District 9-Brainerd area
Brainerd-CO Jim Guida worked aquatic invasive species and boat and water enforcement this week. Officer Guida arrested a drunken boater on an area lake. The operator tested nearly twice the legal intoxication limit. Assistance was given to the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office handling a domestic in progress. After arriving on scene, CO Guida and the deputy sheriff determined that a male was calling his wife bad names and using profanity, causing a public
nuisance, which officers said stemmed mostly from her eating all his freeze pops from the freezer.
CO Randy Posner worked on fishing enforcement last week. The bite is slow; the most cooperative fish have been 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 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 transporting AIS and zebra mussels. Campers in the forest were warned for illegal fires and litter around campsite.
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Aitkin-CO Bob Mlynar worked angling, boating, ATV and invasive species enforcement.
Aquatic vegetation and altering a lakebed issues were addressed as well as several animal related calls.
Pine River-CO Patrick McGowan spent numerous days at Camp Ripley assisting with training at the new conservation officer academy. CO McGowan spent the week teaching watercraft laws/regulations, and conducted a hands-on training course with the new cadets. Numerous phone calls were also fielded from the public with a variety of questions.
Pequot Lakes-CO Tim Collette checked boaters and anglers. For one group of anglers it cost a little more than anticipated as two out of the four anglers on the boat did not have angling licenses. They admitted they had stopped at the bait shop on the way to the lake to get bait, but the two decided not to buy licenses, thinking they wouldn't get checked. The officer also responded to a call of an unresponsive person found floating in the lake next to his dock, and to a call of a youth shooting a snapping turtle with a bow, after another angler had illegally snagged the turtle and couldn't get it to shore.
Crosby-CO Karl Hadrits reports issues of nuisance bear, deer, and other injured and orphaned baby wildlife concerns, reports from AIS watercraft inspectors of transportation violations, and dealing with camping and use issues in the Cuyuna Country State Recreational Area. A presentation was done to youth at the Northland Arboretum on fur-bearing animals, natural resource conservation and CO duties. Patrol included area lakes and the Mississippi River, the Crow Wing State Forest, and ATV GIA trails and complaint areas. Enforcement contacts were made for violations including boating registration and safety equipment, public access use, and
transportation of fish.
District 10-Mille Lacs area
Malmo-CO Scott Fitzgerald reports assisting with scenario day for the new conservation
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officers at Camp Ripley. The officer checked fishing and boating activity throughout the week and weekend. Assistance was given to a neighboring officer in rescuing a stranded boater on Mille Lacs Lake. Officers towed the boaters to shore where they could load the boat. An investigation into a calf killed by a wolf was done and an APHIS trapper was brought in to take care of the nuisance wolf. A bear complaint was taken and advice was given to the property owner on nuisance bear and the officer followed up on a fishing related complaint that turned out to be unfounded. A nuisance beaver permit was issued and many outdoor law related questions were answered throughout the week and weekend. Assistance was also given to the local sheriff's office on a possible theft investigation.
Wealthwood-CO Luke Croatt checked anglers on area lakes and Mille Lacs Lake. The walleye bite remains strong with a variety of sizes being caught along with smallmouth bass and northern pike. Time was spent relocating a marker buoy on Mille Lacs that had blown off a reef and a wetland case involving ATV damage was completed. Enforcement action taken on fishing and boating violations.
