Conservation officer reports for July 16

District 9 - Brainerd area

CO Patrick McGowan (Pine River) patrolled busy Crow Wing County lakes for boating activity. CO McGowan also spent time patrolling for ATV and AIS violations. Enforcement action was taken for numerous boating and fishing violations, and one boater was arrested on a warrant.

CO Tim Collette (Crosslake) monitored boating and angling activity, worked with a lake association on a permit to remove a beaver dam causing high water on the lake and spent time at area accesses monitoring AIS issues. Assistance was given to Crow Wing County Boat and Water tracking down a pontoon full of intoxicated individuals who were reported to have nearly run over a child in the water.

CO Karl Hadrits (Crosby) reports activity this week of working high outdoor recreational activity over the Fourth of July week, responding to miscellaneous nuisance wildlife issues and issuing cease and desist orders on a major illegal shoreline alteration. Enforcement contacts were made for no fishing license, failure to remove drain plugs, state recreational area use violations, and miscellaneous boating equipment operation and registration violations.

CO Randy Posner (Brainerd) reports he worked on fishing enforcement this past week. The panfish anglers report fair success with sunfish and perch. Violations he observed were no license and no license in possession. He checked boaters on area lakes. Expired registration and no-throw PFD violations were found. He worked with neighboring officers with boat traffic issues after firework displays on Cross and Gull lakes. No light violation was the most common observed. Complaints of ATVs in ditches and doing damage were investigated. He worked on aquatic invasive species prevention on Gull Lake and the Crow Wing and Mississippi rivers.

CO Jim Guida (Brainerd No. 2) worked boating and water safety and sport-fishing enforcement this week. Officer Guida addressed numerous PWCs without new rules decals, improper registration, and operating in the evenings after the one hour before sunset restriction. Numerous wildlife related complaints were also fielded.

CO Amber Ladd (McGregor) reported staying busy on the water checking boaters and anglers as well as working area ATV trails. She received information about someone dumping trash at a state campground. CO Ladd also spoke to students in a firearm safety class at Long Lake Conservation Center.

CO Eric Sullivan (Pequot Lakes) worked ATV activity around Spider Lake and fishing and boating safety on area lakes. Area lakes were very busy with recreational boating activities and angling. One angler stated that he did not think he needed a fishing license to fish from his dock. A wide variety of violations were observed including illegal ATV youth operation, expired registrations, angling without a license, no navigation lights on watercraft and possession of controlled substances.

CO Bob Mlynar (Aitkin) took questions at the Aitkin County Fair and worked outdoor summer recreation activities. One of five infants encountered on watercraft were wearing life jackets. Four contacts were made with jet skis violating the 150' shoreline distance regulation. Security was worked for the Governor's fishing event on Mille Lacs Lake.