The state Game and Fish Department’s annual spring aerial mule deer survey is set to begin April 8 in western North Dakota. Weather permitting, the survey takes a week 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 abundance and demographic trends, such as buck-to-doe and fawn-to-doe ratios.
Biologists counted 2,540 mule deer in 245.8 square miles during last year’s survey. Overall mule deer density was 10.3 deer per square mile.
NASP State Tournament Results
A record 820 archers competed in the North Dakota National Archery in the Schools Program state bull’s-eye tournament March 22-23 in Minot.
Oakes students claimed top honors in the elementary (grades 4-6) and middle school (grades 7-8) divisions, while Hankinson received the top prize in the high school (grades 9-12) division.
The overall male winner was Barnes County North archer Casey Everson, while Hankinson student Kirstan Loewen claimed the top spot in the female division.
Winning teams and the top 10 individuals qualify for the national tournaments, scheduled for May in Louisville, Ky and June in Salt Lake City, UT. The Game and Fish Department and North Dakota Youth Archery Advisory Council contribute a total of $3,000 in travel assistance to the first place team in each division, and $1,000 to the overall male and female individual winners. In addition, a total of $20,000 in college scholarships was awarded by the NDYAAC to the top five overall scorers in both boys and girls divisions.
Qualifying for nationals in each division are:
High school boys – 1) Casey Everson, Barnes County North; 2) Joshua Wiebusch, Wahpeton; 3) Chase Bladow, Hankinson; 4) Mason Kamlitz, Oakes; 5) Andrew Hill, Oakes; 6) Jaden Payne, Glenburn; 7) Cheyne Meyer, Hankinson; 8) Austin Bladow, Hankinson; 9) Erich Scheffert, Oakes; 10) Dalton Gartner, Edgeley.
High school girls – 1) Gracie Gunderson, Medina; 2) Ainsley Helgerson, Oakes; 3) Sydni Berg, Edgeley; 4) Josephine Nelson, North Sargent; 5) Avery Trittin, Lidgerwood; 6) Grace Neameyer, Mt. Pleasant; 7) Chase McFarland, North Sargent; 8) Mary Goroski, Wahpeton; 9) Octavia Ralph-Martin, Griggs County Central; 10) Jaden Gilje, North Sargent.
Middle school boys – 1) Jake Hennings, Bottineau; 2) Colin Olson, North Sargent; 3) Clancy Zimbelman, Oakes; 4) Hunter Genre, New Rockford-Sheyenne; 5) Brady Sand; Mayville-Portland-Clifford-Galesburg; 6) Hunter Kamlitz, Oakes; 7) Brady Haugen, Griggs County Central; 8) Nick Hansen, North Sargent; 9) Samuel Abel, South Prairie; 10) Calvin Satrom, Hope-Page.
In addition, 570 archers competed in a NASP 3-D Challenge, run simultaneously with the bull’s-eye tournament.
Overall male and female winners were Clancy Zimbelman, Oakes, and Josephine Nelson, North Sargent.
Austin Bladow of Hankinson was the winner of a pronghorn hunt in Wyoming, determined by a shoot-out after placing among the top three boys and girls final score.
Top performers in the 3-D high school boys were 1) Cheyne Meyer, Hankinson; 2) Austin Bladow, Hankinson; 3) Mason Kamlitz, Oakes.
3-D high school girls – 1) Josephine Nelson, North Sargent; 2) Avery Trittin, Lidgerwood; 3) Ainsley Helgerson, Oakes.
3-D middle school boys – 1) Clancy Zimbelman, Oakes; 2) Hunter Genre, New Rockford-Sheyenne; 3) Tommy Baldwin, Lidgerwood.
Samples of deer taken by targeted removal two weeks ago south of Williston have all tested negative for chronic wasting disease, according to Dr. Charlie Bahnson, wildlife veterinarian for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
Following the detection of CWD in a deer found dead in February, Game and Fish removed an additional 52 deer for testing. “It was really important to figure out how big of a problem we had on our hands,” Bahnson said. “These test results are the best we could have hoped for, given the circumstance. We now know that CWD is there, but infection rates appear to be low.”
Landowners who are interested in applying for a 2019 deer gratis license can fill out their application online by visiting the state Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. The general deer lottery and muzzleloader applications will be available online in early May. The deadline for applying is June 5.
Chief of administrative services Kim Kary said similar to last year, the Game and Fish Department is opening deer gratis applications a month earlier than prior years to allow additional time for landowners to apply online who are busy with spring farm and ranch activities.
“Gratis applicants who have previously applied online will automatically have their land description carried forward to this year’s application,” Kary said. “However, any changes with the land description from last year’s application must be made prior to submitting the 2019 application.”
Applications must be submitted online using a computer or smartphone. Kary suggests applicants without access to online services can submit the online application at any Game and Fish Department office or public service location, such as a library, or request help from a friend, relative or neighbor. License vendor systems are unable to process deer gratis applications.
Kary said moving to an all-electronic licensing system was initiated by the state legislature in 2015. “It has worked well for both the agency and customer by providing a user-friendly experience for the hunter and has improved the department’s time to deliver lottery results and mail tags,” she said.
Hunting Guide and Outfitter Test Set
The next guide and outfitter written examination is May 18 at 1 p.m. at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department office in Bismarck. The test is given periodically to anyone interested in becoming a hunting guide or outfitter in the state.
In addition to passing a written exam, qualifications for becoming a guide include a background check for criminal and game and fish violations; certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and standard first aid; and employment by or contract with a licensed hunting outfitter.
Hunting outfitter eligibility requirements include the guide qualifications, as well as an individual must have held a hunting guide license for two years; and must have proof of liability insurance.
Interested individuals are required to preregister by calling the Game and Fish Department’s enforcement office at 328-6604.
Report Bald Eagle Nest Sightings
The state Game and Fish Department is asking for help in locating active bald eagle nests in North Dakota.
Game and Fish conservation biologist Sandra Johnson said the department is looking for locations of nests with eagles present, not individual eagle sightings.
Eagles lay eggs in early-to-mid March, and hatch about a month later. Johnson said it’s easy to distinguish an eagle nest because of its enormous size.
“And you don’t have to travel far to find one, as we have around 270 active bald eagle nests, and possibly more, in the state,” Johnson said, while noting that in 2008 North Dakota had only 50 active nests.
Eagle nests are observed in more than three-quarters of the counties in the state, mostly near streams and mid- to large-sized lakes. However, they are also found in unique areas such as shelterbelts surrounded by cropland or pasture.
Nest observations should be reported online at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. Observers are asked to not disturb the nest, and to stay a safe distance away. Johnson said foot traffic may disturb the bird, likely causing the eagle to leave her eggs or young unattended.
Pronghorn Hunting Season Statistics
Hunter success during last fall’s pronghorn hunting season was 81 percent, according to statistics provided by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
Game and Fish issued 1,081 licenses (701 lottery and 380 gratis), and 976 hunters took 792 pronghorn, consisting of 761 bucks, 28 does and three fawns. Each hunter spent an average of 2.7 days afield.
Two percent of the harvest occurred during the archery-only portion of the season.
The 2019 pronghorn hunting season will be determined in July.
Whooping Crane Migration
Whooping cranes are in the midst of their spring 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 spring are part of a population of about 500 birds that are on their way from wintering grounds at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas to their nesting grounds at Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada, 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.
Elk, Moose, Bighorn Sheep Apps due March 27
North Dakotan’s who want to hunt elk, moose and bighorn sheep in 2019 are reminded the deadline for submitting applications is March 27.
Prospective hunters can apply online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. General lottery applications can also be submitted by calling 800-406-6409. Preferential landowner (gratis) applications must be submitted online. Paper applications are not available.
The status of the bighorn sheep season will be determined Sept. 1, after summer population surveys are completed. However, bighorn sheep applications must be submitted before the deadline. Once total licenses are determined for each unit in late summer, the bighorn lottery will then be held and successful applicants will be contacted to select a hunting unit.
Elk, moose and bighorn sheep lottery licenses are issued as once-in-a-lifetime licenses in North Dakota. Hunters who have received a license through the lottery in the past are not eligible to apply for that species again.
Deer Found Near Williston Tests Positive for CWD
A white-tailed deer found dead just south of Williston in late February has been confirmed positive for chronic wasting disease, according to Dr. Charlie Bahnson, wildlife veterinarian for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
“This is unfortunate news because it means CWD is much farther south than the positive deer harvested this past fall in the northwest corner of deer unit 3A1 in Divide County,” Bahnson said.
CWD is a fatal disease of deer, moose and elk that can cause long-term population declines if left unchecked. Since 2009, 14 other deer have tested positive for CWD in North Dakota – 13 from Grant and Sioux counties in hunting unit 3F2 in the southwest, and the other taken last fall from the northwest in Divide County.
The deer found near Williston is the first documented case of a mortality due to CWD in North Dakota.
“All 14 previous detections were perfectly healthy-looking deer that were hunter-harvested before they got sick,” Bahnson said. “This deer was severely emaciated and had an empty digestive tract, which is unusual even in starvation cases that can occur in harder winters like this one. This deer stopped trying to forage some time ago.”
Bahnson said this deer was probably not the first to die of CWD in North Dakota, especially since the disease has been documented in 3F2 for a decade. “But this animal happened to die in an area where it was highly visible, and the carcass could be recovered in time for testing,” he said.
The Game and Fish Department will collect additional samples for testing through targeted removal over the next week or so. In addition to the targeted removal and testing, Game and Fish will review the need to amend the current CWD proclamation to reflect the new CWD positive.
“In other areas of the country where CWD has reached a tipping point, finding sick or dead CWD-infected deer has become common,” Bahnson said. “We need to do everything in our power to ensure that doesn’t happen in North Dakota.”
Outdoor enthusiasts are invited to attend a North Dakota Game and Fish Department spring advisory board meeting in their area.
These public meetings, held each spring and fall, provide citizens with an opportunity to discuss fish and wildlife issues and ask questions of their district advisors and agency personnel.
The governor appoints eight Game and Fish Department advisors, each representing a multi-county section of the state, to serve as a liaison between the department and public.
Any person who requires an auxiliary aid or service must notify the contact person at least five days prior to the scheduled meeting date.
District 5 – Counties: Cass, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele and Traill
Date: April 1 – 7 p.m.
Location: City Hall, 14497 42nd St. SE, Embden
Host: Four Corners Wildlife Club
Contact: Kent Jensen, 793-4446
Advisory board member: Duane Hanson, West Fargo, 367-4249
District 8 – Counties: Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Hettinger, Slope and Stark
Date: April 1 – 7 p.m.
Location: Eagles Club, 31 First Ave. E., Dickinson
District 7 – Counties: Burleigh, Emmons, Grant, Kidder, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan and Sioux
Date: April 8 – 7 p.m.
Location: Game and Fish Main Office, 100 N. Bismarck Expressway, Bismarck
Host: Lewis and Clark Wildlife Club
Contact: Dave Dewald, 471-1046
Advisory board member: Dave Nehring, Bismarck, 214-3184
District 2 – Counties: Bottineau, Burke, McHenry, Mountrail, Pierce, Renville and Ward
Date: April 9 – 7 p.m.
Location: Verendrye Electric, 615 Highway 52 W., Velva
Host: Velva Wildlife Club
Contact: DJ Randolph, 720-2134
Advisory board member: Robert Gjellstad, Voltaire, 338-2281
District 3 – Counties: Benson, Cavalier, Eddy, Ramsey, Rolette and Towner
Date: April 9 – 7 p.m.
Location: Lake Region State College, 1801 College Dr., Devils Lake
Contact and advisory board member: Tom Rost, Devils Lake, 662-8620
NASP Tourney March 22-23
A record number of archers are scheduled to compete this weekend in the North Dakota National Archery in the Schools Program state tournament at the State Fair Center in Minot. The tournament will feature competition in Bullseye or Olympic style, and 3-D.
The tournament, held March 22-23, consists of team and individual competition in elementary, middle school and high school, including awards and prizes, and up to $20,000 in college scholarships available to the top 10 boys and girls in each grade division.
Additionally, the top 10 boys and girls qualify for NASP nationals in Louisville, Kentucky. The top prize in the 3-D competition is an all-inclusive pronghorn hunt in Wyoming.
The state tournament and all other local and regional NASP tournaments are open to any student in grades 4-12 who attend a school that offers NASP lessons during the school day. If a school has an after-school club, third-graders are also welcome, with permission from the coach and principal.
For a complete listing of tournaments in North Dakota, go to the official NASP tournament website at https://nasptournaments.org/. A certified NASP archery instructor must register participants for all NASP tournaments.
For more information, or to find out if your child’s school participates in NASP, contact Jeff Long, North Dakota state coordinator, at jrlong@nd.gov, or call 701-328-6322.
North Dakota Game and Fish Department