Conservation Officer Weekly Reports
Minnesota’s Northland Reports – April 21, 2025
District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2025-04-21
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) attended annual in-service training at Camp Ripley in the first part of the week. After that, time was spent checking turkey hunters and assisting DNR Wildlife with a dead elk.
CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent the week checking area turkey hunters. The turkey population appears to be doing well, with a high number observed and heard.
CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) spent the week attending training and patrolling the Beltrami Island State Forest. Enforcement action was taken for expired ATV registration and operating a vehicle on a closed (weight restricted) forest road.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Baudette West) reports steady fishing pressure on Rainy River and Lake of the Woods. Prachar, along with CO Kennedy, investigated a TIP of people targeting walleyes out of season. Enforcement action was taken for taking walleyes out of season.
CO Paul Kennedy (Baudette East) worked angling and ATV activity throughout the week. Sturgeon anglers reported a slow catch with low water temperatures and cooler weather in the area. He assisted other agencies on calls for service. Enforcement action for the week included angling without a license, no life jackets, no fire extinguisher, failure to display current registration, and no license in possession.
CO Nick Bruesewitz (Karlstad) spent the week investigating the illegal dumping of walleye carcasses and following up on various wildlife-related complaints.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Blackduck North) assisted with a firearms safety course at the Kelliher School. The students completed the in-classroom portion of the training and will now meet for the field day. He worked with CO Shaw on the Rainy River checking sturgeon anglers. Time was spent patrolling forest roads and checking creeks for spring fish run activity.
CO Sarah Jahn (Thief River Falls East) spent time attending annual training. Time was also spent handling various wildlife-related complaints. Calls about incidentally caught otters were also taken.
CO Brianna Shaw (Blackduck South) spent the week undergoing training at Camp Ripley. Additionally, time was spent patrolling the Rainey River and preparing for a firearms safety field day.
Thief River Falls West – vacant.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2025-04-21
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports attending annual in-service training at Camp Ripley. Time was further spent checking anglers, boaters, beaver trappers, and turkey hunters.
CO Andrew Ladzinski (Bemidji #1) spent his time patrolling local trails for ATV activity. He attended annual training at Camp Ripley, which included firearms and medical training. Enforcement action was taken for no ATV headlight use, failure to transfer ownership, and no registration displayed.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) spent the week training with K9 Axel at their K9 school. Other time was spent checking area streams and rivers for walleye spawning activity and making sure people are not fishing in the closed areas.
CO Jordan Anderson (Osage) worked fishing and trail enforcement in the area. All area lakes are now free of ice with recent warm weather and high winds. Enforcement action was taken for several illegal-burning violations, driving on closed forest roads/trails, and underage consumption.
CO William Landmark (Moorhead) spent the week checking anglers on the Red River. The water temperature has stalled out and so has the walleye activity. Anglers are still finding a few fish, but activity still has some room to pick up. Calls from the public included requests for otter registrations and reports of potential overlimits. Landmark also provided a ride-along opportunity to a local high school student. Enforcement action was taken for transportation of live fish without a permit and an overlimit of panfish.
CO Angela Warren (Mahnomen) worked angling and leeching activity and monitored area streams for fish run activity. Fire activity was monitored, and time was spent speaking with wildland fire fighters. Area forest trails, wildlife management areas, and waterfowl production areas were monitored.
CO Matthew Boyle (Pelican Rapids) reports turkeys were very responsive to calls and vocal on the nicer days this past week. Reports of success have been high. Shore fishing activity is heating up as the panfish are beginning to transition shallower. Boyle spent time investigating a wildfire that burned approximately 80 acres of a local WPA.
CO Brady Manteufel (Bagley) patrolled public areas and checked turkey hunters and trout anglers. ATV enforcement was taken for overcapacity of passengers, registration, no helmets on juveniles, and no safety certifications on one ATV. Manteufel received a call about a turkey hunter who found a young dog in a foothold trap on public land. The hunter released the dog, researched social media, found its owner, and returned it. Manteufel called the hunter to thank him and visited with the dog owners and checked on the dog. It was ok. Manteufel seized the trap, as it was illegally set.
CO Jamus Veit (Bemidji #2) assisted with teaching department in-service training at Camp Ripley throughout the week.
CO Curtis Jepson (District #2) spent the beginning of the week training at Camp Ripley. A TIP call of a possible overlimit of crappies was taken. An investigation was conducted, and enforcement action was taken for transporting fish to stock a body of water without a permit. Jepson also assisted with wildlife-related calls throughout the week.
District 5 – Eveleth area
Last updated: 2025-04-21
CO Darrin Kittelson (International Falls #1) reports the spring catch-and-release walleye season on the Rainy River ended, and now people turn their attention to sturgeon catch and release. The ATV activity has also picked up in the area, along with the animal-related complaints. Enforcement action for the week mainly involved failure to have required boat safety equipment and boat registration issues.
CO Curtis Simonson (International Falls #2) reports working the Rainy River this past week and monitoring trapping activity in the area. Fishing reports were slow on the Rainy River as the water has gotten dirty and is full of debris.
CO John Slatinski IV (Ray) reports rivers have started to let loose and bring life back to some of the once frozen winter wildlife travel ways. Beavers and otters are quick to regain a presence in the open waters. Water levels are up but are expected to quickly recede to normal levels as the open water progresses to the bigger reservoirs. There’s been an uptick in ATV activity as the seasonal change draws people back outdoors. Be mindful of conditions along with seasonal trail closures and operate accordingly. Slatinski also spent some time on a litter incident, with garbage and remains of a campfire left in a public access area. Dock work continues to be monitored as damage from ice movement over the winter is revealed.
CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports station lakes remain ice covered and have begun to deteriorate, and no angling activity was observed. Small streams and creeks have opened. Area forest roads continue to be monitored as spring road closures are in effect. Equipment work was prevalent over the week. Other time was spent answering a variety of questions on a variety of outdoor topics.
CO Sean Cannon (Cook) Spent time at Camp Ripley for training this week. Time was also spent checking ice anglers along with monitoring trapping and ATV activity.
CO Aaron Larson (Tower) worked primarily angling and trapping. Larson spent time checking crappie anglers who were targeting small open patches of water. He also checked for ATV activity in his station. Violations included a couple of anglers fishing in a closed spawning area.
CO Marc Johnson (Hibbing) primarily worked ATV and trapping activity. Much of the week was spent at Camp Ripley for in-service training. In addition, online training and administrative duties were completed.
CO Shane Zavodnik (Virginia) spent time attending spring in-service training at Camp Ripley over the week. Additional time was spent investigating several trespass complaints, which included taking enforcement action on one individual. ATV activity has steadily increased as temperatures become more favorable around the region.
CO Duke Broughten (Aurora) spent the week monitoring fishing, trapping, and ATV activity. The slow spring warmup has limited outdoor recreational activities. Lake ice is slowly deteriorating. Broughten fielded calls regarding abandoned property, boat registration, and youth safety classes.
District 6 – Two Harbors area
Last updated: 2025-04-21
CO Sean Williams (Ely #1) reports he focused on angling activity over the week between attending annual training. Fishing pressure slowed significantly as ice conditions continued to grow more inconsistent and dangerous. Violations included angling without a license in possession and operating an ATV on a closed trail.
CO Brent Ihnen (Ely #2) patrolled his station this week continuing to check anglers on area lakes. Ihnen also patrolled for ATV activity. Additional time was spent responding to questions from the public regarding the upcoming fishing seasons.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Grand Marais) spent time working ATV enforcement earlier in the week. One day was spent meeting with neighboring officers and the district supervisor discussing inventory and upcoming work details in the Grand Marias area. Wahlstrom also spent time at annual in-service training.
CO Hudson Ledeen (Hovland) reports the inland lakes are holding onto more than 2 feet of solid ice. Some local anglers are still ice fishing for panfish, while most other anglers have long called it a wrap on the ice fishing season. Steelhead fishing continues its slow start as water temperatures remain in the low 30s. Time was also spent at Camp Ripley for annual training.
CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) attended training and worked anglers on the North Shore. Ice is pulling away from the shorelines, and most people have given up on ice fishing for the season. Enforcement action for the week included fishing without a license or trout stamp and for lighting a wildfire due to careless handling of a cigarette.
CO Megan Franzen (Silver Bay) spent time this week attending annual training at Camp Ripley. Time was also spent checking anglers across the local rivers and streams, and activity has been increasing. Anglers, however, are noting varied to little success as water temperatures remain relatively low.
CO Trent Anderson (Tofte) focused on angling enforcement for the week. Anglers were checked fishing area tributaries and Lake Superior. The steelhead bite remains slow with lingering winter-like conditions. Equipment maintenance was conducted in preparation for the upcoming warm weather season.
Two Harbors – vacant.
District 7 – Grand Rapids area
Last updated: 2025-04-21
CO Vinny Brown (Northome) responded to wildlife-related calls, monitored decorative material activities, and patrolled for trapping activity. Time was also spent at Camp Ripley for annual training. Incidentally caught animals were turned in by trappers, and deer-possession permits were issued for road-killed deer.
CO Jayson Hansen (Bigfork) worked ATV, small-game, and fishing activities. He patrolled area trails. Numerous game and fish-related questions were answered. He also responded to wildlife-related complaints.
CO Mike Fairbanks (Deer River) assisted with in-service training and responded to nuisance/injured-animal complaints this week.
CO Thomas Sutherland (Grand Rapids) worked ice-out activity. Many fish are in area creeks. He worked trapping issues in the area, with many spring beaver trappers out and about. Sutherland has also taken multiple questions about CWD in the Grand Rapids deer population.
CO Jimmy Van Asch (Pengilly) reports working sport fishing, trapping, ATV, and boating activity. Follow up was completed on an open trapping investigation and annual training was completed at Camp Ripley, as well.
CO Taylor Hochstein (Hill City) handled various wildlife-related complaints. Anglers are starting to have some success on rivers fishing for rough fish. Time was also spent training at Camp Ripley and a law and ethics talk was given at a firearms safety class.
CO Brian Holt (Grand Rapids) checked trapping and recreational vehicles throughout the previous week. Time was also spent following up on wildlife-related complaints, including nuisance-bear complaints. It is recommended to remove bird feeders and trash cans at night to prevent nuisance-bear activity. Holt attended wildfire arson training and annual in-service training.
NE ATV officer – vacant.
District 8 – Duluth area
Last updated: 2025-04-21
CO Derek Peterlin (Brookston) reports some area lakes experienced ice-out this past week. He reminds those venturing out in watercraft to make sure they have the required safety equipment and make sure their registrations are current and displayed properly. He monitored turkey hunting and angling activity and investigated complaints of trespassing and failing to immediately release sturgeon in a closed season.
CO Tony Elwell (Cloquet) participated in annual training at Camp Ripley this week. Turkey hunting and angling patrols were conducted. A trespass complaint was investigated.
CO Mikeena Wehr (Carlton) spent time working ATV/OHM, trapping, turkey hunting, and fishing activity this past week. Time was also spent at in-service training. ATV/OHM operators are still being found operating on closed forest roads and trails in the Nemadji State Forest despite closed gates and signage.
CO Aimee Hand (Willow River) fielded numerous complaints of trapping related violations and operation of recreational vehicles in the closed forest. Smelt details were planned and worked. Success was seen among panfish anglers. Enforcement action for the week was heavy for operation in a closed forest.
CO Gabriel Soriano (Hinckley) saw many anglers out and about on the local lakes, streams, and rivers. Checks were performed with common infractions being observed of no valid license, taking fish out of season, and wanton waste. People are reminded that there is still a burn prohibition, and that people are required to have a burn permit unless it is a campfire. Many fires set this week have resulted in uncontrolled grassfires, which resulted in enforcement action.
CO Ben Karon (Pine City) spent the week at Camp Ripley for in-service training. Time was also spent checking anglers and turkey hunters. Karon continues to patrol for ATV activity and trespassing issues.
Duluth West – vacant.
District 9 – Brainerd area
Last updated: 2025-04-21
CO Luke Belgard (Pine River) worked Academy and in-service training at Camp Ripley this week.
CO Jim Guida (Brainerd #2) worked sport fishing and fire enforcement this week. Check permit conditions before burning. Guida checked some turkey hunters, and some were successful. An angler targeting closed species walleyes was investigated.
CO Tony Flerlage (Crosby) received calls of public land being posted as private and questions about how to transport legal bait for fishing. State land was checked for removal of permanent tree stands.
CO Andrew Dirks (CCSRA) spent time at Camp Ripley attending training throughout the week. Driving conduct complaints in parking lots of the rec area were also investigated, with enforcement action being taken. Trails opened this week, and riders reported excellent trail conditions.
CO Chelsey Best (Pequot Lakes) worked forest closures, burning restrictions, trapping, turkey hunting, and ATV activity. Enforcement action was taken for failure to tend traps and operating on closed forest roads. A complaint of shooting from the roadway was also investigated.
CO Matt Brodin (Brainerd #1) assisted in instructing at Camp Ripley for department in-service training. He fielded calls about nuisance wildlife and spring turkey regulations.
District 10 – Mille Lacs area