Friday, Sept. 16 at noon Central time signals the start of a nine-and-a-half-day deer hunting season for licensed youth hunters.
Residents who are 11, 12 or 13 in 2022 can hunt statewide for antlerless white-tailed deer.
Resident deer gun hunters who are 14 or 15 in 2022 can hunt statewide with a youth season license for any deer, except for antlered mule deer in units 3B1, 3B2, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 4F where a special license is required.
After opening day, hunting hours are a half-hour before sunrise to a half-hour after sunset. Orange clothing is required for youth hunters and mentors.
Each young deer hunter must be under direct supervision of an adult. The adult is prohibited from carrying a firearm or bow while accompanying the youth hunter in the field during the youth season.
The youth deer season closes Sept. 25.
Sandhill Crane Season
North Dakota’s sandhill crane season opens Sept. 17 and runs through Nov. 13.
Limits are three daily and nine in possession in unit 1 (west of U.S. Highway 281), and two daily and six in possession in unit 2 (east of U.S. Highway 281). Shooting hours are a half-hour before sunrise to 2 p.m. each day.
Hunters are urged to use caution and identify birds to prevent shooting at endangered whooping cranes as they begin their fall migration.
In addition to other licenses required, resident hunters need a $10 crane permit, while nonresidents need a $30 permit. Hunters can buy a license online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov.
Harvest Information Program certification is required. To get HIP certified, access the Game and Fish website.
Hunters Asked to Submit Wing Envelopes
Hunters can help in the effort to manage upland game birds in North Dakota by collecting feathers from harvested birds and sending in wing envelopes.
Birds included in the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s upland game wing survey, which has been in practice for decades, are ring-necked pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse, Hungarian partridge, turkeys and ruffed grouse.
Collecting enough pheasant samples is typically never a problem, but securing enough sharptail and partridge feathers can be.
Game and Fish biologists will take as many sharptail and partridge feathers as they can get because the more collected, the better the data. Biologists can determine if the birds are male or female, age ratios, survival, nesting success, hatch dates and overall production.
What biologists learn from samples is vital to helping manage North Dakota’s upland game birds.
Instructions for submitting wing data are printed on the envelope.
Hunters interested in receiving wing envelopes should visit the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.
Youth, Military Waterfowl Weekend
Introduce a youngster to duck hunting during North Dakota’s two-day youth waterfowl weekend Sept. 17-18. In addition, the special veteran and active military personnel waterfowl season is set for the same weekend.
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has a Virtual Duck Hunting Mentor webpage with all the basics, including license requirements, regulations, gear recommendations and tips for finding a place to hunt.
Legally licensed resident and nonresident youth waterfowl hunters 15 and younger, and veterans and members of the Armed Forces on active duty, including members of the National Guard and Reserves on active duty (other than for training), may hunt ducks, geese, coots and mergansers statewide.
The daily bag limit and species restrictions are the same as for regular duck and goose seasons. However, the additional two blue-winged teal allowed during the first 16 days of the regular season are not allowed during this weekend.
Resident and qualifying nonresident youth waterfowl hunters must possess a general game and habitat license. Nonresidents from states that do not provide a reciprocal licensing agreement for North Dakota residents must purchase the entire nonresident waterfowl license package.
Veterans and members of the Armed Forces must possess a resident hunting license, which includes a general game and habitat license and a small game license.
Hunters 16 and older must also possess a federal waterfowl stamp, and youth 12 and older need to have passed a certified hunter education course.
In addition, all hunters must be Harvest Information Program certified. Hunters who do not HIP certify when they buy a North Dakota license can add it by visiting the state Game and Fish Department website at gf.nd.gov.
Upland Game Brood Survey
North Dakota’s roadside surveys conducted in late July and August indicate pheasant and gray partridge were up from last year, while sharp-tailed grouse numbers were down.
State Game and Fish Department upland game supervisor Jesse Kolar said the annual upland late summer counts showed mixed results. “We observed an increase in pheasant and partridge densities and reproductive rates with average brood size and age ratios, while sharptails decreased in density but had improved reproductive rates from 2021,” Kolar said.
Total pheasants observed (49 per 100 miles) are up 9% from last year and broods (5.3) per 100 miles are up 8%. The average brood size (6.2) is up 7%. The final summary is based on 278 survey runs made along 100 brood routes across North Dakota.
Observers in the northwest counted 11 broods and 96 pheasants per 100 miles, up from eight broods and 68 pheasants in 2021. Average brood size was six.
Results from the southeast showed five broods and 39 pheasants per 100 miles, up from three broods and 24 pheasants in 2021. Average brood size was five.
Statistics from southwestern North Dakota indicated five broods and 48 pheasants per 100 miles, down from six broods and 59 pheasants in 2021. Average brood size was five chicks.
The northeast district, generally containing secondary pheasant habitat with lower pheasant numbers compared to the rest of the state, showed two broods and 18 pheasants per 100 miles, compared to three broods and 24 pheasants last year. Average brood size was seven.
Kolar said sharptail hunters should expect to find more hatch-year grouse this fall.
“The rangeland vegetation is significantly taller, and there will be many more areas to search to find grouse,” he added. “However, we have not had significant amounts of precipitation since mid-July, upland rangelands may not be as productive as hillsides or low-lying riparian areas, particularly if the fall remains hot. Although the densities were highest in the southwest, the relative trends remain highest in the prairie potholes along the Missouri River.”
Sharptails observed per 100 miles are down 30% statewide. Brood survey results show observers recorded two sharptail broods and 13 sharptails per 100 miles. Average brood size was six.
Generally, Kolar said, most of the partridge harvest is incidental while hunters pursue grouse or pheasants. But this year, with partridge numbers looking impressive, he said there may be pockets where hunters could focus primarily on partridge.
“Huns have rebounded, and the last time they were this good was in 2015,” Kolar said.
Partridge observed per 100 miles are up 46%. Observers recorded one partridge brood and 12 partridge per 100 miles. Average brood size was 10.
The grouse and partridge seasons open Sept. 10 and continue through Jan. 1, 2023.
The pheasant season opens Oct. 8 and continues through Jan. 1, 2023. The two-day youth pheasant hunting weekend, when legally licensed residents and nonresidents 15 and younger can hunt statewide, is set for Oct. 1-2.
Introducing the ND Outdoors Podcast
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department launched a podcast, “North Dakota Outdoors.”
Join hosts Cayla Bendel, Department R3 coordinator, and Casey Anderson, Department wildlife division chief, to hear from Game and Fish staff, partner staff and other experts on an array of outdoors topics from fish and wildlife surveys and research, habitat programs, conservation policy, stories from the field, and more.
To listen, learn more or subscribe to receive text or email reminders each time an episode launches, visit the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov. In addition, listeners can subscribe on a preferred podcasting platform.
Hunters Be Mindful of Farmers, Ranchers
North Dakota Game and Fish Department officials are encouraging hunters to be respectful and cautious as farmers and ranchers are busy with field work this time of year.
Hunters should pull to the side of the road or find an approach when meeting combines, grain trucks or tractors pulling equipment.
Hunters should avoid parking along roadways or field approaches where vehicles could block travel by farm machinery, pick up trash and empty shells, and not clean game in the road ditch or approach.
Duck Brood Numbers Up Following Drought Year
State Game and Fish Department migratory bird biologists expect a fall flight of ducks from North Dakota similar to 2007, 2008 and 2017.
To bring that forecast closer to home, the fall flight is anticipated to be about 26% above last year’s fall flight, based on observations from the Department’s annual mid-July duck production survey.
According to Mike Szymanski, Department migratory game bird management supervisor, the Department’s 75th annual breeding duck survey conducted in May showed an index of 3.4 million ducks in the state. This year’s breeding duck index was the 23rd highest in the 75 years of the survey, up 16% from last year, and 38% above the long-term average.
The number of broods observed during the Department’s July brood survey was up 36% from 2021, and 5% above the 1965-2021 average index. The average brood size was 7.2 ducklings, up 11% from 2021. The long-term average is 7.0 ducklings per brood.
“Production appeared to be very late this year with many nests hatching throughout all of July and into August,” Szymanski said.
Following severe drought of 2021, wetland conditions across the state varied from good to excellent in May. Szymanski said the wetland index skyrocketed 616%, marking the largest single-year percentage increase on record.
Even so, he warned in early September that it was getting dry on the landscape.
“Wetland habitat conditions in the state have dried up substantially from a very wet spring and continued to dry through August,” Szymanski said. “Our September wetland survey will shed some light on just how much we’ve dried up.”
Game and Fish biologists will conduct a separate survey in mid-September to assess wetland conditions heading into the waterfowl hunting season.
Fall Turkey Deadline
North Dakota’s fall turkey application deadline is Sept. 7.
Fall turkey hunters, including gratis applicants, interested in applying can submit an online application through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov.
Only North Dakota residents are eligible to apply in the first lottery. Nonresidents can apply for remaining fall turkey licenses following the first lottery.
Overnight Camping Restriction Lifted for Holiday
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will lift the Tuesday-Wednesday camping restriction on state wildlife management areas for the Labor Day holiday week.
The removal of the restriction will allow overnight camping Sept. 6-7 on those WMAs that otherwise have the two-day restriction in place.
With the deer bow, elk, and moose seasons opening soon, North Dakota Game and Fish Department officials remind hunters there are options for getting their animals tested for chronic wasting disease.
Hunters can drop off heads at any of the following locations:
Belfield– North Dakota Department of Transportation shop; 898 8th St. NE
Bismarck– North Dakota Game and Fish Department Wildlife Health Lab; 3001 E. Main Ave
Devils Lake– North Dakota Game and Fish Department district office; 7928 45th St. NE
Dickinson– North Dakota Game and Fish Department district office; 225 30th Ave. SW
Fargo– North Dakota Veterinary Diagnostic Lab; 4035 19th Ave. N
Fort Yates– Prairie Knights Quik Mart; 7932 ND-24
Lonetree – North Dakota Game and Fish Department district office; 1851 23rd Ave. NE
Jamestown– North Dakota Game and Fish Department district office; 3320 E. Lakeside Road
Kenmare– Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge; 42000 520th St. NW
Killdeer– Dunn County shop; 300 Central Ave. S
Minot– State Fairgrounds; 2005 E. Burdick Expressway
Riverdale –North Dakota Game and Fish Department district office; 406 Dakota Ave
Watford City– McKenzie Ranger District office; 1905 S. Main Street
Williston– North Dakota Game and Fish Department district office; 5303 Front St. W
Self-sampling kits are also available to hunters who wish to have their animal tested but are unable to drop the head off at a collection site. The kits allow hunters to remove the lymph nodes and ship them to the Department's Wildlife Health Lab for testing. A sampling kit request form can be found on the Department’s website, gf.nd.gov.
Also of note, whitetail or mule deer carcass or carcass parts taken from deer hunting units 3A1, 3A2, 3B1, 3C, 3D1, 3E2, 3F2, 4B and 4C in North Dakota; a moose from moose hunting units M10 and M11; or an elk from elk hunting units E2 and E6; may not be transported to a collection site outside of the unit. However, deer carcasses may be transported between adjoining CWD carcass restricted units, and moose carcasses between units M10 and M11.
Grouse, Partridge Seasons Open Sept. 10
North Dakota’s hunting seasons for grouse and partridge will open Sept. 10.
Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Sharptails, ruffed grouse and Hungarian partridge each have a daily limit of three and a possession limit of 12.
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.
North Dakota Game and Fish Department