District 1 counties of service: Baraga, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Marquette, Menominee, Ontonagon.
Conservation Officer (CO) Steve Sajtar was requested to assist a Menominee Police Department (MPD) officer on a traffic stop. The driver was found to be out on bond after a prior arrest for possession of methamphetamine (meth) in Wisconsin. The driver was arrested after approximately four grams of meth was located stashed in the bed of the pickup truck. The penalty for possession of meth in Michigan is up to 10 years imprisonment and/or $15,0000 in fines.
CO Steve Sajtar responded to a structure fire in northern Menominee County. CO Sajtar assisted Spalding Township Fire Department with accounting for and extracting all occupants of the apartment building. The occupants were all examined for injuries and released at the scene by emergency medical services (EMS). No major injuries were sustained. The fire is believed to have started after one of the occupants attempted to thaw frozen water pipes with a heat gun.
CO Steve Sajtar served an arrest warrant on a subject for the illegal taking of a 9-point antlered deer in Menominee County
CO Phil Helminen stopped a vehicle that was speeding on snow covered and icy roads. The vehicle was traveling 92 miles per hour (mph) in a 55-mph zone. When CO Helminen contacted the driver, he stated that he was not paying attention to his speed as he was already having a bad day. The driver was issued a speeding citation.
CO Anna Viau responded to a call of heavy smoke coming from a pellet stove. While the fire department was taking care of the pellet stove, CO Viau helped the elderly homeowner secure her multiple pets to a safe location.
While on routine snowmobile patrol, COs Jackson Kelly, Jeremy Sergey, and John Kamps observed a group of snowmobiles go past them at a trail intersection. A very short time later, one of the individuals returned to explain that a snowmobile from his group had just crashed. A snowmobile had hit a snowbank, turned sideways, and blocked the trail. The next snowmobiler had to swerve and ended up hitting a tree. No injuries were reported but extensive damage was done to the snowmobile. The sled was undriveable and was towed by a local tow company. During this patrol, the COs issued five careless tickets to other groups of snowmobilers that were blowing through the stop sign and road crossing at very high speeds.
District 2 counties of service: Alger, Chippewa, Delta, Mackinac, Luce, Schoolcraft.
While on patrol in Ontonagon County, CO Matthew Bowser observed a snowmobiler, leading a large group, failing to stop at a stop sign and then preceded to stop in the middle of the intersecting trail. CO Bowser contacted the group of snowmobilers and observed that three of the machines did not have registration stickers. Two of the operators stated they forgot to affix the stickers but were carrying them in their saddle bags. The third operator admitted to owning his machine for over a year but hadn’t taken the time to register it. CO Bowser issued a citation to the owner of the unregistered snow machine along with several other warnings.
COs Steve Butzin, Brandon Maki, Mike Evink, and Sergeant (Sgt.) Robert Freeborn attended an event at the Gladstone Public High School with other local law enforcement officers. The event was called “Cops and Conversations” where law enforcement officers had lunch with students from the freshman to senior class. Officers answered questions, and students and officers shared stories. All in all, it was a great success and a great chance to reach out to the community.
CO Alex French responded to two different snowmobile accidents in Luce County where minor injuries occurred.
Sgt. Calvin Smith came across a vehicle that was in a ditch during a snowstorm. Sgt. Smith checked on the occupant of the vehicle to ask about their wellbeing. After confirming that there were no injuries, he notified the local towing service to remove the vehicle.
District 3 counties of service: Alpena, Antrim, Cheboygan, Charlevoix, Emmet, Montmorency, Otsego, Presque Isle.
CO Matt Theunick participated in the event “Operation Life Saver” which focuses on railroad trespassing issues, primarily with snowmobile operators. COs from Districts 3 and 5 patrolled the active railroad track that runs parallel to snowmobile Trail 7. The patrol started in Grayling and moved north to Gaylord and then back south. Many contacts were made and multiple enforcement actions were taken along with some warnings. This patrol is an effort to remind snowmobilers to not ride on active railroad tracks due to the unsafe circumstances it could cause.
CO Jonathon Sheppard responded to a complaint in Presque Isle County regarding a Life360 Alert for crash detection on a snowmobile trail. CO Sheppard responded and patrolled the area on his snowmobile checking for any signs of a crash. No evidence was found. CO Sheppard was then advised from central dispatch that the owner of the phone had dropped it while snowmobiling which set off the crash alert. The owner was uninjured and no crash occurred.
CO Dan Liestenfeltz was in Otsego County when a severe snowstorm came through. As a result, there were several vehicle crashes and slide-offs. CO Liestenfeltz assisted with multiple vehicle slide-offs, conducting traffic control until tow trucks arrived.
CO Dan Liestenfeltz was patrolling Tip Up Town in Houghton Lake when he observed a snowmobile, traveling extremely close to people standing on the ice, at approximately 68 mph. CO Liestenfeltz caught up to the snowmobile and initiated a stop. After speaking with the operator of the snowmobile, CO Liestenfeltz ultimately issued them a ticket for careless operation of a snowmobile.
CO Jon Sklba responded to a trespassing complaint in Presque Isle County. A group of people on ORVs entered onto property of another without permission. One of the subjects had been previously advised to stay off the property. CO Sklba was able to contact all the parties involved and enforcement action was taken.
Sgt. Paul Fox presented as a guest speaker at the Alpena Community College for their wildlife and fisheries management class. Sgt. Fox discussed the role COs have in protecting and managing resources. Sgt. Fox also answered questions and provided information on the hiring and training process for COs, as well as various career opportunities within the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Sgt. Paul Fox attended the annual banquet meeting at the Presque Isle Sportsmen’s Club. Sgt. Fox gave a recap of the 2025 deer season and answered various questions pertaining to natural resources and the DNR.
District 4 counties of service: Benzie, Grand Traverse, Lake, Leelanau, Manistee, Mason, Mecosta, Newaygo, Oceana, Wexford.
CO Zackary Walters was patrolling near the village of Lake Leelanau and observed snowmobile tracks through town. CO Walters followed the tracks north. CO Walters then observed a group of eight snowmobiles operating along the roadway, the majority of which did not have trail permits. CO Walters stopped the group of snowmobiles. Upon further observation, only one machine was registered and had a trail permit. Law enforcement action was taken.
CO Ryan Jager was on patrol when a vehicle fire was dispatched close to his location. CO Jager responded to the fire where he found that deputies and troopers had knocked down the initial blaze with fire extinguishers, but the fire was spreading to the garage. CO Jager used his patrol truck and a tow strap to pull the car away from the garage to prevent additional damage to the garage.
CO Ryan Jager assisted the Newaygo County Emergency Manager by flying with the MSP over the Muskegon River to locate potential ice jams. The flight helped identify potential dangers and prevented the potential flooding of area homes.
District 5 counties of service: Alcona, Arenac, Clare, Crawford, Gladwin, Iosco, Kalkaska, Missaukee, Ogemaw, Osceola, Oscoda, Roscommon.
COs Kevin Bunce and Bill Haskin responded to a single snowmobile personal injury accident on Trail 35. The operator left the designated trail and collided with a tree, resulting in non-life-threatening injuries. Medical assistance was provided by Wexford County EMS while the COs conducted the crash investigation.
While conducting an inspection at a Clare County taxidermist, COs Ryan Weakman and Kevin Bunce located a set of antlers from a white-tail buck with a suspicious tag attached. A follow up investigation revealed the hunter had harvested the deer without a valid license and purchased the tag after the fact. The antlers were seized, and charges will be sought through the Clare County Prosecutor’s Office for taking a deer without a license.
CO Ryan Weakman arrested a male subject on an outstanding warrant stemming from a September 2025 investigation. The subject was believed to be one of three individuals involved in vandalizing the pit toilet at the Crooked Lake boating access site in Clare County. The suspect was lodged in the Clare County Jail. In addition to criminal penalties, the department is seeking restitution for damages to the restroom.
CO Breanna Garrett was patrolling Lake Missaukee when she contacted an angler at his shanty. CO Garrett observed the angler frantically reeling up a line through an open window and noticed two tip-ups and an additional fishing rod already in use. The subject admitted he was aware of the three-line limit but claimed he was setting lines for others who were expected to arrive. A citation was issued for fishing with too many lines.
District 5 COs worked the 76th annual Tip Up Town USA on Houghton Lake in Roscommon County over the last two weekends of January. The first weekend brought extremely cold conditions, while the second weekend saw increased attendance due to improved weather. The COs conducted fishing checks and ensured motor-vehicles and snowmobiles were operating safely on the ice and trail systems.
COs Ben McAteer, Kyle Bader, Casey Pullum, and Matthew Theunick worked in conjunction with the Michigan State Police (MSP), Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, and Lake State Railroad during Operation Lifesaver from Grayling to Gaylord. The operation focused on preventing snowmobile operation on railroad tracks, as Lake State Railroad has requested strict enforcement except at approved crossings. Numerous contacts were made with both education and enforcement actions taken.
CO Joshua Jobin received information regarding a subject possibly exceeding the legal limit of antlerless deer in Ogemaw County. CO Jobin investigated and spoke with the subject who admitted to harvesting multiple antlerless deer. The subject claimed technical issues with the online licensing system allowed him to purchase more licenses than permitted. Appropriate enforcement action was taken.
While patrolling in the village of Roscommon, CO Joshua Jobin observed a vehicle exhibiting suspicious behavior and attempting to avoid contact. A registration check revealed the registered owner had an active warrant out of Crawford County. The vehicle pulled into a private business parking lot and CO Jobin initiated a traffic stop. The driver was arrested and lodged on the warrant.
COs Jimmy Garrett, Jeremy Cantrell, Jacob Hamilton, and Joshua Jobin were patrolling Houghton Lake during Tip Up Town when they observed a pickup truck approaching a group of ice anglers at a high rate of speed and performing donuts near them. COs Cantrell and Jobin contacted the driver and immediately observed signs of intoxication. CO Jobin conducted standardized field sobriety tests and administered a preliminary breath test. The driver was arrested for operating under the influence of liquor and cited for additional violations. The suspect was transported off the ice and lodged in jail with assistance from Sgt. Jonathan Warner and CO Matt Zultak.
District 6 counties of service: Bay, Gratiot, Huron, Isabella, Midland, Montcalm, Saginaw, Sanilac, Tuscola.
While on patrol, CO Jake Daniel came across a camper who he had issued citations and warnings to before. The campers did not have a current camp card posted and had been at the location longer than allowed. A citation was issued for no camp permit, and a warning was issued for not moving.
CO Mike Haas was contacted by a detective with the Saginaw Police Department. The detective informed the CO that he had recently arrested a subject who was involved with multiple breaking and entering cases, meth possession, and multiple arrest warrants. During his interview with the subject and the subject’s girlfriend, the girlfriend made mention of the subject recently shooting a deer. Since deer season had been over for some time, the detective informed CO Haas. Shortly after getting the information, COs Haas and Josh Russell traveled to southern Saginaw County and visited a property where the subject had allegedly shot the deer. The COs located the rifle shot doe, it had been field dressed and a small portion of meat had been taken, and the deer lacked a tag. The COs followed tracks in the snow onto Consumers Energy property from where the deer was located. On the Consumers Energy property, the COs located the subject’s deer stands, bait piles, and trail camera. The COs then visited the subject’s wife at his house, and she told the COs that her husband was in jail and gave them permission to look around the property and garage. The COs located illegal bait piles behind the house and three additional doe carcasses outside the garage. Inside the garage was a freshly shot 8-point buck and three additional buck heads from the 2025 deer season. Only one of the bucks had the subject’s tag attached. COs Haas and Russell visited the subject at the Saginaw County Jail and interviewed him concerning the deer. The subject admitted to harvesting multiple deer in addition to the eight that the COs located but couldn’t recall if he had tagged them all. The subject had purchased four deer tags for the 2025 season and still had three unvalidated tags in his wallet. No deer harvests were reported. Charges are pending with the Saginaw County Prosecutor’s Office involving trespassing, failing to report harvests, baiting, tagging violations, and over-limits of deer.
District 7 counties of service: Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Cass, Kalamazoo, Kent, Muskegon, Ottawa, St Joseph, Van Buren.
COs James Nason, Kyle McQueer, and Jason McCullough conducted a snowmobile patrol on the Kal-Haven Trail from Kalamazoo to South Haven. They then turned their sights north to Allegan and Trail 59 where they linked up with CO Carter Woodwyk. The COs issued just shy of 10 citations for many violations witnessed and gave multiple warnings for many other minor violations.
CO Travis Dragomer investigated a complaint of a hunter who shot a deer and retrieved it from the caller’s property without permission. The suspect disregarded the no trespassing signs and left his gloves along with the gut pile on the caller’s property. CO Dragomer interviewed the suspect. A citation was issued for failing to report a deer harvest and a report requesting a charge for recreational trespass will be submitted to the Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
District 8 counties of service: Branch, Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Jackson, Shiawassee.
CO Zack Smith was checking ice anglers and asked a group for their fishing licenses. One angler showed CO Smith his valid license while the other was trying to find his license on his phone. The subject stated he knew he bought his license, but it did not show up on his phone. CO Smith told the subject that he would go check in his truck to see if he had multiple profiles in the system and then would let him know. CO Smith checked another group as he went to his truck to investigate. While CO Smith was checking, the subject walked to the parking lot and then walked back to the lake. CO Smith noticed that he did not have multiple profiles in the system. However, the subject had just purchased his license while CO Smith was in his truck. CO Smith then contacted subject and notified him that he did not have a license when he was first contacted but noticed that the subject had just purchased his fishing license while back at his truck. A citation was issued for the violation.
CO Nick Thornton conducted a deer processor inspection and noticed a suspicious entry. An individual had brought a deer to the processor on the same day he purchased his deer tags. Further investigation revealed the individual hadn’t harvest reported the deer and harvested an 8-point buck on the day before he purchased his deer tags. During questioning, the individual admitted to the offense and said he didn’t have time to buy tags. Charges are being sought through the prosecutor’s office for taking an antlered deer without a license.
District 9 counties of service: Genesee, Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair.
CO Justin Muehlhauser and Sgt. Keven Luther were patrolling the Holloway Reservoir during the Columbiaville Ice Races. The COs observed a side-by-side climbing a bluff into Zemmer Park and through the woods. The COs made a stop on the vehicle and informed the operator that Zemmer Park was closed to ORV operation. During the stop, CO Muehlhauser noticed an open beer bottle in the cup holder. The bed of the side-by-side also contained two cases of beer and a half bottle of vodka. The COs questioned the operator and were satisfied that he was not intoxicated. The operator was cited for possessing an open intoxicant in an ORV and warned for ORV trespassing within Genesee County Park property.
CO Cody Bourgeois worked from his snowmobile on Lake St. Clair. During his patrol, he patrolled Anchor Bay monitoring vehicle activity on the ice and was making sure the ice races did not get out of hand. He gave several warnings for ORV and snowmobile registrations. While he was talking to a local ice angler, CO Bourgeois observed a vehicle doing donuts around an ice angler’s shanty. CO Bourgeois conducted a stop and wrote him several citations for careless operation and operating within 100 feet of an ice shanty.
District 10 counties of service: Lenawee, Monroe, Washtenaw, Wayne.
CO Dave Schaumburger swore to a six-count warrant from this past spring where an angler was accused of harassing another fishing boat on the Detroit River. The prosecutor’s office authorized four counts of angler harassment, one count of malicious destruction of property less than $200 for running over their fishing gear, and one final count of reckless boating.
CO Dave Schaumburger was patrolling Sumpter Township after a recent snowfall when a snowmobile flew past him. He was able to catch up to the snowmobile after a few miles until it took off at what he thought to be about 80 mph. The snowmobile finally pulled into a driveway when the CO was able to make contact. The operator of the sled said he was doing approximately 70 mph on the roadway. All roads are closed to snowmobiles in Wayne County resulting in the operator being cited for operating on the roadway.
CO Ariel Young was conducting stationary RADAR patrol while patrolling Belle Isle when she stopped a vehicle travelling 43 mph in a 25-mph zone. Upon stopping the vehicle, the driver admitted not watching their speed coming down the road and told CO Young that it was okay if a ticket was issued. A citation was in fact issued for speed
Great Lakes Enforcement Unit (GLEU)
Cpl. Todd Sumbera attended the Thunder Bay International Film Festival and toured the Marine Sanctuary facility. Some contacts were made regarding diving on shipwrecks in the area, and general intel was gathered.
Cpl. Nick Atkin checked multiple anglers in the old Eagle Bay Marina cut. The fishing was slow, but Cpl. Atkin was able to answer numerous questions for the anglers.
Lt. Kevin Postma and Cpl. Cole VanOosten conducted a fisheries patrol on Lake George. The COs contacted a sport angler who was fishing with 7 lines. A citation was issued to the man for fishing with more than three lines.
Cpl. Cole VanOosten had just begun his shift when a call was received about a home explosion in Mackinac County. Cpl. VanOosten was first on scene and assessed the injuries of the three occupants of the home. Cpl. VanOosten provided first aid to a furnace repair technician who had suffered severe burns to his hands, face, and legs. The elderly homeowners suffered only minor injuries. All three individuals were transported to the hospital for evaluation. The cause of the fire was believed to be a propane leak from a portable heater unit.
Cpl. Pat Hartsig checked ice fishermen on the Clinton River at the mouth of Lake St. Clair. Small catches of perch were seen.
Cpl. Pat Hartsig checked pet shops in the metro area (mostly Petco) due to a complaint from Ohio wardens finding red swamp crayfish at some of their local stores. None were found in Michigan.
Cpl. Justin Vanderlinde conducted several bait dealer inspections over the past two weeks, finding that compliance regarding the purchase of the bait dealer license was very low, as the licensing process has changed. One retailer blamed “the DNR,” stating that he had sent in three checks and was still waiting for the license. After a five-minute tutorial with the Fishery FACTS system, each retailer was able to purchase and print off the license. One even commented on how easy the process is.
Cpls. Troy Van Gelderen and Justin Vanderlinde completed several pet shop inspections in the greater Grand Traverse area, as well as several bait dealer inspections. No prohibited species were located, and compliance seemed high.
Cpl. Justin Vanderlinde conducted a commercial fish patrol in his area, finding that the boat launches are iced in from Leland to Cross Village.
Cpl. Troy Van Gelderen participated in an Ice Water Recue Training with the USCG and area fire departments in Oceana County.
Cpl. Mike Hammill followed tracks for several miles out into Bay de Noc until he noticed an ice shack. Cpl. Hammill contacted two young anglers that spent the night on the ice in their shack. The 11 lines that were out had frozen in from the night before, and the angler tried to justify the extra lines by explaining that he wasn’t keeping anything and the fish were being photographed and released for his web page. Cpl. Hammill issued one citation for fishing with too many lines.
Cpl. Tom Peterson patrolled the Keweenaw Bay on foot after the arrival of safe ice. The conditions have produced high numbers of recreational anglers in the area. Cpl. Peterson check dozens of groups over the course of a few hours, noting good catch rates. No violations were encountered during the patrol, except for a few anglers failing to have a license available for inspection but found to have purchased them. Good numbers of whitefish, lake trout, splake, burbot, coho and herring were observed.
Cpl. Tom Peterson conducted an ice fishing patrol on Portage Lake with Conservation Officer Byron Parks. The officers checked multiple groups, while one group was found to be fishing with too many lines. The individual responsible was educated and cited for the violation.
Cpl. Tom Peterson assisted a Houghton County Sheriff’s deputy with a domestic violence incident. The parties involved were adult siblings fighting over snow removal when the male suspect made verbal threats and hit the female victim’s car. After an investigation it was determined that the best course of action was to separate the parties. The victim was advised to start the eviction process if the siblings could not settle their differences peacefully. The suspect was able to find housing at his parents’ residence for the time being until arrangements could be made to move permanently.
Cpl. Tom Peterson was first on scene in the report of an individual with lacerations after being involved in a motor vehicle crash. The driver had left the scene of the accident along with his two passengers and stopped at Krupp’s Resort, claiming they did so to seek help. Cpl. Peterson contacted the individuals at the resort, and upon arrival it was determined that the individual lost control of his Ram 2500 while pulling a gooseneck snowmobile trailer. The driver then fell from the bed of the truck after getting into it to inspect the damage, which caused lacerations to his chin and eyebrow. During the investigation, it was apparent that the driver was under the influence of alcohol and possibly suffering from a head injury. Cpl. Peterson attempted to assess the driver, but the individual was being non-compliant. When asked if he was under the influence of alcohol during the crash, the driver claimed he drank heavily after the crash out of anger. EMS and other first responders arrived on scene to assess the health of the driver, and the responding Ontonagon County Sheriff’s Deputy took over the OUI investigation. Cpl. Tom Peterson then went to the scene of the crash, where the trailer was still partially blocking a section of M-26, and provided lights and traffic control until the scene was clear.
Cpl. Brett DeLonge checked several sport anglers on inland lakes in northern Dickinson County. Fishing was slow, but the ice conditions were excellent as a result of the recent cold snap.
