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News Releases

North Dakota Game and Fish Department

North Dakota Game and Fish Department


News Releases


Fall Mule Deer Survey Completed



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.

Some Refuges Open to Late-Season Upland Game



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. 

Fall Advisory Board Questions



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.

Deer Season Questions and Answers



Every year the North Dakota Game and Fish Department receives questions from deer hunters who want to clarify rules and regulations. Some common questions are listed below. Hunters with further questions are encouraged to visit the Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov., or call 701-328-6300, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. weekdays.

What licenses do I need for deer gun season? A general game and habitat stamp or a combination license, and the deer license. Gratis license holders need only the gratis license.

I have a concurrent season license. When can I use it? The license can be used during the archery season with a bow; the deer gun season with a bow, rifle or muzzleloader; or the muzzleloader season with a muzzleloader. You are restricted to the type of antlerless deer printed on the license and must stay in the unit to which the license is assigned.

Can hunters age 14 or 15 (in 2020) with a youth season license who did not harvest a deer during the youth season, hunt the regular deer gun season with this license? Yes, but you are subject to the restrictions listed on the license.

I was unsuccessful in filling my mule deer buck license in a restricted unit during the youth season. Can I hunt the remainder of the state during the regular gun season? No. You are restricted to the same unit as during the youth season.

I shot a deer, but it is rotten. What can I do? You must take possession of the animal by tagging it. A license only allows you the opportunity to hunt. It is not a guarantee to harvest a deer, or to the quality of the animal.

What should I do if I find a wounded deer? Contact a game warden. Do not shoot the deer unless you want to tag it or are instructed by the warden to do so.

Is camouflage blaze orange acceptable for the deer gun season? No. You must wear both a hat and outer garment above the waistline totaling at least 400 square inches of solid daylight fluorescent orange.

I hunt with a bow. When do I have to wear orange? Only during the regular deer gun season.

Can I hunt road rights-of-way? Do not hunt on road rights-of-way unless you are certain they are open to public use. Most road rights-of-way are easements under control of the adjacent landowner and are closed to hunting when the adjacent land is posted closed to hunting.

Can I hunt on a section line if it is posted on both sides? No. If the land is posted on both sides, the section line is closed to hunting, but is still open for travel.

Can I hunt over bait on private land? It is unlawful to hunt over bait, or place bait to attract big game for the purpose of hunting, in deer hunting units 3A1, 3A2, 3A3 north of U.S. Highway 2, 3B1, 3C west of the Missouri River, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1, 3F2, 4A, 4B and 4C.

What if I want to have a mount made by a taxidermist and take the meat to a butcher shop? How do I keep the tag with it all? The tag should remain with the antlers and the carcass tag should remain with the meat.

I shot a deer in a unit that has carcass transportation restrictions (3A1, 3B1, 3F2, 4B and 4C). What field dressing restrictions must I follow? Hunters cannot transport the whole carcass outside of the unit. Exceptions: meat that has been boned out; quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached; meat that is cut and wrapped either commercially or privately; hides with no heads attached; skull plates with antlers attached having no hide or brain tissue present; intact skulls with the hide, eyes, lower jaw and associated soft tissue removed, and no visible brain or spinal cord tissue present; antlers with no meat or tissue attached; upper canine teeth, also known as buglers, whistlers or ivories; and finished taxidermy heads. However, hunters can transport the whole carcass between adjoining CWD carcass restricted units.

Can I retrieve a wounded deer from posted land? If the deer was shot on land where you had a legal right to be and it ran onto posted land, you may retrieve it. However, you may not take a firearm or bow with you. The department suggests contacting the landowner as a courtesy prior to entering.

What if the landowner says I cannot retrieve a deer from posted land that was shot on land where I had a right to be? Contact a game warden.

Can I drive off-trail on private land to retrieve a deer? Unless prohibited by a landowner or operator, you may drive off-trail on private land once a deer has been killed and properly tagged. You must proceed to the carcass by the shortest accessible route and return to the road or trail by the same route.

Can I transport someone else's deer? Yes, but you will need a transportation permit from a game warden. The license holder, person transporting the animal, and the carcass must be presented to the game warden before the permit is issued.

May I carry a pistol when I am hunting with a deer rifle? Yes, but the handgun must meet minimum requirements listed in the deer hunting regulations to be legal for taking deer.

Can I carry both bow and gun afield during deer gun season if I have both licenses? Yes, but only if you are going to fill your gun license. No firearms, except handguns, may be in the hunter’s possession while hunting with a deer bow license. However, handguns may not be used in any manner to assist in the harvest of a deer with an archery license.

Game and Fish Advisory Board to Livestream Fall Meetings



The North Dakota Game and Fish Department Advisory Board will host its fall round of public meetings online this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Districts 1, 2, 7 and 8, which make up roughly the western half of the state, will have their combined meeting on Monday, Nov. 30. Districts 3, 4, 5 and 6 in the eastern part of the state, will follow on Tuesday, Dec. 1. 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 and deputy director Scott Peterson. 

Outdoor enthusiasts are invited to this public livestream event by visiting the Game and Fish website. Questions can be submitted in advance at ndgflive@nd.gov, or via live chat during the event.

Salmon Spawn Completed



Fisheries crews have completed their annual salmon spawning operation on the Missouri River System, after collecting more than 2.1 million eggs.

North Dakota Game and Fish Department Missouri River System fisheries biologist Russ Kinzler said crews easily collected enough eggs to stock the 400,000 smolts planned for Lake Sakakawea in 2021, as well as provide approximately 400,000 surplus eggs to South Dakota. 

The majority of eggs were collected from Lake Sakakawea, with help from the Missouri River below Garrison Dam. Average size of female salmon was 8.3 pounds, which is almost two pounds heavier than last year.

“We’ve had good numbers of rainbow smelt, which is the primary forage for salmon in Lake Sakakawea,” Kinzler said. “This year we are seeing that the average size of those smelt has increased and we are seeing that resulting in larger salmon.”

Chinook salmon begin their spawning run in October. Since salmon cannot naturally reproduce in North Dakota, Game and Fish personnel capture the fish and transport them to the Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery where they are relieved of their eggs.

Once the eggs hatch, young salmon spend 6 months in the hatchery before being stocked in Lake Sakakawea.

Hunters Encouraged to Have Deer Tested for CWD



The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will continue its Hunter-Harvested Surveillance program during the 2020 hunting season by sampling deer for chronic wasting disease from units in the western third of the state. 

Samples from hunter-harvested deer taken will be tested from units 3A1, 3A2, 3A3 (that portion of the unit north of U.S. Highway 2), 3B1, 3C (that portion of the unit west of the Missouri River), 3E1, 3E2, 3F1, 3F2, 4A, 4B and 4C.

Game and Fish wildlife veterinarian Dr. Charlie Bahnson said given the COVID situation, Game and Fish is focusing resources and personnel to prioritize hunter-harvested surveillance in the northwestern and southwestern parts of the state where CWD is a little greater concern.

In units where CWD is documented, Bahnson said roughly 10% of license holders end up dropping off heads for sampling. Outside those units, in adjacent units, he said it’s more like 2-3%. That’s a number he would like to see increased quite a bit.

“In hunting units where CWD is documented, it’s important to get a good handle on where and how common it is,” Bahnson said. “But equally important, is documenting where CWD is not.

“In order to be confident in saying that we don’t have CWD in a unit, we have to test a lot of heads,” continued Bahnson. “Only testing 10 heads doesn’t give you much confidence. But if we can get a lot of hunters to participate, if we can test a few hundred heads from each unit, then we can start to confidently make assessments of whether CWD is likely there or not. So, hunter surveillance is a critical part of the big picture.”

Hunters are encouraged to drop off the head of an adult or yearling deer. Fawns and head-shot deer cannot be tested. Hunters wishing to keep the deer head can bring it to a Game and Fish district office during business hours to have it sampled.

The department will attempt to provide results within three weeks, however, delays may occur. Results for lottery licenses can be viewed by logging on to their Game and Fish account and clicking on “Additional Info” for the associated license. Results for first-come, first-served licenses will be sent via email. To add or update contact information, visit My Account at the department’s website, gf.nd.gov.

Hunters should note a carcass or head of a deer taken from units 3A1, 3B1, 3F2, 4B and 4C may not be transported to a collection site outside of the unit. Exception: hunters can transport the whole deer carcass between adjoining CWD carcass restricted units.

More information on CWD, including transportation restrictions, is available at the Game and Fish website.

Hunters are encouraged to drop off deer heads at the following locations:

Alexander – Sather Lake Recreation Area

Amidon – Mo’s Bunker Bar

Beach – Gooseneck Implement

Belfield – Badlands Taxidermy, NDGF Disposal Site, Superpumper

Bismarck – 3Be Meats, NDGF Office, West Dakota Meats

Blaisdell – BJ Taxidermy

Bottineau – Mattern Family Meats

Bowbells – The Joint

Bowman – Frontier Travel Center

Carson – Hertz Hardware

Crosby – Cenex/New Century Ag

Dickinson – NDGF Office, Wildlife Creations

Elgin – Gunny’s Bait and Tackle, Melvin’s Taxidermy

Flasher – NDGF Disposal Site

Fort Yates – Prairie Knights Quik Mart

Fortuna – The Teacher’s Lounge

Garrison – Myers’ Meats and Supplies

Glen Ullin – Kuntz’s Butcher Shop

Grassy Butte – Sweet Crude Travel Center

Grenora – Farmer’s Union

Hettinger – Dakota Packing

Kenmare – Jessica Ware’s Taxidermy, Farmers Union

Killdeer – Grab N Go

Mandan – Butcher Block Meats

Minot – Blom’s Locker and Processing, Frenchy’s Taxidermy, State Fairgrounds, Wallen’s Taxidermy

Mohall – Engebretson Processing, Farmer’s Union

Mott – 4 Corners Car Wash

New Leipzig – Hertz Hardware, NDGF Disposal Site

New Salem – Arrowhead Inn

New Town – TAT Fish and Wildlife Division Office

Parshall – Myers’ Meats and Supplies

Powers Lake – Farmers Union

Ray – Horizon-Cenex, Thoreson’s Meat Processing

Richardton – Farmers Union

Riverdale – NDGF Office

Scranton – Wolf’s Meat Processing

Selfridge – Cenex

Sentinel Butte – Buffalo Gap Guest Ranch

Solen – Hettich Salvage

Stanley – Ace Hardware

Tioga – Recycling Center

Watford City – Farmers Union Cenex, Forest Service Office

Williston – Bickler Taxidermy, Dave’s Heads or Tails Taxidermy, Mounts By Mert, NDGF Office, Zerr’s Taxidermy

Deer Hunters in Need of Replacement Tag



Deer hunters who can’t find their deer license should contact the North Dakota Game and Fish Department soon to make sure they have their tag before the season opens.

The Game and Fish Department must be contacted by phone at 701-328-6300, or email ndgf@nd.gov, to authorize the online purchase for a replacement tag. Printable applications are not available.

The deer gun season opens Friday, Nov. 6 at 12 noon Central Time.

Deer Mortality Caused by EHD Allows Whitetail Hunters to Seek Refunds



Based on continuing reports of white-tailed deer mortality in western North Dakota caused by epizootic hemorrhagic disease, the state Game and Fish Department is allowing hunters with whitetail licenses in units 3D1, 3D2, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1, 3F2, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 4F the option of turning those licenses in for refunds. Hunters who return their licenses will have their bonus points restored, if applicable, to the same number of points prior to the 2020 deer gun lottery.

Bruce Stillings, big game supervisor, said the decision is based on evidence of moderate to significant white-tailed deer losses in some areas that might affect hunting success in those locations.

“While we first received reports of isolated deer deaths in August, loss of deer to this disease appears to have extended into October and covers a large area of western North Dakota,” he added. “Fortunately, the current weather pattern is colder than average temperatures with below freezing conditions during the night which will likely end this year’s outbreak.”

EHD, a naturally occurring virus that is spread by a biting midge, is almost always fatal to infected white-tailed deer, while mule deer do not usually die from the disease. Hunters do not have to worry about handling or consuming meat from infected deer because the virus that causes EHD is not known to cause disease in humans. In addition, the first hard freeze typically kills the midge that carries and transfers the EHD virus, which will slow or halt the spread of the disease.

Before deciding to turn in a license, Stillings urges whitetail license holders to make local contacts to find out the extent of mortality in their hunting area. Large portions of affected units had no reports of whitetail deaths.

“The whitetail population has not been decimated and in many areas a good harvest is still needed,” he said, adding that more than 9,000 white-tailed deer license holders are eligible for license refunds.

The last time Game and Fish made license refunds an option for hunters because of an EHD outbreak was in 2011.

White-tailed deer license holders who want a refund must mail their tag, along with a note requesting a refund due to EHD, to the Game and Fish Department’s Bismarck office no later than Nov. 5. Envelopes postmarked Nov. 5 will be accepted.

Channel A Open to Fishing



Channel A as it enters Devils Lake is now open to fishing, since U.S. Highway 2 west of Devils Lake is now open to four-lane traffic.

This area was closed to both shore and boat fishing since May due to safety concerns, while the highway was under construction from Devils Lake to Church’s Ferry.

Fall Mule Deer Survey Begins



The state Game and Fish Department’s annual fall aerial mule deer survey is set for mid-October in western North Dakota. Weather permitting, the survey takes about two weeks to complete.

During the survey period, people could notice low-flying small airplanes over some parts of the badlands.

Game and Fish biologists have completed aerial surveys of the same 24 badlands study areas since the 1950s. The survey is used to collect mule deer population data for monitoring demographic trends, such as buck-to-doe and fawn-to-doe ratios.

Trap League, Shooting Range Grants



Clubs or communities interested in submitting a grant application to help support a local high school trap team, or for firearm and shooting ranges, should submit their applications soon.

North Dakota Game and Fish Department education section leader Marty Egeland said the grants to support North Dakota high school trap teams are for infrastructure to support youth shooting.

“For example, this grant is intended to be used for trap throwers, trap houses, sidewalks and voice pulls,” Egeland said.

Firearm and shooting range grants can be used on projects that provide storage buildings, or on such items as berms, benches, target hangers and throwers.

“This grant encompasses any type of shooting range, with priority given to certain projects that you can find on the application,” Egeland said.

In order to qualify, the club must be a nonprofit in good standing with the state and offer public access.

Interested applicants can print out the grant application online at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.

For more information, contact Egeland at 701-328-6300, or email megeland@nd.gov.