Cuffs & Collars

Field reports from Minnesota DNR conservation officers

Map of Minnesota DNR enforcement districts

District 1 – Baudette area

CO Ben Huener (Roseau) handled deer-hunting trespass and a road-killed buck possessed without a permit.

CO Nick Bruesewitz (Karlstad) reports waterfowl hunters had good success, and checked anglers on the Red Lake River.

CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) checked small-game and youth deer hunters and monitored local ATV traffic.

CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) took enforcement action for ATV passengers under 18 not wearing helmets.

CO Nicholas Prachar (Blackduck #1) reports the youth deer season was a success for a lot of young hunters learning the sport.

CO Bobby Stringer (Thief River Falls West) reports zero safety related injuries as youth firearms season kicked off; multiple bucks were checked and hunter smiles were abundant.

District 2 – Bemidji area

CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) worked the youth deer and early antlerless seasons, and checked duck, small-game, and archery hunters.

CO Curtis Jepson (Osage) reports the MEA youth hunt started slowly but ended with favorable conditions. Investigators are looking into multiple fires on public lands that may have started from illegal small-game activity.

CO Angela Warren (Mahnomen) assisted Mahnomen and Becker County Sheriff’s Offices with missing hunter calls.

CO Bill Landmark (Moorhead) reports pheasant-hunting success has improved over the past couple years, and youth deer success was good.

CO Grey Corbus (Pelican Rapids) conducted interviews on deer-hunting violations and trespassing, and saw many juveniles harvesting their first deer.

CO Brady Manteufel (Bagley) focused on nighttime shining work and investigated TIPs on deer baiting and a deer found shot in a field north of Zerkel. Complaints of deer poached from fields and roadways at night have been high this year; people can help by calling the TIP line with license plates, videos, or photos.

District 3 – Fergus Falls area

CO Hanna Wood (Fergus Falls) worked angling, small-game, and big-game enforcement.

CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) reports some youth found good success while several early antlerless tags went unused, and helped several folks get the proper license.

CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) checked angling and hunting activity.

CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked several youths during the youth deer season.

CO Jake Homan (Alexandria) took enforcement action for a loaded firearm, no small-game license, and hunting waterfowl in a closed area.

CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) reports lots of pheasant hunters were happy with cooler weather, and responded to reports of stranded duck hunters.

CO Emily Douvier (Morris) took enforcement action for various stamp violations.

CO Andrew Ladzinski (Glenwood) responded to a call about a stranded duck hunter in Todd County, and followed up on a ladder stand left unattended on a WMA. Trespass complaints are ramping up; enforcement included youth operating ATVs without helmets or registration.

District 4 – Walker area

CO Michael Cross (Lake George) worked angling, small-game, and big-game enforcement.

CO Landyn Saewert (Wadena) took several calls the day before youth deer season from people having issues with the new mobile app; buy licenses ahead of time, and in-person purchase is still available.

CO Patrick McGowan (Cass Lake) reports anglers still finding decent walleye and perch success.

CO Jack Lien (Walker) reports grouse success is low, but many squirrels were harvested.

CO Corey Sura (Remer) reports north winds brought a few fresh birds, though most waterfowl hunters had average success.

CO Levi Brown (Staples) investigated an illegal bear bait and a report of multiple ducks dumped at a common access point to the Gull River, some left in the round. Youth hunters had success bagging a deer this weekend.

District 5 – Eveleth area

CO Paul Kennedy (International Falls #1) assisted with recovering an injured eagle for transport to the Raptor Center, and was assisted by local partners with illegal cutting of spruce tops. Enforcement included several juvenile ATV violations.

CO John Slatinski IV (Ray) reports youth deer hunters were successful, and juveniles not wearing ATV helmets is a common violation — helmets are required no matter the ATV.

CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports grouse hunting success poor overall, and no youth were observed hunting during the youth firearms deer hunt.

CO Sean Cannon (Cook) reports grouse numbers remain down, and fielded many questions on the new license system and deer registration.

CO Aaron Larson (Tower) found violations including taking a doe in a bucks-only zone, deer with the aid of bait, and allowing youth to violate fish and game laws.

CO Marc Johnson (Hibbing) reports grouse hunters see more birds with fallen cover; a hunter-harassment investigation resulted in enforcement action.

CO Duke Broughten (Aurora) reports waterfowl and grouse hunters had limited success.

District 6 – Two Harbors area

CO Sean Williams (Ely #1) reports the typically busy MEA weekend saw fewer hunters than in recent years, with fair success.

CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Grand Marais) took enforcement action for hunter harassment and license violations.

CO Hudson Ledeen (Hovland) reports woods busy with grouse hunters, with success varying with effort.

CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) worked the busy MEA weekend, mostly camping, grouse hunting, and ATV riding. Violations included no small-game license, an unlawful combination license (not married), a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, grouse transported without attached wings, and burning without a permit.

CO Megan Franzen (Silver Bay) reports hunters had low success, and assisted state park staff with a special use permit violation.

CO Trent Anderson (Tofte) reports grouse hunting remained slow, and nuisance-bear issues are increasing; remove bird seed and fallen fruit to reduce conflicts.

CO Cassie Block (Two Harbors) checked hunters and trained with K9 Jet.

District 7 – Grand Rapids area

CO Vinny Brown (Northome) patrolled for illegal decorative materials harvesting; enforcement included ATV violations and loaded firearms.

CO Mike Fairbanks (Deer River) reports good angler success; enforcement included permit issues and illegal transportation of gamebirds.

CO Thomas Sutherland (Grand Rapids) reports nuisance-bear calls continue as bears fatten up for hibernation.

CO Jimmy Van Asch (Pengilly) took enforcement action for several hunting and ATV violations.

CO Brian Holt (Grand Rapids) worked a busy MEA weekend and youth deer season.

District 8 – Duluth area

CO Derek Peterlin (Brookston) attended an ATV trail planning field day for the Cloquet Valley State Forest and a U.S. Coast Guard meeting reviewing this year’s search and rescue efforts.

CO Nathan Garza (Duluth West) worked the youth deer season and met with DNR trail planners on possible motorized trails.

CO Rheanna Deal (Duluth East) reports the Duluth city hunt is seeing increasing harvest as weeks progress.

CO Tony Elwell (Cloquet) reports more grouse success with less cover; cold weather to the north kicked in the migration, with bigger groups of waterfowl moving through.

CO Aimee Hand (Willow River) patrolled for early trapping and deer baiting; baits will be monitored for complete removal 10 days prior to hunting.

CO Ben Karon (Pine City) addressed many issues in state forests and parks.

District 9 – Brainerd area

CO Luke Belgard (Pine River) worked the youth deer season, which brought numerous young hunters to the field.

CO Calie Cook (Crosslake) investigated trespass complaints.

CO Jim Guida (Brainerd #2) checked areas for illegal baiting, and worked with the county attorney’s office on a littering case from last winter.

CO Tony Flerlage (Crosby) found deer stands with bait or attractants nearby that will be monitored; baiting for deer is illegal statewide.

CO Andrew Dirks (CCSRA) took enforcement action for license violations and loaded firearms.

CO Matt Brodin (Brainerd #1) and K9 Molly helped a hunter locate a lost firearm. The hunter had set the gun down to grab his dog after they separated and forgot where; Molly tracked to the area and found it in a bunch of cedar trees.

District 10 – Mille Lacs area

CO Gregory Verkuilen (Garrison) reports less leaf cover resulted in more game taken, and ATV traffic was up over the four-day weekend.

CO Victoria Griffith (Isle) investigated complaints of litter and dogs chasing deer, and recommends deer hunters purchase licenses early.

CO Nate Benkofske (McGregor) took enforcement action for various ATV violations and spoke on snowmobile laws at the Tamarack Sno-Flyers annual meeting.

CO Kaitlyn Istvanovich (Onamia) reports waterfowl hunters becoming less successful; violations included hunting early antlerless in the wrong zone.

CO Trevon Mock (Wealthwood) saw a significant increase in hunting and ATV activity over the long MEA break, and a high number of violations, including an adult not accompanying a youth deer hunter, excessive ATV passengers, and juvenile ATV passengers without helmets. Mock also helped a youth hunter look for a deer and helped another group with a broken-down vehicle.

District 11 – St. Cloud area

CO Emmitt Winkels (Little Falls) found many successful youth and early antlerless hunters, and saw a slight increase in waterfowl.

CO Chad Ziegler (Sauk Centre) responded to two calls about stranded waterfowl hunters; both made it safely to accesses. He answered many licensing system questions.

CO Todd VanderWeyst (Paynesville) reports lots of licensing confusion continues; hunters are advised to get licenses early.

CO Koleby Dingmann (Albany) worked big-game activity with many youth and early antlerless hunters.

CO Adam Stennett (Annandale) reports low duck numbers. An archery hunter was found without a hunting license, having made no attempt to purchase one, and enforcement was taken.

CO Jacob Kaden (Long Prairie) took enforcement action for taking an antlered deer out of season and blaze clothing requirements.

District 12 – Princeton area

CO Blong Lor (Center City) worked big-game and waterfowl hunters.

CO Mike Krauel (Mora) checked youth hunters who were excited to show off their trophies, and he and K9 Bolt completed a detection certification.

CO Tshungtsim Thao (Buffalo) worked busy early antlerless/youth seasons.

CO Matthew Boyle (Milaca) reports hunters found the new app simple once they learned to register.

CO Justin Frisch (Cambridge) followed up on a littering complaint on the Rum River and TIPs on hunting deer with bait; enforcement was taken for taking a big-game animal out of season.

CO Trent Seamans (Big Lake) took enforcement action for unlawfully harvesting a buck during early antlerless season, no HIP certification, and occupying a dispersed campsite too long.

District 13 – West Metro area

CO James Fogarty (Prior Lake) checked early antlerless hunters in Permit Area 605, and waterfowl hunters before the season reopened; ducks were seized and citations issued.

CO Alexander Birdsall (Waconia) reports waterfowl harvest continues to be very slow.

CO Mike Lerchen (Minnetonka) took enforcement action for extra lines and angling without a license.

CO Ben Ulrich (Osseo) reports early antlerless and youth seasons were slow; violations included hunting waterfowl in the closed season.

CO Jayden Frank (Mound) worked with the DNR Enforcement ice safety coordinator and media team on outreach for the upcoming winter season.

District 14 – East Metro area

CO Matt Paavola (Ham Lake) investigated hunter-harassment TIPs; enforcement was taken for trespassing and ATVs in a WMA.

CO Scott Arntzen (Forest Lake) found violations including no blaze clothing, failure to validate or register deer, and trespassing.

CO Thephong Le (Maplewood) responded to TIP411 submissions on the deer feeding ban, sick wildlife, and hunting violations.

CO Garrett Thomas (Eagan) dealt with many more instances of out-of-season duck hunting in the South Zone, with some hunters admitting to using AI/ChatGPT to check season dates instead of the regulation book or DNR website. He also found violations while checking shore anglers, including sunfish as bait and unpermitted cast nets for gizzard shad.

CO Steve Chihak (Hastings) worked sport fishing, small-game hunting, and ATV enforcement.

CO Tou Vang (ELCOP-Hmong) reports waterfowl success has improved with cooler weather; enforcement included shooting a buck out of season during early antlerless.

District 15 – Marshall area

CO Jacob Peterson (Redwood Falls) fielded calls on the new deer tagging system and took enforcement action for hunting-related violations.

CO Shawn Wichmann (Slayton) reports pheasant hunters had very limited success.

CO Dustin Roemeling (Worthington) reports K9 Cora certified in detection, and gave a safety talk at the veterans’ hunt put on by Nobles County Pheasants Forever.

CO Matt Loftness (Marshall) reports high winds for the second weekend in a row made pheasant hunting difficult, while youth deer hunters had some success.

CO Derek Daniels (Lake Benton) reports rain and wind hampered hunters; enforcement included camping at a public water access.

CO Danielle Reuss (Benson) reports high winds and rain affected pheasant success, and assisted local law enforcement.

CO Luke Gutzwiller (Montevideo) and K9 Earl attended United States Police Canine Association detection trials in St. Paul, and worked the youth deer opener.

CO Dallas Cornell (Ortonville) completed commercial minnow inspections and assisted South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks on a deer investigation.

District 16 – New Ulm area

CO Shane Vernier (Willmar-West) issued a wildlife-possession permit.

CO Stephen Westby (Willmar-East) is starting to see more northern ducks pushing down, and assisted the county with a hunting-related complaint.

CO Nicholas Klehr (Litchfield) reports pheasant hunters have been having success, though ducks haven’t migrated through yet.

CO Brett Wiltrout (Hutchinson-West) investigated a trespassing and archery big-game violation.

CO Zachary Larson (Hutchinson-East) worked the youth and early antlerless deer seasons.

CO Thor Nelson (New Ulm) investigated an abandoned boat and waterfowl and deer complaints.

CO Travis Cain (Windom) worked pheasant, archery, and youth deer hunting.

CO Emma Wehking (Jackson) checked pheasant hunters and monitored goose and duck hunters.

District 17 – Mankato area

CO Meng Moua (Waseca) reports a slow waterfowl split opener, with a handful of hunters finding success on diving ducks.

CO Josephine Homeier (Spring Valley) encountered many violations, including no blaze clothing, taking deer without a license, and taking a buck with a firearm during the early antlerless season; enforcement was taken for all.

CO Chad Davis (Owatonna) checked hunters, anglers, and ATV operators.

CO Ryan Schaefer (Mankato #1) reports fishing slow, but a few pheasants and ducks harvested; enforcement included no license in possession and a motor vehicle in a WMA.

CO Mitch Nowak (St. Peter) monitored anglers, bowhunters, and the youth deer and waterfowl openers.

District 18 – Rochester area

CO Brittany Hauser (Red Wing) responded to multiple trespass complaints; enforcement included various hunting violations.

CO Derek Schneider (Zumbrota) reports a nice turnout for youth deer and early antlerless seasons, and investigated a road-hunting complaint and an illegally taken buck.

CO Kristopher Ryan (Plainview) reports waterfowl hunters found success on the river with pintails and teal; youth and early antlerless seasons started slowly but picked up.

CO Annette Schlag (Rochester #1) reports K9 Trapper passed his U.S. Police Canine Association detection annual certification, and the pair assisted area officers with several K9 searches.

CO Ryan Christenson (Rochester #2) reports a busy week with early antlerless and youth seasons.

CO Calli Weber (Winona) followed up on TIP calls.

CO Mitch Boyum (Rushford) reports hunting was good with a good number of deer in the bag.

Aviation Section

NR Pilot Gracie Zeller (Brainerd) began her flight instructor recertification class, and maintenance was scheduled.

CO Pilot Ryan Hanna (Grand Rapids) participated in a public outreach event at the Crookston Airport, answering questions on new DNR laws and what the DNR does with airplanes.

CO Pilot Charles Scott (Brainerd) completed his flight instructor recertification course and provided instrument proficiency training to a unit pilot.

NR Pilot Anthony Ewers (Brainerd) prepared for upcoming wildlife surveys and traveled to the MD factory training course.

CO Pilot Brianna Shaw (Bemidji) spoke at a Civil Air Patrol about DNR career opportunities and organized bait flights for COs.

Compiled by Joe Albert, Minnesota DNR Enforcement. For a complete Enforcement report, visit www.outdoornews.com

Report of the Week

District 9 – Brainerd area

CO Matt Brodin (Brainerd #1) and K9 Molly helped a hunter locate a lost firearm. The hunter had set the gun down to grab his dog after they separated and forgot where; Molly tracked to the area and found it in a bunch of cedar trees.