North Dakota Game and Fish Department
North Dakota’s river otter trapping season is closed immediately. The statewide season’s predetermined harvest limit of 20 has been reached.
Only North Dakota residents were eligible to participate, with a season limit of one otter per trapper.
Anglers are encouraged to refer to the North Dakota 2020-22 Fishing Guide or the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website for winter fishing regulations, plus fishing questions and answers.
Some winter fishing regulations include:
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 biological consequences, or conflicts with other proposed tournaments for the same location and/or time.
Fishing tournaments may not occur without first obtaining a valid permit from the department.
North Dakota’s darkhouse spearfishing season opens on most state waters whenever ice-up occurs. Legal fish are northern pike and nongame species.
Individuals who are required to possess a valid fishing license (age 16 and older) to darkhouse spearfish must first register online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov.
Spearers and anglers are reminded that materials used to mark holes must be in possession as soon as a hole greater than 10 inches in diameter is made in the ice.
All waters open to hook and line fishing are open to darkhouse spearing except:
Anglers and spearers should refer to the North Dakota 2020-22 Fishing Guide for more information.
Outdoor enthusiasts are reminded the North Dakota Game and Fish Department fall advisory board meetings will be livestreamed Monday, Nov. 30 and Tuesday, Dec. 1.
Districts 1, 2, 7 and 8, which make up roughly the western half of the state, will have their combined meeting on Monday. Districts 3, 4, 5 and 6 in the eastern part of the state, will follow on Tuesday. Both meetings will start at 7 p.m. Central time and conclude around 9 p.m.
The meetings will begin with department presentations, followed by questions and answers with select staff, including director Terry Steinwand, deputy director Scott Peterson, fisheries chief Greg Power and wildlife chief Jeb Williams.
The public can view the event by visiting the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.
Questions are encouraged to be submitted prior to the scheduled start time by sending an email to ndgflive@nd.gov. Those sent during the live chat are not guaranteed to get answered during the meeting.
North Dakota’s early mountain lion season in Zone 1 closed Sunday, Nov. 22, and the late season, when hunters can pursue lions with dogs, is now open.
During the early season, hunters took two cats from a harvest limit of eight. Under the season structure, a conditional season could open five days after the late season closes for hunters to pursue the additional six mountain lions that were not taken.
The late season in Zone 1 opened Monday, Nov. 23 and is scheduled to run through March 31, 2021, or until the harvest limit is reached. The late season harvest limit is seven total lions or three female lions, whichever comes first.
Hunters are advised to check the status of the late season 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, 2021.
The mountain lion season is open only to North Dakota residents. Hunters need a furbearer or combination license to participate.
North Dakota waterfowl hunters are reminded the statewide duck and white-fronted goose seasons close Dec. 6. However, duck hunting in the high plains unit reopens Dec. 12 and continues through Jan. 3.
In addition, the season for Canada geese closes Dec. 19 in the eastern zone, Dec. 24 in the western zone and Jan. 1 in the Missouri River zone. Light goose hunting closes statewide Jan. 1.
Archery deer, fall turkey, sharp-tailed and ruffed grouse, partridge and pheasant hunting seasons continue through Jan. 3.
The season for tree squirrels closes Feb. 28.
Hunters are reminded that several national wildlife refuges in North Dakota are 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. 23.
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 2020-21 Hunting and Trapping Guide apply.
Hunters, anglers and trappers are reminded to be aware of early ice conditions before traveling onto and across North Dakota waters.
A few reminders include:
And some life-saving safety tips:
Nonprofit organizations eligible to receive big game hunting licenses in 2021, must have the application submitted to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department no later than Jan. 1.
North Dakota state law provides direction for the Game and Fish director to allocate big game hunting licenses to eligible organizations. Under this directive, up to two elk, moose and pronghorn licenses, and 10 white-tailed deer licenses, can be issued to organizations to use for fundraising.
Eligible organizations must be exempt from federal income taxation under section 501(c)(3), and must provide a copy of the letter from the Internal Revenue Service to that effect. In addition, organizations must be active and in good standing with the office of the North Dakota Secretary of State.
Successful lottery applicants must agree to donate at least 10% of the net proceeds of any license fundraiser to a conservation-related project, such as hunting access, conservation education, habitat development or shooting range management.
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s fall mule deer survey indicated another year of good fawn production.
Biologists counted 2,116 mule deer in the aerial survey in October. The ratio of 82 fawns per 100 does was similar to last year, while 36 bucks per 100 does was lower than in 2019.
“Overall, fawn production was good which could lead to population growth depending on the severity of this winter,” said Bruce Stillings, big game management supervisor, Dickinson.
Snowfall and poor ground conditions during most of the survey limited biologists to 18 of the 24 study areas, 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 deer abundance.
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department encourages hunters, anglers and trappers to send questions for the fall advisory board livestream meeting prior to the scheduled start time. Questions should be submitted to ndgflive@nd.gov. Those sent during the live chat are not guaranteed to get answered during the meeting.
Game and Fish announced on Oct. 27 that it will host its fall round of public meetings online this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The meeting for districts 1, 2, 7 and 8 is on Monday, Nov. 30, while districts 3, 4, 5 and 6 will follow on Tuesday, Dec. 1. Both start at 7 p.m. Central Time and conclude around 9 p.m.
The public livestream event is aired on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.
