District 15 - Marshall area



CO Matt Loftness (Marshall) spent the week working on investigations dealing with illegal big game and small game hunting activities. Pheasant hunters continue to struggle with a lot of standing corn. Hope might be on the horizon for duck hunters with a few northern ducks starting to arrive. Enforcement action was taken for trespassing, leaving a portable stand on a WMA overnight, illegal motor vehicle operation on a WMA, and license and stamp violations.



CO Doug Lage (Marshall) reports assisting with a youth hunt that was sponsored by the Canby Sportsman’s Club. Several youths from the area had a great time in the field finding many birds. Enforcement action was taken on loaded firearms and using a motor vehicle on a WMA. Waterfowl have been noticed in the area. Pheasant hunters are finding times tough with large amounts of corn & beans in the fields.



CO Neil Henriksen (Benson) reports enforcement time was sent checking fishermen, hunters and OHV operators. The waterfowl / pheasant hunting remained slow this past week.



CO Gary Nordseth (Worthington) responded to several nuisance animal complaints and assisted a Nebraska CO with a big game investigation. The DNR has received numerous reports of an elk in Rock and Nobles counties. The officer requests that any further sightings be reported immediately to the area Wildlife Manager or the MN State Patrol Dispatch Center at 507-537-6278.



CO Craig Miska (Ortonville) monitored pheasant, waterfowl, fishing, and trapping activity. Pheasant action has been slow due to continuing rainfall and standing crops. A morning on Marsh Lake was spent w/CO Picht. Infractions for the week: shooting from a motor vehicle, no hunting license in possession, and no HIP certification.



CO Jim Robinson (Slayton) spent the past week checking hunters and conduction investigations. Pheasant and duck success is still poor but hunter numbers are still fairly high. Enforcement action was taken for trespass, operating an ATV on a roadway, and license/stamp/registration violations.





District 16 - New Ulm area



CO Jim Steffen (Willmar) spent the week checking waterfowl, pheasant and archery hunters. Shore fishermen were also checked at many places that have flowing water. Walleye and crappie are biting in certain areas. Pheasant hunting remains slow with the crops still in the field. Deer hunters are starting to have some luck with the rut starting.



CO Jeff Denz (Willmar) checked anglers, pheasant hunters, waterfowl hunters and trappers. He followed up on trespassing complaints and monitored Wildlife Mgmt Areas for deer stands being illegally left up overnight. He noted a slight increase of duck numbers but overall the duck and pheasant hunting continues to be very slow.



CO Eric Schettler (Fairmont) worked TIP complaints in regards to late shooters on geese and over limits of deer. Wetland impact sites were investigated. WMA and WPA areas were patrolled. Small game and waterfowl hunters were checked.



CO Brett Oberg (Hutchinson) checked small game, archery and waterfowl hunters. Time was also spent working ATV enforcement with enforcement action taken for several violations. Waterfowl hunters started bagging more divers with some limits of blue bills being checked. CO Oberg also answered several questions on the upcoming firearms deer season.



CO Wayne Hatlestad (Litchfield) checked waterfowl, pheasant, and archery deer hunting activity. Additional time was spent checking angling and trapping activity. Hatlestad also enforced state forestry fire laws, and investigated a solid waste violation.



CO Mike Gruhlke (Jackson) completed his radio program with KKOJ/KRAQ discussing topics including trapping season opener, pheasant season, waterfowl season, and firearms safety. He also assisted the State Patrol with a vehicle accident with injuries. Gruhlke continued to work pheasant, waterfowl, angling, trapping, and deer seasons. He also followed up on other complaints ranging from vehicle trespass to illegal taking of big game.



CO Greg Abraham (New Ulm) reports working the mink/muskrat opener as well as coon and fox trappers. He checked fall walleye anglers. He also checked archery deer hunters, pheasant hunters, and waterfowl hunters.







District 17 - Mankato area



CO Chris Howe (St. Peter) worked big game, small game, waterfowl, and trapping activity. Lots of geese moving in the area, and a few more ducks are being taken in the area. CO Howe found early water sets as well as untagged traps. A deer shining work party was conducted. Violations detected included taking migratory waterfowl with a gun capable of holding more than three shells, untagged traps, and using a motor in a waterfowl feeding and resting area.



CO Corey Wiebusch (Mankato) attended a safety committee meeting this past week in Windom. Several complaints of shining and shooting deer out of season have been received. A number of waterfowl and pheasant hunters were checked with few birds seen in the bag.



CO Brent Ihnen (Waseca) spent the majority of last week patrolling his station for deer, pheasant, and waterfowl hunters. Some northern flights are continuing to pass through the area and goose hunting activity seems to be picking up. Trespass and animal dumping complaints are also beginning to come in and are being dealt with accordingly.



CO Phil George (Mantorville) checked traps and trappers, small game hunters, waterfowl hunters and archery deer hunters. Time was spent working shining complaint areas and following up on baited tree stands. He took complaints of injured deer and nuisance animals stuck in window well. He also took complaints of hunter trespass and dogs chasing deer.



CO Tom Hutchins (Albert Lea) reports spending much of last week working on deer hunting complaints. Time was also spent checking waterfowl and pheasant hunters. Area WMAs and state parks were also checked. An illegal deer stand in a state park was seized.



CO Bob Geving (Mankato) gave a TV news interview regarding hunting safety issues. He facilitated a meeting between two adjacent landowners involving ongoing hunting/trespass/harassment complaints. Geving also worked waterfowl and shining activities.



CO Julie Siems (Faribault) reports working mostly hunting and angling enforcement. The laws and ethics portion of a firearms safety class was instructed. Traps were also inspected for tags in the area. A trespass complaint was investigated.



Spring Valley - vacant.



District 18 - Rochester area



CO Joel Heyn (Plainview) worked mainly hunters during the week. Waterfowl and bow hunters were having some success. Heyn also assisted Olmsted County with a stolen vehicle.



CO Tyler Quandt (Red Wing) reports checking anglers and various types of hunting activity last week. The deer activity is picking up as expected and the there has been a lull in the fall fishing success. Many questions have been coming in on the 3A season.



CO Dan McBroom (Rochester) spent the week on waterfowl, small game, big game, and fishing. The first part of the week brought more rain for the southeast delaying the harvest and very few new fields where opened up for goose hunting. The end of the week brought better weather and the harvest has started again. More geese were seen in the bag and more in the air. Violations included failure to retrieve downed waterfowl, unplugged gun, failure to sign federal waterfowl stamp, failure to validate deer tag, and failure to obtain burning permit. Hunters are reminded that when you shoot at game it is your responsibility to watch and see if you have hit the game you have shot at and make a reasonable attempt to retrieve the game.



CO Tom Hemker (Winona) reports people are deer hunting or getting ready to deer hunt almost everywhere in the area. Duck numbers are good with many limits checked. He investigated a manure spill with Winona County. Hemker also had student a ride-a-long.



CO Scott Fritz (LaCrescent) reports duck numbers were good for two days after the high winds. Many limits were checked in the bag. Ringnecks were the number one duck, but very few mallards were seen. Swans continue to migrate into the area. He took care of a complaint of illegal burning and investigated a trespass complaint. Enforcement for the week included burning prohibited materials, no navigational lights after sunset, and undersize walleye.



Co Kevin Prodzinski (Zumbrota) reports working a busy week of hunting enforcement with many archery hunters out and gun hunters preparing for the weekend. A boat water safety detail was also worked on the Rainy River and LOW resulting in several over-limit cases. Another TIP complaint investigation also resulted in enforcement action.



CO Scott Moran (Wabasha) reports a busy weekend to top off a quiet week. The recreational trail season closed on Saturday. Bow hunters were out getting their time in the last week before the firearm season and the firearm hunters were out last minute scouting and putting up stands. Duck hunting has been sparse but one group of younger hunters did well on mallards while some experienced hunters in the same area got skunked. Geese are starting to work the few corn fields that have been picked.



CO Mitch Boyum (Rushford) reports answering numerous questions from confused deer hunters about the upcoming deer season and the new regulations for the second weekend. CO Boyum checked small game hunters and archery hunters. Complaints of ATV use on state forest lands were received.