District 15 - Marshall area



CO Ed Picht (Montevideo) checked the last few goose hunters during the end of the West-Central goose zone. The lack of birds throughout the year proved to be a disappointment for many hunters.



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.



CO Matt Loftness (Marshall) reports that pheasant hunters were out in full force during the week and weekend due to the Thanksgiving Holiday. Even with most of the fieldwork done, pheasant harvest numbers are down. The muzzleloader opener was busy as well. Complaints of trespass, shooting from a roadway, and other illegal taking violations were received. Assistance was also given with a deer investigation in Renville County. With only a few days left of the waterfowl season and no ducks around most hunters have put away their decoys. Two separate incidents of accidentally trapped otter were investigated.



CO Doug Lage (Lake Benton) reports that violations of not wearing enough blaze orange during the muzzleloader deer season have been a great safety issue. Several warnings issued and safety talks have been frequent. Assisted District 16 with a deer investigation. Muzzleloader deer hunters still finding corn in the field and tough going.



CO Craig Miska (Ortonville) spent time checking deer hunters during the opening weekend of the muzzleloader season, with success among hunters being low. The final week of the waterfowl season was monitored, with duck numbers remaining low.



CO Jim Robinson (Slayton) spent the past week checking hunters and conducting investigations. Muzzleloader Season opened with extremely high hunter numbers and fair success. Pheasant hunters were out in full force as well. Their success seemed very limited. Enforcement action was taken for hunt deer with shotgun, shoot from roadway, trespass, no blaze orange, and license/stamp/registration violations.



CO Gary Nordseth (Worthington) checked pheasant hunters and muzzleloader deer hunters. The officer took enforcement action on several gross misdemeanor shining violations, which resulted in firearms being confiscated. The officer also investigated reports of deer baiting and trespassing. Pheasant hunting continues to improve.





District 16 - New Ulm area



CO Jim Steffen (Willmar) spent the week checking anglers, pheasant, archery, and waterfowl hunters. Time was also spent following up on big game violation investigations and conducting interviews. Pheasant hunting has been improving with the corn coming out of the fields.



CO Brett Oberg (Hutchinson) spent the week following up on deer cases from the firearms season. Time was also spent checking pheasant hunters and anglers going after walleye. also He also worked complaints on the Luce Line Trail.



CO Jeff Denz (Willmar) continued to follow up on multiple deer cases involving illegal party hunting. He worked the muzzleloader season and continued to check anglers, pheasant hunters and trappers. He received many calls requesting clarification on the muzzleloader law changes.



CO Eric Schettler (Fairmont) spent the opener of muzzleloader deer hunting checking few hunters. Small game and pheasant hunting activity continues to be strong. Night raccoon hunting is especially high. Angling activity is slow. Trespassing complaints are also still common regarding small game hunting activity.



CO Wayne Hatlestad (Litchfield) checked archery and muzzleloader deer hunting activity. Additional time was spent following up on cases from the firearms deer season. Hatlestad also checked waterfowl and pheasant hunting activity, as well as trapping activity.



CO Greg Abraham (New Ulm) worked waterfowl hunters, trappers, and walleye anglers. Officer Abraham encountered very large group’s party hunting for the muzzleloader opener and very few individual hunters. Public hunting areas were full of pheasant hunters making it look like opening day. Officer Abraham also is continuing to work on big game violation investigations with neighboring officers.



CO Mike Gruhlke (Jackson) continued to work deer, pheasant, waterfowl and trapping seasons. He continues to follow up on information being provided concerning the regular firearms season and has responded to illegal dumping of deer carcasses and wanton waste issues. Enforcement action was taken on camping on a public access and insufficient blaze orange during the muzzleloader season.



CO Angela Graham (Hutchinson) worked deer, and small game hunters, trappers, and ATVs. Angling success has picked up on local lakes. Enforcement action and calls where taken on trespassing, no blaze orange, bear sighting, no license in possession, and unplugged gun.





District 17 - Mankato area



CO Corey Wiebusch (Mankato) found checked several hunters this past week. Muzzleloader season was fairly uneventful with very few deer seen. The officer continues to receive several trapping and trespassing complaints. Fall river fishing is improving.



CO Bob Geving (Mankato) conducted follow up on trapping complaints and deer registration issues. He also assisted with transporting DNR aircraft to maintenance facilities. Geving worked small game hunting activities. Enforcement actions included unsigned license and license not in possession.



CO Tom Hutchins (Albert Lea) reports spending part of last week working the 3B deer season. Landowner complaints regarding trespass and hunting from the roadway were received. Time was also spent checking pheasant hunters, goose hunters, trappers, and anglers. Muzzleloader hunters were also checked. Violations included various deer hunting violations, no blaze orange, and no small game license.



CO Chris Howe (St. Peter) worked small game, waterfowl, and muzzle loading activity. Pheasant hunting activity was moderate, duck hunting remains slow, lots of geese are moving in the area. Muzzleloader activity seemed much lighter than in years past. Howe spoke on Laws and Ethics to a snowmobile safety class.



CO Phil George (Mantorville) checked deer hunters during the end of the 3B season and took complaints of hunters hunting around combines, trespass, and hunting over baited stands. Checked a few shore anglers as well. Located a hunter on the opening of the muzzle loader season hunting over bait with a muzzleloader and the suspect’s juvenile brother hunting over another bait pile along the same river. He located a large buck that had been caped and discarded in the ditch 2 miles east of the Claremont Refuge. The buck was shot and discarded sometime between November 28th and the morning of the 29th. Anyone with information should the Turn In Poachers line at 800-652-9093.



CO Julie Siems (Faribault) reports working mostly deer hunting enforcement. Angling activity is also picking up. Violations include no angling license, hunt deer over bait, insufficient blaze orange during the deer season, and burn prohibited materials.



CO Brent Ihnen (Waseca) spent the week checking deer, pheasant and waterfowl hunters, as well as fishermen and ATV operators. Time was also spent concluding several investigations from the firearms deer season resulting in a multitude of violations.





District 18 - Rochester area



CO Scott Fritz (LaCrescent) reports the duck hunters continue to have a slow go. The fish bite has slowed down. Deer hunters had mixed success with the warm weather. Responded to a shooting from a road complaint where two suspects were apprehended with the help of the witness. Investigated two antlerless deer with the backstraps removed that resulted in an over limit of deer, fail to site tag, and fail to register. An unacceptable event took place on a state campsite where campers at the Reno State Forest campground were being harassed by a couple on an ATV. The Houston County Sheriff's department is handling the case.



CO Mitch Boyum (Rushford) reports checking 3B hunters and muzzleloader hunters. The weekend was busy with both groups out. Trespass calls seem to be the most common complaint. Other violations encountered were shooting from a roadway at a big game animal, shooting from a motor vehicle at big game and no blaze orange.



CO Joel Heyn (Plainview) worked mainly waterfowl and deer hunters during the week. Lots of deer hunters were out over the Thanksgiving holiday and muzzleloader opener, but success was slow. A lot of geese are in the Rochester area and hunters were having mixed success.



CO Dan McBroom (Rochester) spent most of the week with goose hunting and deer hunting. Goose hunting is in full swing with many hunters out. Deer hunting for the 3B season was rather slow with most hunters asking, “Where are the deer?” Violations included deer hunting without a valid license, no license in possession, federal waterfowl stamp not in possession, unplugged gun, and failure to validate tag. Hunters are reminded that the electronic federal waterfowl stamp is only valid for 45 days after purchase and then you are required to have the physical stamp in possession and signed across the face.



CO Tyler Quandt (Red Wing) reports spending most of the week working the late B deer season. Very few muzzle loaders were observed out hunting over the weekend. Fishing pressure remains steady on the river.



CO Kevin Prodzinski (Zumbrota) report working another very busy week of the 3-B deer season as well as the opening weekend of the muzzleloader season. Enforcement action involved everything from unlawful taking of buck before the season, hunting deer with no blaze orange, trespass, untagged deer, failure to validate a deer tag to the unlawful taking of another buck and doe without a license.



CO Tom Hemker (Winona) reports deer season continues to be busy. He checked out complaints on trespass, deer baiting, hunting without licenses, and hunting without blaze orange. The deer take appears to have slowed. There are many duck hunters in the area with mixed results.



CO Scott Moran (Wabasha) reports the 3B deer season tailed off significantly as the week wore on. Fewer hunters than expected and success rates seemed low. Violations were usual with complaints of trespass and shooting from the road. Tagging deer and validating tags is also still an issue. This year seemed to have more hunters confused than usual with new laws or changes.