District 9 - Brainerd area
CO Patrick McGowan (Pine River) assisted at Camp Ripley with training officers in the emergency vehicle operations course. CO McGowan also patrolled for angling and ATV activity, answered several questions, and looked into TIP calls.
CO Amber Ladd (McGregor) continued to work area lakes for summer time anglers and boaters. ATV traffic remained high in the area as well. CO Ladd also attended training at Camp Ripley.
CO Bob Mlynar (Aitkin) worked angling, boating, AIS, and ATV activity. Time was also spent on nuisance bear, altering the cross section of public waters, and an angling TIP call. The officer attended the funeral of retired officer Dale Ebel.
CO Karl Hadrits (Crosby) reports helping the Cuyuna Iron Range Riders ATV club present their youth ATV safety class, patrol of area lakes, the Crow Wing State Forest, the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area, and tending to various wildlife issues. Enforcement contacts were made for miscellaneous violations of state recreational area rules.
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CO Eric Sullivan (Pequot Lakes) assisted interviewing candidates for the 2018 Conservation Officer academy. CO Sullivan received a complaint of an unusual amount of vegetation floating in Pine Mountain Lake. The source was unfounded and the investigation is ongoing. Nuisance bear complaints also continued.
CO Sam Hunter (Park Rapids) checked ATV's, fishermen, and boaters. Officer Hunter received a complaint of a baby otter whose mother had been killed by a car. The otter will go to a rehab facility.
CO Randy Posner (Brainerd) reports that he worked on fishing enforcement this past week. The sunfish, bass, and northern have been the most active. Boating enforcement and safety occupied some enforcement time. Enforcement action was taken for no lights after sunset, PWCs operate within 150' of shore, and after hour operation. He also worked on aquatic invasive species prevention on Gull Lake. A complaint of ATVs in the ditch causing damage and illegal youth operation also received some time. A bear damaging bee hives in the Pequot Lakes area was also received.
District 10 - Mille Lacs area
CO Gregory Verkuilen (Garrison) worked lake activity including a lot of non-resident vacationers. He also attended training, helped on an interview panel for CO applicants, and assisted the county with the search for a burglary suspect.
CO Chris Tetrault (Isle) assisted at Camp Ripley with interviews for new CO candidates. The officer assisted with another investigation in the area. A call was responded to at Father Hennepin State Park where a person was charged with disorderly conduct.
CO Scott Fitzgerald (Malmo) reports checking fishermen, boaters, and ATV traffic throughout the week and weekend. Many outdoor law related questions were fielded. Officer Fitzgerald attended division training at Camp Ripley and assistance was given to another agency. AIS related activity was monitored throughout the Malmo station also. Enforcement action for the week included various ATV and boating violations.
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CO Dustie Speldrich (Willow River) worked ORV enforcement in area state forests. She also followed up on an AIS investigation, worked boat and water safety, and followed up on PWC complaints. OHM and ATV activity was worked and questions were answered regarding OHM safety and registration.
CO Dan Starr (Onamia) attended driving training and boating activity was worked, with navigational lighting violations found. Assistance was given to the Mille Lacs Sheriff's Office on a kidnapping case and a burglary in progress case. Injured fawns were also taken care of.
CO Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley) spent time patrolling ATV complaint areas and checking boating and angling activity on lakes. One fisherman was found trying to catch crappies while trolling around the lake with multiple lines in the water. After watching and documenting the illegal fishing for a few minutes, Officer Grundmeier approached the boat to make contact. When the angler finally realized he was being watched and checked by a CO, he quickly dropped to the bottom of the boat in an attempt to hide himself while reeling up the extra lines. The furtive actions only made things worse as the boat was not big enough or deep enough to hide what he was doing.
District 4 - Walker area
Officer Paul Parthun (Lake George) addressed several wildlife complaints and spent time on area lakes. One lucky angler received an official measurement of a large walleye in his possession. It was recorded as 30 and ¼ inches!
CO Duke Broughten (Longville) spent the week monitoring angling, boating, AIS and ATV activity. Anglers reported poor success. CO Broughten checked commercial minnow traps and also gave presentations to a firearm safety class and a local lake association.
Walker - vacant.
