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District 1 – Baudette area
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked anglers on Lake of the Woods. A fire was investigated near Badger. Enforcement action taken for an angler using too many lines.
CO Eric Benjamin (Warroad North) worked OHV, AIS, boat and water, and angling
enforcement. Benjamin gave a laws and ethics speech to nearly 50 kids who earned their ATV safety certificates this past weekend. A reminder to anglers fishing Lake of the Woods: You may not possess more than your Minnesota limit of fish when fishing the lake regardless if you have an Ontario or Manitoba angling license in addition to your Minnesota license. The fish are all caught within the same body of water. Enforcement action was taken this past week for numerous angling license violations.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls West) worked an aquatic invasive species check station near Baudette, gave a presentation on life jacket usage at the Thief River Falls Youth Safety Camp, and patrolled for ATV activity this past week. Enforcement action included no helmet on a juvenile ATV operator, no ATV registration, no OHM registration, no ATV safety training, and operating an ATV on a roadway without a valid driver’s license.
CO Tony Elwell (Thief River Falls East) spent time teaching boat and water safety and PFD safety along with CO Jeremy Woinarowicz to local youth at the Thief River Falls Safety Camp this past week. Elwell also patrolled the station for recreational vehicles, boat and water safety and angling activity. Enforcement action was taken for various ATV and OHM violations, as well as PFD violations and possession of drug paraphernalia.
CO Demosthenes Regas (Blackduck South) reports working AIS and angling enforcement on special regulation lakes throughout the week. Regas encountered a group of nonresident anglers in possession of 32 fish over their limit and with a number of other violations. Enforcement action was taken. Time was spent patrolling area ATV trails. Other enforcement action for the week included possession of unmeasurable/uncountable fish fillets, no skin patches and
possession of northern pike within the protected slot.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Blackduck North) reports fishing on Upper Red Lake has been steady. Prachar worked angling, boat and water safety, as well as ATV activity. Enforcement action was taken on ATV, AIS, and angling violations as well as possession of controlled substances.
CO Hannah Mishler (Baudette East) focused primarily on angling and boat and water safety enforcement on Upper Red Lake and Lake of the Woods. Anglers were having a lot of success on both bodies of water, despite the windy and rough conditions. Mishler assisted the sheriff’s office with various calls, including 911 calls and medicals. Enforcement action was taken for a walleye overlimit, possession of fish illegally taken or possessed in Canada, failure to display current watercraft registration and various boat and water safety violations.
Baudette West – vacant.
Warroad South – vacant.
Karlstad – vacant.
District 2 – Bemidji area
CO Tim Gray (Bagley) checked anglers and removed the bottom of a fish house from a local lake.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji #1) worked boating and angling activity on area lakes. He assisted a neighboring officer on a complaint of individuals taking too many walleyes. The investigation resulted in citations being issued. Later in the day, Vollbrecht ran into a group reporting a good crappie bite. After visiting with the group more it was determined they were several fish over their legal limit after a week of fishing. Citations were issued. A rule meeting for a local fishing tournament was attended. Vollbrecht talked about angling regulations and boating safety laws. Along with CO Sullivan, he taught a class of park security rangers at Camp Ripley about drug and alcohol use.
CO Chris Vinton (Perham) reports investigating several TIPs of possible double-tripping and overlimits of panfish and participating with the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office in their open house. Vinton answered questions relating to AIS, ATV and fishing regulations. Vinton conducted AIS inspections at area accesses. Enforcement action was taken for an unregistered ATV, illegal-length northern pike, attempting to take sturgeon during the closed season and illegal youth operation of an ATV.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) spent the week working aquatic invasive species cases and sport fishing. Cases were completed concerning area lake service providers who were doing work without permits and training. Time was also spent assisting Becker County with multiple calls including a crash and an assault. Other time was spent at area lake association meetings talking about APM topics including weed rollers and aqua thrusters.

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CO Al Peterson (Osage) assisted with Academy training, followed up on ongoing cases, and answered questions about nuisance bears.
CO Angie Warren (Mahnomen) spent time on AIS compliance checks and education. Angling and boating activity was worked with anglers reporting mixed success. Areas were patrolled for off-road vehicle activity. Warren responded to a call of a child who had wandered away from a residence. The child was located. Warren assisted Mahnomen County and the White Earth Police Department with a search for a missing individual after his watercraft was found unoccupied. A call of possible illegal angling activity was received and investigated. Information was provided to an individual who located a fawn in his yard. The public is reminded to leave young animals alone as the mother will return to collect them. Leeching activity continues to be worked.
CO Bill Landmark (Pelican Rapids) spent the week monitoring angling, ATV, commercial bait harvesting, and AIS activity. Calls from the public included reports of dead loons and a report of an individual shooting from an ATV. Landmark also participated in an AIS inspection station near Baudette. Enforcement action was taken for commercial violations, taking a wild animal from a motor vehicle, operating an unregistered ATV, transporting aquatic vegetation, and boat plug violations.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
CO Troy Richards (Fergus Falls) reports the number of folks recreating is increasing due to visitors to the area. Fishing continues to be decent for several species, including panfish, which are sitting on spawning beds. Richards issued nuisance beaver permits and took information on goose depredation shooting permits being activated. Enforcement efforts focused on AIS, fishing, and boat safety violations. Information on another boat sinking in the Otter Tail River during night bowfishing was also received.
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) met with a local township and nuisance beaver trapper to address a high-water issue causing damage to a township roadway and flooding out several landowners. Equipment maintenance was performed.
CO Andrew Goodman (Elbow Lake) focused on boating and AIS enforcement. Several personal watercraft riders were reminded to stay 150 feet away from docks and the shore. Various complaints were received and investigated regarding trespassing and fishing. Goodman spoke at the Pomme de Terre Lake Association meeting and spent time patrolling Lake Traverse with CO Baumbarger.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) monitored boating, angling and AIS activity this past week. Quite a few citations were issued for no angling license, extra lines, and operating a PWC after hours. An angler trolling late night in his motorboat was arrested for BWI and taken to the Douglas County Jail.
CO Brian Holt (Osakis) checked angling activity and bowfishing during the week. Complaints were received regarding late-night noise from bowfishers and miscellaneous wildlife-related issues. Time was also spent monitoring AIS compliance in the area. Enforcement activity related to angling license violations.
Morris – vacant.
Wheaton – vacant.
District 4 – Walker area
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) reports warm weather brought good fishing to the area – so much so that a TIP led to two anglers being issued citations after they were found to be 20 walleyes over their limit. Calls of nuisance beavers, shoreline-alteration complaints, and an abandoned watercraft on Cass Lake were received and checked. Mathy also attended a Take-a-Kid Fishing event in Laporte.

CO Jacqueline Hughes (Longville) reports checking anglers and ATV riders. Fishing has been picking up on most lakes in the area. She investigated a call about a dead goose and assisted with a call about a struggling jet skier. Hughes also worked at the High Lifters Quadna Mud National.

CO Randy Posner (Staples) he worked on fishing enforcement this past week. The anglers are out but the walleye bite has slowed with the water warming up. The panfish have been cooperative. Violations he observed were no fishing license in possession, expired boat registration and insufficient PFDs. He worked on aquatic invasive species prevention in the Lincoln Lakes area. Posner checked lake service providers hauling lifts and watercraft with zebra mussels attached. The mussels found were determined to be ead and had attached last year to the equipment. Enforcement action was taken.
Lake George – vacant.
Park Rapids – vacant.
Walker – vacant.
Remer – vacant.
District 5 – Eveleth area
CO Darrin Kittelson (International Falls #1) reports weather has continued to be the deciding factor whether people have decided to be outdoors. The hot days have been great for boating and enjoying the water, but the fishing has been spotty. Time was also spent assisting fellow officers in the Grand Rapids and Hill City areas with enforcement at the 2019 Quadna Mud Nationals. Enforcement for the week included fishing without a license in possession, insufficient number of PFDs, and operating an ATV on the roadway. Numerous animal-related complaints were also handled throughout the week.
CO Shane Zavodnik (International Falls #2) spent time working angling and OHV enforcement over the week. With water temperatures still relatively low on Rainy Lake for this time of year, anglers were found to have spotty fishing success. Zavodnik and CO Kittelson responded to a call around midnight about an individual who was on a local lake and was scared for their safety. The individual was safety brought back to shore and picked up thereafter. Zavodnik and CO Vollbrecht followed up on a litter case involving a bag of trash left at a public landing during the week. The individual fully admitted the garbage was his. He said there’s usually trash cans where he put the bag of garbage, so that’s why he did it. Enforcement action was taken. Off-highway vehicle operators are reminded to know rules and regulations – including city and county ordinances – before going out on the trails and road. Violations encountered over the week included prohibited travel on the road right of way, litter, permitting unlawful operation of an ATV, and helmets required for ATV operators under the age 18.
CO John Slatinski (Ray) reports angling continues to be a popular activity in the area, with success slower than previous weeks. Even with water temperatures near 60 degrees, several people elected to go for a swim to cool off during last weekend’s extreme heat episode. Several calls of people dealing with beavers causing damage to property were received, with one individual reporting the animals had chewed through his water line for the second time.
CO Troy Fondie (Orr) monitored area lakes for boating and angling activities. Public Access parking was checked. He worked with the Division of Forestry on a lands matter. Fondie continued working beaver complaints from landowners. Equipment work continues. Bugs and wood ticks have made an appearance.
CO Duke Broughten (Cook) spent the week monitoring angling, boating, and ATV activity.
Anglers reported moderate success on Lake Vermilion.
CO Marc Hopkins (Tower) assisted this past week at the Quadna Mud Nationals ATV run with a number of other officers. The most common violation observed was operating ATVs on a state highway. A number of individuals were operating ATVs while drinking, and there were minor consumption violations. Hopkins also assisted local and county agencies with a fight at a saloon in Virginia.

CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) worked angling, boating and ATV activity during the past week. He taught about 140 kids about boating and gun safety at the Hibbing Safety Town event. Assistance was provided to the Hibbing Police Department in searching for a suicidal person and he stopped a reckless driver wanted by a Virginia Police Department investigator. Fishing success has picked up with warmer water finally arriving. Enforcement action was taken for no angling license and several boating and ATV violations.
CO Matt Frericks (Virginia) spent a very busy week patrolling the Virginia area for a wide variety of recreational and resource-related activity. With the moderate temperatures, high numbers of ATVs and OHMs were observed and encountered. Of these recreational vehicles, several of them were unregistered. Citations were issued for the violations. Please check the registration on your ATVs and OHMs before heading out to the trails. Many ATV riders continue to be issued citations for operating their ATVs on area snowmobile trails. In speaking with landowners who own the property the trail runs over, they are considering no longer allowing the snowmobile trail on their property. CO Frericks reminds all ATV riders to respect landowners property and stay off of snowmobile trails.
Aurora – vacant.
District 6 – Two Harbors area
CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) attended a planning meeting for Academy Game Week. Time was spent patrolling in the BWCA.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) spent the week at Camp Ripley teaching firearms skills and tactics to the CO Academy.
CO Sean Williams (Ely #1) fielded several nuisance-bear complaints over the week, most of which involved bird feeders or outdoor grills. Wild foods are still scarce because of the late, wet spring, and the longer the spring drags out the more frequent bear reports become. Please stay vigilant with bird seed, garbage, and compost to try to avoid conflicts.
CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) worked boating and invasive species enforcement efforts during the week. Area campgrounds are filling up with summer travelers as the kids are done with school. Anglers were getting some nice fish off Lake Superior and boating activity was high. Murray handled nuisance-bear complaints and took a TIP call of fishing in a closed area.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) attended an Honor Guard meeting and helped with handgun training for the new officers in the Academy. She also took a call of a nuisance beaver causing road flooding.
CO David Schottenbauer (Silver Bay) worked angling activity this past week. Time was spent checking boaters on the water and at accesses. Much of the week was spent at Camp Ripley teaching handgun tactics and skills to the new conservation officer candidates.
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) reports lots of activity in the backwoods and on lakes. Anglers and boat and water safety equipment were checked. A remote designated trout lake patrol was also done.
District 7 – Grand Rapids area
CO Randy Patten (Northome) checked boaters and anglers and patrolled area ATV trails. He handled calls about wolf depredation on calves, minnow dealer violations, and nuisance wildlife. Enforcement action was taken for operating an ATV on a public highway and anglers possessing overlimits of fish.

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CO Mike Fairbanks (Deer River) checked anglers, worked an ATV detail, attended training and responded to nuisance-animal complaints. Fairbanks and his K9 partner Si also provided a K9 demonstration at the Bark for Life event. Enforcement action was taken for license issues, operating an ATV on a roadway, minor consumption and OHV registration issues.

CO Sarah Grell (Grand Rapids) checked anglers this past week. She also worked the Quadna Mud Nationals event for ATV activity. Enforcement action was taken for various angling and recreational vehicle violations.

CO Thomas Sutherland (Grand Rapids) worked heavy ATV activity in the area with the warm weather. The Quadna Mud Nationals was worked with multiple law enforcement agencies in Hill City. Enforcement action was taken for multiple roadway violations, youth violations, underage consumption and operating an ATV in a public water.

CO Jimmy Van Asch (Pengilly) worked angling, ATV, boating, and AIS activities. Time was
also spent assisting neighboring officers with the 2019 High Lifter Quadna Mud Nationals ATV event in Hill City. Enforcement action was taken for several overlimits of sunfish and various ATV violations.

CO Taylor Hochstein (Hill City) worked along with several other area conservation officers at the High Lifter Mud Nationals ATV event that was held at Quadna Mountain in Hill City. Several ATV violations were addressed by the officers over the weekend but the overwhelming majority of violations involved ATVs operating on a state highway or in other prohibited areas.
NE ATV officer – vacant.
District 8 – Duluth area
CO Jacob Willis (Brookston) fielded TIP calls and worked anglers as well as ATV activity.
Willis also participated in teaching at a firearms safety field day in the Moose Lake/Kettle River area. Enforcement action was taken for no Type IV PFD, no license in possession, as well as registration issues.
CO Andy Schmidt (Duluth West) attending a district field day for youth firearms safety
certification in Moose Lake.
CO Kipp Duncan (Duluth East) worked fishing and boating enforcement on area inland lakes. Some invasive species work was completed at area accesses. He also checked anglers on area tributaries catching stream trout and monitored ATV activity in past complaint locations. Duncan also assisted with a firearms safety field day class.
CO Jeff Humphrey (Cromwell) worked boating, angling, AIS and OHV enforcement throughout the week. Nuisance- and injured-animal complaints continue to be received. Humphrey attended an Honor Guard meeting held at Camp Ripley. An area youth firearms safety field day was conducted in the Moose Lake/Kettle River area by Duluth district officers with the aid of retired firearms safety instructor Carl Boehmer. Various boating and AIS violations were encountered during the week.
CO Scott Staples (Carlton) assisted other officers in the district at a firearms safety field day in the Moose Lake/Kettle River area. Time was spent patrolling area state parks where enforcement action was taken for not having vehicle permits, parking in closed areas and consuming alcoholic beverages. Complaints of fishing violations on the St Louis River were worked and enforcement action was taken for taking overlimits of walleyes. K9 Schody assisted local law enforcement with the search for a firearm that was believed thrown in the woods and also for searching for a person who fled from police on foot.
Lake Superior Marine Unit
CO Keith Olson (Lake Superior Marine Unit) assisted fellow District 8 officers with a firearms safety field day in the Moose Lake/Kettle River area, responded to a report of a spotted fawn north of Duluth and fielded several other wildlife-related calls during the week. He worked AIS enforcement on public accesses in the Duluth and Two Harbors areas.
CO Matt Miller (Lake Superior Marine Unit) checked anglers and boaters. A good surface bite for salmon and trout continues off the mudlines near Duluth. Walleyes continued to please anglers in the St. Louis River. Complaints of overlimits and long hours of observation led to multiple citations for taking an overlimit of walleyes and confiscation of the fish. A firearms safety field day was staffed with other Duluth-area officers and enforcement action was taken for angling violations during the week.
Lake Superior Unit – vacant.
District 9 – Brainerd area
CO Bob Mlynar (Aitkin) worked angling, boating, invasive species and ATV activity. An injured loon was transported to the Garrison Animal Hospital.
CO Patrick McGowan (Pine River) worked lakes in Cass and Crow Wing counties throughout the week. Lakes were busy with anglers and recreational boaters. Enforcement action was taken for numerous boating and angling violations.
CO Scott Fitzgerald (CCSRA) reports assisting at the CO Academy with handgun training and qualification. He also checked some anglers and patrolled the SRA for illegal ATV activity. A car-killed deer permit was issued and assistance was given to several local agencies on calls for service. Calls regarding nuisance animals were fielded and many outdoor law-related questions were answered throughout the week and weekend.
CO Karl Hadrits (Crosby) reports checking fishing and boating activity on area lakes, patrolling of the Crow Wing State Forest and Cuyuna Country State Recreational Area, and working a boating and fishing enforcement detail on Upper Red Lake. Enforcement contacts were made for miscellaneous boating equipment and registration issues.

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CO Tim Collette (Brainerd) handled nuisance-animal calls, checked boaters for invasive species transportation, monitored boating traffic on the lakes, checked anglers, and followed up on TIP calls where enforcement action was taken for overlimits of fish.
CO Eric Sullivan (Pequot Lakes) presented security ranger training to new state park staff. He also received calls regarding an injured swan and possible draining of wetlands. Academy 19 training plans and scheduling also continued.
CO Amber Ladd (McGregor) assisted in Academy firearms training at Camp Ripley.
District 10 – Mille Lacs area
CO Ben Karon (Isle) spent the past week checking anglers and boaters. Time was spent doing invasive species checks as well. Patrol for ATV and OHM activity was also done.
CO Ashley Whiteoak (Malmo) worked ATV enforcement. Enforcement action was taken for operating an ATV without lights, operating an ATV on a roadway, failure to display ATV registration, expired ATV registration, failure to report the sale of an ATV, operating an ATV without a driver’s license, and driving after revocation. Whiteoak also spent time working at the Turn In Poachers trailer at Father Hennepin State Park, assisting the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office on events, following up on nuisance-bear complaints, and investigating a wolf-depredation complaint.
CO Dustie Speldrich (Willow River) received information of a person camping in a state forest campground longer than 14 days. The person was advised of the camping rules. A report of inappropriate conduct was taken. An investigation is ongoing. Speldrich assisted with a youth firearms safety field day in a neighboring station. She also answered many ATV/OHM and watercraft registration questions throughout the week.
CO Dan Starr (Onamia) worked the closed harvest season on Mille Lacs Lake and panfishing activities. ATV and trespass issues were also addressed. Extra line and boat registration violations were also found. Animal-related calls came in with bear concerns being heard.
CO Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley) continued to spend a lot of time on area lakes and found anglers doing very well catching sunfish and crappies. Other activity included responding to complaints of wolves harassing cattle and killing calves. One local rancher lost three calves to wolf depredation within a one-week period. There was also an increase in nuisance black bear activity. Property owners were reporting adult bears and their cubs exploring decks, lawns, garages, and getting into garbage cans, dog food bowls and bird feeders. One homeowner reported waking up to a bear standing on the deck, bellied up to the gas grill and licking up the grease from past cook outs.
District 11 – St. Cloud area

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CO Annette Kyllo (Pierz) attended a kids safety event in Pierz and talked about boat and water safety. Kyllo also spent time on area lakes checking angling activity and patrolling the local ATV trails.
CO Caleb Silgjord (Sauk Centre) spent time during the week patrolling station lakes for angling and boating activity.
CO Todd VanderWeyst (Paynesville) worked angling activity this past week. A bald eagle that was hit by a car was picked up but later died from its injuries. He held a firearms safety field day class in Paynesville.
CO Frank Rezac (St. Cloud) reports checking anglers, boaters and ATV riders. A TIP call
involving an illegal method of taking fish was investigated. Wildlife possession permits and nuisance-animal calls were also handled.
CO Leah Kampa (Annandale) spent the week patrolling area lakes and enforcing ATV laws. Several lakes have had a good panfish bite. Time was spent teaching at a firearms safety field day in Paynesville and investigating littering complaints. Enforcement action for the week included insufficient PFDs, expired ATV registration, illegal operation of an ATV, a passenger under 18 years of age without helmet and transporting watercraft with the drain plug in.
CO Keith Bertram (Long Prairie) spent most of the week working anglers, boaters, and ATV riders. Enforcement action was taken for license and safety violations. Nuisance- and injured-animal calls were handled.
District 12 – Princeton area
CO Angela Londgren (Cambridge) worked at public access points on lakes enforcing AIS laws,checked anglers and ATV riders, spoke at a local 4H club meeting, and attended the new Hoffman WMA dedication. Londgren also had a ride-along, conducted commercial inspections, and worked with the local hydrologist checking shorelines.

CO Nathan Benkofske (Milaca) reports checking anglers and boaters over the past week on area lakes. Enforcement action was taken for angling without licenses, using too many lines, not enough lifejackets, and careless driving. Calls about beaver-related issues continue to be handled. A motorcycle crash was responded to and medical aid was provided alongside other local law enforcement officers and first responders.

CO Rick Reller (Buffalo) spent time this past week checking anglers and following up on several animal-related complaints. Enforcement action was taken for an overlimit of crappies and angling with extra lines.

CO Blong Lor (Center City) spent the week working anglers and complaint areas. He also spent time answering wildlife-related calls and responding to nuisance-animal complaints.
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CO Trent Seamans (Big Lake) spent time patrolling state lands and waters. Additional time was spent attending training related to the nuclear power plant in Monticello. Enforcement action for the week included fishing without a license, operating a watercraft with expired registration, and operating a watercraft without a throwable PFD.

CO Mike Krauel (Mora) spent the week working angling activity and boat and water safety. Time was also spent patrolling for ATV activity. Enforcement action was taken for no fishing license, extra line, expired boat registration, no life jackets, illegal-length northern pike, and several no-fishing-license-in-possession violations.
District 13 – West Metro area
CO Mike Lerchen (Bloomington) focused his efforts on boating safety and fishing enforcement. Time was also spent working a “Get Outdoors” event in Minneapolis. Enforcement action for the week included PFD violations, registration issues, and driving after revocation.

CO Vang Lee (ELCOP) worked boating and fishing activities on metro-area lakes and rivers. He patrolled the Gateway Trail and responded to a complaint of a dead bald eagle on the Mendota Bridge on Highway 55. Lee responded to a TIP complaint at Rice Creek in Mounds View where a citation was issued for an overlimit of sunfish.

CO Thephong Le (ELCOP) checked anglers, responded to a TIP call, and patrolled Fort Snelling State Park. He worked with CO Kpachavi on Upper Red Lake, where the main focus was boat and water safety enforcement. Enforcement action was taken for no angling license, no angling license in possession, no PFD, and no fire extinguisher.

CO Arnaud Kpachavi (Mound) worked boat safety and angling activity during the week.
Kpachavi took part in a boat safety detail on Upper Red Lake over the weekend and responded to a report of abandoned or stolen boats found on a property on Lake Minnetonka. The boat owners were located and the boats returned. Enforcement action was taken for license and boat safety violations.
CO Tim Maass (Osseo) worked angling and boating activity on area lakes and rivers. Time was spent working AIS violations and education. Maass also attended a planning meeting at Camp Ripley to prepare for upcoming Academy training.

CO Brent Grewe (Minnetonka) spent the week checking anglers and monitoring boating
activity. Grewe and K9 Shelby also spent time at public accesses checking boats for aquatic invasive species. Violations this past week included no license in possession, expired boat registration and missing safety equipment aboard a boat.
Ft. Snelling – vacant.
District 14 – East Metro area

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CO Garrett Thomas (Eagan) spent time monitoring shore angling activity and following up on numerous TIP complaints including one where an individual was shooting goslings with a pellet gun. Enforcement action was taken on a variety of things including fishing without a license and illegally taking geese out of season. Thomas also volunteered to assist in an event aimed at getting kids involved in outdoor recreation.

CO Luke Gutzwiller (White Bear Lake) spent time working angling and AIS enforcement
throughout the week. Enforcement action was taken for unattended lines, extra lines, no angling license and discarding bait/minnows into inland waters. A ride-along was provided through the internship program.

CO Joe Kulhanek (Hastings) spent a busy weekend assisting with ATV enforcement associated with Volksfest in and around the city of Goodhue. Activity was high with many violations observed. He also continued monitoring shore anglers on the river with anglers finding success for freshwater drum. Enforcement action for the week included operating an ATV in the lane of traffic, too many passengers and an unregistered ATV.

CO Scott Arntzen (Forest Lake) spent the week checking anglers and boaters and doing AIS enforcement. Arntzen also handled several calls about nuisance animals and investigated a wetland complaint. Enforcement action was taken for not having a license in possession, transporting zebra mussels, fishing without a license and failing to remove the drain plug.

CO Chris Tetrault (Maplewood) checked anglers on the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers. They reported the fishing was slow and a lot of small walleyes were caught. He spoke at a boat and water safety class at East Ridge High School. Tetrault also patrolled his station for invasive species compliance and addressed a couple of violations.

CO Tony Salzer (Ham Lake) patrolled Anoka County for angling activity with several violations being observed. Several complaints regarding high water were also received. Salzer continues to field complaints about anglers at local dams. While these areas are being worked, please be mindful that some people do keep and eat bass. Bass are legal to keep at this time and in most places.
Metro Officer – vacant.
District 15 – Marshall area
CO Craig Miska (Ortonville) monitored AIS, angling, boating and OHV activity during the past week. Training was attended at Camp Ripley.
CO Andrew Dirks (Worthington) spent the week instructing firearms at the Academy at Camp Ripley. Good weather for the weekend had many boaters out on Lake Okabena for the annual Windsurfing Regatta. Enforcement action included boating and personal watercraft violations.
Lake Benton – vacant.

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Benson – vacant.
Montevideo – vacant.
District 16 – New Ulm area
CO Jeff Denz (Willmar-West) checked anglers, boaters, and ATV operators. He educated
anglers about the protected length slot specific to northern pike. Time was also spent educating lake users about AIS laws.
CO Shane Vernier (Willmar-East) worked boating and angling activity. He answered calls from the public about fawns, road right of ways, and nuisance animals. Vernier also completed commercial inspections.
CO Thor Nelson (New Ulm) assisted with the recovery of a stolen canoe. He received calls
involving nuisance animals and angling and boating regulations. Nelson spent the rest of the week enforcing angling, boating, invasive species, and ATV regulations.
CO Dustin Miller (Windom) attending a meeting in preparation for the ongoing Academy at Camp Ripley. Miller continues to receive numerous calls each day in regards to “abandoned” yearling wildlife. The best option in nearly all situations is to leave the newborn wildlife alone, which will increase its likelihood of survival. A small-game case continues to be worked with another state wildlife agency.
CO Mike Gruhlke (Jackson) completed his radio program discussing topics including boat and water safety and area activity. Gruhlke attended a 2nd District American Legion family outing held at Eastside Acres Campground on Round Lake. Residents of the Minnesota Veterans Home were in attendance and had an opportunity to fish, relax, or take a pontoon ride. At the lunch, Gruhlke poured beer for them – root beer, that is.
District 17 – Mankato area
CO Chris Howe (St. Peter) spent most of the week on angling, boating, and AIS enforcement. Area lakes are still at very high levels, but they are dropping slowly. Area rivers remain high, but are also continuing to drop. Howe and CO Wiebusch worked the Minnesota, Blue Earth, and Maple rivers over the weekend. Dozens of canoes and kayaks were checked, with overall good compliance. Several parents were checked fishing with their children during Take a Kid Fishing weekend.
CO Chad Davis (Owatonna) checked anglers, boaters, AIS activity, and OHM and ATV
operators during the week. Davis also patrolled state parks, wildlife management areas, and waterfowl production areas.
CO Jamie VanThuyne (Mankato #1) focused on boating and fishing activity. VanThuyne also checked boats for AIS compliance. Anglers are doing well for sunfish on area lakes.

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CO Corey Wiebusch (Mankato #2) checked anglers and boaters over a busy weekend. Several AIS contacts were made over the past week. He also traveled to Camp Ripley to assist with Academy training.
CO Tony Flerlage (Spring Valley) worked ATV and angling enforcement. Time was spent at Camp Ripley and New Ulm for meetings.
CO Tyler Lusignan (Faribault) reports checking anglers and conducting ATV enforcement. Multiple boating violations were detected with enforcement action taken.
CO Jeremy Henke (Albert Lea) reports continued enforcement of anglers snagging fish at the Fountain Lake Dam. Henke helped with the Fountain Lake Sportsman’s Club Take a Kid Fishing Day. The event had a record turnout of kids! Thanks to all the volunteers who helped put it on. AIS enforcement continues to be worked at area water access locations and nearby roadways.
Drain plug violations are still too common.
District 18 – Rochester area
CO Mitch Boyum (Rushford) received multiple calls throughout the week about fawns. Time was also spent checking anglers and boaters along the Mississippi River. Success was fair. Boyum patrolled ATV trails as well.
CO Clint Fitzgerald (Rochester #2) reports reservoirs in the area continue to be a refuge for anglers not interested in dealing with the high water on the Mississippi River. Many anglers encountered reported ample opportunities for sunfish and bass. One angler was observed attempting to conceal an overlimit of largemouth bass by throwing one back into the reservoir as Fitzgerald approached. The long-dead bass had been retrieved from a bucket and floated on the surface two feet from the shoreline. Enforcement action was taken.
CO Brittany Hauser (Red Wing) spent the week assisting with firearms training for the current Academy at Camp Ripley.
CO Tyler Ramaker (La Crescent) worked on an ongoing deer investigation. A hunter was found to have killed an overlimit of bucks during the 2018 season and also to be hunting without a license. Other violations included failure to register, lending/borrowing a license and failure to tag. Time was also spent checking trout and panfish anglers. Enforcement action was taken for fishing with extra lines and using game fish as bait.
CO Joel Heyn (Plainview) worked anglers and recreational vehicles during the week. Some anglers continued to have good success. Heyn also attended meetings and worked on upcoming Academy training materials.
CO Kevin Prodzinski (Wabasha) reports working mainly fishing enforcement on the Mississippi River and Lake Pepin. Sauger were the main fish found in the bag and some very nice fish were checked. Fishing has been better on the north end of the lake, with limits being counted on several mornings. Trout anglers continue to do well on area streams and the baby animals and fawn calls continue to come in. Enforcement action this past week involved license and extra-line issues.
CO Kylan Hill (Zumbrota) devoted most of his time to AIS work. Hill received warm welcomes from every boater he encountered at the access as he was conducting AIS checks. A few drain-plug violations were handled but most boats seen were spotless. Area AIS watercraft inspectors with the Division of Ecological and Water Resources have done a fine job in making sure boats coming in and out of area lakes are free of any and all weeds, zebra mussels, etc. Hill, along with CO Kulhanek, worked in conjunction with the Goodhue Police Department in making sure recreational vehicles remained law-abiding. The most common violation seen was operating ATVs in the lane of traffic. A few anglers were checked taking advantage of the hot smallmouth bass bite on the Cannon River.
Rochester #1 – vacant.