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Study to Determine Possibility of Sandhill Crane Zone Expansion | All of Oahe's Beaver Bay Subject to 18 Inch Walleye/Sauger Size Limit | Missouri River Walleye-Sauger Limit Changed | Planning to Hunt Wyoming's Elk Refuge or Colorado? Remember Hunter Ed | Anglers Using Rosy Red Minnows Reminded to Watch for Goldfish, Rudd

Study to Determine Possibility of Sandhill Crane-Zone Expansion (9/10/99)
Personnel from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department will again be collecting a sample of the sandhill crane population east of U.S. Highway 281 as part of a study to determine the subspecies of cranes occurring outside the legal hunting area, reports Stan Kohn, department waterfowl biologist.

Kohn said that federal regulations presently prohibit taking sandhill cranes east of highway 281. The department would like to move the boundary eastward but before doing so must demonstrate to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service which crane subspecies occur in this area.

Presently three subspecies of sandhill cranes migrate through North Dakota each year. "Subspecies determination can only be made with the bird in hand using a variety of internal and external measurements," Kohn said.

The department plans to harvest up to 50 cranes east of Highway 281 each fall for the next several years. Landowners in that area who have cranes on their land and are willing to let department personnel harvest a few birds, are asked to call either the game and fish office in Devils Lake (701) 662-3617 or Jamestown (701) 253-6480.

All of Oahe's Beaver Bay Subject to 18 Inch Walleye/Sauger Size Limit (5/28/99)
There's evidently been some confusion about the recent 18-inch-walleye regulation on the Missouri River/Lake Oahe, specifically at Beaver Bay in Emmons County, according to Terry Steinwand, fisheries chief for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

Steinwand said the amendment to the 1998-2000 North Dakota fishing proclamation limits an angler's daily creel to only one walleye, sauger, or saugeye of 18 inches or greater in length from the Missouri River/Lake Oahe and their tributaries upstream to the first vehicular bridge or crossing. "All of Beaver Bay, he said, is considered part of Lake Oahe and is included in the regulation."

The key word is "tributaries," Steinwand said. Beaver Creek, which feeds into Beaver Bay, is the tributary. As a result, the Highway 1804 bridge across Beaver Bay is not the first vehicular bridge or crossing of the tributary. The actual first vehicular bridge or crossing is approximately three miles east up Beaver Creek and is not accessible by boat. "Therefore, anyone fishing in Beaver Bay east of Highway 1804 must abide by the 18-inch walleye regulation," he added.

Missouri River Walleye-Sauger Limit Changed (4/16/99)
Anglers who fish the Missouri River from Garrison Dam to South Dakota may keep only one walleye, sauger, or saugeye of 18 inches or longer per day (two in possession) beginning with the April 1 start of the 1999-2000 fishing season, according to Terry Steinwand, fisheries chief for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

Steinwand said the purpose of the new regulation is to conserve large walleye, saugeye, and sauger for future breeding stock. "In the past few years we've seen a severe decline in the rainbow smelt population, a major game fish forage species. This lack of forage results in slower-growing, lower-weight walleye, sauger, and saugeye and increases chances of catching bigger fish," he said.

Under normal growth patterns an 18-inch walleye should be 4-5 years old. Currently, most of the 3-4 year-old fish in these waters are less than 14 inches in length and are extremely skinny, reflecting a drop in the quantity of available forage, Steinwand said.

The regulation applies to the Missouri River-Lake Oahe including tributaries upstream to the first vehicular bridge or crossing. In the case of the Heart and Cannonball rivers it extends upstream to Highway 6 bridges.

It is illegal to remove more than the gills, entrails and scales from fish that are subject to a size limit while on the water or actively engaged in fishing on waters having a size restriction.

The Missouri River-Lake Oahe smelt population has dropped dramatically since 1996 because of high predator numbers, the smelt's own boom-and-bust cycles, and, most especially, high flows through Oahe Dam, the most important factor in the decline. In 1997, hundreds of millions of smelt are estimated to have gone through the dam. South Dakota estimates the loss at 550 million smelt, Steinwand added. Lake Sakakawea had similar problems during the drought of the late 80's and early 90's. Today, the lake has good numbers of smelt and large-sized, healthy walleye, sauger,and saugeye.

Planning to Hunt Wyoming's Elk Refuge or Colorado? You May Need Hunter Ed (1/15/99)
North Dakotans planning an elk hunt either in Colorado or the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming should be aware they may need to take a hunter education course, reminds Jim Carter, hunter education coordinator for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

Colorado, Carter said, sells elk licenses across the counter, but persons born after 1948 must have proof of hunter education. "The problem occurs when nonresidents head down there after hearing elk permits are available, but without checking the requirements beforehand. They get there just before the season and find they need the course. For these individuals, Colorado has generously set up at least 25 courses on weekends in October to certify nonresidents." The certification, however, is good only for the current year and nonresidents are advised to take their state's course when they return home.

In the case of the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming, all hunters regardless of age must have hunter education. Although Wyoming law only requires hunter education of those born after 1965, federal administrative rules require it for everyone hunting the refuge. The refuge unfortunately does not offer hunter education classes to permit holders, Carter reports.

"It then becomes the responsibility of the states to certify these hunters so they can meet the more stringent federal requirements," Carter said. Although the refuge application gives notice of the hunter education requirements, a hunter can apply without it, promising to take a class before the license becomes valid.

"We've had a number of hunters who have invested $415 for a refuge permit come through our office at the last minute. When they find that they just can't access a course at their convenience and face the possibility of losing their license fee, some of them get really upset and demand we drop everything to satisfy them," Carter said. "That's why we advise anyone considering going out of state to hunt to check out the details ahead of time before applying or making the trip."

North Dakota law requires the hunter education course of persons born after 1961. The courses, taught by volunteer instructors in their spare time, are offered in communities all around the state from January to August.

To locate a hunter education course in North Dakota or to learn about other states' requirements, call the department's hunter education section at 701-328-6312. Persons living in Bismarck, Grand Forks, Fargo, and Minot may sign up for courses at their local Scheel's All Sports store.

Anglers Using Rosy Red Minnows Reminded to Watch for Goldfish, Rudd (12/19/97)
A genetic anomaly of the fathead minnow, called the rosy red because of its color, is catching on as a baitfish with anglers in southeastern North Dakota. The rosy red itself is not a problem, but because it is similar to two unwanted species, the goldfish and rudd, anglers are advised to make sure of their bait to prevent their introduction into state waters, reports Terry Steinwand fisheries chief for the game and fish department.

Steinwand said the rosy red looks just like a regular fathead except for the color. The fish are imported by bait dealers from South Dakota. "Our only concern is that anglers might not know the difference between the rosy red and the rudd and goldfish. Goldfish, a member of the minnow family, similar to carp, and the rudd, a European species found in the southern part of South Dakota, are prolific fish that if accidentally introduced can lead to the same kinds of problems associated with other unwanted species."

"The rosy red has caught on with anglers but from the reports we've heard it doesn't seem to catch any more fish than a regular fathead minnow," Steinwand said.

Bait vendors are reminded that importing any fish from other states requires a permit from the game and fish department. The permit is free.

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