My first game warden station was in Bottineau. Having spent time there in junior college the uniqueness of the Turtle Mountain’s fish, wildlife and habitat was part of the outdoors
Ordained in Montreal, Father John Malo was sent to Dakota Territory in 1879 to work with the indigenous people. He settled in the area near the Turtle Mountains. Not having a church building, he said mass in settlers’ homes and led open-air Masses. He also constructed a rough chapel, a small log building with a dirt floor and three wooden benches that served as pews. A simple wooden table served as the altar. Father Malo was one of the earliest white settlers in the area that would include the town of St. John.
Jonathan Tofteland, North Dakota Game and Fish Department district game warden in Bottineau, is the state’s 2023 Wildlife Officer of the Year. Tofteland was h