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News Releases

North Dakota Game and Fish Department

North Dakota Game and Fish Department


News Releases


Agencies Meet to Address Lake Level Concerns



Based on all the necessary ingredients needed to provide essential water levels for lakes Sakakawea and Oahe in 2022, the forecast to do just that doesn’t look promising at this time.

“Given current water levels and projected runoff based on mountain snowpack, its likely both lakes Sakakawea and Oahe will be 5-10 feet lower than the lake elevations experienced in 2021,” said Greg Power, North Dakota Game and Fish Department fisheries chief. “At these forecasted elevations, boating access at many, if not most of the boat ramps, will become problematic. The good news is that work was done during previous droughts resulting in a network of low water ramps that may become functional this year if some issues, such as erosion and sedimentation, are first addressed.”

Understanding this, Game and Fish Department personnel teamed a few months ago in a planning effort for the upcoming open water recreational season on the Missouri River System with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, North Dakota Parks and Recreation and the North Dakota Department of Water Resources.  

“Current interagency planning is intended to proactively deal with these boat ramp issues through addressing coordination, permitting and funding matters yet this winter so that ramp work, where needed, can begin shortly after ice-out,” Power said. “The corps and Game and Fish have identified and prioritized potential boat ramp sites that will be impacted by the lower lake levels and are seeking additional funding and partnership with stakeholders who manage the respective recreational sites. By mid-March, various agency staff will reconvene and firm up plans based on funding needs and availability, using the most recent corps runoff forecast data.”

Power said current mountain snowpack for the upper Missouri River basin is only around 80% of normal, but one storm can change things.

“Of course, this is Mother Nature driven and subject to change,” Power said.

Elk, Moose, Bighorn Sheep Applications Online



Elk, moose and bighorn sheep applications are available online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. The deadline for applying is March 23.

A total of 563 elk licenses are available to hunters this fall, an increase of 40 from last year.

A total of 404 moose licenses are available, a decrease of 70 from last year. Moose units M4 and M1C will remain closed due to a continued downward population trend in the northeastern part of the state.

As stated in the chronic wasting disease proclamation, hunters harvesting an elk in unit E2 and E6, or a moose in units M10 and M11, cannot transport the whole carcass, including the head and spinal column, outside of the unit. More information on CWD is available by visiting the Game and Fish website.

A bighorn sheep hunting season is tentatively scheduled for 2022, depending on the sheep population. The status of the bighorn sheep season will be determined Sept. 1, after summer population surveys are completed. The season was closed in 2015 due to a bacterial pneumonia outbreak.

Of note, a new bighorn sheep hunting unit, B5, was created by splitting unit B4 to distribute the harvest of rams more efficiently. 

Bighorn sheep applicants must apply for a license at the same time as moose and elk, but not for a specific unit. Once total licenses are determined for each unit in late summer, the bighorn lottery will be held and successful applicants contacted to select a hunting unit.

Because the bighorn sheep application fee is not refundable as per state law, if a bighorn season is not held, applicants would not receive a refund.

Elk, moose and bighorn sheep lottery licenses are issued as once-in-a-lifetime licenses in North Dakota. Hunters who have received a license through the lottery in the past are not eligible to apply for that species again.

Earth Day Patch Contest Deadline



The deadline to submit entries for North Dakota’s Earth Day Patch contest is March 15.

The Earth Day Patch Contest is step one in bringing awareness and develop consciousness about the environmental conditions of our planet and North Dakota. Students who participate will develop a patch design using five colors to incorporate some aspect of Earth Day including environmental awareness, respect for Earth, water quality, wildlife or habitat conservation in North Dakota.

The contest is open to students in grades K-12. Winners are chosen from three grade categories (K-4, 5-8 and 9-12). Each winner will receive an outdoor kit, which includes a pair of binoculars and field guides. The grand prize patch design winner is chosen from one of the three winning age categories. In addition, the grand prize winner will have their design displayed on the year's recognition patch, be featured in North Dakota OUTDOORS and on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website.

Details about the contest can be found at https://gf.nd.gov/education/earth-day-patch. For additional information about the contest, contact Sherry Niesar, contest coordinator, at 701-527-3714 or email sniesar@nd.gov.

2021 Bighorn Sheep, Moose and Elk Harvests



Harvest statistics released by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department show overall hunter success during the 2021 season for bighorn sheep was 80 percent, 90 percent for moose and 65 percent for elk.

The department issued four bighorn sheep licenses and auctioned one. Four of the five hunters harvested a bighorn ram.

The department issued 470 moose licenses last year. Of that total, 448 hunters harvested 405 animals – 163 bulls and 242 cows/calves. Harvest for each unit follows:

2021 Moose Harvest
Unit Hunters Bulls Cow/Calf Success Rate
M5 5 5 0 100
M6 10 10 0 100
M8 15 14 0 93
M9 114 33 67 88
M10 179 56 108 92
M11 125 45 67 90

The department issued 532 elk licenses last year. Of that total, 462 hunters harvested 301 elk – 158 bulls and 143 cows/calves. Harvest for each unit follows:

2021 Elk Harvest
Unit Hunters Bulls Cow/Calf Success Rate
E1E 74 24 23 64
E1W 54 20 25 83
E2 123 39 40 64
E3 177 57 52 62
E4 22 15 0 68
E6 12 3 3 50

Mountain Lion Late Season Closes in Zone 1



Mountain lion hunting during the late season in Zone 1 is closed immediately. The zone’s late-season harvest limit of either seven total cats or three females was reached after the third female was taken.

A conditional season in Zone 1 will open March 6 for hunters to pursue the additional seven mountain lions that were not taken during the early season. The Zone 1 early season harvest limit was eight cats, and only one was taken.

The conditional season will close March 31 or immediately once the seventh cat is taken. Early season regulations apply, which means hunters are not allowed to use dogs. In addition, hunters who harvested a lion during the early or late season are not eligible to participate.

The mountain lion season in Zone 2, which is the rest of the state outside Zone 1, has no harvest limit and is open through March 31.

Deadline to Remove Fish Houses



Anglers are reminded unoccupied fish houses must be removed from all waters beginning March 15 until ice-out.

Fish houses may be used after March 15 if they are removed daily.

Anglers are advised to use caution while accessing area lakes. Ice conditions can vary from region to region, between lakes in the same region, and even on the same lake

CWD Test Results



With most chronic wasting disease testing completed, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department reports 26 deer tested positive during the 2021 hunting season.

Fourteen were from hunting unit 3F2, eight from unit 3A1, and one was found in unit 3B1. Single positive deer were also found in three units (3C, 3D1 and 3E2) where the disease had not been previously detected.

CWD is a fatal disease of deer, moose and elk that can cause long-term population declines as infection rates climb.

The estimated infection rates in unit 3F2 were 4.9% in mule deer and 3% in whitetail deer. In unit 3A1, the estimated infection rate in mule deer was 6.9%. Approximately 4.9% of hunters turned in heads for testing in units where the Department was focusing surveillance efforts.

Game and Fish will use its 2021 surveillance data to guide its CWD management strategy moving forward. More information about CWD can be found at gf.nd.gov/cwd.

 

Spring Turkey Drawing Held, Licenses Remain



The 2022 spring wild turkey lottery has been held and 642 licenses remain in seven units. Remaining licenses are issued on a first-come, first-served basis beginning 8 a.m. Central Time on March 16.

Hunters are allowed two licenses for the spring season.

Licenses remain in unit 06, Bowman County; unit 13, Dunn County; unit 19, Grant and Sioux counties and portions of Morton County; unit 31, Mountrail County; unit 44, Slope County; unit 45, Stark County; and unit 51, Burke County and portions of Renville, Bottineau and Ward counties.

Applications must be submitted online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website. Only North Dakota residents are eligible to apply.

Spring Light Goose Conservation Order



North Dakota’s spring light goose conservation order opens Feb. 19 and continues through May 15.

Residents must have a 2021-22 (valid through March 31) or 2022-23 (required April 1) combination license; or a small game, and general game and habitat license. Resident youth under age 16 only need the general game and habitat license. The 2022-23 license is available for purchase beginning March 15.

Nonresidents need a 2022 spring light goose conservation order license. The cost is $50 and valid statewide. Nonresidents who hunt in spring remain eligible to buy a fall season license. The spring license does not count against the 14-day fall waterfowl hunting season regulation.

In addition, nonresident youth under 16 can purchase a license at the resident fee if their state has youth reciprocity licensing with North Dakota.

A federal duck stamp is not required for either residents or nonresidents.

Resident and nonresident licenses are available online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov.

Hunters must register annually with the Harvest Information Program prior to hunting in each state. The HIP number obtained for North Dakota’s spring conservation order is also valid for North Dakota’s fall hunting season. The number can be obtained online on the Game and Fish website.

The spring conservation order is only open to light geese – snows, blues, and Ross’s. Species identification is important because white-fronted and Canada geese travel with light geese. The conservation order is closed to whitefronts, Canada geese, swans and all other migratory birds.

For more information on regulations refer to the 2022 Spring Light Goose Hunting Regulations and the North Dakota 2021-22 Hunting and Trapping Guide

Spring Turkey Apps Due Feb. 16



Spring turkey applicants are reminded the deadline to submit applications is Feb. 16.

Applicants can apply online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov.

A total of 7,647 wild turkey licenses are available, 635 more than last year. Unit 21 (Hettinger and Adams counties) remains closed due to lack of turkeys in the unit.

First-time spring turkey hunters 15 or younger are eligible to receive one spring license valid for any open unit. To be eligible, the youth hunter must be 15 or younger on opening day of spring turkey season and have never received a spring turkey license in North Dakota.

Spring turkey licenses are available only to North Dakota residents. The season opens April 9 and continues through May 15. 

Guide and Outfitter Exam Scheduled



The next guide and outfitter written examination is April 2 at 1 p.m. at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department office in Bismarck. Preregistration is required no later than March 25 by calling the department’s enforcement office at 701-328-6604.

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, and an individual must have held a hunting guide license for two years and must have proof of liability insurance.

Game and Fish Violations Tallied



The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s enforcement division tallied the number of hunting, angling and boating citations for 2021, and failure to carry a license was the number one violation.

Game wardens issued more than 2,600 citations last year. Counties with the most violations were Ramsey (399), Williams (132) and Benson (125). 

The most common violations and number issued were:

  • Boating (846): inadequate number of personal flotation devices (247); failure to display boat registration (92); and use of unlicensed/unnumbered boat (63).
  • Licensing (493): failure to carry license (256) and hunting/fishing/trapping without proper license (213).
  • Fishing (406): aquatic nuisance species violations (137) and exceeding limit (81).
  • Small game (243): using shotgun capable of holding more than three shells (70) and failure to leave identification of game (62).
  • General (209): hunting on posted land without permission (58); use of motor vehicle off established trail (55); and loaded firearm in vehicle (48).
  • Miscellaneous (182): criminal trespass (71); minor in possession (30); and possession of a controlled substance (30).
  • Big game (170): CWD violations (20); tagging violations (18); and failure to wear fluorescent orange (17).
  • Wildlife management areas/refuge (82): Failure to obey posted regulations (50).
  • Furbearer (18): Shining (using artificial light) (7).

While wardens issued more than 2,600 citations in 2021, that number hardly compares to the number of people contacted by wardens and no citations were issued. These license checks, boating safety inspections, public safety calls, wildlife issues, the list goes on, are as important as the number of citations issued.

In total, game wardens made 51,100 field contacts in 2021. This number does not include public contacts at sport shows, state fair, local wildlife club meetings, school programs, hunter safety classes, and other community events.

A summary of 2021 violations is printed in the Game and Fish Department’s February issue of North Dakota OUTDOORS.