NORTHERN MICHIGAN – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has released it’s conservation reports through Feb. 17.
DISTRICT 1 – Western UP
CO Pete Shambaugh observed an individual on the Bond Fall Flowage checking his tip-ups farther down the shoreline. CO Shambaugh followed the tracks to where the individual was fishing.
Two individuals were located fishing with tip-ups. CO Shambaugh contacted the anglers and conducted a routine check. Neither angler was able to produce a fishing license. Citations were issued.
…
CO Anna Viau was on her way to Iron River to assist with an incident when she was dispatched to a medical call in Crystal Falls for a newborn baby who was struggling to breathe.
Upon arrival at the residence, CO Viau found the baby to be breathing and crying, but he still seemed to have something stuck in his throat. The mother was able to keep the baby’s mouth and nose clear until EMS arrived. The baby and his parents were transported to the Iron River Aspirus Hospital by an Aspirus MedEvac ambulance.
…
CO Anna Viau assisted with scene security around a house explosion that occurred in Iron River. There was nothing left to the house other than a foundation and a wide-spread debris field.
Unfortunately, the house’s sole occupant had been found deceased in the remnants of the house. Luckily, no other major injuries were reported. The nearby houses had sustained serious damage due to the force of the explosion and the residents had been evacuated for their safety.
The exact cause of the explosion is still under investigation by the Michigan State Police (MSP) and the Iron River Police Department.
DISTRICT 2 – Eastern UP
CO Michael Evink assisted Manistique Public Safety with a structure fire that was contained to an unattached garage. CO Evink provided traffic control due to the high volume of traffic in the area around the fire.
…
COs Michael Evink and Robert Freeborn responded to a single vehicle accident where the driver lost control and drove into the ditch due to slippery road conditions. The COs handled the accident scene due to being the only law enforcement in the county available at that time.
…
CO Andrea Dani assisted the MSP with a call of a barricaded gunman. The troopers were able to contact the suspect via a phone call and he exited the residence without incident.
DISTRICT 3 – Lower Peninsula, north of Gaylord
CO Andrea Albert stopped two snowmobiles for no trail permits while on snowmobile patrol. Both operators also had suspended driver’s licenses, one had an expired registration, and the other failed to transfer the registration into his name.
Tickets were issued and the operators admitted that due to this year’s poor snow conditions, they did not have their snowmobiles squared away with proper licenses and registrations.
…
CO Kyle Cherry responded to a call of an ORV with two occupants that broke through the ice on a lake in Otsego County. Both subjects were on shore when CO Cherry arrived on scene. Both subjects appeared okay and refused any medical treatment.
A salvage company later removed the ORV and gear.
…
CO Alex Bourgeois was on patrol in Alpena County when he heard a very loud snowmobile coming. CO Bourgeois observed a man with no helmet and wearing shorts drive past him going at an extremely high rate of speed on the roadway.
CO Bourgeois was able to catch up to the snowmobile and initiate a traffic stop. During the stop, CO Bourgeois observed more violations such as no trail permit and expired registration.
…
CO Jon Sheppard responded to a “be on the lookout” report of a stolen ambulance from the hospital in Alpena. The pursuit, which was initiated by the MSP, was terminated because of safety concerns.
A short time later, Alcona County Sheriff’s deputies were able to stop the ambulance on a dead-end road. The subject was arrested and lodged pending charges.
DISTRICT 4 – Northwest lower peninsula
CO Amanda Weaver received a complaint through the Report All Poaching (RAP) Hotline of a deer carcass that was dumped off the side of the road with a kill-tag attached to it.
CO Weaver contacted the subject whose license was on the deer and was told he knew nothing about the deer and had given his kill-tag to a neighbor who had permission to hunt his property.
CO Weaver interviewed the neighbor and eventually obtained a confession for shooting the deer without a license and dumping it in the ditch. Charges were authorized through the Benzie County District Court for hunting without a license and using the kill-tag of another.
…
CO Josiah Killingbeck received a complaint through the RAP Hotline regarding a subject burning building materials. CO Killingbeck responded to the location and found that a house was being torn down and building materials, including drywall, were being burned. The subject was issued a citation.
CO Josiah Killingbeck was patrolling Lake County when he observed a snowmobile displaying an expired 2020 registration. CO Killingbeck contacted the operator who said the snowmobile was registered, but he forgot his stickers and registration at home.
The subject showed CO Killingbeck a photo of a valid registration, but CO Killingbeck determined the registration belonged to a different snowmobile. CO Killingbeck was able to determine that the snowmobile had not been registered since 2020. A citation was issued for the violation.
DISTRICT 5 – Eastern Lower Peninsula
CO Jacob Hamilton was conducting an evening patrol of Manistee Lake in Kalkaska County when he contacted a group of five ice anglers near the south end of the lake.
CO Hamilton asked the first angler how many lines he had out, and the angler stated he had three tip-ups. CO Hamilton asked how many lines the angler had in his ice shanty, and he admitted to having a fourth line. CO Hamilton asked the rest of the anglers in the group how many lines they had out; one of the anglers admitted to having five tip-ups out, and another admitted having four tip-ups out. C
The violations were discussed, and citations were issued for fishing with more than three lines.
…
During a late-night patrol in Iosco County, COs Tyler Sabuda and Dan Liestenfeltz observed individuals operating snowmobiles recklessly on a lake while also causing a disturbance around a fire.
Eventually, the group realized that the COs were nearby and started taunting them while out on the lake. Eventually the COs were able to contact one of the snowmobile operators coming off the lake without a helmet.
The subject tried to evade them but luckily the COs knew the area well enough to be able to intercept the snowmobile and stop it. The driver appeared to be intoxicated, so the COs conducted standardized field sobriety tests (SFSTs), which the driver failed. The subject was lodged for operating while intoxicated (OWI).
…
CO Craig Neal was patrolling in Bay County at Pinconning Park when he encountered two anglers coming off the ice. Upon contact, the anglers reported they had speared dogfish and a couple of pike, as well as caught a few perch with hook and line.
As they opened their portable shanty sled, CO Neal noticed a pike that did not appear to be the legal size of 24 inches. CO Neal asked the anglers if they measured the northern pike. They stated that they did not have a tape measure. CO Neal pulled out his tape measure and measured the pike. Everyone agreed that it was only 22 inches.
A citation was issued for possession of an undersized northern pike.
