News Release Archives - July 2007

Return to July 2007 Archive

July 9, 2007

More Elk Hunting Opportunities Possible in Southwestern North Dakota

The state Game and Fish Department is calling for changes to the 2007 elk hunting season in southwestern North Dakota.

Changes include issuing additional licenses and expanding hunting time periods in elk hunting units adjacent to Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s South Unit. The amendment to the 2007 season has been signed by Governor Hoeven.

“The department is recommending this aggressive action in response to landowner concerns over the increasing number of elk coming out of the park onto private lands, and the fact the park elk herd continues to grow while the National Park Service goes through its legally mandated Environmental Impact Statement process,” said Terry Steinwand, Game and Fish Department director. “Because of the unpredictable movements of elk in and out of the park, it’s uncertain what hunter success will be for those holding these additional licenses.”

The amendment calls for an additional 160 second season licenses – 100 any-elk and 30 antlerless licenses in Unit E3, and 15 any-elk and 15 antlerless licenses in Unit E4. The licenses will be issued by lottery using applicants from all units who were unsuccessful in 2007. New applications won’t be necessary.

These licenses are considered once-in-a-lifetime licenses. However, if a person is selected and does not want to hunt in 2007 in the newly-proclaimed second season, they can return the license and participate in future lotteries.

The additional licenses will be valid for a second season running Aug. 31 through Sept. 30. Both regular season (August and October time periods), and second season license holders will be able to participate in the extended season Nov. 2 through Dec. 30.

“We anticipate that some regular season license holders might be concerned about the new group of hunters being in the field in September,” said Randy Kreil, chief of wildlife. “These hunters need to remember that they will have three different opportunities to hunt – they go first in August, then have all of October, and now can hunt the later part of the season as well.”

An additional 20 landowner licenses will be drawn in Unit E3. Landowner preferential license holders will be able to hunt in any open season.

Following are some questions and answers regarding the second season and second season extension.

Q: Who is eligible to participate in the lottery for second season licenses?
A: All 2007 unsuccessful elk applicants from all units. If someone is drawn for a second season license and does not want it, they can alert the department and maintain their eligibility for future years.

Q: How will the licenses be issued?
A: By lottery using the existing 2007 applicant list. There will be no new applications or deadlines. A random lottery of unsuccessful applicants will be used and those drawn will be notified.

Q: Will second season licenses count against the once-in-a-lifetime restriction?
A: Yes, but successful applicants will have the choice of not accepting the license and remain eligible to participate in future lotteries.

Q: What is the purpose of the season?
A: To address increasing numbers of elk venturing out of Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s South Unit and to help alleviate landowner concerns regarding the increasing number of elk on surrounding private lands.

Q: Why allow applicants from E1 and E2 to be eligible in the second season lottery?
A: It’s a matter of fairness. The offering of a second season and an extended season was not known by people applying in March 2007. Some of those people may have applied in E3 or E4 if they were aware of these additional opportunities.

Q: This seems overly complicated with the split seasons, second season, and extended season. Can’t it be simpler?
A: It is complicated and we wish it wasn’t that way. However, we need to be fair to the first season hunters while at the same time offering a fair chance to second season hunters. In future years, we will find ways to simplify this aspect of the season, but based on the need to act and react quickly – and still be fair – it had to be done this way this year.

Q: Does this mean there will be more landowner preference licenses available?
A: There will be additional licenses available in E3, but not in E4 where special elk management provisions already exist.

Top

Back