A sampling of field reports from Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers in the Upper Peninsula:

March 20 to April 2

DISTRICT 1

Conservation Officer Anna Viau and Probationary Conservation Officer Joshua Salas were on patrol when they noticed an individual operating a lawnmower on the highway. The COs pulled behind the individual and prior to them stopping their patrol truck, the individual was already walking back towards them. Through the COs’ interaction with the individual, they noted that he was possibly intoxicated due to his slurred speech, watery eyes, and unsteadiness on his feet.

The COs attempted to perform field sobriety tasks on the individual. The individual was unable to complete horizontal gaze nystagmus before stating he had chest and arm pain, at which point emergency medical services was requested. Shortly after complaining of chest and arm pain, the individual attempted to walk away from the COs. They ordered the individual to stop walking multiple times, but the individual continued to walk away. The COs caught up to the individual and took control of him by grabbing his arms. The individual then began to fight with the officers and had to be taken down to the ground by the COs. The individual was later transported to the hospital where he was cleared and then taken into custody and arrested for operating a motor vehicle while visibly impaired, operating a motor vehicle with a revoked driver’s license, and assault on a police officer.

Lt. Ryan Aho, CO Anna Viau, and PCO Josh Salas attended a career fair at a local school in Iron County. The COs presented to students about the DNR Law Enforcement Division and what the career entails. The COs answered questions about job requirements and shared their experiences becoming Michigan conservation officers.

CO Alex VanWagner followed up on a prior complaint regarding a collapsed ice shanty that was left out on a lake in Iron County for multiple weeks. The subject previously stated the shanty was left out there after the free fishing weekend. The CO recontacted the subject and the shanty was now sunk in and frozen in the ice. A citation was issued for failing to remove the shanty after March 31.

CO John Kamps and PCO Marc Mankowski responded to a supplemental feeding complaint in an area where many car-deer accidents have occurred. The COs located multiple hay bales and corn piles throughout the property that were within a quarter-mile from a paved highway. The COs explained the safety hazard that it was creating at the nearby roadway as well as the rules regarding supplemental feeding. A warning was issued to the property owner, and they were given 24 hours to clean up the feed.

CO John Kamps and PCO Marc Mankowski contacted a trapper who was loading up his gear prior to checking his trap. During the routine check of the trapper, the COs noticed many untagged traps. Additionally, when the trapper escorted the COs to the trap in the water, it was determined that the trap was untagged as well. A citation was issued for using a trap that was not tagged with owner identification.

DISTRICT 2

CO Steve Butzin received a complaint of dogs chasing deer in Delta County. After following up on the complaint, it was found that an individual, for over a month, had been allowing his two dogs to run on to the neighbor’s property and chase deer almost every day. The neighbor had recorded the dogs on camera numerous days, often multiple times per day. He requested the neighbor to keep the dogs home, but the request was ignored. When CO Butzin contacted the dog’s owner, he stated, “They’re hunting dogs, that’s what they do.” A report has been submitted with the Delta County Prosecutor’s Office.

COs Michael Evink and Jackson Kelly responded to a dirt bike personal injury accident. The COs were first on scene and upon arriving they observed the operator of the dirt bike sitting on the side of the road with two people holding blankets over her. EMS personnel arrived shortly after. The operator and witnesses stated that she fell of the dirt bike while trying to do a wheelie on the road. The operator stated that she felt like she broke her arm and had a laceration on her forehead because she was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. EMS rendered aid to the operator and the COs are investigating the accident.

COs Todd Sumbera and Brandon Maki conducted a fisheries patrol on Drummond Island when they contacted an individual ice fishing who possessed 14 lake herring. The individual stated, “I am one away from filling my limit.” CO Sumbera asked him if he was sure the limit was 15. After a brief pause the individual stated that he forgot the limit was 12. COs Sumbera and Maki then explained that the legal possession limit for herring was actually 10. A citation was issued for the over-limit.

CO Justin Vinson received a complaint that an eagle and fox were caught in traps near Engadine in Mackinac County. CO Vinson responded to the scene and upon his arrival discovered that Wildlife Division staff had already released the eagle, which had been trapped in a cable restraint (snare). CO Vinson observed several snares, a trail camera, and a trapped fox near a deer carcass. CO Vinson assisted Wildlife staff with the release of the live fox then seized the equipment. CO Vinson was able to locate and interview the suspect, who believed fox and snaring season was open. He informed the suspect that the use of cable restraints and fox season ended March 1 and that the eagle had been in his snare for four days. Total violations found included trapping fox outside of the open season, using cable restraints outside of the open season, using unlawful cable restraints, failing to check traps every 48 hours, and protected species unlawful acts. Charges are being sought through the Mackinac County Prosecutor’s Office.

April 3 to April 16

DISTRICT 1

CO Zach Painter and PCO Joshua Salas, while on patrol in Gogebic County, responded to a report of a vehicle stuck on a rural road near Marenisco. The COs located the vehicle and two subjects inside who stated they had been stuck for approximately two hours after attempting to find a waterfall in the area. The COs contacted a local towing company to remove the vehicle for them.

COs Phil Helminen, Jared Ferguson, and PCOs Josh Salas and Jacob Daniel were observing fishing activity during the spring walleye runs in the Menominee River. CO Helminen and PCO Salas observed a group of anglers catching walleye and placing them on shore. The COs observed one individual take a walleye back to their vehicle and then return to continue fishing. The COs contacted the group as they were leaving and found them over the possession limit. One angler was found to also have no fishing license. Enforcement action was taken.

CO Jared Ferguson and PCO Jacob Daniel located a vehicle that matched the description of a vehicle that was reported for driving erratically. A stop was conducted and after investigation the driver was arrested for operating under the influence of drugs . The suspect was lodged in the Dickinson County jail.

DISTRICT 2

COs Chris Lynch, Steve Butzin, Rob Freeborn, Mike Evink, PCOs Todd Bunce, and Jackson Kelly successfully executed a search warrant without incident. The search warrant was to search a suspect’s truck believed to be containing evidence of a deer poaching that happened last deer season. A search of the truck turned up potential evidence that will be used in court at a later date.

CO Andrea Dani, along with other COs, attended the Women in Law Enforcement Conference presented in Grand Rapids. The COs and approximately 400 other sworn and civilian attendees from across the state and other states learned from stories of both women and men in leadership positions in law enforcement. Officers from several departments shared their stories of the difficulties they experienced in law enforcement and how they were able to become leaders for their teams, eventually working their way through the ranks in a male-dominated field. Attendees learned about maintaining mental and physical health, the importance of male mentors for females and female mentors for males, dealing with sexual harassment and sexism in the workplace, as well as advanced techniques in cold case sexual assault investigations.

CO Robert Freeborn and PCO Todd Bunce were on an ice fishing patrol in Schoolcraft County when they encountered an individual with an overlimit of bluegill. As the COs approached the angler, the individual began to throw fish back into the holes, but not before the COs were able to visually count more than the fisherman’s limit of 25. A citation was issued for the overlimit, and the fisherman was educated on the differences between possession and catch-and-release fishing. Upon checking a second fisherman nearby, another overlimit was discovered, and another citation was issued for the over-limit of bluegill.

Conservation officers are fully licensed peace officers who enforce laws related to fish and wildlife, state parks, trails and forests, and outdoor recreation activities such as off-road vehicle use, snowmobiling and boating. They also are first responders to a variety of natural disasters and emergencies.