District 15 - Marshall area

CO Matt Loftness (Marshall) spent the week working fishing, small game, archery deer, and waterfowl enforcement. Pheasant hunters continue to struggle with still a lot of standing soybeans and corn. The duck population continues to be low in the area. Assistance was given to the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies with a search for an armed robbery suspect in a cornfield.

CO Craig Miska (Ortonville) monitored pheasant and waterfowl hunting activity throughout the week. Bird harvest has been varied between hunting groups. An archery hunter received a summons for harvesting an antlerless deer in a youth only area. Remember, it is the responsibility of the individual hunter to know where antlerless deer can be harvested.

CO Neil Henriksen (Benson) reports enforcement time was sent checking fishermen, hunters and ATV operators. The waterfowl / pheasant hunting remained slow this past week. A youth firearm safety class was attended in Benson.

CO Gary Nordseth (Worthington) spent the week checking duck and pheasant hunters. Another week of cool wet weather continues to postpone the harvest, making it challenging to consistently find pheasants. The walleye bite on area lakes has picked up over the last 10 days with several nice fish observed on the stringer.

CO Jim Robinson (Slayton) reports that pheasant and duck success is still marginal at best. Enforcement action was taken for shoot from motor vehicle, trespass, transport loaded firearm, toxic shot, no blaze orange and license/stamp/registration violations.

CO Doug Lage (Marshall) assisted South Dakota Game & Fish officers with an illegally taken deer case. He assisted the Marshall Police Department with the search for an armed robbery suspect who fled into a cornfield. The suspect was apprehended. Enforcement action was taken on illegal transport of small game and loaded firearms in a motor vehicle.

CO Ed Picht (Montevideo) reports that there are only 2250 geese on the LQP Refuge. The geese are staged in Canada and will likely remain there until they get some snow up there. Pheasant and duck hunters remain to have only fair success. The walleye anglers are having the greatest success.