Michigan Department of Natural Resources

ESCANABA – The following reports detail recent activity of Michigan conservation officers throughout the following District 1 and District 2 counties of service: Alger, Baraga, Chippewa, Delta, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Luce, Mackinac, Marquette, Menominee, Ontonagon and Schoolcraft.

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.

Conservation Officer (CO) Alex VanWagner checked a lake in Iron County after dark for fishing activity. CO VanWagner located four tip-ups on the ice that were unattended. About ten minutes later, a vehicle pulled up to the residence that appeared to have the tip-ups set out. Two subjects walked out on the ice to check their tip-ups and were contacted. The subjects admitted they went to town and left the tip-ups out unattended for about an hour. One subject also did not have a fishing license. This subject was issued a citation for fishing without a license. The other was given warnings for no fishing license in possession and no name/address on the tip-ups. Both subjects were also given warnings for the unattended lines.

CO Alex VanWagner and Sgt. Brian Bacon checked on a group of subjects who had become stuck at the intersection of the snowmobile trail and an unplowed road in southern Iron County. The subjects said they had been stuck since the night prior, slept in their vehicle overnight, and were now running low on fuel. There were a couple unsuccessful attempts at being removed by towing companies. The COs assisted the subjects, and the vehicles were successfully removed.

CO Steve Sajtar submitted a report to the Menominee County Prosecutor’s Office requesting charges for a Wisconsin resident who unlawfully shot a 10-point antlered deer during the 2024 deer season. The Menominee County Prosecutor’s Office issued three separate wildlife charges against the suspect, and a misdemeanor arrest warrant was issued.

COs Jeremy Sergey, Jackson Kelly, and Detective Joshua Boudreaux responded to a multi-vehicle pile-up crash on M-28 near Shot Point. Approximately 15 vehicles were involved in the chain reaction accident. Several injuries were reported, including serious injuries to a firefighter working the scene. Officers and EMS/Fire rendered aid before multiple EMS vehicles could remove all the victims.

Following a snowmobile fatal accident the day prior, COs Jeremy Sergey, Jackson Kelly, and Sgt. Mark Leadman worked speed enforcement on snowmobile Trail 417. Two citations were issued for speed, including one individual going 67 miles per hour in a posted 35-mile per hour zone.

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.

While on snowmobile patrol in Chippewa County, COs Matthew Bowser and Steven Sajtar were informed, over radio by other COs in the area, that a large group of snowmobilers had failed to yield at a stop sign along the trail. COs Bowser and Sajtar activated their snowmobile’s emergency lights and stopped the group issuing several citations for carless operation. While the COs were issuing the citations, another group of snowmobilers came up the trail behind them. CO Bowser identified that the lead snowmobile had an expired trail sticker. CO Bowser stopped the additional snowmobile, and the operator was cited for failing to obtain a current trail sticker.

District 2 COs patrolled over 450 miles of snowmobile trails during the annual I-500 snowmobile race held in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. During the three-day patrol, the COs contacted nearly 750 snowmobilers, issued 44 citations, and 95 verbal warnings.

District 3 counties of service: Alpena, Antrim, Cheboygan, Charlevoix, Emmet, Montmorency, Otsego, Presque Isle.

Sgt. Bill Webster, COs Andrea Albert, Adam LeClerc, and Chad Baldwin conducted a snowmobile sound enforcement patrol in Charlevoix County over President’s Day weekend. The COs contacted well over 100 snowmobile operators who were out enjoying the trails on a warm day. While an overwhelming majority of contacts were positive, the COs did issue multiple tickets ranging from snowmobiles that exceeded the legal noise emission level, to careless operation, and improperly displayed registrations. Overall, the patrol was a success and contributed to a safe weekend of riding.

CO Jack Gorno was patrolling on his snowmobile when he contacted an angler on a lake in Cheboygan County who had seven tip-ups and 2 jig poles out. The angler admitted he didn’t have a license and was fishing with his son. Violations included fishing with too many lines and no fishing license. Enforcement action was taken.

CO Jack Gorno is assisting the Cheboygan County Sheriff’s Department with a larceny from a permanent ice shanty on Mullett Lake. The investigation is ongoing.

CO Jack Gorno contacted a pair of anglers fishing with too many lines in Cheboygan County. They each had a jigging pole as well as six tip-ups out. They admitted they were trying to use the extra lines to “locate fish.” Enforcement action was taken.

Acting Sgt. Tom Oberg, COs Tyler Owen, Matt Theunick, and Jack Gorno from District 3 Area 2 assisted in the annual Black Lake Sturgeon spearing season on Black Lake. Many COs from District 3 and District 5 assisted in the event alongside DNR Fisheries Division. The season lasted 48 minutes with the limit of six sturgeon being harvested. Multiple patrols were conducted over the weekend before, during, and after the season. No major incidents were reported during the harvesting of the sturgeon.

CO Tyler Owen worked a busy weekend patrolling the snowmobile trails in the Gaylord area with a focus on safe operation and trail permit and registration compliance. Many contacts were made that resulted in multiple tickets and warnings for careless operation and failing to comply with snowmobile trail permit and registration requirements.

COs Dan Liestenfeltz and Sidney LaLonde were on snowmobile patrol when they encountered a snowmobile with no trail permit or up to date registration during the Black Lake Sturgeon Shivaree. The operator of the snowmobile claimed to have purchased a trail permit the night prior but forgot where he placed it. After checking with LED’s Station 20, there was no record of purchase. Enforcement action was taken.

CO Sidney LaLonde was on snowmobile patrol when she heard an emergency medical services call for an elderly person who fell in their driveway and could not get up. CO LaLonde knew the other ambulance was on another 911 call, so she responded to assist. CO LaLonde contacted the patient and confirmed she was not injured. The Onaway Fire Department assisted at the scene to lift the patient and get her back into her residence. After getting the patient into her residence, CO LaLonde shoveled a pathway for the patient and threw some salt out on her driveway.

CO Jon Sklba followed up on information about a litter case in Presque Isle County. The accused party provided the name of another subject who wanted to claim responsibility. CO Sklba was able to contact that subject who wanted to claim responsibility, but she was unable to provide any details and ultimately admitted to lying to take the blame. The subject was trying to protect the originally accused party because she posted their bond when they were arrested for possession of 56 grams of cocaine. She didn’t want a litter case to put her bond money at risk.

CO Evan White observed an individual on Tomahawk Flooding that appeared to be fishing with too many lines while CO White was fishing off duty. CO White confirmed that the individual did have an over-limit of lines and called CO Dan Liestenfeltz who was patrolling the nearby area. CO Liestenfeltz observed the individual for a while and then made contact. While talking with the individual, the angler admitted to fishing with too many lines. Enforcement actions were taken.