Latest DNR regional hunting report

Pheasant hunting still slow in areas

District 15 - Marshall area



CO Matt Loftness (Marshall) spent the week working fishing, small game, archery deer, and waterfowl enforcement. Pheasant hunters continue to struggle with still a lot of standing soybeans and corn. The duck population continues to be low in the area. Assistance was given to the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies with a search for an armed robbery suspect in a cornfield.



CO Craig Miska (Ortonville) monitored pheasant and waterfowl hunting activity throughout the week. Bird harvest has been varied between hunting groups. An archery hunter received a summons for harvesting an antlerless deer in a youth only area. Remember, it is the responsibility of the individual hunter to know where antlerless deer can be harvested.



CO Neil Henriksen (Benson) reports enforcement time was sent checking fishermen, hunters and ATV operators. The waterfowl / pheasant hunting remained slow this past week. A youth firearm safety class was attended in Benson.



CO Gary Nordseth (Worthington) spent the week checking duck and pheasant hunters. Another week of cool wet weather continues to postpone the harvest, making it challenging to consistently find pheasants. The walleye bite on area lakes has picked up over the last 10 days with several nice fish observed on the stringer.



CO Jim Robinson (Slayton) reports that pheasant and duck success is still marginal at best. Enforcement action was taken for shoot from motor vehicle, trespass, transport loaded firearm, toxic shot, no blaze orange and license/stamp/registration violations.



CO Doug Lage (Marshall) assisted South Dakota Game & Fish officers with an illegally taken deer case. He assisted the Marshall Police Department with the search for an armed robbery suspect who fled into a cornfield. The suspect was apprehended. Enforcement action was taken on illegal transport of small game and loaded firearms in a motor vehicle.



CO Ed Picht (Montevideo) reports that there are only 2250 geese on the LQP Refuge. The geese are staged in Canada and will likely remain there until they get some snow up there. Pheasant and duck hunters remain to have only fair success. The walleye anglers are having the greatest success.



Madison - vacant.



Redwood Falls - vacant.



District 16 - New Ulm area



CO Jim Steffen (Willmar) spent the week checking waterfowl, pheasant and archery deer hunters. Time was also spent checking fall fishermen. Duck hunting remains very slow but geese are providing some shooting. Fall fishing for crappie has been good and walleye are biting in areas that have a flowing current around the lakes.



CO Wayne Hatlestad (Litchfield) checked waterfowl, pheasant, and archery deer hunting activity. Additional time was spent checking angling, boating, and ATV activity. Hatlestad also enforced state forestry fire laws, advised boaters of exotic species, and assisted other law enforcement agencies. He also spoke to a FAS class in Dassel and an ATV class in Cedar Mills.



CO Brett Oberg (Hutchinson) reports the warm wind out of the south didn’t help waterfowl hunters much last week. However, waterfowl hunters that put in time scouting have found birds with some near limits being taken. Blue and green wing teal are still being taken in the area. Officer Oberg also reports checking pheasant hunters with a poor overall success rate. Pheasant hunting should pickup as crops come out. CO Oberg reports very limited harvesting of beans and of corn has started in the area. Enforcement action was taken for transport loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, unsigned federal stamp, no PFD, no HIP certification and no license in possession.



CO Angela Graham (Hutchinson) checked small game, waterfowl and archery hunters. Anglers and ATVs activity has also increased the last week. Enforcement action was taken on: no license in possession, allowing youthful operation of ATV, expired ATV registration, and trespassing.



CO Mike Gruhlke (Jackson) completed his weekly radio program discussing topics concerning pheasant opener and area activity. Gruhlke assisted the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department with an investigation of a hunter getting hit by another person’s shot. Both the victim and shooter were in same party. Hunter numbers remained lower than in the past. Some pheasant and ducks were taken over the week. Duck numbers still not what hunter’s would like to see. Returned calls concerning deer season, boat registration and ATV's.



CO Jeff Denz (Willmar) worked waterfowl hunters, fishermen, archery, and pheasant hunters. He also spent time following up on hunter harassment and trespassing issues. He followed up on a complaint of a duck that was shot with a pellet gun within city limits.



CO Greg Abraham (New Ulm) reports duck hunter success remains poor with very few ducks in the area. Pheasant hunter success unchanged since last week with all or most of the crop still in the fields. Walleye bite has slowed with the weather change.



Windom - vacant.



District 17 - Mankato area



CO Julie Siems (Faribault) reports working mostly small game hunters and anglers. A presentation was made to a local high school class on the requirements to become a CO and the job duties. A gun found the previous week was returned to the owner. She delivered a Restoration Order for a Wetlands Conservation Act violation.



CO Tom Hutchins (Albert Lea) reports spending much of last week checking waterfowl hunters. A few additional ducks arrived in the area early last week. Hunters were bagging various puddle and diver ducks on area lakes. Time was also spent checking anglers, boaters, small game hunters, pheasant hunters, and archery deer hunters. The law portion of a firearms safety class was presented in Glenville to area youth. Violations included no blaze orange, no watercraft registration, possession of marijuana, and a deer violation that involved a non-resident who had purchased a resident deer hunting license.



CO Bob Geving (Mankato) assisted with giving a snowmobile law enforcement class to other agencies enforcement officers and gave a law & ethic presentation for a firearm safety class. He also conducted aviation night training exercises. Geving worked waterfowl and pheasant hunting activities.



CO Chris Howe (St. Peter) checked angling, small game, waterfowl, and ATV activity. Angling activity is low, though a few folks were out on area lakes and rivers. Pheasant activity has been slow, as there is still a lot of corn in the fields. Waterfowl hunting continues to be slow. On Saturday evening, there was only one boat trailer at the north access and one boat trailer at the south access of Swan Lake. ATV complaints continue to come in, and CO Howe met with a concerned landowner. COs Howe and Geving taught a “Snowmobile Enforcement for Law Enforcement” class at South Central Technical College.



CO Brent Ihnen (Waseca) patrolled his station checking anglers, as well as pheasant, deer and waterfowl hunters. Many sportsmen have made mention of very low numbers of waterfowl seen while afield. Area pheasant hunters seem to be doing fair. CO Ihnen also checked ATV operators who were out enjoying the turn of nice weather late last week.



CO Phil George (Mantorville) spent the week checking small game and waterfowl hunters. Took complaint of shining activity and shooting waterfowl during closed hours. Enforcement action was taken on two people shooting waterfowl after sunset and no license in possession. He taught the laws and ethics portion of a Firearms Safety class and took a complaint of a deer tangled in wires.



Spring Valley - vacant.



District 18 - Rochester area



CO Dan McBroom (Rochester) spent the week on small game, migratory waterfowl, and archery deer hunting. The weekend brought better weather for pheasant hunting but with the large amount of crops in the fields success was very limited. More goose hunters are out in the Rochester area with scattered success.



CO Mitch Boyum (Rushford) reports checking turkey hunters during the first fall season. Success was limited as attempting to stay dry was difficult. A few birds were seen in the bag. Compliance was high. Archery hunters have also been out in force. Hunters are stating deer movement has slowed as the October “lull” is upon us.



CO Tom Hemker (Winona) reports spending time on night hunting complaints and checking duck hunters. Duck numbers have varied from area to area and day to day but several limits were checked. There have been many people trying to catch walleye but success has been poor. Hemker had a ride-a-long from a local college. He also closed out a snowmobile case and transported the confiscated snowmobile.



CO Tyler Quandt (Red Wing) reports working turkey hunting, deer hunting, small game hunting, waterfowl hunting, shining and fishing activity this past week and weekend. The duck numbers in the area are very low but fall fishing continues to be good with many limits of fish being checked. Some fishing, waterfowl hunting and shining violations were detected.



CO Joel Heyn (Plainview) worked mainly hunters during the week. Waterfowl hunting was slower compared to the previous weekend, but hunters managed to shoot some ducks. Heyn also assisted at an orientation for the Whitewater WMA youth deer hunt, and talked with the kids throughout the MEA weekend.



CO Scott Fritz (LaCrescent) reports ducks were on and off all week. A couple of day hunters did very well when new ducks arrived in the area. Fall fishing is in full swing. The walleye / sauger bite is on. Fall turkey hunters had moderate success the first season. Investigating illegally shot deer and trespass complaint.



CO Scott Moran (Wabasha) reports the long awaited sunshine brought people out over the weekend. Bow hunters and small game hunters are still finding things a little slow. Boats are coming out of the harbors for the end of the season and trail users are getting in their last rides. Some trespass complaints were received.



Rochester #1 - vacant.