News Release Archives - November 1999
Fall Advisory Board Meetings Set | Fish House Licenses Are No Longer Needed in North Dakota | 1999 Salmon Spawning Efforts Produce Record Numbers | Fall Advisory Board Meetings Set | Game and Fish Books, Videos, and Magazine Make Great Christmas Gifts | Nogame Photo Contest Announces Winners | Late-Season Upland Game Opportunities Available on Refuges
Fall Advisory Board Meetings Set (11/5/99)
Anglers, hunters, trappers, and landowners are invited to attend this fall's game and fish department advisory board meeting in their area. These public meetings, held twice each year, provide the public with the opportunity to discuss wildlife issues and ask questions of their district advisors and game and fish personnel.
There are eight game and fish department advisors, each representing a multi-county section of the state. The governor appoints them to four-year terms to serve as a liaison between the department and public.
District 1- Counties: Divide, McKenzie and Williams. Date: November 22, 7:00 p.m. CST. Location: Watford City Civic Center. Host: Watford City Wildlife Club. Contact: Steve Scofield, 842-2787. Advisor: Kurt Hovet, Watford City, 842-2531.
District 2 - Counties: Bottineau, Burke, McHenry, Mountrail, Pierce, Renville, Ward. Date: December 2, 7:00 p.m. Location: Lansford Community Hall. Host: Details to be announced later. Contact: Todd Grothe, 838-7885. Advisor: Gary Melby, Bowbells, 377-2803.
District 3 - Counties: Benson, Cavalier, Eddy, Ramsey, Rolette, Towner. Date: December 1, 7:00 p.m. Location: Leeds Community Hall. Host: Ducks Unlimited. Contact: Rick Darling, 466-2436. Advisor: Barbara Ash, Devils Lake, home 662-3989, work 662-1800.
District 4 - Counties: Grand Forks, Nelson, Pembina Walsh. Date: November 30, 7:30 p.m. Location: Law Enforcement Center, Cavalier. Host: Cavalier Co. Sportsmen's Club. Contact: Henry Duray, 265-8196. Advisor: Richard A. Price, Tolna, 262-4782
District 5 - Counties: Cass, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele, Traill. Date: November 29, 7:00 p.m. Location: City Hall, Casselton. Host: Cass County Wildlife Club. Contact: Lorne Sterner, 347-4716. Advisor: Kenneth Toop, Casselton, home 347-4960, work 347-4045.
District 6 - Counties: Barnes, Dickey, Foster, Griggs, Logan, LaMoure, McIntosh, Stutsman, Wells. Date: December 6, 7:00 p.m. Location: National Guard Armory, Wishek. Host: Wishek Wildlife Club. Contact: Don Sayler, 452-2782. Advisor: Rita Greer, Marion, 669-2315.
District 7 - Counties: Burleigh, Emmons, Grant, Kidder, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan, Sioux. Date: December 7, 7:00 p.m. Location: Details to be announced later. Host: Details to be announced later. Contact: Details to be announced later. Advisor: Duane Schatz, Elgin; home 584-2937; work 584-2900.
District 8 - Counties: Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Hettinger, Slope, Stark. Date: November 23, time to be announced later. Location: Details to be announced later. Host: Details to be announced later. Advisor/Contact: Jerry D. Jeffers, Rhame, 279-5885.
Any person who requires an auxiliary aid or service must notify the contact person at least five days prior to the scheduled meeting date.
Fish House Licenses Are No Longer Needed in North Dakota (11/5/99)
Fish houses are no longer required to be licensed with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. The law requiring the licensing of fish houses was repealed by the 1999 Legislature, reports Paul Schadewald, chief of administrative services.
Although the licensing requirement was repealed, the outside of each unoccupied unit must have inscribed on it, in readily distinguishable characters at least three inches high, the owner's name and address or telephone number.
An unoccupied fish house left on the ice without an owner's name and address or phone number may be removed or destroyed by the Game and Fish Department.
1999 Salmon Spawning Efforts Produce Record Numbers (11/5/99)
North Dakota Game and Fish Department fisheries personnel concluded this year's salmon spawning efforts with record numbers, reports Jeff Hendrickson, fisheries biologist, Riverdale.
Spawning crews caught nearly 3,700 fish of which 30 percent were females. According to Hendrickson 1999 was a super year for the spawning run. " We took 2.75 million good eggs which is a new record. We usually run the salmon ladder until late October but because of the record number of salmon we turned the ladder off October 23. When we turned it off the fish still looked good and were plentiful in the bay," he added.
Chinook salmon begin their spawning run in October into Lake Sakakawea's Rodeo Bay. Spawning crews set up a salmon ladder and begin taking fish. Since salmon cannot naturally spawn in Lake Sakakawea, fisheries personnel artificially do it for them by taking and fertilizing their eggs and transporting them to the Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery.
The department's goal this year was to collect approximately 1.7 to 2 million eggs to meet next year's goals of stocking between 575,000 and 700,000 chinook smolts. The remainder of the eggs will go to Montana.
Fall Advisory Board Meetings Set (11/19/99)
Anglers, hunters, trappers, and landowners are invited to attend this fall's game and fish department advisory board meeting in their area. These public meetings, held twice each year, provide the public with the opportunity to discuss wildlife issues and ask questions of their district advisors and game and fish personnel.
There are eight game and fish department advisors, each representing a multi-county section of the state. The governor appoints them to four-year terms to serve as a liaison between the department and public.
The District 7 meeting in Bismarck, previously scheduled for Dec. 7 at 7:00 p.m., has been rescheduled for Dec. 8 at 8:00 p.m. CST.
District 1- Counties: Divide, McKenzie and Williams. Date: November 22, 7:00 p.m. CST. Location: Watford City Civic Center. Host: Watford City Wildlife Club. Contact: Steve Scofield, 842-2787. Advisor: Kurt Hovet, Watford City, 842-2531.
District 2 - Counties: Bottineau, Burke, McHenry, Mountrail, Pierce, Renville, Ward. Date: December 2, 7:00 p.m. Location: Lansford Community Hall. Host: Details to be announced later. Contact: Todd Grothe, 838-7885. Advisor: Gary Melby, Bowbells, 377-2803.
District 3 - Counties: Benson, Cavalier, Eddy, Ramsey, Rolette, Towner. Date: December 1, 7:00 p.m. Location: Leeds Community Hall. Host: Ducks Unlimited. Contact: Rick Darling, 466-2436. Advisor: Barbara Ash, Devils Lake, home 662-3989; work 662-1800.
District 4 - Counties: Grand Forks, Nelson, Pembina Walsh. Date: November 30, 7:30 p.m. Location: Law Enforcement Center, Cavalier. Host: Cavalier Co. Sportsmen's Club. Contact: Henry Duray, 265-8196. Advisor: Richard A. Price, Tolna, 262-4782
District 5 - Counties: Cass, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele, Traill. Date: November 29, 7:00 p.m. Location: City Hall, Casselton. Host: Cass County Wildlife Club. Contact: Lorne Sterner, 347-4716. Advisor: Kenneth Toop, Casselton, home 347-4960; work 347-4045.
District 6 - Counties: Barnes, Dickey, Foster, Griggs, Logan, LaMoure, McIntosh, Stutsman, Wells. Date: December 6, 7:00 p.m. Location: National Guard Armory, Wishek. Host: Wishek Wildlife Club. Contact: Don Sayler, 452-2782. Advisor: Rita Greer, Marion, 669-2315.
District 7 - Counties: Burleigh, Emmons, Grant, Kidder, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan, Sioux. Date: December 8, 8:00 p.m. CST. Location: Bismarck Game and Fish Office. Host: Game and Fish Department. Contact: Duane Schatz, 584-2937. Advisor: Duane Schatz, Elgin, home 584-2937; work 584-2900.
District 8 - Counties: Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Hettinger, Slope, Stark. Date: November 23, 7:00 p.m. MST. Location: Community Rm., Courthouse, Hettinger. Host: Rod and Gun Club. Advisor/Contact: Jerry D. Jeffers, Rhame, 279-5885.
Any person who requires an auxiliary aid or service must notify the contact person at least five days prior to the scheduled meeting date.
Game and Fish Books, Videos, and Magazine Make Great Christmas Gifts (11/19/99)
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department's wildlife books, videos, and magazine make great Christmas gifts for friends and relatives who enjoy the outdoors. The various books provide nontechnical life histories, population-trend information, and historical and modern photographs and narratives. Videotapes cover a multitude of wildlife-related topics. North Dakota Outdoors magazine, the department's official journal, covers all wildlife related topics in a timely manner. The department has the following items available:
North Dakota Outdoors, the department's official journal, is published 10 times a year. The December issue is the coming year's calendar. Two issues are combined: April-May (fishing issue) and the September-October (hunting issue). Subscriptions are $10 per year and $20 for 3-years.
North Dakota Outdoors magazine CD-ROM contains all articles from the 1930's through June 1996. A very useful database for wildlife enthusiasts. Minimum requirements are IBM-PC or compatible, Windows 3.1 or higher, 486 50-MHZ operating speed or higher, and eight megabytes of RAM. Price is $29.
Feathers from the Prairie, a Short History of Upland Game Birds, by Morris D. Johnson and Joseph Knue, chronicles the history of our game birds from settlement to recent times. Prices are $3 for soft cover and $10 for hard cover.
Big Game of North Dakota, contains life history information on the state's big game species. Historical references from the journals of Lewis and Clark and Alexander Henry tell of bighorn sheep, moose, elk, and grizzly and black bears in the state. Written by Joseph Knue. Prices are $3 for soft cover and $10 for hard cover.
Of Time and the Prairie, published as the department's centennial book, is an informative general reader about North Dakota history, geography, geology, and the importance of wildlife to the state's history. Written by Joseph Knue. Prices are $3 for soft cover and $10 for hard cover.
North Dakota Wildlife Viewing Guide is your personal adviser to the various habitats and critters that live in them. The book also tells you exactly how to get there and will help you to explore wildlife's favorite places. Price is $3 (soft cover only).
Rearing and Restoring Giant Canada Geese, by various contributors, documents this magnificent bird's return to the prairies. Price is $3 (soft cover only).
" Celebration 100 " video was produced by the department to observe the 1889-1989 state centennial. The video includes many pictures from the time of settlement to the present time and discusses the role wildlife and hunting and fishing have played in our state's history. Price is $10.
" North Dakota Outdoors " TV news show is available on video cassettes. There are four sets available, one for each year 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998. Each set contains 50 two-minute programs. Price is $25 per set.
To order send a check or money order to: Book Sales, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, 100 N. Bismarck Expressway, Bismarck, ND 58501-5095. Shipping and handling are included in the price of each book or videotape.
Nongame Photo Contest Announces Winners (11/26/99)
A stunning photograph of a spadefoot toad won Dave Angell of Bismarck top honors in the North Dakota Game and Fish Department's 10th annual nongame photo contest. Angell's photo, one of more than 50 entries, will appear on the 2000 watchable wildlife poster, according to Chris Grondahl, department outreach supervisor.
Angell's spadefoot toad was judged the best picture in the slide category. Other finalists were a male orchard oriole and a flycatcher sent in by Jack Lefor of Dickinson, and a monarch butterfly taken by Daphne Kinzler of Oakes.
The winning entry in the print category was a slate-colored junco submitted by Bernard Anderson of Warwick. Also receiving recognition was Mary Voigt of Dunn Center. Voigt's entry was a photo of a prickly pear cactus.
Next year's photo contest will attempt to recognize more North Dakota photographers. The new watchable wildlife photo contest will include all wildlife species. Categories will include game species, nongame species, and insects and plants. "The thought behind this change is that game species that people enjoy watching so much, such as deer, waterfowl, and upland birds, should be recognized," Grondahl said.
Questions on next year's contest should be directed to the game and fish department's conservation and communications division. Entry deadline is September 30, 2000. "Photographers should start thinking about next year's contest," Grondahl added. "We hope these new categories will further expand our participation and allow us to show even more talent."
Late-Season Upland Game Opportunities Available on Refuges (11/26/99)
Several national wildlife refuges in North Dakota are now open to late-season upland game bird hunting while three others will open Dec. 1.
Des Lacs, J. Clark Salyer, Lostwood, Tewaukon (pheasants only), and Upper Souris NWRs opened Nov. 22. Refuges open to upland game hunting starting Dec. 1 include Arrowwood, Audubon, and Long Lake.
National wildlife refuges are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Portions of each refuge are closed to hunting. Contact refuge headquarters for map leaflets designating closed areas and other restrictions.
Hunters are reminded that use of non-toxic shot is required on all U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands. State regulations, found in the 1999-2000 North Dakota Small Game and Furbearer Guide, apply. The season for pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse, Hungarian partridge and ruffed grouse close statewide on Jan. 2, 2000.
Refuge phone numbers: Arrowwood, 701-285-3341; Audubon, 701-442-5474; Des Lacs, 701-385-4046; J. Clark Salyer, 701-768-2548; Long Lake, 701-387-4397; Lostwood, 701-848-2722; Tewaukon, 701-724-3598; Upper Souris 701-468-5467.
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