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News Releases

North Dakota Game and Fish Department

North Dakota Game and Fish Department


News Releases


Upland, Youth Pheasant Seasons on the Horizon



With September in our sights, hunting seasons for upland game in North Dakota open soon.

The season opens for sharp-tailed grouse, Hungarian partridge and ruffed grouse on Sept. 9. Following that, the two-day youth pheasant season for legally licensed residents and nonresidents ages 15 and younger opens Sept. 30.

Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Sharptails, ruffed grouse and partridge each have a daily limit of three and a possession limit of 12. The daily limit for the youth pheasant season is also three birds, but the possession limit is six.

All hunters, regardless of age, must have a general game and habitat license. In addition, hunters 16 and older need a small game license.

Grouse and partridge hunters should refer to North Dakota OUTDOORS August-September issue for an outlook on the fall hunting season, available online by the season opener on the state Game and Fish Department’s website gf.nd.gov.

Hunters are urged to keep up with the daily rural fire danger index, issued by the National Weather Service, to alert the public to conditions that may be conducive to accidental starting or spread of fires. County governments also have the authority to adopt penalties for violations of county restrictions related to burning bans. These restrictions apply regardless of the daily fire danger index and remain in place until each county’s commission rescinds the ban. Information on current fire danger indexes is available through ndresponse.gov.

For other season information and regulations, hunters should consult the North Dakota 2023-24 Hunting and Trapping Guide

Deer Archery Season



North Dakota’s deer bow season opens Sept. 1 at noon and continues through Jan. 7, 2024.

Bowhunters can buy a license online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov, or at vendors linked to the department’s online licensing system.

Hunters should plan accordingly and allow for time to receive their tag in the mail, as the tag will arrive by postal mail and not over the counter while the customer waits. This applies while purchasing a bow license at a license vendor, or at the Game and Fish Department’s main office in Bismarck. The bow tag will be mailed the next business day after the license is purchased.

All archery hunters must have a bow tag in possession before hunting.

Hunters should refer to the 2023 deer hunting guide for season information and regulations. 

Duck Brood Numbers Jump Nearly 80%



State Game and Fish Department migratory game bird biologists expect a fall flight of ducks similar to 1998, 2004 and 2020.

If those past seasons don’t ring a bell, the fall flight is anticipated to be about 23% above last year’s fall flight, based on observations from the annual mid-July duck production survey.

According to Mike Szymanski, migratory game bird management supervisor, the department’s 76th annual breeding duck survey conducted in May indicated the 2023 duck index was the 23rd highest on record, up 1.5% from 2022, and exceeded the 1948-2022 average index by 39%.

“After a very dry summer and fall last year, a snowy winter helped wetland conditions rebound nicely going into breeding season. However, precipitation has been spotty across the Prairie Pothole Region of the state since spring thaw, with the southern and central areas of the Missouri Coteau receiving more consistent rainfall,” Szymanski said. “Habitat conditions in uplands and wetlands were in good shape for a majority of the breeding season. A relatively strong number of ducks present in May helped to support breeding efforts that, despite a late thaw, were not delayed to a great degree.”

The number of broods observed during the department’s July brood survey was up 79% from 2022, and 88% above the 1965-2022 average index. The average brood size was 6.5 ducklings, down 10% from 2022.

While there remains a shortage of upland nesting habitat across the state, Szymanski said overwater nesting species such as canvasbacks, redheads and ring-necked ducks all set records for number of broods observed this year, along with ruddy ducks nearly breaking their previous record.

Game and Fish biologists will conduct a separate survey in mid-September to assess wetland conditions heading into the waterfowl hunting season. 

Federal Duck Stamp Required



A federal duck stamp is required for waterfowl hunters 16 and older beginning Sept. 1. Waterfowl includes ducks, geese, swans, mergansers and coots.

This year’s 2023-24 federal duck stamp is available for electronic purchase through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov, or license vendors registered with the department’s licensing system. Physical stamps are not available at North Dakota license vendors but can still be purchased at many U.S. Postal Service offices.

The electronic stamp is a purchase item like any other hunting or fishing license. When the purchase is completed the electronic stamp is valid immediately. “Federal Duck Stamp” will be printed on the license certificate, along with an expiration date 45 days from the date of purchase. The physical stamp will be sent by postal mail.

The physical stamp is processed and sent by the official duck stamp vendor in Texas and should arrive to buyers well before the expiration date printed on the electronic license. The physical stamp must remain in possession of the hunter after the 45-day electronic stamp has expired. Individuals with questions regarding the status of their physical stamp can contact the federal duck stamp vendor customer service number at 800-852-4897.

The federal duck stamp has a fee of $25. An additional $2 fee is added to cover shipping and handling costs of the physical stamp. 

Fall Turkey Season Set



The fall turkey season is set with 4,435 licenses available to hunters, 460 more than last year.

Applicants can apply online by visiting the North Dakota Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. The deadline is Sept. 6.

Only North Dakota residents are eligible to apply. Nonresidents can apply for remaining fall turkey licenses following the first lottery.

The fall wild turkey season runs from Oct. 14 through Jan. 7, 2024.

Youth Outdoor Festival in Minot



The North Dakota Game and Fish Department, local wildlife clubs and other sponsors will usher youngsters into fall during the annual Youth Outdoor Festival in Minot.

The event is Aug. 31 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Game and Fish Conservation and Outdoors Skills Park on the grounds of the North Dakota State Fair.

Young outdoor enthusiasts will experience outdoor activities that relate to archery, fishing, waterfowl and upland game. Prizes will be awarded.

For more information, contact Game and Fish outreach biologist Greg Gullickson at 701-720-1640.

Chronic Wasting Disease Proclamation



Big game hunters should note the 2023 chronic wasting disease proclamation for baiting and transportation requirements for deer, elk and moose as a precaution against the spread of chronic wasting disease.

Noteworthy items include:

  • Whole carcasses of animals harvested in North Dakota can remain in the deer unit, or may now be transported anywhere in the state. However, carcass waste must be disposed of via landfill or waste management provider. This does not apply to heads dropped at CWD collection sites or lymph nodes submitted for CWD surveillance. Taxidermists and game processors can also accept intact carcasses of animals harvested within North Dakota but assume responsibility for disposal.
  • A new management strategy that allows baiting restrictions to be removed in a unit if the number of adult deer equivalent to at least 10% of the gun licenses allocated in the unit are tested for CWD within a year, and all the results are negative. If the sampling goal is not met or CWD is confirmed in the unit, the baiting restriction will remain.
  • No new units have been added to the baiting restriction list for 2023-24. Due to the timing of finalizing the proclamation, a one-year pause was placed on adding new units. Units 2K1 and 3B2 are scheduled to be added to the restriction list in 2024 due to a positive CWD detection during the 2022 hunting season within 25 miles in an adjacent unit. They will not be added if the 10% goal is reached this year and all CWD test results are negative.
  • Hunters are prohibited from transporting into North Dakota the whole carcass or parts, except the lower-risk portions, of deer, elk, moose or other members of the cervid family harvested outside of North Dakota.

State Game and Fish Department officials will conduct surveillance of the state by region on a four-year rotation. This year, the CWD surveillance effort will consist of deer gun units in southeastern North Dakota. Outside of this area, hunters can still have their animal tested by taking it to a Game and Fish district office, any deer head collection site (primarily located in the surveillance area) or using a mail-in self-sampling kit. A unit outside the annual surveillance zone is still eligible to have a baiting restriction removed if the sampling goal is met, or can be added as a restricted unit if a positive is found.

Listen to the NDO podcast with wildlife veterinarian Dr. Charlie Bahnson.

Swan Lottery Held



The swan lottery has been held and all 2,200 licenses were issued.

A total of 2,920 applications were received. Unsuccessful applicants will receive a refund to their credit card.

Individual results are available online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov.

Swan Application Deadline



The deadline to submit a swan application is Aug. 16.

Applicants must submit an online application through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov.

North Dakota residents and nonresidents are eligible to apply. The resident swan license is $10, while the nonresident fee is $30.

Equipment Registration Number



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.

In addition, written permission is required from the owner of the property, or an individual authorized by the owner, for an individual to install camera/video equipment on private property, and the equipment must be identified.

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 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 for equipment requiring identification.

The equipment registration number does not expire.

Concurrent Season Deer Licenses



Hunters can purchase additional, concurrent season deer licenses Aug. 16 at 8 a.m. Central time on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. There is no limit on the number of concurrent season licenses a hunter can purchase.

Concurrent season licenses can be used during the archery season with a bow; deer gun season with a bow, rifle or muzzleloader; or during the muzzleloader season with a muzzleloader. However, youth under 14 (at the end of the calendar year) will be issued a concurrent season license for archery only.

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

PLOTS Guide Online



The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Private Land Open To Sportsmen Guide for 2023 is now available online at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. In addition, the free printed PLOTS guides will be available in late August at most license vendors and other locations throughout the state.

The guide will feature about 800,000 PLOTS acres. Because the guide is printed in mid-August, some PLOTS tracts highlighted in the guide may have been removed from the program since the time of printing. There will also be some PLOTS tracts where the habitat and condition of the tract will have changed significantly. Conversely, Game and Fish may have added new tracts to the program after the guide went to press.

To minimize possible confusion, Game and Fish will update PLOTS map sheets weekly on its website.

The PLOTS guide features maps highlighting these walk-in areas, identified in the field by inverted triangular yellow signs, as well as other public lands.

The guides are not available by mail, so hunters will have to pick one up at a local vendor or Game and Fish offices, or print individual maps from the website.