by LAURIE POTTER

A couple of Wisconsin residents out snowmobiling in Keweenaw County accidentally struck a deadfall tree that blocked a road. One of the operators did have to be flown to Duluth with life threatening injuries reports CO Matthew Eberly, Houghton, who responded to the accident.

Tickets were issued by CO Mark Leadman, Marquette, and Sgt. Pete Wright to a couple of anglers found on Lake LeVasseur fishing with too many lines; each had five.

A recent snowmobile group patrol by COs Jason Niemi, Menominee, Mark Leadman, Trey Luce and Sgt. Pete Wright was a huge success. In addition to numerous tickets being written for loud sleds, no trail permits, no registration there were numerous verbal warnings given out as well.

After several attempts to avoid CO Kevin Postma, Chippewa, a snowmobiler soon found himself face to face with the officer who had tracked the subject some 6 miles. The reason the officer wanted to stop the sled was because of no registration, it was also found that the subject had a suspended driver’s license and had failed to get a trail permit as well.

Setting up snowmobile patrols in high use areas officers were surprised to find that there were very few violations. The worst violation in the whole week was a subject speeding at 90 mph down a snow packed roadway.

Stopping a snowmobiler for no helmet CO Eric Bottorff, Cheboygan, soon found himself writing tickets for no registration, no trail permit and the driver had a suspended license.

Out on patrol CO Matt Theunick, Cheboygan, found a gate at an operational deer farm was left open. The officer made contact with the owner of the farm and ordered them to close the gates. The owner’s could face charges if the gates are left open again.

Watching as a couple of motorcycle operators drove carelessly on Fletcher’s Floodwaters CO Bill Webster, Alpena, made contact with the two and found that the bikes were not licensed and found four tip-ups out but neither operator could show a fishing license. Tickets were issued. Checking fishermen CO Webster saw the tails of a northern pike and largemouth bass sticking out of the snow near two anglers. The officer asked why they had kept the bass since it was the closed season and they replied that they knew it was catch and release season on bass but since the bass were dead that couldn’t be done. Both were ticketed for taking the bass out of season and one was ticketed for no license. Checking anglers on Beaver Lake CO Bill Webster observed a snowmobiler speeding past him and followed the sled. After observing more careless driving the officer pulled the sled over and tickets were issued for operating within 100 foot of an angler, no trail permit and operating without an ORV license.

CO Mark DePew, Otsego, finally got lucky and caught up with the angler who had left a shanty on Otsego lake with no name and address. The officer went out to check the shanty and found no one inside but did find fishing lines. Following the fresh footprints to shore the officer caught up with the owner after he parked his vehicle. The officer saw the subject hide something inside the vehicle before the officer approached him and it turned out to be a bundle of heroin. In the end five bundles were found with a street value of $2000. The subject was arrested and taken to jail for the heroin and tickets were issued for the illegal fishing activities. A subject found guilty of taking a deer out of season and having open alcohol in a vehicle has been ordered to pay $1966, has lost his hunting privileges until 2014, lost his rifle, must work 40 hours in a work camp or five days in jail and will be on probation for six months reports CO Mark DePew.

Following up on a complaint of an illegally taken elk CO Nick Torsky, Otsego, went to talk with a subject who told the officer his dog had dragged home a head and antlers of an elk. The officer followed the tracks of the dragged head about a mile through the woods to another residence. Making contact it was found the elk had been legally shot in Colorado and had been outside when the dog stole the head and antlers.

Checking a complaint of subjects hunting from a snowmobile CO Joe Molnar, Alpena, found three subjects. One subject had an uncased gun and no helmet; two had placed their hunting licenses on their sleds near the headlight to make it look like they had trail permits. All were ticketed. CO Joe Molnar was surprised to see a 12-year-old behind the wheel of a vehicle he stopped on Beaver Lake for driving carelessly. Along with the youth were three drunken adults. The father of the 12-year-old was ticketed for allowing a minor to operate a motor vehicle. A ticket for open intoxicants was also written.

Local deputies and CO Steve Speigl, Antrim, went to track down a couple of subjects at a residence but upon seeing the officers the subjects fled on a stolen snowmobile. The officers pursued the pair and the chase ended when the stolen sled crashed into a deputy’s patrol car.

Getting a complaint of subjects hunting coyotes with snowmobiles CO Duane Budreau, Emmet, went to investigate and found snowmobile tracks that he followed through posted private property and eventually did catch up with the coyote hunters who did admit to chasing the coyotes with their sleds until the animals couldn’t run any more then dropping their dogs off to kill it.

Getting a deer feeding complaint COs Carl Vanderwall, Emmet, and CO Duane Budreau went to talk with the homeowner and found shelled corn scattered all over the yard along with a mineral block. The homeowner informed the officers that the corn was for the ducks and the mineral block was “just always there.” The officers explained that the ducks would fly south if there was no corn available and that it was illegal to put out feed that would attract deer. A ticket was issued.

Responding to a call of someone shooting a long gun from a vehicle CO Carla Soper, Manistee, responded and found that a 16 year old driver had shot a squirrel from the vehicle. It was soon found that the youth did not have a drivers or hunting license and was a runaway. The passenger in the vehicle was highly intoxicated and on probation for other alcohol offenses. The passenger was hauled off to jail and the teen taken back to his parents.

Finding several unattended tip-ups near Hodenpyl Dam in Wexford County CO Steve Converse, Manistee, decided to wait for the owners to return but after awhile gave up for the day. The next day the officer returned and noticed that the owners of the tip-ups had come to check on them because he could see that the ice holes had been cleared so he decided to hang around and see if they would return again. After a lengthily wait the owners did return and they were ticketed for leaving lines unattended.

Getting a complaint of someone shooting turkeys in his yard COs Brian Lebel, Mecosta, and Mike Bomay went to have a little chat with the alleged shooter. The subject kept denying the charge even after the officers found piles of feathers and blood. The subject then showed the officers to a freezer to show them all the butchered chickens in it. The “chicken” turned out to be turkey; one package still had a turkey feather attached to it. Knowing he was caught he did confess to shooting two young male turkeys.

When CO Bobbi Lively, Oscoda, found meat baited treble hooks that were hung a few feet off the ground he went looking for the owner of the illegal sets. The CO along with a US Forest Service officer was able to track down the owner of the sets and he was ticketed for trapping violations and federal land violations.

A subject who shot a bobcat then went and purchased his license was caught recently by CO Holly Pennoni of Bay. The DNR officer had received a complaint and followed up on it. The hunter admitted to taking the cat illegally. A patrol on Saginaw Bay recently kept COs Holily Pennoni and Daniel Lee busy recently. The pair checked over several hundred anglers writing tickets for various violations including unlicensed ORVs as well as fishing with too many lines. In another patrol on Saginaw Bay CO Pennoni and CO Daniel Lee again checked walleye anglers and found that most of them were in compliance and few violations were found. But checking snowmobilers and ORV operations was another story, numerous violations were found for permits, registrations and helmets.

During the fall hunting season CO Phil Hudson, Gratiot, arrested a couple subjects that had taken three does and two bucks illegally. The pair had their day in court recently and were ordered to pay $7000 in fines and restitution.

A road injured deer was shot and confiscated by a subject and when CO Mike Mshar, Allegan, and the Michigan State Police showed up to talk with the shooter a small packet of drugs fell out of his wallet when he went for his identification. A struggle began and the subject popped the packet into his mouth and swallowed it. The subject did have to be taken to the hospital for treatment and is facing charges of possessing a deer during closed season, possession of methamphetamine and resisting arrest. Checking out a coyote hunter who he saw with no hunter orange on CO Mike Mshar found a loaded gun in his truck. The hunter told the officer he was just on his way home so he thought it was legal to leave the gun loaded.

A subject found burning carpet padding, plastic, a punching bag along with household goods was ticketed by CO Patrick McManus, Allegan, for illegal disposal of solid waste.

A group patrol for the Winterfest kept officers busy recently. The officers estimate they checked almost 200 people and ended up writing numerous tickets for various violations including fishing without licenses, no snowmobile registrations or trail permits as well as careless driving for one subject who was caught speeding on his sled on one ski near a crowd. The officers involved in the event: COs Jeff Rabbers, Patrick McManus, Chuck Towns, Mike Mshar, Chris Holmes and Sgt. John Jurcich.

Checking anglers in Ionia County CO Jeff Rabbers, Barry, ticketed three subjects for fishing with 12 lines and another three for fishing with no licenses.

A subject caught fishing with one fishing rod and four tip-ups was ticketed by CO Gary Raak, Barry, for fishing with too many lines.

During a deer processor inspection CO Ken Cerny, St. Joseph, checked a freezer and found owls, red tail hawks, a cardinal along with other songbirds. The processor; who did not have a taxidermy license, told the officer he had collected them over the years in hopes of someday doing some taxidermy work.

A warrant has been issued on a subject who is being charged with impersonating a conservation officer. The subject did a letter using Department logos and signed it with a District lieutenant’s signature then posted it on a hunter’s blind demanding that he move immediately or action would be taken. CO Steve Mooney, Van Buren, states that the subject could spend at least a year in jail for the violation.

Getting a complaint of rocks being stolen from the Three Rivers State Game Area CO Ken Cerny and Sgt. Bob Torres went to investigate and followed tractor tracks to a nearby residence. The owner did admit to taking the rocks without a permit so that he could landscape a riverbank. A ticket was issued.

Finding almost 20 bags of household garbage along a snowmobile trail CO Ivan Perez, Ottawa, and Sgt. Dave Shaw gathered evidence from the pile that led them to a nearby residence. The homeowner told the officers he had paid his son to take the garbage to a landfill and when the officers contacted the son he did admit to dumping the trash. A ticket was issued and the subject ordered to clean the mess up and submit a landfill receipt to the court.

Stopping a driver for driving erratically in a game area it was also found that the subject had a suspended license, improper plates were on the vehicle and there were open intoxicants in the vehicle. CO Jason J. Smith, Washtenaw, also reports the vehicle had only one working headlight.

Complaints of unattended tip-ups led CO Brad Brewer, Hillsdale, to a local lake where he did find the tip-ups; two had fish on them. The officer was able to track down the owner who had left at 6:30 a.m. to go to work and got out of work at 3:00 p.m. A ticket was issued.

Getting a complaint of two deer hanging in a tree in a subject’s yard CO Rich Nickols, Clinton, went to investigate and found that they had been killed last deer season and had never been tagged.

Getting a complaint of a subject fishing with 15 unmarked tip-ups CO Dan Prince of Livingston, went to locate the tip-ups and found them scattered all over a lake. Enforcement action was taken.

A coyote hunter is being charged with trespassing on private property without permission and killing a coyote there reports CO Dan Bigger.

Stopping a snowmobiler with no helmet CO Shane Webster, Jackson, also found that the sled had not been registered in seven years.

A snowmobiler that pulled out in front of Sgt. Tom Wanless, Genesee, then head in the other direction wouldn’t at first stop for the officer but did a mile down the road. It was soon found why he was running, a check found that he had a warrant out for his arrest, he was driving on a suspended license, the sled was unregistered and didn’t have a trail permit.

A snowmobiler tried to drive over open water but didn’t make it. Luckily he was able to get himself out of the water and walk a mile to shore where family members picked him up. A citizen who had witnessed the whole event did make a call and CO Mark Papineau, Genesee, is investigating the accident and reports that the machine was recovered by a water recovery team.

An accident where a drunk snowmobiler with no helmet hit an oak tree ended in a trip to Hurley Medical. CO Ken Kovach, Lapeer, assisted at the scene of the accident along with the Lapeer County Sheriff’s Department. Two subjects that had lost their hunting privileges were again caught taking a deer reports CO Ken Kovach. During the interview with the two the officer found the one that had shot the deer had his privileges revoked for his entire life.

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