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News Releases

North Dakota Game and Fish Department

North Dakota Game and Fish Department


News Releases


Boat North Dakota Course



North Dakota state law requires youth ages 12-15 who want to operate a boat or personal watercraft by themselves with at least a 10-horsepower motor must pass the state’s boating basics course.

The course is available for home-study by contacting the North Dakota Game and Fish Department at 701-328-6300, or ndgf@nd.gov. Two commercial providers also offer the course online, and links to those sites are found on the boat and water safety education page on the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov.

While the home-study course is free, students are charged a fee to take it online. The online provider charges for the course, not the Game and Fish Department. The fee remains with the online provider.

The course covers legal requirements, navigation rules, getting underway, accidents and special topics such as weather, rules of the road, laws, life saving and first aid. 

July 1 Deadline for Landowners to Post Land Electronically



The deadline for landowners interested in posting private land electronically for the 2022-23 hunting season is July 1.

Landowners can log into My Account on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. The July 1 deadline is necessary to produce print material and digital content prior to hunting seasons that begin in August.

The 2021 state legislature passed a bill to allow electronic posting of private land, giving landowners another option for posting private property.

Landowners who enrolled land electronically last year can renew, add or modify posting designations during the enrollment period. Others posting for the first time might need to create a profile. To post land, proceed to the “Land Parcels/Electronic Posting” section at the bottom of the page and click “Search/Renew Land parcels.” The electronic posting system is linked to land descriptions based on county tax parcel information.

The Game and Fish website has complete instructions for landowners, along with frequently asked questions for both landowners and hunters.

Spring Breeding Duck Numbers Tallied



The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 75th annual spring breeding duck survey conducted in May showed an index of nearly 3.4 million birds, up 16% from last year. 

Migratory game bird supervisor Mike Szymanski said the index was the 23rd highest on record and stands 38% above the long-term (1948-2021) average.

Indices for most individual species, with the exception of green-winged teal, gadwall, wigeon and blue-winged teal, increased from 2021. Mallards were up 58% from 2021 and represented the 25th highest count on record. The ruddy duck index increased 157%, shovelers and pintails increased 126% and 108%, respectively, and other increases ranged from 4% for scaup to 69% for canvasbacks. Decreases from the 2021 index were observed for green-winged teal (-42%), gadwall (-36%), wigeon (-10%) and blue-winged teal (-4%). 

“It’s important to note that some of our statewide increases in species counts might not reflect broader-scale population trends, especially for pintails,” Szymanski said. “The abnormally wet conditions in the state are likely holding a higher percentage of breeding pintails than normal. We’re coming off a very dry year that resulted in low reproduction, range-wide, for many species.”

The number of temporary and seasonal wetlands was substantially higher than last year, as figures show the spring water index is up 616%, the largest single year increase on record for the survey. The water index is based on basins with water and does not necessarily represent the amount of water contained in wetlands or the type of wetlands represented. Consistent precipitation and cool weather leading up to the survey left a lot of water on the landscape in ditches and intermittent streams.

“Besides being our 75th consecutive survey year, this was an interesting survey, as we’ve gone back and forth between wet and dry conditions over the past couple of years,” Szymanski said. “We actually had our second highest wetland index in the state, which is largely made up of water that’ll dry up fairly quickly. But ponds that are important for brood-rearing habitat have rebounded nicely as well.

“A lot can change between May and hunting season, so we'll get a few more looks from our July brood index and our September wetland count,” he added. “But duck production should be a little bit better this year than it was last year due to a stronger breeding effort. However, we continue to lose grass in upland nesting sites that will diminish reproductive potential for ducks in the state. Despite expected low Canada goose production this year due to the harsh conditions in April, we did have a record number of geese on breeding territories, so hunting opportunities for those birds should be pretty good again this year.”

Leave Baby Animals Alone, Watch for Deer



The North Dakota Game and Fish Department offers a simple message to the well-intentioned who want to pick up and rescue what appear to be orphaned baby animals this time of year: don’t touch them. Whether it is a young fawn, duckling, cottontail rabbit or a songbird, it is better to leave them alone.

Often, young animals are not abandoned or deserted, and the mother is probably nearby. Young wildlife are purposely secluded by adults to protect them from predators.

Anytime a young wild animal has human contact, its chance of survival decreases significantly. It’s illegal to take wild animals home, and captive animals later returned to the wild will struggle to survive without possessing learned survival skills.

The only time a baby animal should be picked up is if it is in an unnatural situation, such as a young songbird found on a doorstep. In that case, the young bird can be moved to the closest suitable habitat.

Citizens should also steer clear of adult wildlife, such as deer or moose that might wander into urban areas. Crowding stresses animals and this can lead to a potentially dangerous situation.

In addition, motorists are reminded to watch for deer along roadways. During the next several weeks young animals are dispersing from home ranges, and with deer more active during this time, the potential for car‑deer collisions increase.

Deer Application Deadline June 8



The deadline for submitting applications for the 2022 deer gun season is Wednesday, June 8.

Applicants for regular deer gun, gratis, youth and muzzleloader can apply online through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website at gf.nd.gov.

A general game and habitat license is required when applying for a deer license. If the applicant has not already purchased one for the 2022-23 season, the license will be added to their cart at checkout. The applicant has the option of having the general game and habitat license refunded if their deer license is not drawn in the lottery.  

Gratis applications received on or before the regular deer gun lottery application deadline will qualify for an any-legal-deer license. As per state law, gratis applications received after the deadline will be processed based on licenses remaining after the lottery. Generally, only antlerless licenses remain.

Fishing for Free June 4-5



North Dakota residents who want to give fishing a try are reminded they can fish for free June 4-5.

That is the state’s free fishing weekend, when all residents 16 and older can fish any North Dakota water without a license. Residents 15 and younger do not need a fishing license at any time of year.

Fishing regulations and information on fishing waters is available on the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov.

Camping Restriction Lifted for Memorial Day Holiday



The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will lift the Tuesday-Wednesday no-camping restriction for the upcoming Memorial Day week, which will allow overnight camping May 31 and June 1 on those WMAs that otherwise have this two-day restriction in place.

A complete list of WMA regulations, is available on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.

Spring Mule Deer Survey Complete



The North Dakota Game and Fish Department completed its annual spring mule deer survey in May, and results indicate western North Dakota’s mule deer population is 13% higher than last year and 34% above the long-term average.

Biologists counted 2,923 mule deer in 298.8 square miles during this year’s survey. The overall mule deer density in the badlands was 9.8 deer per square mile.

Big game management supervisor Bruce Stillings said he is encouraged with current mule deer densities across the badlands.

“The spring index was higher than 2021 despite having very poor fawn production,” Stillings said. “Although fawn production was low due to extreme drought, habitat in the badlands was still in a condition able to provide high over-winter survival, leading to a slight population increase in 2022.”

Stillings said the 2022 spring survey was the longest on record due to two April blizzards.

“These two blizzards produced approximately 40 inches of snow with high winds and low temperatures,” he added. “The effects of these storms will not be understood until upcoming surveys are completed.”

The spring mule deer survey is used to assess mule deer abundance in the badlands. It is conducted after the snow has melted and before trees begin to leaf out, providing the best conditions for aerial observation of deer. Biologists have completed aerial surveys of the same 24 study areas since the 1950s.

Game and Fish Pays Property Taxes



The North Dakota Game and Fish Department recently paid more than $718,000 in taxes to counties in which the department owns or leases land. The 2021 in-lieu-of-tax payments are the same as property taxes paid by private landowners.

The Game and Fish Department manages more than 200,000 acres for wildlife habitat and public hunting in 51 counties. The department does not own or manage any land in Traill or Renville counties.

Following is a list of counties and the tax payments received.

County

Tax Due

County

Tax Due

County

Tax Due

Adams

188.65

Grand Forks

15,017.82

Pierce

3,279.22

Barnes

6,698.85

Grant

1,240.37

Ramsey

16,613.75

Benson

5,041.29

Griggs

101.89

Ransom

2,141.83

Billings

289.80

Hettinger

4,797.87

Richland

18,437.69

Bottineau

6,659.40

Kidder

12,317.52

Rolette

58,854.22

Bowman

2,278.57

LaMoure

10,845.98

Sargent

20,589.68

Burke

1,275.83

Logan

422.37

Sheridan

84,201.15

Burleigh

26,269.81

McHenry

1,693.92

Sioux

318.21

Cass

7,908.60

McIntosh

10,029.29

Slope

1,993.35

Cavalier

14,896.63

McKenzie

35,374.75

Stark

5,632.41

Dickey

13,598.38

McLean

130,467.84

Steele

10,637.84

Divide

2,460.37

Mercer

23,702.99

Stutsman

5,601.63

Dunn

5,691.13

Morton

25,459.76

Towner

2,476.61

Eddy

6,705.08

Mountrail

6,747.28

Walsh

10,215.94

Emmons

6,969.02

Nelson

6,199.99

Ward

58.90

Foster

1,449.53

Oliver

2,512.79

Wells

62,208.26

Golden Valley

169.75

Pembina

11,163.89

Williams

8,475.96

Scholarships Available for Students



The North Dakota Game Wardens Association, Ray Goetz Memorial Fund and Report All Poachers are sponsoring two $600 scholarships for graduating high school seniors or current higher education students interested in majoring in wildlife law enforcement or a related field.

Applicants must be North Dakota residents, be in good academic standing and have an interest in wildlife law enforcement or a related field. Scholarships will be awarded in fall upon proof of enrollment.

Applications are available by contacting the North Dakota Game Warden’s Association, ndgamewardens@gmail.com. Applications must be received no later than July 8.

Pronghorn Hunting Season Statistics



Hunter success during last fall’s pronghorn hunting season was 68%, according to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

Game and Fish issued 1,710 licenses (1,034 lottery and 676 gratis), and 1,457 hunters took 991 pronghorn, consisting of 807 bucks, 159 does and 25 fawns. Each hunter spent an average of three days afield.

The 2022 pronghorn hunting season will be determined in July.

Local Burn Restrictions Remain on Oahe WMA



The North Dakota Game and Fish Department removed the open fire ban on Oahe Wildlife Management Area.

However, this area still falls under burn restrictions implemented by Morton, Burleigh and Emmons counties, which only allow open fires, including campfires, when the fire danger rating is low or moderate. Information, including restrictions, on current fire danger indexes is available at NDResponse.gov.

Oahe WMA covers more than 16,000 acres along the Missouri River south of Bismarck and Mandan within Burleigh, Emmons and Morton counties.