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News Releases

North Dakota Game and Fish Department

North Dakota Game and Fish Department


News Releases


Elk, Moose, Bighorn Sheep Apps Due March 29



Elk, moose and bighorn sheep applications must be submitted online before midnight, March 29.

Applicants can apply by visiting My Account at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov.

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.

Grant Application to Assist R3 Efforts



Wildlife, shooting, fraternal and nonprofit civic organizations can submit an application for the Encouraging Tomorrow’s Hunters program, a North Dakota Game and Fish Department grant program developed to assist in the recruitment, retention and reactivation of hunters.

The program supports projects and events that provide a positive environment to develop the skills and confidence needed to create lifelong, conservation-minded hunting and shooting sports participants.

Application deadline is May 1.

The maximum grant allowed is $3,000. The program currently helps fund approximately 40 club and organization events and projects each year, with an average grant of $1,550.

Funds help cover event expenses, including promotional printing; event memorabilia such as shirts, caps or vests; ammunition and targets; and eye and ear protection.

Past funding has enabled groups to conduct learn-to-hunt events, or sponsor trap and other shooting events, including archery and rifle shooting. Game and Fish has separate grant programs that support National Archery in the Schools Program and high school trapshooting teams.  

Clubs or organizations interested in applying should note the grant process, application, and records requirements. For more information, including a grant application, visit the Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov, or contact Cayla Bendel, department R3 coordinator, at 701-220-3461.

Elk, Moose, Bighorn Sheep Applications Online



Elk, moose and bighorn sheep applications are available online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. The deadline for applying is March 29.

A total of 603 elk licenses are available to hunters this fall, an increase of 40 from last year.

Licenses in units E1E and E1W increased due to a stable to increasing elk population. Licenses in elk units E2, E3, E4 and E6 remain the same as in 2022. 

A total of 257 moose licenses are available, a decrease of 147 from last year. 

Licenses in units M6 and M8 remain the same as the moose population appears to be stable with good hunter success in these units. Licenses in M5 increased slightly due to a stable population and several consecutive years with all hunters successful in this unit. Licenses in M9, M10 and M11 are reduced due to an observed decrease in the population from winter aerial surveys, a decrease in hunter success and a winter tick outbreak the previous spring that impacted the population in these areas. Moose units M4 and M1C will remain closed due to a continued downward population trend in the northeastern part of the state. 

A bighorn sheep hunting season is tentatively scheduled for 2023, depending on the sheep population. The status of the bighorn sheep season will be determined Sept. 1, after summer population surveys are completed. 

Bighorn sheep applicants must apply for a license at the same time as moose and elk, but not for a specific unit. Once total licenses are determined for each unit in late summer, the bighorn lottery will be held and successful applicants contacted to select a hunting unit.

Because the bighorn sheep application fee is not refundable as per state law, if a bighorn season is not held, applicants would not receive a refund.

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.

2023-24 Licenses Needed April 1



North Dakota anglers, trappers and hunters are reminded that new licenses are required beginning April 1.

Licenses can be purchased online by visiting the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. Once the license is processed, hunters and anglers will have the option to print a hard copy and/or download the license to a smart phone or mobile device, which is helpful when asked to show proof while hunting or fishing in rural areas that lack cellular service.

Licenses can also be purchased at more than 140 vendor locations throughout the state. The 2023-24 small game, fishing and furbearer licenses are effective April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024. 

Game and Fish Volunteers Recognized



Volunteer instructors for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department were recently recognized at the annual banquet in Bismarck.

Gary Knotts, Fargo, was recognized as Hunter Education Instructor of the Year and Heather Retzer, Wahpeton, was named Volunteer of the Year. Minot instructors Jon Hughes, Justin Hughes and Harold Capaci were recognized as Team of the Year.

Thirty-year service awards were presented to Richard Bahm, Mandan; James Borkowski, Bottineau; Myron Brager, Finley; Joseph Haas, Lidgerwood; Robert Haglund, Minot; Doyle Roeder, Bismarck; Dale Veselka, Tower City; Curtis Walen, Carrington; and Merle Weatherly, Jamestown.

Recognized for 25 years of service were Burns Bailey, Moffit; Mark Berg, Nortonville; Matthew Evans, Stanley; William Gauslow, Wahpeton; Larry Leier, Hague; Mike Marquette, Cogswell; Bradley Moser, Medina; Scott Sigette, Devils Lake; Melisa Toepke-Peterson, Fargo; Beverly Turbiville, Dickinson; and Leonard Wysocki Jr., Grafton.

Honored for 20 years of service were Janice Bishop, Kathryn; Doug Hintzman, Kulm; Justin Houghton, Steele; Peggy Knotts, Fargo; Joe Lautenschlager, Berthold; Jeffrey Lemer, Anamoose; Robert Miller, Oakes; Mark Pfeifer, Lidgerwood; and Scott Wagner, Casselton.

Fifteen-year service awards were presented to Roger Decker, Belfield; Michael Feener, Fargo; Mike Graue, Devils Lake; Terry Huwe, Menoken; Casey Martin, Bismarck; Michael Myers, Dickinson; Timothy Nelson, Harvey; John Paulson, Bismarck; Randy Schock, Bismarck; Penny Slagle, Williston; and Joe Tuchscherer, Rugby.

Ten-year active instructors recognized were Lena Bohm, Mohall; Kaya Engen, Bismarck; Jose Figueroa-Diaz, Fargo; David Hammond, Abercrombie; Clint Johnson, Carrington; Nicholas Krump, Grand Forks; Jason Sauer, Glen Ullin; Kristofer Schmidt, Velva; and Eric Viall, Ray.

Recognized for five years of service were Charles Betts, Minot; James Decker, Bismarck; Michael Deville, New Town; Seth Engelstad, Walhalla; Bernard Ficek, Bismarck; Clarence Gilstad, Ashley; Michael Goroski, Wahpeton; Michael Hamling, Hankinson; Katrina Haugen, Minto; Wayne Henderson, Edgeley; Isaac Hendrickson, Agate; Nathan Hill, Wahpeton; Jesse Kalberer, Bismarck; Jeanette Kieper, Bismarck; Trevor Larsen, Bowdon; Howdy Lawlar, Watford City; Bruce Leiseth, Jamestown; Arlyce Malarkey, Bismarck; Michael Malarkey, Bismarck; Brian Miller, Heaton; Jeremy Mohl, Williston; Dustin Newman, Watford City; Albert Olson, Bismarck; Frank Rohloff, Grand Forks; Scott Rupert, Des Lacs; Ethan Shulind, Grand Forks; Danielle Siverhus-Dinger, Oakes; Timothy Smith, Burlington; and Lori Wertz, Fargo. 

Two-year active instructors recognized were Arvid Anderson, Pick City; Brayden Barnhart, Dickinson; Nicholas Berry, Waterloo, Iowa; Baron Blanchard, Bismarck; Nat Bornsen, Larimore; Dan Brown, Williston; Penny Brown, Williston; Larry Derr, Glenburn; Myron Gunderson, Medina; Phillip Hatcher, Valley City; Jesse Herman, Gwinner; Karna Johnson, Fargo; Jimmy Jones, Williston; Amanda Korynta, Fargo; Matthew Liebel, Williston; Kaia Mahrer, Rutland; Adam Miller, Bismarck; Cedric Monson, Bismarck; Rob Owens, Hillsboro; Kalob Poitra, Belcourt; Scott Redding, Burlington; Michael Schirado, Linton; Rachel Spear, Drake; Heather Stabler, Watford City; Barbara Tessier, Belfield; Chris Tischaefer, Butte; Jessica Ware, Kenmare; and Jeff Winslow, Williston.

CWD Test Results



With most chronic wasting disease testing completed, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department reported 24 deer from the 2022 hunting season tested positive.

Eight deer were from hunting unit 3F2; eight from unit 3A1; two from unit 4B; and one from units 3B1 and 3E2. Single positive deer were also found in four new units – 3A3, 3E1, 3F1 and 4F – where the disease had not been previously detected.

Wildlife division chief Casey Anderson said the department is encouraged the number of cases was on par with results from the 2021 hunting season when 26 cases were found.

“While we certainly wish the number was zero, this stable trend is a good thing and supports our current management approach,” he said.

CWD is a fatal disease of deer, moose and elk that remains on the landscape and can cause long-term population impacts as infection rates climb. The 2022 results come while the state legislature considers a bill that would strip the Game and Fish Department’s ability to restrict baiting as a means to combat CWD. 

“Baiting restrictions are one of only a few tools the department has to try to slow down how fast CWD spreads,” said Dr. Charlie Bahnson, wildlife veterinarian. “Artificially concentrating deer from August through November puts more animals in contact with each other and each other’s bodily fluids. That’s a lot of unnecessary risk that’s hard to justify in areas where CWD has been detected.”

CWD forces Game and Fish to make tough decisions that leave some folks unhappy, Anderson said.

“That said, the department is charged with protecting the health of the deer herd for current and future use,” he said. “It’d be irresponsible of us to ignore the serious threat CWD poses, and we hope to have every tool available to do our job. Unfortunately, with CWD, we don’t get a redo.” 

Confirmed cases included 22 hunter harvested mule deer; one harvested white-tailed deer; and one mule deer hit by a vehicle. The estimated infection rates among mule deer were 4.9% in unit 3F2 and 9.8% in unit 3A1. Only 4.4% of hunters submitted heads for testing in units where the department focused its surveillance efforts. 

Game and Fish will use its 2022 surveillance data to guide its CWD management strategy moving forward. More information about CWD can be found by visiting the department’s website, gf.nd.gov. 

Nonresident Any-Deer Bow Licenses



The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will have 862 any-deer bow licenses available to nonresidents in 2023.

Applicants can apply online beginning March 15 on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. The deadline to apply is April 15. 

Up to five hunters can apply together as a party. A lottery will be held if more applications are received than licenses available. A total of 1,836 people applied in 2022. 

The number of nonresident any-deer bow licenses available is 15% of the previous year’s mule deer gun license allocation.

Grant Supports High School Trap League



Local clubs or communities interested in receiving a grant to support a high school trap shooting team must have the application in before April 1. Existing teams that have received a grant in the past are not eligible.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department offers a grant of up to $1,000, with funds designed to purchase gear such as eye and hearing protection, vests, shell bags and magnetic barrel rests.

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

For more information, contact Game and Fish education section leader Marty Egeland at 328-6612, or email megeland@nd.gov.

Game and Fish Offers Wildlife Food Plot Seed



The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will again offer free seed for the upcoming growing season to landowners interested in planting wildlife food plots for pheasants.

Rather than a traditional corn or sunflower food plot, this seed mix provides increased plant diversity, including flowering plants from spring through fall, which will attract insects, the major diet component of pheasant chicks. Additionally, the mix will provide needed cover during spring and summer, as well as a winter food source. Other wildlife species will also benefit from this mix.

Department private land section leader Kevin Kading said most Game and Fish food plots are part of the department’s Private Land Open To Sportsmen program.

This food plot campaign does not require a PLOTS contract, but we are asking participating landowners to allow reasonable public access, which could mean simply providing access permission to hunters from time to time, putting up ‘Ask Before You Enter’ signs around the area, or not posting the surrounding land,” Kading said. “Landowners participating in this promotion cannot charge a fee for hunting.”

The department will provide enough seed to cover up to a maximum 5-acre planting at no cost to the landowner.

Landowners interested in receiving the food plot seed must sign up online by April 1. Seed will be available in April at Game and Fish offices in Bismarck, Jamestown, Devils Lake, Harvey, Dickinson, Williston and Riverdale.

Game and Fish private land biologists can provide technical assistance on food plot location and site preparation.

Landowners interested in additional financial incentives may be considered for the PLOTS program as well. More information is available by contacting a private land biologist at any Game and Fish office in the state, or email ndgf@nd.gov.

Deadline to Remove Fish Houses



Anglers are reminded unoccupied fish houses must be removed from all waters beginning March 15.

Fish houses may be used after March 15 if they are removed daily, when not occupied.

In addition, anglers are encouraged to look around and clean up the site if any trash is found left behind.

2023 CRP signup



The U.S. Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for its voluntary Conservation Reserve Program. Private landowners can apply at their local USDA Farm Service Agency office through April 7.

Cropland not currently enrolled in CRP may be offered during this general enrollment period. In addition, producers with CRP contracts expiring Sept. 30, 2023, may also be eligible.

CRP acres in the state peaked 15 years ago at nearly 3.4 million acres. With just 1.1 million CRP acres across North Dakota’s rural landscape today, the availability of critical nesting and fawning habitat required by many wildlife species has fallen significantly by comparison.

USDA has implemented changes in recent years to make CRP offers more appealing to landowners. Improved rental rates and new incentives have been added to encourage more land enrollment. CRP can provide haying or grazing opportunities when certain drought conditions are met, and many practices now allow grazing to occur every other year.

“The habitat created by CRP makes it a great fit for the Game and Fish Department’s Private Land Open To Sportsmen program,” said Kevin Kading, private lands section leader.

Producers interested in enrolling their CRP into the PLOTS program for additional financial incentives should contact a Department private land biologist in their area.

Game and Fish Announces Mobile App



The North Dakota Game and Fish Department developed a new mobile app that allows outdoor enthusiasts instant access in the field to their licenses, hunting and fishing regulations and other important information. 

To download the app, go to Google Play Store or Apple App Store and search NDGF or North Dakota Game and Fish Department. 

Brian Hosek, Department business operations manager, said for those who download the app to their phone or other mobile device, the first thing they should do is add a profile.

 “It’s basically the same account information that you’ve added when using the online services, bringing in your first name, last name, date of birth, and adding that profile to the device,” he said.

 And if users have multiple hunters and anglers in their household, they can add those profiles to the phone or other mobile device as well.

 “The benefit of pulling the license information over to the device from other hunters and anglers in their household is that they’ll have that information available perhaps if they’re ever offline or need to access the license information,” Hosek said.

 There are other valuable features on the mobile app that will certainly benefit outdoor users.

 “We begin the homepage with sunrise, sunset times and some weather forecast information,” Hosek said. “This information is widely searched on our website, so it was important to bring this information over to the device.”

 While users can view or download guides, regulations, proclamations and maps through the mobile app, there is also a buy and apply section, offering quick access to apply in Game and Fish lotteries, purchase licenses, register watercraft, the list goes on.

 And like many mobile apps, it uses your location services to bring information back to the user.

 “It could be hunting units, for example, that you’re based in depending on your location,” Hosek said. “Or it could be contact information for the warden in the area that you’re in or the location of the closest Game and Fish district office.”