Conservation Officer Tim Collette (Crosslake) attended a lake association meeting, responded to a nuisance bear call where the bear keeps coming up on the deck, found a number of property owners operating weed rollers without permits, and assisted with a work detail for loud boats and alcohol.
The officer investigated a lakeshore property where the property owner had removed all the trees, put in a sand blanket, installed riprap, and cut all the bulrushes in front of the property without getting any permits. Several DNR and county violations were committed. Citations were issued and an order will be served to put it all back to the way it was. When asked about it he said, "I thought I could do whatever I want to with my property."
Officer Amber Ladd (McGregor) responded to calls about illegal shoreline and beach clearings, as well as lakeshore owners pulling wild rice. She also patrolled Hill City area during an all-terrain event at Quadna where several contacts were made.
Officer Bob Mlynar (Aitkin) worked angling, boating, and aquatic invasive species activity. Beaver and bear complaints continue to come in, as well as questions regarding regulations on removing aquatic plants.
Officer Eric Sullivan (Pequot Lakes) worked area lakes for boating safety and angling enforcement.
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Officer Sullivan also worked a detail on the Whitefish Chain that focused on motorboat noise violations. A stolen watercraft was located during patrol activities and a drowning victim was located while assisting Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office on Nokay Lake.
Officer Jim Guida (Brainerd No. 2) worked sport fishing and invasive species enforcement this week. Officer Guida followed up on watercraft inspector calls reporting Lake Service Providers
transporting zebra mussels into public water accesses. Enforcement action was taken. Numerous watercraft were out during the warm weekend. Unfortunately, one boater was recovered from an area lake after a three-day search. Those on the water are reminded to continue to wear personal floatation devices.
Officer Patrick McGowan (Pine River) patrolled Cass and Crow Wing counties for boating activity. The hot weather brought out numerous boaters to area lakes. Enforcement action was taken for illegal boat exhaust, insufficient life jackets, boat registration issues, and boating while intoxicated.
Officer Randy Posner (Brainerd) reports that he worked on fishing enforcement this last week. The bite is slow with the most cooperative fish have been the bass. Violations he found were no license and not enough life jackets. He worked on complaints of ATVs driving on roads in the city of Pillager and ignoring traffic laws. Warnings and citations were issued for no driver's license and driving rules violations. He worked on AIS complaints reported by AIS inspectors. Some of the violations reported were transporting boats with plugs in and failure to allow inspection.
Officer Dan Starr (Onamia) took numerous animal calls this week that included a deer stuck in a fence, a baby loon caught by a dog, and bear in a state park. ATV activity was worked with open bottle and youth without helmet violations addressed. Onamia Days Festival was worked with assistance given to local police with a lost juvenile. Assistance was also given to county deputies on a burglary in progress, in which the suspects were apprehended. Starr came across numerous cars stopped on a busy county road to watch a concerned citizen trying to remove a large snapping turtle from the road with a foam water noodle. Needless to say, the turtle was winning the battle until Starr grabbed its tail and escorted the already angry turtle to the nearby river.
