4/27/2025-5/10/2025

DISTRICT 1

In Menominee County, Conservation Officer (CO) Steve Sajtar investigated the scene of an escaped fire. A landowner called 911 after failing to prevent the spread of a fire and allowing the fire to spread onto a neighboring property. The fire was suppressed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) fire personnel. After the fire was suppressed, CO Sajtar interviewed the landowner at the scene of the fire. During the interview, the landowner admitted to throwing a burning cigar onto the ground and walking away. A burn ban was in effect for Menominee County at the time due to very high fire danger. Multiple verbal warnings and a citation were issued.

CO Steve Sajtar responded to an off-road vehicle (ORV) versus motor vehicle crash in Menominee County. CO Sajtar arrived on scene and assisted the Michigan State Police (MSP) and Menominee County Sheriff’s Office with the investigation. The pickup was attempting to pass the ORV when the ORV made an improper turn. The pickup collided with the turning ORV and pushed the ORV off the road and into a ditch. The ORV operator was ejected from the ORV. The ORV operator sustained multiple injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital. The pickup operator sustained no injuries.
 
COs Alex VanWagner and Zach Painter responded to Peavy Reservoir for a stranded boat with motor issues. The caller reported there were two adults and a child onboard and they were getting blown into the shoreline due to windy and wavy conditions. The COs located the boat and were able to safely remove it from the shoreline. The boat was towed to a nearby launch due to the weather conditions. One of the adults was transported to his vehicle on the other side of the reservoir to retrieve the boat.

CO Steve Sajtar assisted with a hunter safety class at the Mid County Sportsmen’s Club in Stephenson. CO Sajtar gave the class a presentation on hunting and fishing regulations. After the students completed their written tests, CO Sajtar assisted with teaching safe firearm handling and familiarizing the students with various types of firearms. All 28 students successfully completed their hunter safety class and were awarded their certificates.

COs Jeremy Sergey, Jackson Kelly, and John Kamps attended a career fair at Northern Michigan University’s Jacobetti Center. The career fair was for high school Juniors and Seniors from the Marquette and Alger County area. The COs spoke with over a hundred students about the job of Conservation Officer.

COs Jeremy Sergey and Jackson Kelly were dispatched to a brush fire in Marquette County. The COs were first on scene and discovered the fire was about one foot away from a garage and high winds were pushing the fire close to a house. The COs expended two fire extinguishers, keeping the fire suppressed enough to save the house and garage until firefighters arrived on scene. It was determined the fire started from a tree limb that was touching a power line.

COs Jeremy Sergey and Jackson Kelly assisted in a search for a missing individual in northern Marquette County. The individual had separated from his group and was missing for approximately five to six hours. The search party found the individual alive but dehydrated.

DISTRICT 2

CO Andrea Dani observed two anglers fishing in the section of the Rock River that was closed to fishing for spawning. The pair admitted they caught and killed three steelhead in the closed section. CO Dani cited both individuals for fishing the closed stream and seized and donated the illegally caught fish.

COs Andrea Dani and Brandon Maki received a complaint about a deer trapped on an iceberg on Lake Superior near Munising. It was reported that the deer had been on that iceberg for over eight hours. The COs responded to the scene where they found a lethargic looking doe standing on the ice. CO Maki jumped from iceberg to iceberg and eventually waded through the water to get to the deer. CO Maki got close and was able to persuade the deer to head back to shore.

CO Brandon Maki was on a fish patrol at the Rock River when he observed two anglers making their way back towards their vehicle. While on their walk back, one of them chose to fish in the closed section of the river. CO Maki confronted the angler and informed him of this specific section of river being closed. CO Maki took enforcement action before clearing the scene.

CO Justin Vinson was patrolling in Luce County when he was flagged down in the town of Newberry. The individuals provided CO Vinson with information about a fox stuck in a foothold trap just north of Newberry. CO Vinson responded to the complaint. With trapping season well past for both fox and coyote, the fox was released, and the trap was seized. An interview of the suspect was conducted. A report was compiled and submitted to the Luce County prosecutor.

CO Mike Olesen responded to a wildfire in Mackinac County. He was met by local and DNR fire departments on the scene. The fire was caused by the burning of brush that got out of control. The individual who had started the fire was cited into the Mackinac County court for prosecution for burning during active burn restrictions.

Upon leaving the scene of a fire, CO Olesen came across another active open burn during his patrol. CO Olesen approached the residence and observed the fire. It took approximately 15 minutes to contact the owner who was in his residence and not actively attending to the fire or a fishing line he had in a river adjacent to his property. Upon contacting the homeowner, CO Olesen cited the individual for burning during an active burn ban and leaving a fishing line unattended. Other violations noted were fishing without a valid 2025 fishing license and not attending to an active fire.

CO Scott Pankow conducted a hunter safety class in Chippewa County where 15 individuals received their hunter safety certificates. CO Pankow noted the lowest score was 96%.

CO Cole VanOosten attended a sentencing hearing for a man who was arrested for numerous thefts of state forest campground pay pipes during the summer of 2023 and 2024. The man pled guilty to the charges of larceny between $1,000 and $20,000 as well as operating on a suspended, revoked license. The man was sentenced to a year in jail with credit for 81 days served. A restitution hearing was scheduled for 30 days to determine total restitution owed to the State of Michigan.

DISTRICT 3

CO Sidney LaLonde and other COs taught ORV enforcement, laws, and safety to state sheriff’s deputies. The 40-hour course, both classroom and range riding, provided adequate training for deputies to enforce Michigan ORV laws safely and effectively.

CO Jon Sheppard attended a hunter safety field day in Rogers City. In addition to covering the legal and ethical portion of the class, CO Sheppard presented to the students the duties of COs and answered various legal and hunting related questions.

CO Jon Sheppard responded to two small forest/grass fires back-to-back. The first one was along Trail 4 in Alpena County. CO Sheppard responded and unlocked the gates to the snowmobile trail for the fire response. The second fire was on a powerline easement near M-65 in Alpena County. Both fires were extinguished quickly and were caused by trees damaged in the ice storm falling on live powerlines.

CO Jon Sklba contacted a privately owned cervid owner in Presque Isle County to discuss damage done to their fence during the recent ice storm. Shortly after contacting the owner of the facility, the tree was removed and the fence repaired.

Sgt. Paul Fox was on patrol checking anglers at the Alpena harbor when he contacted a vessel with four anglers aboard. Upon checking their creel, it was found that the anglers had 15 lake trout, three over their limit. A ticket was issued for possession of over-limit of lake trout. The illegal fish were seized and donated to a local family.

DISTRICT 4

COs William Kinney and Charlie Jones were patrolling state land in Grand Traverse County and located a campsite in the woods. The COs witnessed violations relating to camping on state land and contacted two individuals with multiple dogs at the campsite. It was discovered the male had an outstanding warrant for his arrest and was taken into custody by the COs and lodged at the Grand Traverse County Jail.

CO Josiah Killingbeck, while sitting at an ORV trail crossing, observed an ORV disregard two stop signs. CO Killingbeck was able to get to the next trail crossing and contacted the driver. The driver told CO Killingbeck that he knew he didn’t stop but he looked and because he looked did not believe he needed to stop. CO Killingbeck learned that the subject had purchased his ORV over a year ago and never transferred the title of the ORV. A citation was issued for the violations.

CO Logan Turner was patrolling Oceana County when an ORV passed him, the vehicle had an orange slow moving vehicle triangle and no ORV sticker. CO Turner stopped the ORV, and the driver stated he did not believe he needed ORV stickers to operate on the roadway as his ORV was for farm use. When questioned where he was headed to, he stated they were in the area camping and running over to a friend’s place. After educating the driver on ORV farm use versus personal use, the driver was cited for failure to license ORV.

CO Cameron Wright responded to a minibike versus vehicle accident in the Village of Hesperia. CO Wright arrived and located a teenage male lying in the street complaining of leg pain with obvious injuries to his lower legs. CO Wright assisted with interviews and learned that the minibike operator had attempted to cross a street without slowing down or looking for traffic. As the minibike neared the street, a SUV travelling northbound crossed in front of his path. The minibike crashed into the side of the SUV and never had time to brake before the collision. The operator of the minibike was transported to the local hospital and the accident investigation was turned over to the Newaygo County Sheriff’s Department.

CO Cameron Wright responded to a forest fire in Oceana County. CO Wright interviewed the homeowner who confessed to starting a “controlled burn” that quickly became uncontrolled. The homeowner had attempted to burn the cattails around his ponds, but lost control of it when the wind shifted direction and began burning throughout the forest toward his home. The fire burnt a camper trailer on his property and burned it to the ground. Local fire departments responded and were able to get the fire extinguished without any further loss of property. Citations were issued for burning without a permit and for allowing a fire to escape control.

CO Tim Barboza received a Report All Poaching (RAP) complaint of two people taking over-limits of pan fish on Croton Pond in Newaygo County. CO Barboza patrolled to the location and contacted the two suspects. The anglers stated they had their limit of blue gills and CO Barboza asked to see their fishing licenses and the fish. CO Barboza counted 56 panfish from the lone bucket they were both keeping their fish in. Both anglers were cited for taking an over-limit of panfish, which is 25 panfish per angler.

While on marine patrol in Newaygo County, COs Tim Barboza and Cameron Wright observed a small aluminum boat with no registration and two anglers in it. The COs made contact and asked about the registration which the owner stated he didn’t have the title and was trying to figure it out. The anglers were asked for fishing licenses, and the owner of the vessel stated it wasn’t on him. When asked again, he stated, “I’m going to be honest I don’t have one.”  CO Barboza asked if they had any life jackets on board which the owner stated, “No but we are both very good swimmers.”  The owner of the boat was cited for failing to provide a fishing license and no personal flotation device (PFD).

DISTRICT 5

COs Kyle Cherry and Jacob Hamilton responded to a report of a brush fire in Kalkaska County. The property owner was burning trash in a barrel during a lunch break when the fire escaped from the burn barrel and began burning through a nearby forest area. A citation was issued for failing to prevent the spread of fire.

CO Jacob Hamilton was on ORV patrol when he located a grass fire in the yard of a residence in Kalkaska County. He knocked on the door and informed the landowners of the fire, then began putting the fire out with a rake. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the rest of the grass fire without incident. CO Hamilton conducted interviews with the landowners, who both stated they had been burning yard debris three days prior, when it was raining. No enforcement action was taken.

CO Kyle Cherry was clearing the scene of a rollover crash in Kalkaska County when a motorcycle passed him at 101 mph in a 55-mph zone. A traffic stop was initiated, and the driver was issued a citation for speed.

While working with turkey hunters in Roscommon County, Sgt. Brian Olsen observed a vehicle pass him with a blacked-out license plate. Sgt. Olsen conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle for the registration violation. While speaking with the driver, Sgt. Olsen could smell the odor of intoxicants. The driver advised that he was designated as the driver and had not been drinking. After further questioning, several containers of open alcohol were found among the passengers of the vehicle. The vehicle's owner was issued a citation for open intoxicants in a motor vehicle and a warning was issued for the registration violation.

COs Ryan Weakman and Kevin Bunce aided in rescuing a bald eagle near Standish. The eagle had been reported to have a broken wing and could not fly. When COs Bunce and Weakman arrived, they located the eagle along a rock wall and devised a plan to catch it. After successfully catching the eagle, COs Bunce and Weakman transported it to a wildlife rehabilitator specializing in caring for prey birds.

CO Ryan Weakman assisted Clare County deputies with searching for a suspect in a hit and run where the suspect fled into a wooded area. The incident started with a deputy advising that he was pursuing a Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle. A few moments later, the deputy radioed that the motorcycle had crashed into the back of a Jeep and the suspect on the motorcycle fled into the woods after surviving the crash. CO Weakman assisted in the search for nearly two hours, along with a K9, with no success. Deputies found the suspect’s jacket and helmet and are seeking DNA analysis to identify the suspect.

COs Kevin Bunce, Cheyanna Langworthy, and Sgt. Jon Wood attended a Hunter Safety class at the new Webber Wildlife Center in Clare. The COs taught the legal portion of hunter education to over 40 students. In addition to legal instruction, the COs answered numerous questions posed by the group.

CO Troy Mueller was recently patrolling state land in Osceola County for ORV activity when he contacted two dirt bikes with no ORV license decals. A ticket was issued for the violations. One of the subjects said he would purchase an ORV decal the next day. Three days later, CO Mueller was patrolling state land again and encountered the same subject riding his dirt-bike. The subject still had not purchased an ORV license decal. Another ticket was issued for the same violation. The subject stated that he has always bought an ORV decal every year. A computer system check showed that the subject has never purchased an ORV decal.

COs Kevin Bunce, Cheyanna Langworthy, and Sgt. Jon Wood responded to a complaint from the Osceola Sheriff’s Department about a sow bear and her cub that had been struck by a car and killed on M-115 near Marion. They were also informed of a second cub that was alive and orphaned near the scene of the accident. Through coordinated efforts, the COs were able to locate and catch the yearling cub and secure it in a small crate. The cub was transported and dropped off with biologists who planned to place the cub with a wild surrogate sow bear.

CO Tyler Sabuda was checking anglers in Iosco County when he observed an angler stop fishing while he was checking another angler. CO Sabuda went and talked to that angler who had a story about not being able to get his fishing license. Upon further checking, it was determined that the individual had his fishing privileges revoked in court and could not buy any fishing or hunting licenses. CO Sabuda seized a steelhead from the individual. The individual was cited for fishing without a license. The individual also had an active out-of-range warrant for fishing without a license.

CO Jeff Goss responded to a trespass complaint where a local farmer was having trouble with turkey hunters sneaking onto his farm from the adjacent state land in Gladwin County. The farmer put up a camera and captured photos of two turkey hunters entering his property. The hunters saw the camera and quickly left the property. The hunters were nowhere to be found when CO Goss arrived at the complaint. Armed with good photos and possible suspect vehicle information, CO Goss was able to locate the hunters the next weekend, hunting state land near where the trespass occurred. When questioned about the incident, the suspects denied trespassing on the farmer’s property. After explaining the incriminating photos to the suspects, they quickly confessed to trespassing on the property. Charges for recreational trespassing are being sought through the prosecutor’s office.

DISTRICT 6

CO Kyle Romzek was checking the area near the Pinnebog River when he observed a small boat in the river. CO Romzek contacted the boat and discovered that the three people on the vessel did not have any lifejackets and the vessel was not registered. The owner/operator was issued a citation for no PFD.

CO Mike Eovaldi responded to a complaint of two males spotted throwing several turkey carcasses into a ditch and covering them with weeds. CO Eovaldi was able to identify the vehicle and the individuals. Further investigation revealed that one of the birds was killed illegally by a relative of one of the suspects. CO Eovaldi conducted a follow up interview where he obtained a confession from the hunter for taking a bird without a valid license. Charges will be sought through the St. Clair County Prosecutor’s Office. Additionally, a littering citation will be issued to the individual responsible.

CO Mike Eovaldi found information that led him to believe a hunter was taking over-limits of turkey. Due to social media posts, it was suspected that a bird had already been killed by the hunter, but his vehicle was seen in an area where he was likely hunting. CO Eovaldi contacted the hunter at the road after he loaded an untagged turkey into the bed of his truck. Suspecting the bird was killed on public land with a private land only tag, the CO returned a short time later and located a fresh kill site on the adjacent state game area. Search warrants for the hunter’s cell phone and residence were obtained and executed on the same day. Four turkeys suspected to be killed illegally were seized at the residence along with the hunter’s cell phone. Further investigation will be conducted, and charges will be sought through the prosecutor’s office.

CO Mike Eovaldi investigated heavy equipment that was left in the parking lot of a state game area. The owner of the equipment was contacted and advised that the state game area is not a storage yard, and that the equipment needed to be immediately removed. Several days later, the owner of the equipment was contacted again as he had failed to remove a trailer of tires on the game area. He was issued a citation for storing property on state land for more than 24 hours and he subsequently removed his property.

CO Chris Kravitsky contacted four anglers fishing a cut at the Fish Point State Game Area in Tuscola County. Upon speaking with the anglers, it was determined that two of the anglers did not have fishing licenses for the 2025 fishing season. When asked why they did not have a license they advised they were told by a buddy to get their license but decided to take a chance. Both subjects were cited for the violation.

DISTRICT 7

CO Carter Woodwyk received a call from DNR Fire Officer Ben Osterland in Allegan County in reference to a brush fire that DNR Fire and the Clyde Township Fire Department were actively working on extinguishing. The CO responded to the scene where approximately a tenth of an acre of brush was burned. Investigation revealed that the fire had spread because of a burning leaf pile that got away from the responsible subject. Fire safety was discussed, and a citation was issued for allowing fire to escape.

CO Sam Schluckbier was sitting near a mud pit in Allegan County where ORVs frequent, causing significant erosion damage. Soon after dark, a dirt-bike was observed crashing into the water pit, causing the engine to cut out. The operator quickly restarted the bike and drove off at a high rate of speed. CO Schluckbier proceeded to make contact, but the subject continued to operate in a careless manner at which time the CO activated his emergency lights and sirens. The bike continued to drive at speeds greater than 60 mph for some time before he eventually pulled over. It was found that the driver was a juvenile who immediately claimed he was speeding home because he was wet. CO Schluckbier didn’t buy the story as it was obvious he was attempting to flee. The juvenile was educated about the dangers of operating carelessly and allowed to return home. A citation was issued for not properly licensing the ORV before operation.

DISTRICT 8

CO Ed Rice responded to a shots fired/recreational trespassing complaint. CO Rice arrived on scene and spoke with the complainant, who said he heard a shot and observed a truck drive by his residence. The driver waved, then moments later he heard two more shots. The complainant went outside and observed the suspect with a rifle positioned on his tailgate facing his field. When confronted, the suspect told the complainant he was shooting at a dirt pile. CO Rice spoke with the suspect who admitted to taking two shots at a woodchuck from the tailgate of his truck into a field he did not have permission to be on. The suspect claimed he was on the wrong road after receiving permission from other farmers in the area. The scene and firearm were photographed and documented. A report will be submitted to the Hillsdale County Prosecutor’s Office for numerous charges, including hunting from a motor vehicle and recreational trespass.

COs John Byars and Cullen Knoblauch conducted a celebration of life at Sleepy Hollow State Park for the passing of a retired Conservation Officer. COs Byars and Knoblauch represented the Honor Guard for law enforcement division for the passing of retired Conservation Officer Scott Berg. The celebration of life was observed by family, the Boy Scouts of America, Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, and other retired COs.

CO James Rowley provided a rules/regulations presentation to 60 kids at Hawk Island Park. The program was the Hesse-Earl Youth Fishing Event and there were several volunteers instructing the kids. The kids were given instructions on measuring fish, what catch-and-immediate-release means, reasons why some fish have seasons or dates for possession and catching a fish by the mouth. The kids were also taught about aquatic invasive species (AIS) and why we release fish back into the same body of water they were caught.

COs Mark Reffitt and Jeremy Beavers were checking the Flat River near Belding when they came across an individual fishing near a popular kayaking access. When asked how the fishing was going, the subject stated that he wasn’t going to fish, even though he had two fishing poles and a tackle box with him. CO Reffitt asked if he had a fishing license, and the angler stated that he lost his identification and couldn’t purchase one. CO Beavers asked the angler when his last fishing license purchase was, and the subject stated last year. Upon running a history check, the COs learned that the angler hadn’t purchased a license in several years. The angler was cited for the fishing violation and issued a warning for operating a vehicle with an expired plate.

DISTRICT 9

COs Brad Silorey and Pete Purdy were checking several anglers at a boat access site on the Detroit River. The anglers had just pulled their boat off the water and were packing up to leave when the COs made contact. The anglers stated that they were a few short of a three-man limit for the day with 16 walleye. While CO Silorey began to count their fish, one of the anglers stated that they had five in their cooler from the previous day’s catch in addition to a white bass. CO Silorey pulled out all the fish while CO Purdy checked their licenses and safety equipment aboard the vessel. The anglers were in possession of 21 walleye and a smallmouth bass. COs Silorey and Purdy advised the anglers that their previous days’ catch was required to be processed, canned, smoked, or frozen. The anglers stated that they did not know that, and they had traveled from out-of-town to fish. In addition to their possession limit violation, one of the walleye was under the 15-inch size limit and they were in possession of an undersized and out of season smallmouth bass. The vessel owner stated that he had caught the bass and the undersized walleye and was cited for the two violations. They were given a verbal warning for the over possession violation as the COs could tell that the first day’s fish were not that day’s catch.

Sgt. Danielle Zubek collaborated with the women’s constituent group, American Daughters of Conservation and Proud Lake Recreation Area to host a women’s self-defense class, Women Warriors. COs Sydney Griffor, Lisa Taube, and Sgt. Keven Luther assisted Sgt. Zubek with instructing the program. The event was held on Saturday with 13 participants. The program talked about personal, home and vehicle security, wilderness survival and a survival mindset. The participants learned hands-on techniques to prevent themselves from being victims as well as the practical application of several strikes, kicks, and takedowns. The goal was to empower women in the outdoors and to build their confidence to continue their pursuit of outdoor activities.

CO Nicholas Ingersoll was checking a vessel at Bolles Harbor that finished a day of fishing in Plum Creek. CO Ingersoll spoke with all four anglers who had good success on channel catfish. After counting the anglers catch, it was determined they had 57 channel catfish. The limit is 10 channel catfish per person, and the anglers were 17 channel catfish over-limit. They were cited for being over-limit on channel catfish. The vessel owner was also warned for not having a Type IV PFD on board.

While on Belle Isle, Sgt. Pete Purdy observed a vehicle with a South Carolina (SC) registration and no recreation passport. Sgt. Purdy ran the plate and discovered the plate was registered to another vehicle. Sgt. Purdy located the registered owner fishing along the shoreline with two dogs. The subject had a felony traffic warrant out of Tennessee with no extradition. The subject advised he was homeless, and he and his dogs had been living out of the vehicle. The subject agreed to remove and destroy the false SC plate and call a tow truck to have the vehicle moved to a family member’s house until he could get proper registration on the vehicle. He was issued a citation for not purchasing a recreation passport.

While patrolling Belle Isle, Sgt. Jason Becker observed a driver rolling through a stop sign. Sgt. Becker began to follow the vehicle and before he could initiate a traffic stop, the driver rolled through another stop sign. The vehicle was stopped after being paced at 40 mph in a 25-mph zone. When the driver was contacted, she could not produce a registration or proof of insurance. The driver was issued a citation for failing to stop at a stop sign and warnings were given for the other violations.

CO Nicholas Ingersoll was conducting radar enforcement at Belle Isle Park, when he observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed. CO Ingersoll utilized his LIDAR unit and was able to determine the vehicle was traveling at 57 mph in a 25-mph zone. CO Ingersoll stopped the vehicle and issued him a citation for speeding along with giving several other traffic warnings.