was taken. Assistance was provided to a turkey producer who had wolf depredation problems. CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls) worked the Lake of the Woods area with Lt. Znajda during the Labor Day holiday. Aquatic invasive species educational contacts were made,…
Region I A CPO in Winnebago County received a complaint call from the state’s attorney’s office regarding a man who shot and killed a baby raccoon during the closed season in the village limits of Winnebago. The investigation validated the complaint and found additional wildlife violations of unlawful trapping furbearer animals during the closed season and unlawful possession and raising…
District 11 — Peshtigo area Warden Oginski, of Marinette County, worked a boating deployment in Bayfield County. Numerous warnings and citations were issued throughout the weekend. Warden Oginski learned about a boat that was launched on High Falls Flowage with aquatic weeds attached. The owner and boat were located at a cabin. The aquatic vegetation was still attached. Enforcement action…
State and arson/K-9 assist (Suffolk County) On April 11, ECO Michael Arp and K-9 Warden were requested to respond to Suffolk County to assist Region 1 ECOs with patrolling state lands for arson activity. Director Peter Fanelli requested K-9 presence. Arp and Warden patrolled the towns of Brookhaven and Riverhead until approximately 2 a.m. with no activity. During the course…
District 1 – Baudette area CO Ben Huener (Roseau) reports the early bear hunting report is a little slower than expected, but several bears were harvested. Enforcement action for the week included allowing illegal operation of an off-highway motorcycle by a juvenile, possession of walleyes taken illegally in Canada, and hunting geese with an unplugged shotgun. CO Jeff Birchem (Baudette)…
Central Ohio – Wildlife District 1 • Madison County Wildlife Officer Matt Teders was on patrol during the 2011 deer gun season when he observed a deer drive in progress. Teders witnessed the hunters traveling through a Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grass field at an unusually fast pace. Further observation revealed two individuals were riding ATVs, with four other hunters…
DISTRICT 1 CO Brian Bacon contacted a subject on an ORV who was riding double on a machine not designed for two riders. The operator was educated on the law and safety concerns regarding operating with a passenger. COs Dave Painter and Jason Wicklund assisted Iron County law enforcement officers with the removal of a marijuana grow that was nearly…
NORTHWEST REGION •Butler County WCO Christopher J. Deal reports that a group of individuals unlawfully set up a shooting range at SGL 164 maintenance building. “Shooting clays were used and left in the wetlands ponds,” he said. “Glass bottles were shot, broken and left on the roadway. A host of other targets and debris were left on the ground, and…
District 1 – Baudette area CO Ben Huener (Roseau) assisted a cattle producer and a turkey producer with wolf depredation. Bear baits were checked, and a regional meeting was attended at Itasca State Park. Assistance was given to other officials during the search for a missing person in the Beltrami Island State Forest. CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls) monitored…
Region I CPOs and Ottawa River Rescue were called to the Fox River. A male and female canoeing on the river had gotten into an argument. The female had taken off in the canoe and left the male on the shore. The female proceeded to lose her way and had called her father saying she was lost and injured. The…
District 1 — Ashland area Warden Amie Egstad, of Bayfield, and deputy warden Gurnoe contacted fishermen on Lake Superior two weekends in a row in July – cases where they’d filleted their lake trout and illegally thrown the carcasses into the water. In both cases, the fillets were shorter than the minimum size and did not have skin on them….
State and arson/K-9 assist (Suffolk County) On April 11, ECO Michael Arp and K-9 Warden were requested to respond to Suffolk County to assist Region 1 ECOs with patrolling state lands for arson activity. Director Peter Fanelli requested K-9 presence. Arp and Warden patrolled the towns of Brookhaven and Riverhead until approximately 2 a.m. with no activity. During the course…
District 1 – Baudette area CO Ben Huener (Roseau) worked with two state trappers regarding the trapping of nuisance wolves. A law and ethics presentation was given to the Warroad firearms safety class. Anglers were checked on the Roseau River and Hayes Lake, and enforcement action was taken for fishing with extra lines. CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls) responded…
Central Ohio – Wildlife District 1 • In early May, Wildlife Officer Supervisor Curtis Smith and Union County Wildlife Officer Josh Shields responded to a call about a red fox pup that was tangled in a fence. During the investigation, the officers discovered that a nuisance trapper had not purchased a valid hunting license or fur takers permit and had…
DISTRICT 1 CO Marvin Gerlach assisted U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) agents with the investigation of an illegal wolf kill in Illinois during the 2011 Illinois deer season. Interviews were conducted in Michigan and Illinois, which resulted in an admission to the illegal taking of the wolf in Illinois and recovery of the wolf. CO Marvin Gerlach investigated a…
NORTHWEST REGION •Crawford County WCO Jacob J. Olexsak said recent field checks conducted on groundhog hunters have resulted in seven citations being issued for violations ranging from hunting without a license to loaded firearms in vehicles. •Jefferson County WCO Roger A. Hartless has noticed more power poles in remote areas that have had the ground wires cut as high as…
