DISTRICT 1
CO Jenni Hanson assisted an Ontonagon County deputy with a snowmobile accident in Bergland. The operator sustained injuries when he flipped his machine and slid across the pavement. CO Hanson rendered first aid until EMS arrived. The victim was transported to the Aspirus Ironwood Hospital.
COs Brian Lasanen, Dave Miller, Doug Hermanson, Ethen Mapes, Byron Parks, Zach Painter and (Sergeant) Sgt. Marc Pomroy conducted a snowmobile enforcement patrol near Twin Lakes in southern Houghton County. The group encountered steady activity as Houghton County is one of the few counties in the area with rideable snow conditions. The group addressed violations for unregistered snowmobiles, failure to attach trail permits, and loud snowmobiles.
CO Josh Boudreaux spent an afternoon observing two groups of anglers on a remote lake in Marquette County. After observing multiple fish caught and retained by both groups, CO Boudreaux walked out and contacted the anglers. The first group, when asked if they had caught any fish, stated that they had not. CO Boudreaux finished the check then walked over to where he knew the fish were being kept and located multiple undersized northern pike, which nobody wanted to claim. After a brief conversation, one of the individuals admitted to catching the pike and was issued a citation for possessing undersized northern pike. The second group was contacted and one of the fishermen immediately stated, “I’m going to be honest with you… we’ve got a few short pike…” The man walked CO Boudreaux over to the three fish, two of which were undersized. CO Boudreaux thanked him for his honesty and gave him a break on the short fish and expired snowmobile registration, but the short fish were seized, and a citation was issued for fishing with too many lines. The group of four had 14 lines out, two over their allotted limit.
CO Josh Boudreaux had two arrest warrants authorized by the Marquette County Prosecutor’s Office for separate felony cases. In one case, charges were authorized for a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. In a separate case, charges were authorized for two counts of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, two counts of hunter harassment, and two counts of malicious destruction of property.
CO Jeremy Sergey and Sgt. Mark Leadman assisted Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife Biologist Brian Roell with the recovery of a yearling doe that fell through the ice on the Dead River in Marquette. The deer was approximately 25 yards off-shore and could not get out of the water. A lasso was tossed over the deer’s head by CO Sergey as he slid out onto the ice in a sled while wearing a safety harness. The deer was pulled to safety and after a brief time to recover from the freezing water, the deer wandered off into the woods and appeared unharmed.
DISTRICT 2
CO Chris Lynch successfully served two arrest warrants on two different hunters without incident. The first hunter illegally shot an 8-point buck. The second hunter, while trespassing, shot at an 8-point buck with a crossbow from his vehicle at night while illuminating the deer with a spotlight held in his mouth. The second hunter also on separate occasions was shining deer when prohibited. The investigation stems from a multi-agency effort between the Michigan and Wisconsin DNR Law Enforcement Divisions. Both suspects were also suspected in a separate investigation along with several other suspects involved in possessing foul hooked whitefish and taking
over-limits of whitefish in Wisconsin waters.
CO Chris Lynch successfully served an arrest warrant without incident on a suspect for possession of methamphetamine. The suspect was located and taken into custody and lodged in the Delta County Jail.
CO Chris Lynch received a complaint of trespassing onto private property. The investigation at the scene revealed foot tracks and a blood trail leading from the scene to the adjoining property’s deer blind. CO Lynch was familiar with the property as two years earlier an illegally taken 8-point was also located there. COs Lynch and Steve Butzin interviewed the suspected property owner, who confessed to walking right by the “no trespassing” signs to retrieve the deer he had shot. The COs investigation also revealed that a second hunter on the same property had shot a spike horn buck on a combination deer license. It was determined the hunter illegally shot the deer with a crossbow. It was also learned that a few days earlier the hunter also illegally shot a
6-point buck with a crossbow in the same exact spot. The deer and crossbow were seized, and a report will be submitted to the Delta County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
CO Mike Olesen assisted the Michigan State Police (MSP) and the Luce County Sheriff’s Department with a missing 10-year-old girl who did not arrive home from school. The officers searched the area and fortunately, CO Olesen was able to locate the young girl a short distance from her residence.
CO Mike Olesen was first on scene to a snowmobile accident in Chippewa County. CO Olesen provided medical attention to the victim until EMS arrived on scene. CO Olesen also coordinated with local law enforcement, central dispatch, and emergency responders to get care for the victim at the location on the groomed snowmobile trail. Unfortunately, the victim succumbed to his injuries several days later.
CO Todd Sumbera conducted an interview regarding a suspicious tag purchase. The individual admitted to killing a buck during the morning hunt and then going to the store to buy a license after the fact. Charges will be sought from the local prosecutor’s office for taking a deer without a license.
CO Todd Sumbera received a Report all poaching (RAP) complaint stating three individuals each harvested a deer, and they did not appear to be tagged. CO Sumbera followed up, locating the three individuals along with the deer, and found the deer were all still untagged. A thorough investigation revealed that all three deer were harvested illegally with crossbows in Mackinac County during late archery deer season. A report is being forwarded to the Mackinac County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
DISTRICT 3
CO Kyle Cherry was on patrol in Otsego County when he received a complaint of an illegal burn regarding furniture on fire in a yard. CO Cherry responded to the residence and contacted the homeowner. When asked about the couch that was ablaze, the homeowner told CO Cherry that he was attempting to burn some cardboard when the couch accidentally caught on fire. CO Cherry gave the homeowner another opportunity to explain what happened, and the homeowner repeated the same explanation. After a brief examination of the couch on top of the burn pile, the homeowner confessed that he intentionally set fire to the couch. The owner was issued a ticket.
CO Kyle Cherry was checking ice anglers in Otsego County when he checked a group of three subjects fishing. When the third subject was asked for a fishing license, she stated she did not have one. The subject stated she had one last year but may not have gotten a current license and did not realize you need a new license every year. When CO Cherry ran her identification in the licensing system it was discovered that she had never purchased any license of any kind in her lifetime. The angler was issued a ticket.
COs Sidney Collins and Dan Liestenfeltz responded to a house fire in Montmorency County a couple days after Christmas. The home started on fire after a space heater fell over and failed to turn off. The COs, along with a Montmorency County Sheriff’s deputy, provided traffic control on the highway while firefighters fought the flames. Thankfully, no one was injured but the home was a total loss.
DISTRICT 4
CO Patrick McManus was contacted by DNR Wildlife Division (WLD) regarding a subject attempting to register their bobcat outside of the legal trapping season. CO McManus contacted the suspect and learned that he had not contacted WLD in time because of “the holidays” and “not paying attention to the guide.” It was determined that the bobcat was trapped during the season and the suspect had 16 days to contact the DNR and seal it. CO McManus also learned that the suspect had a misdemeanor warrant for his arrest on outstanding court fines, costs, and dates for multiple other charges. The suspect was issued a citation for not sealing the bobcat within 10 days after the trapping season and was turned over to the sheriff’s office on the warrant.
CO Justin Vanderlinde concluded a larceny investigation where the suspect had stolen a hunting blind and a small trailer from a remote section of state land in Benzie County. The trailer was recovered after obtaining a search warrant for a pole barn on the suspect’s hunting property. The hunting blind and related property was recovered after interviewing the suspect at his home in Macomb County. A report has been submitted to the Benzie County prosecutor for prosecution. All the property has been returned to the owner. COs Amanda McCurdy, Joe Deppen, and Ben Lasher assisted in the investigation.
CO Josiah Killingbeck had just checked into service when he heard EMS being dispatched to a residence for a well-being check. The person could be seen lying in bed in distress and all the doors were locked to the residence. CO Killingbeck responded to the scene along with EMS. CO Killingbeck was able to climb through a window and gain access to the residence, where he found the patient in dire need of medical help and a dog that was near death. The patient was turned over to EMS and CO Killingbeck remained on scene until animal control arrived to take the dog to a veterinarian for treatment.
CO Jeff Ginn responded to a RAP complaint of a blood trail in the city limits of Newaygo. CO Ginn responded to the location and backtracked the blood trail to a nearby residence. CO Ginn interviewed the owner who admitted to illegally harvesting the deer over bait in the city limits and after legal hunting hours. The deer was in the garage untagged. The crossbow used in this illegal harvest and the deer were seized. A report will be submitted to the Prosecutor’s Office for review.
CO Jeff Ginn responded to a complaint of a deer dumped on private property with the backstraps removed. CO Ginn followed footprints in the snow and located a deer blind with a large amount of bait and a remote-controlled spotlight attached to the roof of the blind. CO Ginn located the owner of the blind and interviewed the subjects that were involved in the illegal harvest of this deer. CO Ginn was able to obtain information on one of the subjects, who is a convicted felon, who admitted to harvesting the deer during the closed season. A report is being submitted to the prosecutor’s office for review and the subject’s parole officer has been advised of the violations.
CO Micah Hintze and Oceana County Sheriff’s Deputy Donny Hansen were conducting a group snowmobile patrol and observed a snowmobile operating with no registration. Upon conducting the stop, the operator removed his helmet, and the odor of intoxicants was immediately detected. The operator was unable to form basic sentences or follow instructions given by the officers. After failing field sobriety evaluations and submitting to a breathalyzer, which resulted in being over three times the legal limit of alcohol, the operator was arrested for operating while intoxicated (OWI), failing to register snowmobile, and failing to obtain trail permit.
DISTRICT 5
COs Casey Pullum and James Garrett stopped a group of snowmobiles for not riding single file on the roadway in Oscoda County. During the contact, it was determined one of the operators had a suspended driver’s license. The individual was cited for operating a snowmobile while his license was suspended and advised he was unable to drive. The group contacted a friend at their cabin and requested he come pick up the snowmobile. They were able to get the snowmobile to the next roadway to wait for the truck and trailer. The COs continued their patrol in the opposite direction moving to another intersection where approximately two hours later they witnessed the same group of snowmobiles drive past their location, including the suspended driver previously cited. The suspect was stopped again and was unaware it was the same COs who stopped him previously. He stated he had just been pulled over and his license is suspended. After learning it was the same COs, he hung his head and said, “Oh.” The suspect was arrested and taken into custody and charged with a second DWLS.
CO Kyle Bader assisted Ogemaw County Sheriff’s deputies on a call for a “well-being check”. CO Bader was familiar with the secluded area and was able to direct the deputies into the address. No one would answer the door, but officers on scene could hear someone inside coughing. The caller was able to give permission for the officers to enter the house and upon entry, officers located a highly intoxicated man sitting in a recliner in the dark, with a half-gallon of whiskey that he was drinking straight from the jug. There was no heat or electricity in the house. The man had his boots on the wrong feet. There were three rifles leaned up on the couch next to where the man was sitting. The entire floor of the one room cabin was completely covered with empty beer cans and liquor bottles no less than a foot deep. The man was conscious but unresponsive. The officers carried the man to a patrol vehicle, transported him to a main road, and turned him over to EMS for medical attention.
COs Josh Russell and Jeff Goss responded to an ORV personal injury accident that occurred on an ORV trail far from any main road. The COs were patrolling on snowmobiles in the area and were able to respond quickly. Upon arrival, they located the subject who was suffering from a broken femur. Some other riders, who had heard the distress calls from the injured rider and his friend, were already on scene helping to keep the injured rider calm. The COs knew the rider would be unable to be moved and coordinated with local fire and EMS to have them come to the remote location. Local fire departments came equipped with an ORV and a special off-road trailer to transport the injured man out of the woods.
CO Joshua Wright, while checking a remote lake in rural Clare County, observed a lone angler pulling his jet sled and gear back towards his truck. The lake is in the middle of public land and he was the only angler there. As CO Wright contacted the angler, he noticed the man appeared anxious to get the contact over with. After checking his license, CO Wright asked about the fish he caught. The angler dropped his head and admitted that he had a couple of pike that were probably too short. Both pike ended up measuring several inches short. The angler admitted knowing they were too short before he speared them but stated that they just kept coming into his decoy. CO Wright cited the angler for possession of the undersized pike and explained to the man how to locate different lakes in the area with special pike size regulations.
COs Josh Russell and Jeff Goss were on snowmobile patrol in Gladwin county when a group of ORVs drove by them. CO Russell observed the driver of the last side-by-side ORV take a drink of a beer as he drove by. CO Russell contacted the operator of the ORV and asked about the beer. The operator had tried to hide the beer in the cooler in the back seat of the ORV. CO Russell explained the issues and cited the operator for having open intoxicants in an ORV.
DISTRICT 6
CO Chad Foerster was patrolling the side roads of Bay County when he noticed a snowmobile coming at him down the center of the roadway at a high rate of speed. After stopping the snowmobile, numerous violations were encountered from operating on the roadway where prohibited, careless operation, no registration, and more. CO Foerster issued a citation for operating with no helmet and educated the operator on the rest of the violations.
CO Quincy Gowenlock was traveling northbound on a local state highway when he observed a vehicle rapidly approaching from behind. The suspect vehicle caught up to CO Gowenlock and then began following too closely to the rear of the patrol vehicle. As several cars approached from the opposite direction, the suspect passed CO Gowenlock’s patrol truck and an additional vehicle which was in front of the patrol truck. To avoid an accident, CO Gowenlock pulled his vehicle to the shoulder to make room. The suspect vehicle continued to pass the next vehicle ahead which caused four vehicles in the oncoming lane to take evasive actions. The suspect vehicle then rapidly sped up to approximately 85 miles per hour (mph) in a 55-mph zone. CO Gowenlock initiated a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle. Upon contact, the driver admitted to the violations and said that he was fighting with his girlfriend. While issuing a citation, several motorists honked their horns and gave the CO a thumbs up.
While patrolling the Stanton State Game Area (SGA), CO Mike Haas encountered a group that was parked off the road cutting firewood. CO Haas questioned who had given them permission to cut trees in the state game area and one subject showed a permit he had printed online. CO Haas explained that the free permits were only valid for the northern part of the lower peninsula, the upper peninsula, and there were maps online indicating where fuelwood could legally be collected. CO Haas also pointed out that even if the permit was valid, the subject violated it by cutting down standing trees and failed to fill out the log sheet on the permit. A citation was issued to address the illegal collection of wood.
CO Mike Haas was patrolling a small lake in central Montcalm County when he located multiple tip-ups that were not labeled. CO Haas located the owners of the tip-ups in a nearby ice fishing shanty and explained that tip-ups were legally required to be labeled with the owner’s information. Neither angler had their fishing licenses on them, but license checks through the DNR dispatch showed that one angler had purchased his license the previous day and the other angler had not purchased a license since 2017. The angler without a license lived on the lake and admitted to fishing over the summer months as well without a license and stated he must have forgot to get his license. The angler received a citation for fishing without a fishing license and was warned for not having his tip-ups labeled.
COs Mike Haas and Dan Robinson conducted an ORV patrol in western Midland County checking state forest areas with recent illegal ORV activity. During the patrol, the COs encountered a subject operating his four-wheeler in a closed area without a helmet. The ORV operator had driven past a locked gate and over a large dirt berm to access the area. The ORV operator said he had followed other tracks and thought it was ok to ride at the location and he stated that he “usually always” wears his helmet, he just did not grab it today before leaving the house. A citation was issued for not wearing a crash helmet while operating on public property and the man was warned for operating in a closed area.
In eastern Isabella County while on a snowmobile patrol, CO Mike Haas witnessed a four-wheeler being operated down the middle of a roadway towing a sled with multiple people on both the machine and sled. CO Haas conducted a traffic stop and contacted the operator. The operator had multiple passengers sitting on the back of the ORV and no one on the machine was wearing a helmet. The CO explained the machine was not designed to carry more than one rider and the ORV could have tipped more easily and hurt the riders since they lacked helmets. A citation was issued to address the safety violations.
DISTRICT 7
CO Jackie Miskovich was patrolling the Pere Marquette in Muskegon County when she observed a vehicle stuck in the sand in a “no parking” area. CO Miskovich attempted to contact the driver; however, they were unconscious. CO Miskovich contacted Muskegon Central Dispatch for medical to start her way and a backup officer. As CO Miskovich was waiting for the other unit to arrive, the driver awakened. As CO Miskovich was talking with the driver, he was severely slurring his words and not making sense. CO Miskovich and a Muskegon City Police Officer performed field sobriety tests on the individual. After performing the horizonal gaze nystagmus test, the officers were trying to describe the other tests when the individual refused to do the tests. At that point, a preliminary breath test was performed, and it was found that the subject was intoxicated. CO Miskovich arrested the subject and transported him to the Muskegon County jail. Charges are being sought with the Muskegon County Prosecutor’s Office.
COs Jackie Miskovich and Justin Ulberg were patrolling snowmobile trail LP 192 when they saw a snowmobile with expired registration and no trail permit. A stop was made, and the driver said that they did not get a trail permit or update the registration. A citation was issued for failing to have a snowmobile trail permit and a warning was given for not having current registration.
CO Anna Cullen was patrolling northern Muskegon County during the late duck season when she observed a duck boat heading to shore. CO Cullen approached the vessel to find three hunters who were ending a morning of waterfowl hunting in the marsh. CO Cullen checked the hunters’ ducks and licenses. One of the hunters failed to sign their federal stamp, along with this, the vessel had expired registration and did not have any personal floatation devices (PFDs) on board. CO Cullen issued a citation for a single PFD violation and issued warnings for the rest of the violations.
CO Robert Slick received a complaint of multiple deer carcasses that were dumped into a private dumpster. He responded to the location and was able to find two tags still attached to the deer. CO Slick contacted the individuals who purchased the tags. They informed him the deer were given to a family member. After a couple more interviews, CO Slick was able to find the individual who dumped the carcasses. A citation was issued for the violation.
While checking ice anglers in Ottawa County, CO Justin Ulberg spoke with two subjects coming off the ice. The anglers advised that they did pretty good and kept 48 bluegills. Further investigation revealed that one of the anglers did not have a current fishing license. A ticket was issued for the violation and 23 fish were seized.
DISTRICT 8
CO John Byars assisted multiple agencies for the search of armed robbery suspects in Livingston County. The Livingston County Sheriff’s Department conducted a vehicle pursuit through Ingham County, into Eaton County, then back into East Lansing. The pursuit was then called off and the suspects fled on foot. CO Byars arrived to assist in the perimeter and search for the suspects. Two of five suspects were apprehended and three remain outstanding.
CO Todd Thorn was first on scene at a two-vehicle accident on M 52 near Stockbridge. A pickup truck was in flames after colliding with a parked semi-truck. According to Ingham County Dispatch, all occupants were said to be out of the vehicles. When CO Thorn arrived, he observed a man, who said he was the driver of the pickup truck, walking down the middle of the road near the pickup truck. The man said that he was the only person riding in the pickup truck. CO Thorn had the driver walk away from the vehicle that was in flames and observed that he appeared to be intoxicated. After EMS, fire, and more police arrived, CO Thorn turned the investigation over to the Ingham County Sherriff’s deputies.
CO Pete Purdy and a Livingston County Sheriff’s Deputy were dispatched to a vehicle blocking the roadway in the Oak Grove SGA. When they arrived on scene, they discovered the vehicle was unoccupied. A few minutes later the wife of the driver arrived on scene. She advised that her husband was suffering from dementia and was driving the vehicle when it became stuck in a snowstorm and became disabled. She advised that she called a tow truck, but they advised that her situation was low priority, and it would be several hours for response. The officers called a local towing business and explained the situation. A tow truck was there in twenty minutes and towed the vehicle back to the owner’s residence.
CO Larn R. Strawn conducted a night patrol of the Maple River SGA and noticed a vehicle slowly coming towards him along a dead-end road. CO Strawn ducked behind a tree and watched the vehicle pass by only mere feet from him. CO Strawn watched as the vehicle disappeared onto the private property at the end of the road. CO Strawn waited a few minutes for the vehicle to return, however it never came back. CO Strawn suspected when the vehicle did not turn around, they must be out at the private property. Once back at his patrol truck CO Strawn made his way to the private property to investigate. CO Strawn discovered three subjects and the suspicious vehicle. One of the subjects was out of the vehicle at the side of a parked vehicle at the garage of the residence. The other two people were waiting in the vehicle. CO Strawn contacted the group and discovered the individuals were attempting to remove parts and scrap metal from the parked vehicle. CO Strawn discovered burglary tools and a handheld metal grinder in the vehicle. A Law Enforcement Information Network check further revealed two of the subjects were wanted on outstanding warrants in multiple jurisdictions. CO Strawn arrested the subjects and took them into custody for the warrants and multiple violations. The subjects were lodged at the Clinton County jail. CO Strawn is conducting a follow up investigation on breaking into the vehicle and trespassing.
CO Larn R. Strawn received a RAP complaint of a pet dog killed in a trap. CO Strawn responded to the complaint location and discovered a small dog was killed by a conibear body gripping trap. The conibear trap was illegally placed in a baited box directly on the ground. CO Strawn searched the area and discovered a second trapping site with an illegal conibear trap. While following tracks in the snow, CO Strawn immediately recognized the suspect property. CO Strawn followed the tracks to a residence where he contacted and interviewed the suspect. The suspect admitted to setting the traps. The trapper said they have never seen or read the trapping guide and they were not aware the traps could not be set as they were. CO Strawn was familiar with the suspect and had previously requested charges in the fall for trapping without a license, setting illegal traps, and baiting deer in a closed area. In the fall case, the trapper was offered a diversion plea in lieu of charges and the warrant request was denied. CO Strawn is submitting a new request for charges for the illegal conibear traps that killed the neighbor’s dog.
DISTRICT 9
CO Bobby Watson attended a pre-trial for an over-limit of perch case from October. At the pre-trial, the defendant initially stated he was just going to have the judgment “deferred” and wished not to have to pay the fine but agreed to stay out of trouble for the next couple of years. After being instructed that was not how the court system worked, the defendant eventually plead guilty. The defendant paid $50 in reimbursement and $150 in fines.
CO Raymond Gardner was on a group patrol checking walleye anglers at Blossom Heath Boat Launch. While checking a group that came into the launch with walleye, CO Gardner asked the anglers for their fishing licenses. One angler handed CO Gardner a fishing license that was handwritten. CO Gardner asked the angler why his license was handwritten, and the angler stated, that is what was given to him at the store he purchased it from. CO Gardner checked with dispatch to find out if the man had a license on file and was informed that the angler did not have a current fishing license. When CO Gardner told the angler he did not have a license within the system, the angler was adamant that he purchased a license and that was what was given to him. CO Gardner then went to his patrol truck to double check whether there was a record of the angler purchasing a fishing license. After confirming the angler did not have a current fishing license for a second time, CO Gardner issued the angler a citation for taking/possessing walleye without a fishing license and confiscated the fish.
CO Jaime Salisbury conducted a taxidermy inspection with the assistance of COs Brad Silorey and Joe Deppen. During the inspection it was noticed that the records being kept by the taxidermist were incomplete and missing a lot of required information. The COs found multiple deer were suspected of having been shot before the tag was purchased. The COs will follow up on the suspect deer. Citations were issued to the taxidermist for having incomplete records and for having missing data on their specimen tags.
CO Jaime Salisbury was following up on a suspected illegal deer from a taxidermy inspection he did earlier in the week. A confession was gained from the suspect of having shot the deer before purchasing his tags. After speaking with the hunter for a while, it was discovered the hunter had also shot a second deer without tags. Charges are being sought for both illegal deer through the Sanilac County Prosecutor’s Office.
CO Kris Kiel interviewed a subject about a set of deer antlers, found at a taxidermy inspection, that had a tag that was purchased the same day that the deer was taken. CO Kiel received a quick confession after the subject showed him the picture taken with his cell phone, time and date stamped prior to the license purchase. A warrant request will be submitted to Sanilac County Prosecutor’s Office for taking an 8-point buck without a license.
COs Brad Silorey and Joe Deppen conducted a taxidermy inspection and processor inspection and discovered multiple illegally taken deer. Investigation is underway, and multiple interviews were conducted over the weekend.
CO Joseph Deppen was driving home from a radio repair and was passed by a Mercedes traveling at a high rate of speed. CO Deppen initiated a traffic stop and the vehicle pulled over a mile later. The young driver was cited for 103 mph in a 70-mph zone and was given verbal warnings for careless driving.
CO Joseph Deppen was following up on a taxidermy inspection conducted earlier in the year. After multiple failed attempts at contacting the suspect, CO Deppen finally caught him at home taking a nap. He was woken up by his grandparents and came outside to the garage. CO Deppen interviewed the suspect about his deer season and found the suspect shot an 8-point deer early in the season without a license. The suspect’s
8-point deer rack and crossbow used to kill the deer were seized as evidence. After being confronted with the evidence, the suspect finally admitted he shot the deer and then bought a license. Charges of taking deer without a license are being sought through the prosecutor’s office.
COs Joseph Deppen and Brad Silorey were surfing social media and discovered some questionable deer that were taken in Macomb County. The COs checked local taxidermists and found the deer and suspect they were looking for. After doing some additional digging, the COs found the suspect’s address. The COs arrived at the suspect’s house and interviewed him about his deer season. The suspect was more than happy to show the COs his cropped and edited photos of the suspected illegal deer. The edited photos made it appear the deer was taken legally and after he purchased his license, however CO Deppen had suspicions about the timeline. COs obtained consent to view additional photos on the suspect’s phone and found original unedited photos that clearly showed the deer was taken before the suspect purchased a license. When confronted with the evidence the suspect was visibly upset. He said, "I cannot believe you guys are charging people who buy their tags after.” COs explained to the suspect he needed to have deer tags before he goes out hunting, not after he kills a deer. Further investigation led COs Deppen and Silorey to the conclusion the suspect did the exact same thing during the 2019 hunting season. Multiple photos were taken as evidence, the crossbow, a 10-point rack from the 2020 season, and a 9-point rack from the 2019 season were seized and logged into evidence. Charges for taking deer without a license are being sought through the prosecutor’s office.
CO Joseph Deppen was checking walleye anglers along Lake St. Clair. CO Deppen observed one boat coming off the lake and another boat in the marina heading out. The two boats met near the mouth of the marina and the incoming boat met up with the outgoing boat. The boat coming into the marina gave the other boat five walleye. The group was high fiving and celebrating. CO Deppen stopped the outbound vessel on their way to the lake and during a check, found the five walleye that were handed over. CO Deppen seized the walleye, placed them in his patrol truck, and headed to the launch. CO Deppen met the other vessel at the launch and questioned them about their fish onboard. They said they had twelve walleye, a two-man limit. CO Deppen said, “Yep, a two-man limit and then some.” CO Deppen explained he watched the exchange and the men confessed to over-limiting on walleye in hopes to give them to another angler. The walleye were confiscated and the anglers were issued citations for over-limit of walleye and no fishing license in possession. The walleye were donated to other lawful anglers coming to the launch who had less success.
CO Nicholas Ingersoll was sitting in the Pointe Aux Peaux SGA parking lot when an individual approached him and asked if deer hunting was allowed after January 1st in Monroe County. CO Ingersoll advised the hunter that it was not but asked how his hunting season had went. The hunter stated that he and his hunting partner had taken two in Monroe County and one in Wayne County. CO Ingersoll checked the hunters’ retail sales history, and it was determined that the hunter only had purchased a single deer license for Monroe County and did not have an antlerless deer tag for Monroe County. CO Ingersoll questioned the hunter about his license purchases. After a lengthy interview, it was determined that the hunter had shot two antlerless deer in Monroe County and only had one license. The hunter had purchased a Wayne County license and used that to tag his antlerless deer in Monroe County. His hunting partner had shot an antlerless deer with a valid license in Wayne County. CO Ingersoll will be requesting charges of taking a deer without a valid license. The report will be submitted to the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office.
COs Andrew Monnich and Eric Smither were checking local farm ditches for trapping activity when they noticed a dead whitetail buck 30 yards from the road. While checking out the very fresh carcass, they observed another deer deceased on the same trail, 40 yards into the woods, and further another dead buck not too far down the trail from that one. With assistance from Sgt. Shane Webster, all three deer were examined and after caping them out were all discovered to have been shot with a small caliber rifle. A round was discovered in the hide of one of the deer. Interviews were conducted with the neighbors with no sure suspects. After spending the next day looking for shell casings with assistance from a Lenawee County detective, nothing was discovered and all ballistics and shot placement led back to a neighbor who was interviewed the previous day. CO Monnich and an MSP trooper went back to interview the neighbor who, after a long interview, let the officers check his barn. Upon entering the barn, a sliding window was discovered and shell casings from a .22 were found below the window, which matched the round taken from the deer. The suspect then confessed to shooting at the deer but was trying to scare them not kill them. Charges are being sent to the Lenawee County Prosecutor’s Office for taking three deer with an illegal firearm and no hunting licenses.
CO Joseph Deppen patrolled Belle Isle during the first day of the new year. Two citations were written for disorderly conduct in a state park and verbal warnings for speed. An additional citation was issued for a driver driving 60 mph in a 25-mph zone on icy roads.
