While contest guidelines for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Watchable Wildlife Photo Contest have change little from previous years, photographers are reminded to follow the guidelines for submitting their work.
Photographers who want to submit photos to the contest should go the Game and Fish Department’s website at gf.nd.gov/photo-contest. Then it is a matter of providing some pertinent information about the photo and uploading it.
Doing so helps both with ease of submitting photos for the photographer and managing those images for Game and Fish staff.
The contest is now open and the deadline for submitting photos is Oct. 2. For more information or questions, contact conservation biologist Patrick Isakson at pisakson@nd.gov.
The contest has categories for nongame and game species, as well as plants/insects. An overall winning photograph will be chosen, with the number of place winners in each category determined by the number of qualified entries.
Contestants are limited to no more than five entries. Photos must have been taken in North Dakota.
By submitting an entry, photographers grant permission to Game and Fish to publish winning photographs in North Dakota OUTDOORS, and on the Department’s website.
Practice Patience at Boat Ramps
Boaters are reminded to exercise patience, practice physical distancing and plan accordingly when heading to a lake or river this summer.
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department receives a number of complaints every year about overly aggressive behavior at boat ramps. A few simple reminders will help ensure a fluent transition when launching and loading a boat.
Launching
Don't pull onto the ramp until your boat is ready to launch.
Prepare for launching in the parking area. Remove covers, load equipment, remove tie downs, attach lines and put in drain plug, before backing onto the ramp.
When ready, pull into line to launch. Wait your turn. Be courteous.
Loading
Don't block the loading area with your boat until your tow vehicle is ready to load. Wait until you are clear of the launch area to unload gear.
As soon as your trailer is in the water, load and secure your boat to the trailer.
Remove boat and trailer from the water as quickly as possible.
Get clear of the ramp. Pull into the parking area to finish securing your boat, unloading gear, draining all water and inspecting for and removing any vegetation. Remember to leave plugs out when transporting boat.
Spring Breeding Duck Numbers
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department completed its 73rd annual spring breeding duck survey in May despite the COVID-19 pandemic, and results showed an index of nearly 4 million birds, up 18% from last year.
Migratory game bird supervisor Mike Szymanski said despite most waterfowl surveys in North America being canceled this spring, Game and Fish was able to make adjustments to continue this long-term data set.
“Crews were turned into single person crews to make sure there was only one person in a vehicle, and we changed some of the route assignments to accommodate increased driving distances and workloads, but still maintained overlap with our fall wetland survey routes,” Szymanski said. “It was definitely quite a bit more work, and we are grateful that our crew members were up for the challenge.”
This spring’s wetland index was the sixth highest on record and the breeding duck index was the 13th highest, both are highs since 2014.
For the second year in a row the number of temporary and seasonal wetlands was substantially higher than the previous year, as figures show the spring water index is up 65% from last year. The water index is based on basins with water, and does not necessarily represent the amount of water contained in wetlands or the type of wetlands represented.
“Not surprisingly, we found really good wetland conditions during this year’s survey,” Szymanski said. “We had an unusually large amount of rain last fall, but have really been drying up since, especially in the western half of the state. The eastern half of North Dakota is still incredibly wet, and wetland numbers in the western half of the state are still in pretty good shape despite some drying.”
The breeding population survey results indicate numbers for all primary species, except redheads (down 12%), were stable to up from 2019 estimates. Ruddy ducks were up 87%, green-winged teal were at a record high and up 66% and blue-winged teal were up 58%. Mallards were unchanged. All other ducks ranged from down 2% (pintails) to up 40% (scaup) from last year’s numbers. All species, except pintails, which were down slightly, were well-above the 72-year average.
“Conditions that we have seen since 1994 seem to be the new normal with more precipitation and higher duck numbers,” Szymanski said. “This year’s ranking of our breeding population is a pretty good sign as our 13 highest duck counts are all within the last 26 years. When you start getting around the 4 million range, you are talking about very, very good duck numbers. So it is good to see us getting back to the middle of the road for the new normal.”
The July brood survey provides a better idea of duck production and insight into expectations for fall, Szymanski said, though hunting success is also influenced by bird movements before and during hunting seasons, and weather patterns during the fall migration.
Boat North Dakota Course
North Dakota state law requires youth ages 12-15 who want to operate a boat or personal watercraft by themselves with at least a 10 horsepower motor must first pass the state’s boating basics course.
Two commercial providers offer the course online, and links to those sites are found on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website at gf.nd.gov. The online provider charges a fee for the course.
Upon completion of the online test, students can print a temporary certification card, and within 30 days a permanent card will be mailed.
The course covers legal requirements, navigation rules, getting underway, accidents and special topics, such as weather, rules of the road, laws, life saving and first aid.
All boaters are encouraged to take the course. Some insurance companies give adult boat owners who pass the course a discount on boat insurance.
For more information contact Game and Fish at ndgf@nd.gov; or 701-328-6300.
Leave Baby Animals Alone, Watch for Deer
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department offers a simple message to well-intentioned humans who want to pick up and rescue what appear to be orphaned baby animals this time of year: Don’t touch them. Whether it is a young fawn, duckling, cottontail rabbit or a songbird, it is better to leave them alone.
More often than not, young animals are not abandoned or deserted, and the mother is probably nearby. Young wildlife are purposely secluded by their mothers to protect them from predators.
Anytime a young wild animal has human contact its chance for survival decreases significantly. It’s illegal to take wild animals home, and captive animals later returned to the wild will struggle to survive because they do not possess learned survival skills.
The only time a baby animal should be picked up is if it is in an unnatural situation, such as a young songbird found on a doorstep. In that case, the young bird could be moved to the closest suitable habitat.
Citizens should also steer clear of adult wildlife, such as deer or moose that might wander into urban areas. Crowding stresses animals and this can lead to a potentially dangerous situation.
In addition, motorists are reminded to watch for deer along roadways. During the next several weeks young animals are dispersing from their home ranges, and with deer more active during this time, the potential for car‑deer collisions increases.
2019 Upland Game Seasons Summarized
After two years of lower upland game populations, fewer hunters pursued these game birds last fall. With that said, North Dakota's 2019 pheasant and sharp-tailed grouse harvests were down from 2018, while the number of Hungarian partridge taken last year was similar to the year before, according to statistics compiled by the state Game and Fish Department.
Upland game management supervisor Jesse Kolar said the overall harvest was down despite slight increases in most population survey estimates.
“This was likely due to continued declines in hunter numbers and hunter days afield following lower population trends,” Kolar added. “We also still have lower densities of upland game birds in areas that traditionally had much of the harvest – pheasant numbers were still low in the southwest and sharptail numbers remained low in the badlands.”
Nearly 50,000 pheasant hunters harvested 256,800 roosters (down 25%) in 2019, compared to 59,400 hunters and 342,600 roosters in 2018.
Counties with the highest percentage of pheasants taken were Hettinger, Divide, Bowman, Williams and McLean.
In 2019, 14,000 hunters harvested 34,300 sharp-tailed grouse (down 34%), compared to 15,200 hunters and 51,800 birds in 2018.
Counties with the highest percentage of sharptails taken were Mountrail, Burleigh, Ward, Stutsman and McKenzie.
Last year, 11,900 hunters harvested 32,600 Hungarian partridge (up 5%). In 2018, nearly 12,500 hunters harvested 31,200 Huns.
Counties with the highest percentage of Huns taken were Mountrail, Ward, McLean, Williams and Divide.
Public Reminded of Administrative Rules Hearing
In order to maintain social distancing guidelines due to COVID-19, those planning to attend the public hearing to address proposed rule changes to North Dakota Administrative Code Title 30 are asked to contact the North Dakota Game and Fish Department at 701-328-6300 prior to 5 p.m., Tuesday, June 16 so that we may plan for the number of attendees.
The hearing is scheduled for 1:15 p.m., Thursday, June 18 at the agency’s main office in Bismarck. The Department will follow the public hearing format and will not respond to comments or address questions at the hearing. The comments received at the hearing will be considered with any other written comments received. Game and Fish will present consideration of all comments in writing at a later date. A copy of the written response will be available upon request.
The purpose and explanation of the proposed rule changes, along with the proposed rule language, may be reviewed on the Department’s website at gf.nd.gov. In addition, a copy of the proposed rules may be requested by calling 701-328-6305, or emailing ndgf@nd.gov. Written or oral comments on the proposed rules must be received by the Department by June 28, 2020 for consideration. Comments may be submitted by postal mail or email.
Game and Fish to Open Offices June 8 by Appointment Only
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will open offices June 8 to public access by appointment only, and under the low risk phase guidelines established by North Dakota Smart Restart. State facility occupancy must remain below 50%, therefore most Game and Fish staff will continue to work remotely.
COVID-19 wellness screening will be required upon entering the building, and wearing a mask or cloth face covering is encouraged. Physical distancing must be followed. Personal appointments will only be available for those who can’t receive help by phone or online.
North Dakota boaters who are traveling to or through other states or Canadian provinces, are reminded to check the aquatic nuisance species regulations of their destination, to make sure they are in compliance.
Mandatory boat inspections may be required along highways or at lakes based on destination or route taken. In general, to ensure compliance, boaters are encouraged to clean, drain and dry equipment.
Clean: remove plants, animals and excessive mud from trailers, hulls, motors and other equipment such as fishing rods.
Drain: drain all water, including bilges, livewells and bait buckets.
Dry: allow all equipment to dry completely, as an inspection might be failed in a neighboring state if any standing water is present. If necessary, use sponges or towels to remove excess water and leave compartments open to dry.
More information on bordering state and provincial ANS regulations is available at the following web addresses.
Anglers May Not Bring Live Aquatic Bait into North Dakota
Anglers are reminded that it is illegal to import minnows and other forms of live aquatic bait into North Dakota.
Anglers should buy bait from a licensed North Dakota retail bait vendor. Bait vendors can properly identify species and have taken steps to ensure all bait is clean of any aquatic nuisance species.
For more information, refer to the 2020-22 North Dakota Fishing Guide, available at license vendors or online at the state Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov.
Public Asked for Help to Prevent Rabbit Disease
North Dakota animal health officials are asking for help in preventing an exotic rabbit disease from entering the state.
Since March, rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus, or RHDV, has been killing wild, domestic and feral rabbits in southwestern U.S. The disease is extremely contagious among rabbits and highly deadly. It does not infect humans or other animals and is unrelated to COVID-19.
There is currently no treatment or licensed vaccine in the U.S. The virus is extremely hardy and can be spread directly between rabbits, by insect bites, or contaminated equipment, feed, meat or fur.
RHDV has not yet been found in North Dakota, according to Dr. Beth Carlson, deputy state veterinarian with the North Dakota Department of Agriculture’s Animal Health Division.
“Our focus right now is to reduce the chance of RHDV entering the state,” she said. “We also want to make sure we detect any potential outbreaks quickly, so they can be contained.”
Rabbit owners are reminded that a health certificate is required for all rabbits imported into the state. Extreme caution should be used if purchasing or transporting rabbits or rabbit products from outside North Dakota. Owners are strongly encouraged to consult with their veterinarian to ensure adequate precautions are taken and any unusual mortalities are investigated.
According to Dr. Charlie Bahnson, wildlife veterinarian with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, there is also concern for wild rabbits since RHDV has been attributed to die-offs in some areas of the Southwest.
“We are fortunate in North Dakota that none of our cottontail or jackrabbit species have the legal status of threatened or endangered, but RHDV could still cause major impacts to the food chain,” he said. “Maybe even more importantly, if RHDV becomes established in our wildlife, it will be extremely difficult to prevent in domestic rabbits.”
Anyone finding three or more dead, adult wild rabbits is asked to contact Game and Fish at 701-328-6300, or email ndgf@nd.gov. Because rabbits can die of other diseases of concern to humans, carcasses should not be handled until guidance is provided.
North Dakota residents who want to give fishing a try are reminded they can fish for free June 6-7.
That is the state’s free fishing weekend, when all residents age 16 and older can fish any North Dakota water without a license. Residents age 15 and under do not need a fishing license at any time of year.
North Dakota Game and Fish Department