Be Wary of Travel Conditions for Pheasant Opener

Thu, 10/10/2019

Current weather conditions are making travel difficult as pheasant hunting season kicks off this weekend. 

With heavy snow in much of the state covering roads and fields that were already saturated, travel on section line trails, unimproved roads and in harvested grain fields where hunting might take place will be nearly impossible.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is asking hunters to be aware of on- and off-road conditions, and strongly discourages driving on soft, muddy roads, trails and section lines.

North Dakota's pheasant season opens Saturday, Oct. 12 and continues through Jan. 5, 2020. The daily limit is three roosters with 12 in possession.

USFWS Seeks Public Comment

Thu, 10/10/2019

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is soliciting public comments for a proposed amendment that would allow hunting and fishing on what are commonly called "easement refuges" in North Dakota.

These easement refuges, officially called limited-interest national wildlife refuges, were acquired from willing landowners primarily in the 1930s to create resting and feeding areas for waterfowl. The easements restrict hunting, fishing, trapping and boat use on existing water bodies. All other land uses are allowed at the landowner's discretion, and the land remains in private ownership.

North Dakota has 39 of these easement refuges. The FWS is proposing to allow hunting, fishing and other recreational activities on them, though access will still be at the discretion of landowners.

Open meetings to provide opportunity for public comments are scheduled at the following locations and times:

Bismarck – Oct. 15, 6-9 p.m., North Dakota Game and Fish Office, 100 N. Bismarck Expressway.

Devils Lake – Oct. 16, 4-7 p.m., Sullys Hill NGP, 2107 Park Dr., St. Michael.

Minot – Oct. 17, 6-9 p.m., Staybridge Suites, 3009 S. Broadway.

Jamestown – Oct. 22, 6-9 p.m., Gladstone Inn, 111 2^nd St. NE.

The FWS will also accept written comments through Oct. 31, 2019, to Project Leader Frank Durbian, 681 Salyer Road, Upham, N.D., 58789 or frank_durbian@fws.gov.

Equipment Registration Number Used for Identification

Mon, 10/07/2019

Hunters, trappers and anglers are reminded that an equipment registration number, or the individual’s name, address and telephone number, must be displayed on all equipment requiring identification.

While on state wildlife management areas, identification is required on items such as ground blinds, tree stands, cameras and traps.

Identification must be attached to cable devices that are set on either private or public land, and on fish houses left unattended on the ice.

Owners can generate an equipment registration number by visiting buy and apply at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. One registration number will be issued that can be used on all equipment that requires identification.

The equipment registration number does not expire.

Order 2020 OUTDOORS Calendar

Mon, 10/07/2019

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is taking orders for its North Dakota OUTDOORS calendar, the source for all hunting season and application dates for 2020. Along with outstanding color photographs of North Dakota wildlife and scenery, it also includes sunrise-sunset times and moon phases.

To order online, visit buy and apply at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov., or send $3 for each, plus $1 postage, to: Calendar, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, 100 N. Bismarck Expressway, Bismarck, ND 58501-5095. Be sure to include a three-line return address with your order, or the post office may not deliver our return mailing.

The calendar is the North Dakota OUTDOORS magazine’s December issue, so current subscribers will automatically receive it in the mail.

Permit Required to Possess Dead Deer

Mon, 10/07/2019

North Dakota Game and Fish Department enforcement personnel are issuing a reminder that a permit is required before taking possession of a dead deer 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. Deer carcasses cannot be left on the side of a roadway or in a ditch, and deer parts cannot be discarded in commercial dumpsters.

Motorists Warned to Watch for Deer

Mon, 09/30/2019

Motorists are reminded to watch for deer along roadways this time of year because juvenile animals are dispersing from their home ranges.

October through early December is the peak period for deer-vehicle accidents. Motorists are advised to slow down and exercise caution after dark to reduce the likelihood of encounters with deer along roadways. Most deer-vehicle accidents occur primarily at dawn and dusk when deer are most often moving around.

Motorists should be aware of warning signs signaling deer are in the area. When you see one deer cross the road, look for a second or third deer to follow. Also, pay attention on roadways posted with Deer Crossing Area caution signs.

Deer-vehicle accidents are at times unavoidable. If an accident does happen, law enforcement authorities do not have to be notified if only the vehicle is damaged. However, if the accident involves personal injury or other property damage, then it must be reported.

In addition, a permit is required before taking possession of a road-killed deer. Permits are free and available from game wardens and local law enforcement offices.

A few precautions can minimize chances of injury or property damage in a deer-vehicle crash. 

• Always wear your seat belt.
• Don’t swerve or take the ditch to avoid hitting a deer. Try to brake as much as possible and stay on the roadway. Don’t lose control of your vehicle or slam into something else to miss the deer. You risk less injury by hitting the deer.
• If you spot deer ahead, slow down immediately and honk your horn.

Game and Fish Announces Concurrent Season Deer Licenses

Mon, 09/30/2019

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has amended the 2019 deer proclamation to allow hunters to purchase multiple licenses that are valid during any open deer season.

Beginning Oct. 7 at 8 a.m. Central Time, any remaining doe licenses will be issued as a concurrent season license, which can be used during the archery season with a bow; the deer gun season with a bow, rifle or muzzleloader; or during the muzzleloader season with a muzzleloader. However, youth who are under age 14 (at the end of the calendar year) will be issued a concurrent season license for archery only.

There is no limit on the number of concurrent season licenses a hunter can purchase. 

Hunters with concurrent season licenses are restricted to the type of antlerless deer printed on the license, and must stay in the unit to which the license is assigned.

Residents and nonresidents are eligible to purchase remaining doe licenses by visiting the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.

Remaining doe licenses as of Sept. 30.

PLOTS Regulations

Mon, 09/30/2019

Out-of-state hunters are reminded that state law does not allow nonresidents to hunt on North Dakota Game and Fish Department owned or managed lands during the first week of pheasant season.

Private Land Open to Sportsmen acreage and state wildlife management areas are open to hunting by resident hunters only from Oct. 12-18. Nonresidents, however, can still hunt those days on other state-owned and federal lands, or private land.

The law applies to all small game, waterfowl, furbearer and big game hunting on PLOTS and state wildlife management areas during the first seven days of the pheasant season. Starting Oct. 19 this year, nonresidents may hunt on PLOTS and WMAs as long as the appropriate season is open.

In addition, all hunters are reminded that activities such as riding horses for hunting purposes or for pleasure on PLOTS require written permission from the landowner. Permission from the landowner is always required for motorized vehicle access, such as for setting decoys in a field, unless specifically designated on the PLOTS sign.

Leaving equipment or other provisions in a PLOTS area overnight, such as tree stands or blinds, decoys, firearms and archery equipment, or trail cameras is not allowed without written permission from the landowner.

Youth Pheasant Weekend Oct. 5-6

Mon, 09/23/2019

North Dakota’s two-day youth pheasant season is Oct. 5-6. Legally licensed residents and nonresidents ages 15 and younger may hunt roosters statewide.

Resident youth hunters, regardless of age, must possess a fishing, hunting and furbearer certificate and general game and habitat license. Nonresident youth hunters from states that provide a reciprocal licensing agreement for North Dakota residents qualify for North Dakota resident licenses. Otherwise, nonresident youth hunters must purchase a nonresident small game license.

Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Youth ages 12 and older need to have passed a certified hunter education course. The daily bag limit and all other regulations for the regular pheasant season apply.

An adult at least 18 years of age must accompany the youth hunter in the field. The adult may not carry a firearm.

See the North Dakota 2019-20 Hunting and Trapping Guide for additional information.

Youth Waterfowl Hunting Trailer Available

Mon, 09/23/2019

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department and Ducks Unlimited co-sponsor a trailer full of waterfowl hunting gear that is available to families with young hunters.

Purchased by the Game and Fish Department’s Encouraging Tomorrow’s Hunters grant program, the trailer is designed for families who don’t have the appropriate gear for their young hunters to hunt waterfowl. The equipment is donated by Avery Outdoors.

Use of the trailer is free, and it is equipped with goose and duck decoys for field hunting, and two bags of floating duck decoys and marsh seats for hunting a wetland.

For more information, or to reserve equipment, contact the Ducks Unlimited office in Bismarck at 701-355-3500.

Wetland Conditions Good for Duck Hunting

Thu, 09/19/2019

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual fall wetland survey indicates good-to-excellent conditions for duck hunting throughout the state.

Andy Dinges, migratory game bird biologist, said the number of duck hunting wetlands are up about 65% statewide from a year ago, largely driven by record fall wetland conditions in the south central and southeast regions of the state. The northwest, north central and northeast regions have also seen 30-37% increases in the number of duck hunting wetlands compared to last fall.

“Fall wetland records for the south central and southeast regions were easily broken, and duck hunting wetlands recorded in these regions are up about 300% from average,” Dinges said.

Wetland conditions had been declining for a few years now, Dinges mentioned, but adequate snowmelt and abundant rainfall throughout spring and summer have dramatically improved wetland conditions in the state.

“However, the north central and northeast regions of the state are still recovering from drought conditions experienced over the last few years, and the number of duck hunting wetlands in these regions remain slightly below average,” Dinges said.

The quality of waterfowl hunting in North Dakota is largely determined by weather conditions and migration patterns. Dinges said good reproduction for ducks in traditional breeding areas this year also make for good fall hunting potential in North Dakota. However, he said given these wet conditions, hunters may encounter wetlands with extensive flooded vegetation, potentially making hunting difficult in some areas.

“Hunters should always scout because of ever changing conditions and distribution of waterfowl,” he added. “Hunters should also be cautious driving off-trail to avoid soft spots, and while encountering areas of tall vegetation that could be a fire hazard.”

The fall wetland survey is conducted annually in mid-September, just prior to the waterfowl hunting season to provide an assessment of conditions duck hunters can expect.

Whooping Crane Migration

Mon, 09/16/2019

Whooping cranes are in the midst of their fall migration and sightings will increase as they make their way into and through North Dakota over the next several weeks. Anyone seeing these endangered birds as they move through the state is asked to report sightings so the birds can be tracked.

The whooping cranes that do make their way through North Dakota each fall are part of a population of about 500 birds that are on their way from their nesting grounds at Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada to wintering grounds at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, a distance of about 2,500 miles.

Whoopers stand about five feet tall and have a wingspan of about seven feet from tip to tip. They are bright white with black wing tips, which are visible only when the wings are outspread. In flight they extend their long necks straight forward, while their long, slender legs extend out behind the tail. Whooping cranes typically migrate singly, or in groups of 2-3 birds, and may be associated with sandhill cranes.

Other white birds such as snow geese, swans and egrets are often mistaken for whooping cranes. The most common misidentification is pelicans, because their wingspan is similar and they tuck their pouch in flight, leaving a silhouette similar to a crane when viewed from below.

Anyone sighting whoopers should not disturb them, but record the date, time, location, and the birds' activity. Observers should also look closely for and report colored bands which may occur on one or both legs. Whooping cranes have been marked with colored leg bands to help determine their identity.

Whooping crane sightings should be reported to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offices at Lostwood, 701-848-2466, or Audubon, 701-442-5474, national wildlife refuges; the North Dakota Game and Fish Department in Bismarck, 701-328-6300, or to local game wardens across the state. Reports help biologists locate important whooping crane habitat areas, monitor marked birds, determine survival and population numbers, and identify times and migration routes.