District 15 - Marshall area
CO Ed Picht (Montevideo) is investigating several cases of poaching large bucks during the deer season. Witnesses or anyone with information are asked to call the Turn In Poachers hotline at 800-652-9093. Several cases of dumping deer have been investigated and citations issued. Please do not dispose your garbage at public landings.
CO Doug Lage (Marshall) reports that with the good weather this past weekend, pheasant hunters were numerous. An investigation of illegal take of big game is underway in Lac Qui Parle County. Enforcement action was taken on license not in possession, driving on WMA’s.
CO Matt Loftness (Marshall) spent the week conducting follow-up investigations from the firearms deer season dealing with trespassing, baiting, shining, and illegal taking violations. Reports of injured deer from the firearms deer season continue to come in. Pheasant hunters are starting to have better luck with a lot of the corn harvest completed. Very few ducks are around but goose hunters are having some success.
CO Craig Miska (Ortonville) spent the week following up on complaints from the firearms deer season. Several complaints in reference to illegal trapping were taken. This officer also assisted South Dakota authorities with a hazardous chemical spill caused by a vehicle hitting a semi-trailer carrying anhydrous ammonia. Canada Geese are showing up in the area with many fields having birds on them.
CO Neil Henriksen (Benson) reports enforcement time was sent checking fishermen, hunters and OHV operators. The waterfowl hunting remained poor this past week. Pheasant hunters are finding more birds as the corn is harvested. Walleye fishing was good again this past week. Time was also spent setting up firearm and snowmobile safety classes.
CO Jim Robinson (Slayton) spent the week checking hunters and conducting investigations. Several investigations from the slug season resulted in charges filed. Goose numbers seem to be up. Pheasant hunting is still difficult with corn still standing in several fields. Enforcement action was taken for shoot after hours, transport loaded firearms, shoot from vehicle, shoot from roadway, no HIP, trespass, and license/stamp/registration violations.
CO Gary Nordseth (Worthington) continued to investigate reports of deer being illegally taken during the firearms deer season. Some of these reports have resulted in enforcement action being taken. Pheasant hunting in the area continues to improve as the corn harvest progresses.
District 16 - New Ulm area
CO Jim Steffen (Willmar) spent the week following up on deer hunting complaints and ongoing case investigations. Time was also spent checking pheasant, waterfowl and archery hunters. Fishing continues to be good for crappie on area lakes.
CO Eric Schettler (Fairmont) finished up investigations from the firearms deer season. Complaints were followed up on. Small game and waterfowl hunting activity continues to be strong. Angling activity is fair. WMA and WPA areas were patrolled.
CO Brett Oberg (Hutchinson) spent the week following up on calls from the deer season. Officer Oberg also checked trappers and small game hunters. Time was also spent training officers on a new radio system.
CO Wayne Hatlestad (Litchfield) checked archery deer hunting activity and followed-up on cases from the firearms deer season. Additional time was spent checking trapping, pheasant, and waterfowl hunting activity. CO Hatlestad also attended required training and spoke to a snowmobile safety class in Litchfield.
CO Angela Graham (Hutchinson) checked small game hunters, anglers, ATVs, and trappers. Officer Graham also worked the deer season in northern Minnesota with other officers. Complaints on trespassing, violating WPA/WMA rules, and hunting without blaze orange were followed up on.
CO Mike Gruhlke (Jackson) continues to work on firearms deer season issues, pheasant, trapping and angling seasons, and has received calls concerning injured deer, camping on a public access, and decoys being left overnight. Questions concerning muzzleloader deer season are popping up also. Officer Gruhlke notes that field hunting for geese and a few ducks has increased in the area, probably over 80 percent of the corn is now out of the field in this county.
CO Jeff Denz (Willmar) continued follow up on cases from the deer season and checked anglers, trappers, waterfowl and archery hunters. He spoke at a local darkhouse fishing association meeting, a youth snowmobile safety class and provided training to the local sheriff’s dept about ATV laws.
CO Greg Abraham (New Ulm) reports working archery deer hunters, pheasant hunters, goose hunters, and walleye anglers. CO Abraham is also investigating a couple of animal carcass dumping incidents.
District 17 - Mankato area
CO Chris Howe (St. Peter) spent the week following up on cases from firearms deer season. Waterfowl and pheasant hunting remains slow. CO Howe attended court with CO Ihnen, where the defendant was convicted on all four charges. CO Howe also spoke on laws and ethics to a youth snowmobile class and issued car-kill deer tags.
CO Corey Wiebusch (Mankato) worked on completing investigations from last week’s deer season. Shining complaints around the area continue to come in. Assistance was given to an individual who requested help in recovering a deer from private property. The officer also worked trapping, goose hunting, pheasant hunting and spent some time on area waters checking for fishing activity.
CO Phil George (Mantorville) worked shining complaint areas and checked B season deer hunters. Took a call of a baited stand and several trespassing complaints. Took enforcement action on 3 different people for transporting loaded firearms in a motor vehicle.
CO Tom Hutchins (Albert Lea) reports spending time following up on deer hunting related complaints from the firearms deer season. Archery deer hunters, pheasant hunters, and anglers were also checked. Time was also spent assisting the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Department with a capsized duck boat on a local lake. A call regarding a great horned owl that attempted to carry away a Chihuahua was received.
CO Julie Siems (Faribault) reports working mostly hunting enforcement. Assistance was given at a local youth firearms range day. Investigations were conducted on a public waters complaint, hunting while intoxicated, and hunting over bait. Violations include unregistered deer and hunt deer without a license.
CO Brent Ihnen (Waseca) followed up on investigations and inquiries from the public regarding the deer season. Several issues of trespassing and related calls were handled. Officer Ihnen also testified in court resulting in the conviction of an individual for multiple controlled substance violations.
District 18 - Rochester area
CO Tyler Quandt (Red Wing) reports spending most of the week working on cases from the first deer season. The opening weekend for the second season was fairly quiet. Lots of hunters were commenting on the lack of deer movement and they attributed it to the heat and amount of corn still in the fields. Some time was also spent working shining complaints.
CO Dan McBroom (Rochester) spent the week on migratory waterfowl and deer hunting. The estimated number of geese in the Rochester is at 28,000 as of Friday. Many hunters where out taking advantage of the new birds in the area and the fields that have opened up. Hunters are having good success. 3B season deer hunters had great weather, but the comment heard most was, “Where are the deer?” Many hunters where checked and compliance was very high.
CO Mitch Boyum (Rushford) reports working the B season opener. Hunters were frustrated with the lack of deer movement. Warm weather and standing cornfields seemed to be the reason, according to hunters. Violations encountered were insufficient blaze orange, failure to validate site tag, failure to register deer and trespass. A few trappers were also out. It seems the raccoons are moving about as much as the deer as trappers and raccoon hunters are saying the going is tough.
CO Joel Heyn (Plainview) worked deer and goose hunters during the week. Hunter success was mixed. One hunter was very lucky. While sitting on stand for deer an arrow went through the hunter’s blaze orange coat sleeve and shirts. It’s unknown where the arrow came from.
CO Kevin Prodzinski (Zumbrota) reports working another very busy 3-B deer opener. Hundreds of hunters were out and most were having some success and enjoying the fantastic weather. Enforcement action including hunting deer without a license, fail to tag a deer, along with several other investigations regarding illegal deer continue. He also located 27 snow, blue, and Ross geese along with 6 drake mallard’s whole carcasses dumped near the intersection of Alta Ave. and Sciota trail in Dakota (where the bridge crosses the Cannon River). These birds were probably harvested recently in Canada or the Dakotas. Anyone with information regarding this violation is asked to call the TIP line at 1-800-652-9093
CO Scott Fritz (LaCrescent) reports the warm weather and fields of corn has once again made deer harvest a challenge. The fog on opening morning made it almost impossible to safely see and shoot a deer. Many deer were taken Sunday. Fishing has slowed down on the river. He gave a talk on invasive species. Enforcement included failure to site tag and no deer license in possession.
CO Scott Moran (Wabasha) reports the 3B opener didn’t seem to have as many hunters out as the 3A. Common complaints remain trespass and shoot from the road. Lots of questions are still coming up about law changes, especially the gun case law. One disgruntled hunter wanted to know when the shoot from the road law was changed. The Officer told him there have been no changes to the law in the 30 deer seasons the Officer has worked. Many hunters commented on the deer not being on the move. The corn harvest is going full tilt, which may make a difference as well as a predicted weather change.
