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News Releases

North Dakota Game and Fish Department

North Dakota Game and Fish Department


News Releases


May Highlights Safe Boating



A safe boating public awareness campaign held annually in May serves as a good reminder for boaters heading into summer.

National Safe Boating Week is May 21-27, with the campaign actually kicking off May 20 with Wear Your Life Jacket at Work Day. Water recreationists are encouraged to snap a picture while at work and share it on social media with the hashtag #wearyourlifejacketatworkday.

A boat should have enough U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets on board for all passengers. North Dakota law requires all children ages 10 and younger to wear a personal flotation device while in boats less than 27 feet in length. The law also requires all personal watercraft users to wear a life jacket, as well as anyone towed on skis, tubes, boards or other similar devices. However, state law allows an individual who is at least 16 years of age to windsurf or boardsail without wearing a PFD.

Water users should make sure to wear life jackets that are the appropriate size and in good condition. Failure to wear a personal flotation device is the main reason people lose their lives in water recreation accidents.

Water skiers and tubers should wear a life jacket with four nylon straps rather than one with a zipper, because straps are stronger than zippers upon impact with water. Anglers and people paddling a canoe, kayak or paddleboard should opt for a PFD that is comfortable enough to wear for an entire outing.

It is also important that children wear a PFD while swimming. Swimmers should know the water’s depth, as serious injuries can occur from diving. Large objects hidden below the water’s surface can lead to significant injury.

North Dakota boaters are also reminded that marine VHF radios are an important part of boat safety that should not be improperly used by operators. These radios are intended for boat operators in distress and facing an emergency situation.

Regulations to help ensure safe boating this summer are found in the North Dakota Boat and Water Safety Guide.

Register for Game Warden Exam Now



District game warden job announcement video.

Individuals interested in taking the exam to select candidates for the position of a full-time temporary district game warden must register no later than May 24. The test is at 10 a.m., May 27, at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department's main office in Bismarck.

Applicants must register by submitting an online application through the North Dakota State Job Openings website.

Applicants must be at least 21, have a bachelor’s degree at time of hire or an associate degree with either 2 years of law enforcement or wildlife experience, have a valid driver’s license and a current North Dakota peace officer license, or be eligible to be licensed. Candidates must successfully complete a comprehensive background check and must not have a record of any felony convictions.

Salary through training is $4,400 per month. 

Outdoor Projects Can Earn Earth Day Patches



The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Earth Day patch contest is geared to bring greater awareness to the environment.

Yet, like Earth Day, which began in 1970 and kicked-started the environmental movement, concern for the outdoors isn’t simply a once-a-year thing. Understanding this, the Game and Fish Department supports Earth Day, Every Day to promote continual awareness about the environment.

With that in mind, youth and adults participating in public land cleanup and improvements will receive the 2022 Earth Day Patch to celebrate Earth Day and their service. Projects that qualify include trash cleanup on local, state or federal property, and landscaping on public property including planting trees, bushes and pollinator plants.

For more information or to request patches for a group’s service project, contact Sherry Niesar, Earth Day coordinator, at 701-527-3714 or sniesar@nd.gov

ANS Awareness Week



Governor Doug Burgum declared May 15-21 Aquatic Nuisance Species Awareness week in North Dakota to raise the public’s understanding of the preventative steps recreationists need to follow to stop the introduction and spread of aquatic nuisance species in the state’s waterways.

Knowing the fallout of aquatic nuisance species, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department has long steered communication efforts that focus on the dangers of unwanted exotics once established.

“Aquatic nuisance species are nonnative plants, animals or pathogens that can affect the ecology of our lakes and rivers and can affect the economic and recreational value of those waterways,” said Ben Holen, ANS coordinator in Jamestown. “Aquatic nuisance species can really change the ecology of a lake and upset the food web and can be very hard on recreation.”

North Dakota currently has low numbers of aquatic nuisance species. Other than zebra mussels, just a few invasive plants and animals – curly leaf pondweed, Eurasian watermilfoil, flowering rush, and grass, bighead, silver and common carp – are found in some state waters.

To fight the introduction and spread of unwanted invasives, Holen said some of the shared burden falls on water users. The Game and Fish Department encourages anglers, pleasure boaters and others to clean, drain and dry all equipment after every use. Clean and remove all plants or animals from watercraft or equipment prior to leaving any recreational area. Drain and remove water from all equipment prior to exiting designated access points. Not draining water can be extremely hazardous and may cause negligent transportation of ANS to various locations. Afterwards, verify that all equipment is completely dry before using again.

For more information on aquatic nuisance species, visit the Department’s website at gf.nd.gov.

Check Fire Extinguishers in Boats



Boat owners should take note of a new U.S. Coast Guard fire protection regulation that took effect April 20.

Recreational boats with a disposable (non-rechargeable) fire extinguisher with a manufacture stamped date on the bottle that is older than 12 years are considered expired and must be removed from service. Fire extinguishers with a label stamped “Marine Type – USCG Approved” are considered up-to-date, and extinguishers without a date or marine label are most likely older than 2007 and must be replaced.

The following recreational boats are required to carry marine fire extinguishers:

  • Boats with permanently installed fuel tanks.
  • Spaces that are capable of trapping fumes, such as:
    • closed compartments, such as under seats,
    • double bottoms not sealed to the hull or not completely filled with flotation material,
    • closed living space,
    • closed stowage compartment where combustible or flammable materials are stowed.

Tri-Cities Group Recognized



TCJJDA Staff

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has honored the Tri-Cities Joint Job Development Authority for its ongoing efforts to develop and maintain public-use facilities used and appreciated by anglers.

“The JDA was selected from a long list of candidates throughout the state and is a very worthy recipient of what this award stands for and is an outstanding example of the difference that entities can make to their local fisheries and public recreation areas,” said Bob Frohlich, Game and Fish Department fisheries development supervisor.

Over the years, the group has become more active in the construction, management and maintenance of public-use facilities ranging from courtesy docks to boat ramps to fish cleaning stations. In just the last two to three years alone, the Department has partnered and cooperated on seven new courtesy docks and a new vault toilet at Heart Butte Dam. In addition, the JDA is involved in the all-important role of ongoing operations and maintenance of public-use facilities. 

NASP State Tournament Results



School-aged archers from across the state participated in the 2022 National Archery in the Schools state tournament in Minot.

Oakes students claimed top honors in the bull’s-eye high school (grades 9-12), middle school (grades 7-8) and elementary (grades 4-6) team divisions. The overall individual male winner was Wahpeton archer Joshua Wiebusch, while Hankinson student Danica Onchuck claimed the top individual spot in the female division.

Oakes students also took first place in the NASP 3-D Challenge high school and middle school team divisions, and Mt. Pleasant followed up with top honors in the elementary team division. Wiebusch was the top male winner, and Madision Samuelson from Mt. Pleasant was top female.

In addition, Layton Jacobson from New Rockford-Sheyenne (bull’s-eye middle school boys), Shayle Zimbelman from Oakes (bull’s-eye middle school girls) and Presley Thompson from Bob Callies (3-D elementary girls) captured first place at the Western Nationals, and as a state North Dakota placed in the top 10.

Place winners by competition at the state tournament in Minot:

Varsity boys – 1) Joshua Wiebusch, Hankinson; 2) Jayce Rivinius, Gackle-Streeter; 3) Brady Graves, Wahpeton.

Varsity girls – 1) Zoey Bohnenstingl, Lidgerwood; 2) Octavia Ralph-Martinson, Griggs County Central; 3) Madison Graves, Wahpeton.

Bull’s-eye high school boys – 1) Joshua Wiebusch, Hankinson.

Bull’s-eye high school girls – 1) Octavia Ralph-Martinson, Griggs County Central.

Bull’s-eye middle school boys – 1) Grant Grabinger, Medina. 

Bull’s-eye middle school girls – 1) Danica Onchuck, Hankinson.

Bull’s-eye elementary boys – 1) Wyatt Arrowood, Oakes.

Bull’s-eye elementary girls – 1) Elissa Estenson, Mt. Pleasant.

3-D high school boys – 1) Joshua Wiebusch, Wahpeton.

3-D high school girls – 1) Madison Samuelson, Mt. Pleasant.

3-D middle school boys – 1) Layton Jacobson, New Rockford-Sheyenne.

3-D middle school girls – 1) Shayne Zimbelman, Oakes.

3-D elementary boys – 1) Carter Belgrade, Mt. Pleasant.

3-D elementary girls – 1) Elissa Estenson, Mt. Pleasant.

Paddlefish Snagging Season Closed to Additional Harvest



The North Dakota Game and Fish Department announced today that the state's 2022 paddlefish snagging season is closed to any additional harvest to provide long-term protection of the paddlefish population.  

An additional seven-day snag-and-release season will begin Monday, May 9 and run through Sunday, May 15.  Paddlefish snaggers with an unused paddlefish tag can continue snagging during the additional snag-and-release season but must release all fish immediately. If a snagger has already used their tag on a harvested paddlefish, they are not allowed to participate in the additional snag-and-release period.

Snag-and-release will be open only in that area of the Missouri River starting on the north shore from the Confluence boat ramp then east (downstream) to the pipeline crossing (river mile 1577), and on the south shore from the Confluence with the Yellowstone River then east (downstream) to the pipeline crossing (river mile 1577).

Paddlefish snagging is allowed only from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Central Time during each day of the additional seven-day season. The use or possession of a gaff on snag-and-release days is illegal.

Deer Season Set, Apply Online



North Dakota’s 2022 deer season is set, with 64,200 licenses available to hunters, down 8,000 from last year.

In total, any-antlered licenses decreased by 150 from last year, any-antlerless by 350, antlered whitetail by 4,150, and antlerless whitetail by 3,700. Antlered mule deer licensed remained the same, and antlerless mule deer licenses increased by 350.

In addition, muzzleloader licenses decreased by 168 and restricted youth antlered mule deer licenses remained the same.

“Epizootic hemorrhagic disease dramatically reduced white-tailed deer numbers along the Missouri River and parts of some western hunting units,” said Casey Anderson, wildlife chief for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. “As a result, license allocations in some units were dramatically reduced.”

As stated in the 2022-23 chronic wasting disease proclamation, hunters harvesting a deer in units 3A1, 3A2, 3B1, 3C, 3D1, 3E2, 3F2, 4B and 4C cannot transport the whole carcass outside the unit, with the exception that hunters can transport the whole deer carcass between adjoining CWD carcass restricted units.

Also in the CWD proclamation, it is unlawful for an individual to hunt big game over bait, or place bait to attract big game for the purpose of hunting, in deer hunting units 1, 2B, 3A1, 3A2, 3A3, 3A4, 3B1, 3C, 3D1, 3D2, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1, 3F2, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 4F.

“Last fall, 26 deer were harvested during the hunting season that tested positive for CWD, including three in new units,” Anderson said, while noting they were units 3C, 3D1 and 3E2. “This has consequently altered deer management strategies in those and surrounding units.”

North Dakota’s 2022 deer gun season opens Nov. 4 at noon and continues through Nov. 20.

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

The deadline for applying is June 8. 

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 upon 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 applicants who have previously applied online will automatically have their land description carried forward to this year’s application. However, any changes with land descriptions from last year’s application must be made prior to submitting the 2022 application.

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.

Total deer licenses are determined by harvest rates, aerial surveys, depredation reports, hunter observations, input at advisory board meetings, and comments from the public, landowners and department field staff.

Game and Fish Volunteers Recognized



Volunteer instructors for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department were recognized at the annual event in Bismarck.

Wayne Stanley, Minot, was recognized as Hunter Education Instructor of the Year and William Bahm, Almont, received the International Hunter Education Association 50 for 50 award.

Thirty-year service awards were presented to Douglas Bolte, Regent; Neil Dockter, Horace; Gerard Goldade, Hague; Alan Klatt, Grand Forks; Bruce Messmer, Dickinson; Glenn Lemier, Oakes; Daryl Simmons, Garrison; Rodney Stark, Kennedy, Minn.

Recognized for 25 years of service were Wayne Andersen, Bismarck; Clint Baxter, Minot; Scott Fasteen, Lincoln; Glen Fuhrman, Bismarck; Tony Aman, Center; Mark Hunt, Minot; Marty Liesener, Ray; Larry Nagel, Shields; Brad Olson, West Fargo; Dale Patrick, Bismarck.

Honored for 20 years of service were Adnan Aldayel, New Rockford; Lee Bratlie, Drayton; Harry Capaci, Minot; Corinne Engen, Anamoose; Jeremy Haugen, Minot; Darrell Kersting, Kindred; Randel Sand, Tuttle; Grant Johnson, Almont; Wayne Stanley, Minot.

Fifteen-year service awards were presented to Paul Goldade, Wishek; Ruth Johnson, Belfield; Nadine Kassian, Wilton; Suzanne Kersting, Kindred; Calvin Leyendecker, Marion; Levi Reese, Hillsboro; Roger Norton, Kindred; Dennis Schlenker, Bismarck; Sam Theurer, Mandan; Rick Tischaefer, Butte; Justin Hughes, Minot; Charles Wilkinson, Garrison.

Ten-year active instructors recognized were Scott Norton, Mandan; Jordan Woroniecki, Bismarck; Melanie Nelson, Harvey.

Recognized for five years of service were Cathryn Hanson, Hettinger; Lisa Goldade, Wishek. 

Two-year active instructors recognized were Bryton Allard, Williston; Derek Bratlie, Drayton; Julie Eidemiller, Burlington; Cory Geiszler, Rugby; Jesse Gladue, Fargo; Johanna Kassian, Wilton; Kellen Latendresse, Minot; David Randall, Minot; John Reimche, Bottineau; Kirk Sather, Minot.

Red River Angler Survey Slated



The North Dakota Game and Fish Department and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will conduct an angler survey on the Red River this summer.

The survey is important because the information collected is used to estimate the time anglers spend fishing as well as the number of the various fish species caught and harvested.

Two survey clerks, one based in Grand Forks and the other in Fargo, will survey the entire Red River from its origin in Wahpeton to the Canadian border near Pembina. The Fargo clerk will also survey a site on the Ottertail River downstream of Orwell Dam.

The survey will run from the beginning of May until the end of September. Clerks will travel to various access sites and count anglers and conduct in-person interviews about their fishing trips.

A new twist to the survey is the use of an electronic survey in combination with the in-person interviews. Clerks will distribute cards to shore anglers and leave cards on the vehicles of boat anglers. Anglers can then either scan the QR code on the card or visit the website listed to access an online survey. These online surveys should only take a few minutes to complete and will help provide more information than the clerks would typically collect during their normal work activities.

The cards and electronic survey will allow shore anglers to complete the interview started by the clerk, since shore anglers generally are not done fishing when initially interviewed. Boat angler interviews are hard to get on the river since the clerks can’t spend a lot of time waiting at any one site for boats to come in, so the cards will allow these anglers to participate without being interviewed by a clerk.

Anglers who receive multiple cards from clerks over the course of the survey are encouraged to complete the survey each time as each day’s fishing provides unique and useful information.

Fishing for a Challenge



When it comes to outdoor pursuits, North Dakota Game and Fish Department R3 coordinator Cayla Bendel has always been a generalist.

She said it started early, spending afternoons in Dad’s boat fishing for simply whatever was biting. She was just happy to catch something. She believes that even today avid anglers can relate to still feeling a little giddy the moment they hook into a fish, for a brief second, they can feel what it’s like to be a kid again.

As the R3 coordinator, Bendel is tasked with the responsibility of recruiting, retaining and reactivating hunters, anglers and recreational shooters in state. While license sales are certainly a component of that, it’s her hope to ensure a future where everyone has an opportunity to experience giddy moments like that if they wish. Yet, it’s her fear that in today’s seemingly infinitely busy and competitive world, there’s less and less of it.

“People who have never fished don’t think they have time to learn a whole new hobby, don’t have the ability or desire to own a boat and think they need one, and sometimes just simply don’t know what they’re missing,” Bendel said. “And some may become so laser-focused on a certain species or expectations of success they have forgotten how cool it is to just catch a fish.”

Cue the Game and Fish Department’s 2022 North Dakota Fish Challenge, an initiative designed to get more people fishing, trying to catch a new species, exploring new waters, and learning (or remembering) how much fun just fishing can be.

“I can see myself now on a dock somewhere this summer begging for a 4-inch perch to bite my hook to help complete the challenge and the excitement I’ll feel when a fish bites,” Bendel said.

So, what’s the challenge? Catch a channel catfish, northern pike, yellow perch and smallmouth bass of any size in North Dakota from May 1 through August 15. Submit each or all of your catches on the “offishial” landing page and once you’ve completed the challenge, you’ll receive a sticker, certificate, and be listed on the page as a challenge winner.

Not sure where to catch these? Check out the Department’s Where to Fish page to locate a lake or river with these species near you.

Too easy? Consider forming a friendly competition with fellow anglers for catching the largest of each species or limit the challenge to a certain weekend or lake. Make it your own and have fun fishing.

For contest rules, to take the challenge, or submit a catch visit gf.nd.gov/fish-challenge.