Organizers planning fishing tournaments, including ice fishing contests this winter, are reminded to submit an application along with fishing tournament regulations to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department at least 30 days prior to the start of the event.
The 30-day advance notice allows for review by agency staff to ensure the proposed tournament will not have negative consequences or conflicts with other proposed tournaments for the same location and/or time.
Tournaments may not occur without first obtaining a valid permit from the department.
In addition, the number of open-water tournaments on lakes Sakakawea and Oahe, the Missouri River and Devils Lake are capped each year, depending on the time of the year and location.
Hunter Education Classes
Most hunter education courses have wrapped up for 2016.
However, individuals or parents with children who will need to take a course in 2017 should monitor the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov, as classes that begin in January will be added to the Buy and Apply link as soon as times and locations are finalized.
After accessing the Buy and Apply link, click on the hunter ed enrollment link and “list of hunter education courses.” Classes are listed by city, and can also be sorted by start date. To register for a class, click on “enroll” next to the specific class, and follow the simple instructions. Personal information is required.
Individuals interested in receiving a notice by email when each hunter education class is added can click on the “subscribe to news and alerts” link found below the news section on the Game and Fish home page. Check the box labeled “hunter education” under the education program updates.
In addition, SMS text notifications of new classes can be sent directly to a cell phone. Simply text “NDGF HunterClass” to 468311 to subscribe to this feature.
State law requires anyone born after December 31, 1961 to pass a certified hunter education course to hunt in the state. Hunter education is mandatory for youth who are turning 12 years old, and children can take the class at age 11.
Mountain Lion Zone 1 Early Season Ends, Late Season Opens
North Dakota’s early mountain lion season in Zone 1 closed Sunday, Nov. 20, and the late season, when hunters can pursue lions with dogs, is now open.
During the early season, hunters took three cats from a harvest limit of eight. Under a new season structure this year, a conditional season could open five days after the late season closes, for hunters to pursue the additional five mountain lions that were not taken.
The late season in Zone 1 opened Monday, Nov. 21 and is scheduled to run through March 31, 2017, or until the harvest limit is reached. The late season harvest limit is seven total lions or three female lions, whichever comes first.
The late season harvest limit in Zone 1 filled early last year, so hunters are advised to check for updates by visiting the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov.
Zone 1 includes land in western North Dakota south of ND Highway 1804 from the Montana border to the point where ND Highway 1804 lies directly across Lake Sakakawea from ND Highway 8, crossing Lake Sakakawea then south along ND Highway 8 to ND Highway 200, then west on ND Highway 200 to U.S. Highway 85, then south on U.S. Highway 85 to the South Dakota border.
The mountain lion season in Zone 2, which is the rest of the state outside Zone 1, has no harvest limit and is open through March 31, 2017.
The mountain lion season is open only to North Dakota residents. Hunters need a furbearer or combination license to participate.
Advisory Board Meetings Announced
Outdoor enthusiasts are invited to attend a North Dakota Game and Fish Department fall advisory board meeting in their area.
These public meetings, held each spring and fall, provide citizens with an opportunity to discuss fish and wildlife issues and ask questions of their district advisors and agency personnel.
The governor appoints eight Game and Fish Department advisors, each representing a multi-county section of the state, to serve as a liaison between the department and public.
Any person who requires an auxiliary aid or service must notify the contact person at least five days prior to the scheduled meeting date.
District 2 – Counties: Bottineau, Burke, McHenry, Mountrail, Pierce, Renville and Ward
Date: Nov. 28 – 7 p.m.
Location: Berthold Sportsmen Club, 210 Main St., Berthold
Host: Berthold Sportsmen Club
Contact: Joe Lautenschlager, 721-1882
Advisory board member: Robert Gjellstad, Voltaire, 338-2281
District 5 – Counties: Cass, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele and Traill
Date: Nov. 28 – 7 p.m.
Location: American Legion (south of Lake Elsie), Hankinson
Host: Hankinson American Legion
Contact: Terry Puetz, 640-3294
Advisory board member: Duane Hanson, West Fargo, 367-4249
District 6 – Counties: Barnes, Dickey, Foster, Griggs, Logan, LaMoure, McIntosh, Stutsman and Wells
Date: Nov. 29 – 7 p.m.
Location: The Bunker, 1520 3rd St. SE, Jamestown
Host: United Sportsmen
Contact: Larry Kukla, 320-4182
Advisory board member: Joel Christoferson, Litchville, 973-4981
District 7 – Counties: Burleigh, Emmons, Grant, Kidder, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan and Sioux
Date: Nov. 29 – 7 p.m.
Location: North Dakota Game and Fish Department, Bismarck
Host: North Dakota Natural Resources Trust
Contact: Keith Trego, 220-0978
Advisory board member: Dave Nehring, Bismarck, 214-3184
District 1 – Counties: Divide, McKenzie and Williams
Date: Dec. 5 – 7 p.m.
Location: Rough Rider Center, 2209 Wolves Den Parkway, Watford City
Host: Mule Deer Foundation
Advisory board member: Jason Leiseth, Arnegard, 586-3714
District 8 – Counties: Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Hettinger, Slope and Stark
District 3 – Counties: Benson, Cavalier, Eddy, Ramsey, Rolette and Towner
Date: Dec. 6 – 7 p.m.
Location: Armory, Cando
Host: Cando Gun Club
Advisory board member: Tom Rost, Devils Lake, 350-1424
District 4 – Counties: Grand Forks, Nelson, Pembina and Walsh
Date: Dec. 6 – 7 p.m.
Location: American Legion Club, 208 N. Main St., Fordville
Host: Dakota Prairie Wildlife Club
Contact: Lynn Baier, 331-1074
Advisory board member: Joe Solseng, 317-5009
Some Refuges Open to Late-Season Upland Game
Hunters are reminded that several North Dakota national wildlife refuges open to late-season upland game bird hunting the day after the deer gun season closes.
Arrowwood, Audubon, Des Lacs, J. Clark Salyer, Lake Alice, Lake Zahl, Long Lake, Lostwood, Tewaukon (pheasants only), and Upper Souris NWRs open Nov. 21.
However, portions of each refuge are closed to hunting. Hunters should contact refuge headquarters for information on closed areas and other restrictions: Arrowwood 701-285-3341; Audubon 701-442-5474; Des Lacs 701-385-4046; J. Clark Salyer 701-768-2548; Lake Alice 701-662-8611; Lake Zahl 701-965-6488; Long Lake 701-387-4397; Lostwood 701-848-2722; Tewaukon 701-724-3598; and Upper Souris 701-468-5467; or visit www.fws.gov and click on “National Wildlife Refuges” for details on each individual refuge.
National wildlife refuges are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Hunters are reminded that use of nontoxic shot is required on all USFWS lands. State regulations found in the North Dakota 2016-17 Small Game Guide apply. Seasons for pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse, Hungarian partridge and ruffed grouse close statewide on Jan. 8, 2017.
Salmon Spawn Completed
Fisheries crews have completed their annual salmon spawning operation on the Missouri River System after collecting roughly 2 million eggs.
Dave Fryda, North Dakota Game and Fish Department Missouri River System supervisor, said the salmon spawning season was extremely productive and crews easily collected enough eggs to stock the 400,000 smolts planned for Lake Sakakawea in 2017.
“The majority of eggs were collected from Lake Sakakawea, but the Missouri River below Garrison Dam also contributed,” Fryda said. “In addition to meeting North Dakota’s own egg goals, additional surplus eggs were provided to South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks to help with their Lake Oahe salmon program.”
Fryda said the average size of Lake Sakakawea female salmon was 7.6 pounds, about 3 pounds smaller than 2015. “The average size was smaller than the record we saw in 2015, but the overall number of salmon in the spawning run was exceptional,” he added. “Montana also had a very strong spawning run and a good egg take, but South Dakota had challenges collecting eggs this year.”
Fryda said the abundance of young male salmon, also called jacks, was again high in 2016. “Jacks are 1-year-old male salmon that become sexually mature, and typically a high abundance of these young males will forecast a good run over the next couple years,” he said.
Chinook salmon begin their spawning run in October. Since salmon cannot naturally reproduce in North Dakota, Game and Fish Department and Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery personnel collect eggs and transport them to the hatchery.
Once the eggs hatch, young salmon spend several months in the hatchery before being stocked in Lake Sakakawea.
Permit Required to Possess Dead Deer
North Dakota Game and Fish Department enforcement personnel are issuing a reminder that a permit is required before taking possession of a dead deer, or any part of a dead deer such as a skull and antlers, found near a road or in a field. Only shed antlers can be possessed without a permit.
Permits to possess are free and available from game wardens and local law enforcement offices.
In addition, hunters are reminded to properly dispose of dead deer. Harvested deer cannot be left on the side of a roadway or in a ditch, and deer parts cannot be discarded in commercial dumpsters.
Fall Mule Deer Survey Completed
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s fall mule deer survey indicates that mule deer had another good year of fawn production.
Biologists counted 3,003 (2,157 in 2015) mule deer in the annual aerial survey in October. The buck-to-doe ratio of 0.48 (0.42 in 2015) is higher than the long-term average of 0.43 bucks per doe, while the fawn-to-doe ratio of 0.90 (0.84 in 2015) is the same as the long-term average.
Big game management supervisor Bruce Stillings said the mule deer population continues to recover nicely following the devastating winters of 2008-10, with its third consecutive year of fawn production near or above the long-term average.
“This year’s good fawn production has the potential to result in a nice population increase next spring, depending on the severity of the winter,” Stillings said.
The fall aerial survey, conducted specifically to study demographics, covers 24 study areas and 306.3 square miles in western North Dakota. Biologists also survey the same study areas in the spring of each year to determine population abundance.
CWD Surveillance Continues
The State Game and Fish Department will continue its Hunter-Harvested Surveillance program during the 2016 hunting season, by sampling deer for chronic wasting disease and bovine tuberculosis from 13 units in North Dakota. In addition, all moose and elk harvested in the state are eligible for testing.
Samples from hunter-harvested deer taken in the eastern portion of the state will be tested from units 1, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F1, 2F2, 2G, 2G1, 2G2 and 2L. In addition, deer will be tested from unit 3F2 in the southwest.
Every head sampled must have either the deer tag attached, or a new tag can be filled out with the license number, deer hunting unit and date harvested.
Hunters are encouraged to drop off deer heads at the following locations:
Aneta – Aneta Meats Service
Bismarck – Game and Fish Department, Call of the Wild Taxidermy
Bottineau – Mattern Family Meats
Cando – K&E Meats
Carrington – Barton Meats
Casselton – Casselton Cold Storage
Devils Lake – Game and Fish Department
Dickinson – Game and Fish Department
Dunseith – Wayne’s Food Pride
Edgeley – Cenex
Enderlin – Maple Valley Lockers
Fargo – J&K Taxidermy, Jer’s Wildlife Taxidermy
Fordville – Dakota Prairie Wildlife Club
Grand Forks – Bob’s Oil, Ted’s Taxidermy
Great Bend – Manock Meats
Gwinner – Stoppleworth Taxidermy
Jamestown – Game and Fish Department
LaMoure – LaMoure Lockers
Langdon – Hickory Hut
Larimore – Glenn’s EZ Stop
Milnor – Milnor Locker
New Rockford – Bison Lodge
Oakes – Butcher Block
Park River – Jim’s Super Value Inc.
Reynolds – Weber’s Meats
Rolette – The Meat Shack
Sheyenne – Brenno Meats, Wild Things Taxidermy
Valley City – Valley Meat Supply
Wahpeton – J&R Taxidermy, Auto Value
Walhalla – Walhalla Co-op
Drop off locations for deer taken from unit 3F2:
Bismarck – West Dakota Meats
Carson – Hertz Hardware
Elgin – Gunny’s Bait and Tackle, Melvin’s Taxidermy
Glen Ullin – Kuntz’s Butcher Shop
Hettinger – Dakota Packing
Mandan – Butcher Block Meats
New Leipzig – Hertz Hardware
Moose and elk heads should be taken to a Game and Fish office.
CWD affects the nervous system of members of the deer family and is always fatal. Scientists have found no evidence that CWD can be transmitted naturally to humans or livestock.
Donate Deer to Sportsmen Against Hunger
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is reminding deer hunters to keep in mind the Sportsmen Against Hunger program this fall.
While this year’s deer proclamation allows only one deer gun license per hunter, families with more than one license might want to consider donating a deer to this worthy cause. In addition, hunters with an archery and muzzleloader license can help as well.
Sportsmen Against Hunger is a charitable program that raises money for processing of donated goose and deer meat, and coordinates distribution of donated meat to food pantries in North Dakota. It is administered by NDCAP, a nonprofit agency that serves low-income families across the state.
Deer Season Questions and Answers
Every year the North Dakota Game and Fish Department receives questions from deer hunters who want to clarify rules and regulations. Some common questions are listed below. Hunters with further questions are encouraged to call the Game and Fish Department at 701-328-6300, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. weekdays, or access the hunting and trapping link at the department’s website, gf.nd.gov.
What licenses do I need for deer gun season? A fishing, hunting, and furbearer certificate, the general game and habitat stamp or a combination license, and the deer license. Gratis license holders need only the gratis license.
Can I use my gratis license to take a mule deer doe? Only if your license is valid in a unit other than 4A, 4B and 4C.
I shot a deer in Unit 3F2. What field dressing restrictions must I follow? Hunters cannot transport a carcass containing the head and spinal column outside of the unit unless it’s taken to a state-inspected meat processor within five days of the harvest date. In addition, the head can be removed from the carcass and taken to a licensed taxidermist or provided to Game and Fish for CWD testing.
I received a lottery license, and I own land in another unit. Can I hunt on my land in the other unit with my lottery license? Only if the unit in which your land is located adjoins the unit in which you have the lottery license.
I can’t find my deer license. What should I do? You must obtain an application for a duplicate license from the Game and Fish Department – by calling 701-328-6300 or printing it off the website at gf.nd.gov – or from a county auditor. Fill out the form, have it notarized and return it to the Department along with a fee. You may not hunt without the deer license in your possession.
Can hunters age 14 or 15 (and qualifying 13 year olds) with a youth season license who did not harvest a deer during the youth season hunt the regular deer gun season with this license? Yes, but you are subject to the restrictions listed on the license.
I was unsuccessful in filling my mule deer buck license in a restricted unit during the youth season. Can I hunt the remainder of the state during the regular gun season? No. You are restricted to the same unit as during the youth season.
I shot a deer, but it is rotten. What can I do? You must take possession of the animal by tagging it. A license only allows you the opportunity to hunt. It is not a guarantee to harvest a deer, or to the quality of the animal.
What should I do if I find a wounded deer? Contact a game warden. Do not shoot the deer unless you want to tag it, or are instructed by the warden to do so.
Is camouflage blaze orange acceptable for the deer gun season? No. You must wear both a hat and outer garment above the waistline totaling at least 400 square inches of solid daylight fluorescent orange.
I hunt with a bow. When do I have to wear orange? During the regular deer gun season you must wear orange. During the muzzleloader season, however, bowhunters do not need to wear orange.
Can I hunt road rights-of-way? Do not hunt on road rights-of-way unless you are certain they are open to public use. Most road rights-of-way are under control of the adjacent landowner and are closed to hunting when the adjacent land is posted closed to hunting.
Can I hunt on a section line if it is posted on both sides? No. If the land is posted on both sides, the section line is closed to hunting, but is still open for travel.
Can I retrieve a wounded deer from posted land? If the deer was shot on land where you had a legal right to be and it ran on posted land, you may retrieve it. However, you may not take a firearm or bow with you. The Department suggests contacting the landowner as a courtesy prior to entering.
What if the landowner says I cannot retrieve a deer from posted land that was shot on land where I had a right to be? Contact a game warden.
Can I drive off a trail on private land to retrieve a deer? Unless prohibited by a landowner or operator, you may drive off-trail on private land once a deer has been killed and properly tagged. You must proceed to the carcass by the shortest accessible route, and return to the road or trail by the same route. However, off-trail driving is prohibited in all circumstances on state wildlife management areas, U.S. Bureau of Land Management lands, national wildlife refuges, national grasslands, federal waterfowl production areas and state school land.
Can I transport someone else's deer? Yes, but you will need a transportation permit from a game warden. The license holder, person transporting the animal, and the carcass must be presented to the game warden before the permit is issued.
What if I am going to take my deer head to a taxidermist and meat to a butcher shop? How do I keep the tag with it all? The tag should remain with the head and the carcass tag should remain with the meat.
May I carry a pistol when I am hunting with a deer rifle? Yes, but the handgun must meet minimum requirements listed in the deer hunting regulations to be legal for taking deer.
Can I use a bow to fill my regular deer gun license? Yes. You may use any legal firearm or bow during the regular deer gun season.
Can I carry both bow and gun afield during deer gun season if I have both licenses? Yes, but only if you are going to fill your gun license. No firearms, except handguns, may be in the hunter’s possession while hunting with a deer bow license. However, handguns may not be used in any manner to assist in the harvest of a deer with an archery license.
What licenses do I need to hunt on an Indian reservation? If you will be hunting within the reservation and hunting exclusively on Indian lands, only a reservation license is required and tribal regulations apply. If you will be hunting on land owned in fee-title by a non-Indian within the reservation, a state license is required and all state laws, licenses and regulations apply.
Report Feral Pig Sightings
While it is uncommon to come across feral pigs in North Dakota, it can happen. The State Game and Fish Department reminds landowners and hunters who might come across feral pigs this fall, that shooting them is illegal, unless a person is protecting property or livestock.
Casey Anderson, assistant chief of wildlife for Game and Fish, said feral swine have been documented a number of times since 2007. “It is possible for a hunter to come across one, and it is important to know you can’t shoot them,” Anderson said. “Instead, the State Board of Animal Health must be contacted immediately.”
A landowner may eliminate wild pigs on his or her land if they pose an immediate threat, but must contact the BOAH within 24 hours. The landowner must follow any instructions given by the board regarding the handling, preservation and disposal of the carcass.
Anyone who observes or suspects the presence of feral pigs should call the BOAH at 701-328-2655, Game and Fish Department at 701-328-6300, or USDA Wildlife Services at 701-250-4405.
North Dakota Game and Fish Department