News Release Archives- July 2005

Licenses remain for the following units: Unit 03, portions of Benson, Towner, Pierce and Ramsey counties, 165 licenses; Unit 04, portions of Billings and Golden Valley counties south of Interstate 94, 139; Unit 06, Bowman County, 44; Unit 13, Dunn County, 393; Unit 15, Emmons County, 99; Unit 17, portions of Billings and Golden Valley counties north of Interstate 94, 833; Unit 19, Grant and Sioux counties and a portion of Morton County, 143; Unit 21, Hettinger and Adams counties, 78; Unit 25, McHenry County and portions of Pierce and Ward counties, 232; Unit 27, McKenzie County, 347; Unit 30, portion of Morton County, 276; Unit 31, Mountrail County, 37; Unit 34, portion of Pembina County, 28; Unit 44, Slope County, 77; Unit 45, Stark County, 125; Unit 51, Burke County and portions of Renville, Bottineau and Ward counties, 159; and Unit 99, Mercer and Oliver counties, 190.

Resident and nonresident hunters can apply online, or print out an application for mailing, at the game and fish Internet web site gf.nd.gov/. Applications are also available from the department's Bismarck office and county auditors. There is no limit to the number of licenses a person can receive.

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 pre-register by calling 328-6604.

Pronghorn Season Proposed with Record Number of Licenses, Applications Available July 25 072005
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is proposing a record number of pronghorn licenses for the 2005 hunting season, according to Bruce Stillings, big game biologist for the state Game and Fish Department, Dickinson.

The statewide pronghorn population estimate has increased from 4,000 in 1998 to nearly 15,000 this year. "This dramatic rise in population is due to a series of extremely mild winters which resulted in exceptional adult and fawn survival and above average reproductive success," Stillings said.

Game and fish is proposing 5,715 pronghorn licenses, 3,205 more than last year. According to Stillings, this significant increase is primarily in doe/fawn licenses, and is intended to reduce pronghorn numbers to unit management objectives.

The previous record high was in 1993 when 4,810 licenses were allocated. " North Dakota's pronghorn population has recovered nicely from the 1997 winter die-off when 75 percent of the state's herd was lost due to winter mortality," Stillings said.

A noteworthy change from last year is the proposal to combine hunting units 4A and 4B into one unit designated as Unit 4A. "After discussions with local landowners, hunters and the district game warden," Stillings said, "it was determined that two separate units in such a relatively small geographic area provided little benefit and created confusion for hunters due to the somewhat indistinct boundary separating the two units."

Because of this change and the increase in licenses, Stillings noted, hunting Unit 4A will feature a split season to spread out hunting pressure over the full season. "After consulting with several local landowners and the district game warden it was determined that a split season would reduce hunter crowding and help ensure the desired harvest of animals," he said.

A boundary change is also being proposed for Unit 9C, which has been expanded eastward to the Missouri River. Pronghorn numbers east of N.D. Highway 31 in Morton and Oliver counties are slowly expanding, Stillings said, therefore providing additional hunting opportunities in this area is appropriate.

Prospective hunters are encouraged to apply online, or print out an application to mail, at the game and fish web site, gf.nd.gov/. Regular license fees apply and no service charge is added.

Applications will also be available July 25 from game and fish offices, county auditors and license vendors, or by calling 800-406-6409. A service fee is added for license applications made over the phone.

Deadline for submitting applications is Wednesday, Aug. 10. Mailed applications must be postmarked before midnight. Hand-delivered applications are due at the department's Bismarck office by 5 p.m. Applications should be mailed early because some post offices use the following day's postmark if received after office hours.

Only North Dakota residents are eligible for pronghorn gun licenses. Archery season is open to residents and nonresidents. Gun season dates are Sept. 30 (noon) - Oct. 16. Pronghorn bow season runs Sept. 2 (noon) - Oct. 9.

Unsuccessful applicants in the first drawing will be mailed a blue application form with an Aug. 3 deadline. Hunters who have not yet applied, or who want to apply for a second, third or fourth license, have to submit a third lottery ivory-colored application by Aug. 10.

The 2005 deer hunting proclamation allows hunters to purchase an unrestricted number of additional antlerless licenses in specific units as long as licenses are available. After the third lottery application procedure, any remaining licenses will be issued on a first come, first serve basis for hunters who want more than four deer gun licenses.

Hunters can use additional doe licenses during the archery season with a bow; the deer gun season with a bow, rifle, or muzzle-loader; or during the muzzle-loader season with a muzzle-loader. These licenses must be used for antlerless deer only, and hunters must stay in the unit to which the license is assigned.

Interested hunters can print out an application, or submit a lottery application online at the game and fish web site, gf.nd.gov/. Applications are also available from North Dakota Game and Fish offices, county auditors and license vendors.

Mailed applications must be postmarked by midnight of the respective deadline. Residents and nonresidents are eligible to apply in the third lottery. The leftover license fee for nonresident hunters is $55. The regular deer gun season starts at noon Nov. 4 and runs through Nov. 20.

The lottery drawing for persons who have not yet received a 2005 deer gun license will take place prior to the lottery for hunters seeking additional licenses.

The hatchery, near Riverdale, produced 9.8 million walleye fingerlings in 2005, breaking the bench mark set in 1991, according to Jerry Weigel, North Dakota Game and Fish Department fisheries production and development section leader. The average number of walleye fingerlings produced in a year is typically 4-6 million, which is directly related to statewide need.

The record total was driven by a higher than normal request of 7 million fingerlings. "With limited natural reproduction in recent years there was a need to stock Lake Sakakawea, Devils Lake and several additional large waters," Weigel said. "Water conditions going into the spring were not the best, and most of these larger waters had conservative requests. With all the rain we had, timing of the surplus production could not have been better."

Weigel said even given the small size of the typical fingerling - about 1-2 inches - more than 6,000 pounds of walleye fingerlings were produced. "It's a great year for walleye, and the receiving waters could not have been in better condition," he said, noting weather conditions were generally overcast and rainy, making water temperatures favorable for the young fish. "Most lakes had rising cooler water, or were in a newly flooded condition ... it was perfect."

Altogether, 78 lakes and rivers were stocked in North Dakota, Weigel said, covering every corner of the state. "The fish quality was fantastic during the entire two-and-a-half weeks of shipping," he said, "plus it was rare to come to a lake where drivers did not have to go through rising water to get to a dock.

"We have set the stage for a phenomenal walleye year," Weigel continued. "We will know more this fall when our crews follow up to check on survival rate of the stocked fish and determine the amount of natural reproduction."

Maintaining and preserving habitat is the single most important issue fish and wildlife managers will have to contend with in the near future, according to Dean Hildebrand, game and fish director. Other areas of immediate concern, Hildebrand mentioned, are to increase - or at least maintain - the current number of hunters and anglers, leasing of land by commercial and private interests, and the potential threat of disease.

"There are some challenges that will have to be confronted and overcome," Hildebrand said. "And it all starts with habitat. If we lose habitat, fish and wildlife populations will suffer, and the number of people hunting and fishing will decline."

Of immediate concern is the next farm program, Hildebrand said. "It is important for us to work with Congress to make sure the agricultural program meets the needs of farmers, landowners and wildlife," he said.

By 2010 some 3.4 million acres enrolled in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Program are scheduled to expire in North Dakota, and 1.7 million acres are set to expire in 2007. "We are entering a critical time for CRP," Hildebrand said.

As 2007 approaches, many producers will be looking for options on lands set to expire from CRP. There is concern that many producers may return the expired CRP to cropland, Hildebrand said. "It has been estimated in North Dakota that 79 percent of all lands expiring from CRP in 2007 may be returned to cropland," he added. "It is important that producers have an opportunity to re-enroll in CRP."

USDA-Farm Service Agency has recently finished review of more than 5,000 comments received in response to a fall 2004 comment period. As USDA moves forward in addressing this issue, Hildebrand mentioned the North Dakota Game and Fish Department and other state agencies will provide consistent collaboration with USDA to ensure this important program continues to fulfill its wildlife goals and maintain its successful reputation.

As wildlife officials are paying special attention to the farm program, fishery managers are concerned with aquatic nuisance species and the impact they have on state waters. ANS are exotic plants and animals that can do great damage to fishery and other aquatic resources by overwhelming native and desirable species. "We have to stay abreast of this issue, because we cannot let this get away from us," Hildebrand said.

Prevention of ANS is now officially structured, Hildebrand noted, as state agencies and private groups worked together to develop a state management plan that was approved by Gov. John Hoeven, and state lawmakers passed a law that allows for stern penalties for anyone who contributes to the spread of ANS.

Leasing of lands by commercial and private interest groups is an issue that is not going to go away, Hildebrand warned, and it is important for game and fish to work with landowners and provide them with options so they can make a good living from agriculture, so they are less likely to lease their land to commercial interests.

"Our Private Land Open To Sportsmen program is an example of how we are working with landowners to keep their land open to hunters," Hildebrand said.

"It is important to work with these interests, and correctly manage the guides and outfitters, so it doesn't eliminate the rank and file resident hunters and anglers," Hildebrand continued. "Lands bought or leased by urban residents and nonresidents for their own gain are more likely to keep hunters off that land, than are landowners who are living and working on that land. I am a strong advocate for residents. They live here 365 days a year and support our communities, and I don't want to see us lose resident numbers."

The threat of plant and wildlife disease is something that can significantly change the landscape of North Dakota, and Hildebrand said the department is continuing efforts to minimize disease problems.

For example, Hildebrand says game and fish officials have learned a lot from the chronic wasting disease issue, and he believes that is something we now have a handle on. "It (CWD) is something we didn't know much about a few years ago, but we learned from other states, have put a plan in place, and now feel confident in our abilities to monitor CWD, and if it is ever found in North Dakota, we are prepared to act," he said.

"And who knows where technology is going to take us," Hildebrand continued. "Just look at the advancements made in the last 25 years alone, and the same thing will happen in the next 25. This causes me to be concerned about fair chase, we don't want science to get ahead of the resource."

Hildebrand looks toward the next 75 years with a degree of concern, most notably with maintaining the current number of resident hunters and anglers. "If we make it difficult for them to hunt or fish they will gravitate to other activities," Hildebrand said. "Our young folks are finding the computer, jet skis and all terrain vehicles attractive and entertaining. If we don't capture an interest in hunting and fishing early on for our young people, we will lose them."

The need for aggressive recruitment is urgent, Hildebrand mentioned, because he says if we lose our recruitment in state there will be more pressure from outside. "We must do our part to gain their interest, but so much depends on our weather and our habitat base," he added. "We can't do much about Mother Nature, but we really must do everything we can to conserve, protect and enhance our habitat for future generations.

"Our future will be bright," Hildebrand continued, "if we have adequate water of good quality, and farm programs with conservation provisions that meet the needs of landowners, hunters and anglers."

The prairie grouse hunting season - good for either sharp-tailed grouse or prairie chickens - will be held Oct. 8-16 in two hunting units, one in Grand Forks County (north unit) and the other in southeastern North Dakota (south unit). Fifty licenses will be awarded to resident hunters in each unit, the same as 2004.

Applications for the 2005 season must be in the mail and postmarked no later than Aug. 10. To apply for the prairie grouse season, hunters need to send a postcard containing their name, address, phone number and choice of hunting unit (north or south) to Prairie Chicken Application, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, 100 N. Bismarck Expressway, Bismarck, N.D. 58501.

Only one application per postcard and one application per hunter is permitted. Successful applicants will be notified through the mail.

Last year, North Dakota held its first prairie chicken season since 1945. The season limit was two prairie grouse, and altogether 51 prairie chickens - 39 from the north unit and 12 from the south unit - and 30 sharptails were taken during the nine-day season.

The department received 531 applications in 2004 - 250 for the north unit, 249 for the south unit, and 32 did not specify a unit.

The workshop is directed toward women at least 18 years old who want to learn more about outdoor activities.

The workshop offers 27 different seminars, each of which lasts more than three hours. Sessions contain 45 minutes of lecture with the remainder dedicated to hands-on instruction. Participants are limited to four sessions, and each session has room for 12 women.

Classes offered include fishing and fly-fishing, bird identification, plant identification, beginning bow hunting, birds and their nests, canoeing, predator calling, handling and cooking game, decoy carving, GPS adventure and introduction to rifles.

Participants will stay in dorms and must provide their own bedding and towels. All camp facilities are handicap accessible. Equipment will be provided unless noted in course description.

The cost is $120 and enrollment is limited to 100 participants. Registration must be completed by Aug. 1. To receive an information brochure and enrollment form, contact Nancy Boldt, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, 100 N. Bismarck Expressway, Bismarck, ND 58501-5095 or call 701-328-6312, email: ndgf@state.nd.us Enrollment forms are also available at the department's web site at gf.nd.gov/; click on the education-outreach tab and look for the BOW link.

Last season's partridge harvest was 52,443, down 41 percent from 88,616 in 2003. Number of hunters was down 24 percent to 21,066 (16,378 residents, 4,688 nonresidents), compared to 27,732 in 2003. Seasonal kill per hunter decreased from 3.2 to 2.5.

Counties with highest percentage of partridge taken by resident hunters in 2004: Ward, 11.5; Mountrail, 7.7; Barnes, 5.4; Bottineau, 5.1; and McLean, 4.2. Top counties for nonresident hunters were McIntosh, 9.6; Dickey and Hettinger, 7.8; Slope, 7.4; and Bowman and Emmons, 5.3.

The ruffed grouse harvest for 2004 was 249 birds, down 86 percent from 1,830 in 2003. Number of hunters was down 54 percent to 463 (408 resident, 55 nonresident), compared to 1,013 in 2003. Kill per hunter decreased from 1.81 to 0.54.

Counties with the highest percentage of ruffed grouse taken in 2004 were Rolette, 54.5; Pembina, 27.3; and Bottineau, 18.2.

The 2004 sharp-tailed grouse harvest was 101,637, down 31 percent from 147,517 in 2003. Number of hunters last year was 29,499 (22,316 residents, 7,183 nonresidents), down 26 percent from 40,099 in 2003. Kill per hunter decreased from 3.7 to 3.5.

Counties with the highest percentage of sharptails bagged by resident hunters: Mountrail, 9.6; Ward, 6.6; Bottineau, 5.0; Williams, 4.8; and Morton, 4.2. Top counties by nonresident hunters were Sheridan, 10.2; McIntosh, 6.3; Kidder, 5.5; Divide, 5.3; and Emmons, 5.1.

Sage grouse hunters bagged 28 birds last year, up from 14 in 2003. Number of hunters decreased from 185 in 2003 to 100 last year. Kill per hunter increased from .08 to .28.

Statistics are based on a survey of 4,462 resident and 1,623 nonresident hunters.

"This was somewhat of a surprise since we knew production was down last summer, especially in the southwest, leading to fewer young birds in the fall population and eventually in the harvest," Kohn said.

Last fall's pheasant harvest was 587,600, down less than 1 percent from 592,066 in 2003. The number of hunters was down only 3 percent, from 88,809 in 2003 to 85,982 last year. The number of resident hunters decreased from 63,711 to 59,030, while the number of nonresident pheasant hunters increased from 25,098 to 26,952. Birds bagged per hunter increased from 6.67 to 6.83, and each hunter spent an average of 5.46 days afield.

Counties with the highest percentage of pheasants taken by resident hunters were McLean, 9.4; Burleigh, 7.5; Hettinger, 6.5; Ransom, 5.8; and Sargent, 5.7.

Top counties for nonresident hunters were Hettinger, 19.7 percent; Dickey, 11.6; Sargent, 7.4; McIntosh, 5.6; and Emmons, 5.4.

Annual pheasant season statistics, Kohn said, are determined by a mail survey of resident and nonresident hunters.

Today, hunters and anglers are finding many wildlife and fish populations - and opportunities - in North Dakota like never before thanks to sound management, abundant habitat and Mother Nature's cooperation.

According to Randy Kreil, department wildlife chief, wildlife populations have flourished the past few years, with white-tailed deer and ring-necked pheasants receiving most of the attention for offering hunting opportunities in the state. "Most of our wildlife populations are really booming," Kreil said. "It is a good time to be a hunter in North Dakota."

For example, a record 145,600 deer gun licenses are available for hunters in 2005, marking the fifth consecutive year Game and Fish has set a standard for the number of deer gun licenses available.

Several mild winters and the resulting increase in reproductive success have raised the state's white-tailed deer population above management objectives in many units in eastern and northern North Dakota. "The relatively mild winters are one of the main reasons why North Dakota is enjoying such a rich wildlife population," Kreil said. "We haven't had a typical harsh North Dakota winter with a lot of snow in several years."

Another primary reason North Dakota has experienced expanding and improving wildlife populations and hunting opportunities is because of the habitat provided by the Conservation Reserve Program.

One of the most important issues facing the North Dakota Game and Fish Department and wildlife enthusiasts today is preserving the state's 3.4 million CRP acres come 2007. In two years, 1.7 million acres of the state's CRP could expire; another million in 2008 and 2009. Nationwide, the scenario is quite similar. Between Sept. 30, 2007, and 2010, CRP contracts for more than 28.7 million acres are scheduled to expire.

"The 3.4 million acres of CRP in North Dakota have carried the weight in providing bountiful wildlife habitat, as well as delivering other significant environmental benefits such as improved water quality and reduced wind and soil erosion," Kreil said. "Wildlife enthusiasts must be careful not to take the nation's most successful conservation program and its critical habitat base for granted."

Finding a place to hunt is also an issue that has been receiving much attention from wildlife officials. "We recognize this has become a real problem, and we are working hard to find a solution," Kreil said.

Part of the solution is the department's Private Land Open To Sportsmen program, which will boast 800,000 acres of walk-in access land open to hunters this fall. "We are well on our way of reaching our goal of having 1 million acres enrolled in PLOTS by the end of the decade," Kreil said.

The other part of the solution, Kreil mentioned, is how to deal with widespread leasing of hunting land by commercial and private interests for exclusive use. "This will be a much more difficult task," he said.

Just as hunters are enjoying a thriving wildlife population, anglers have been experiencing healthy fish populations the past 10 years.

There have been some highs and lows, but according to Terry Steinwand, department fisheries chief, fishing overall has been pretty good, and reached a high in the early 2000s. "Mother Nature provided North Dakota with exceptional water conditions for several years, and most fish populations responded accordingly," Steinwand said. "Good walleye opportunities were found statewide, and yellow perch and especially northern pike populations were peaking."

Now there are concerns with lower lake elevations in some areas of the state, exposed spawning habitat, and a decline in fish food - especially on Lake Sakakawea. "There are still some pretty good fish populations, but that doesn't always translate into good fishing," Steinwand said. "It's still up to the angler to find fish and make them bite."

Anglers don't have to travel far to experience good fishing with the department managing around 300 lakes in the state, double what it did only a decade ago.

"We want to maintain a viable fishery reasonably close to each community," Steinwand said, while also mentioning the department's Save Our Lakes program will make lakes better for fish, and people. SOL was developed in 2001 to help improve water quality and restore aquatic habitat to protect fishery resources of North Dakota.

"Watershed erosion and sedimentation of reservoirs and lakes are being addressed with conservation easements, cooperative agreements and watershed work," Steinwand said. "This is truly an area where fish and wildlife benefit from the same action."

The SOL program emphasizes projects that reduce nutrients in lakes through trapping and/or removal of sediments, water evacuation to control nutrients, creation of buffer strips and other conservation practices. Watershed projects also include noxious and invasive species control.

Habitat is critical to the success of fish and wildlife populations. Next week's newsletter will look at some key issues that need to be addressed so hunters and anglers can continue to enjoy a healthy outdoor resource.