North Dakota’s sandhill crane season opens Sept. 18 and runs through Nov. 14.
Limits are three daily and nine in possession in unit 1 (west of U.S. Highway 281), and two daily and six in possession in unit 2 (east of U.S. Highway 281). Shooting hours are a half-hour before sunrise to 2 p.m. each day.
Hunters are urged to use caution and identify birds to prevent shooting at endangered whooping cranes as they begin their fall migration.
In addition to other licenses required, resident hunters need a $10 crane permit, while nonresidents need a $30 permit. Hunters can buy a license online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov.
Harvest Information Program certification is required. To get HIP certified, access the Game and Fish website, or call 888-634-4798.
Game and Fish Allocates Five Bighorn Sheep Licenses
The Game and Fish Department allocated five bighorn sheep licenses for the 2021 hunting season, one fewer than last year.
One license was issued in unit B1, one in B3 and two in B4. In addition, one license, as authorized under North Dakota Century Code, was auctioned in May by the Midwest Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation, from which all proceeds are used to enhance bighorn sheep management in North Dakota.
The number of once-in-a-lifetime licenses allotted to hunters is based on data collected from the Game and Fish Department's summer population survey. Brett Wiedmann, big game management biologist in Dickinson, said results showed a similar count of adult rams to 2020.
"Our objective this hunting season is to maximize hunter opportunity in the northern badlands where ram numbers are strong while continuing to reduce the number of rams in the southern badlands, to lessen the risk of transmitting disease to the northern population," Wiedmann said, while mentioning the concern is the ongoing effects of the bacterial pneumonia outbreak that was first detected in 2014 that resulted in a loss of 15-20% of the adult population.
Wiedmann noted there are more than 300 bighorn sheep north of Interstate 94, but fewer than 20 south of the interstate.
Game and Fish announced in February the status of the bighorn sheep hunting season would be determined after completion of the summer population survey. Prospective hunters were required to apply for a bighorn license earlier this year on the bighorn sheep, moose and elk application. A record 19,126 applicants applied for bighorn sheep. Successful applicants have been notified.
Grouse, Partridge Seasons Open Sept. 11
North Dakota’s hunting seasons for grouse and partridge will open Saturday, Sept. 11.
Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Sharptails, ruffed grouse and Hungarian partridge each have a daily limit of three and a possession limit of 12.
All hunters, regardless of age, must have a general game and habitat license. In addition, hunters 16 and older need a small game license.
Grouse and partridge hunters should refer to the North Dakota OUTDOORS August-September issue for a complete outlook on the fall hunting season, available online by Sept. 8 on the state Game and Fish Department’s website gf.nd.gov.
Hunters are urged to keep up with the daily rural fire danger index, issued by the National Weather Service, to alert the public to conditions that may be conducive to accidental starting or spread of fires. County governments also have the authority to adopt penalties for violations of county restrictions related to burning bans. These restrictions apply regardless of the daily fire danger index and remain in place until each county’s commission rescinds the ban. Information on current fire danger indexes is available through ndresponse.gov.
Hunters can help in the effort to manage upland game birds in North Dakota by collecting feathers from harvested birds and sending in wing envelopes.
Birds included in the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s upland game wing survey, which has been in practice for decades, are ring-necked pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse, Hungarian partridge, turkeys and ruffed grouse.
Collecting enough pheasant samples is typically never a problem, but securing enough sharptail and partridge feathers can be.
Game and Fish biologists will take as many sharptail and partridge feathers as they can get because the more collected, the better the data. Biologists can determine if the birds are male or female, age ratios, survival, nesting success, hatch dates and overall production.
What biologists learn from samples is vital to helping manage North Dakota’s upland game birds.
Instructions for submitting wing data are printed on the envelope.
Hunters interested in receiving wing envelopes should visit the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.
Overnight Camping Restriction Lifted for Holiday
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will lift the Tuesday-Wednesday camping restriction on state wildlife management areas for the Labor Day holiday week.
The removal of the restriction will allow overnight camping Sept. 7-8 on those WMAs that otherwise have the two-day restriction in place.
Big game hunters are reminded of requirements for transporting deer, elk and moose carcasses and carcass parts into and within North Dakota, as a precaution against the possible spread of chronic wasting disease.
Hunters are prohibited from transporting into or within North Dakota the whole carcass of deer, elk, moose or other members of the cervid family harvested outside of North Dakota.
In addition, hunters harvesting a white-tailed deer or mule deer from deer hunting units 3A1, 3A2, 3B1, 3F2, 4B and 4C, a moose from moose hunting units M10 and M11, or an elk from elk hunting unit E2, cannot transport the whole carcass outside the unit. However, hunters can transport the whole carcass between adjoining CWD carcass restricted units.
North Dakota Game and Fish Department district game wardens will be enforcing all CWD transportation laws.
Hunters are encouraged to plan accordingly and be prepared to quarter a carcass, cape out an animal, or clean a skull in the field, or find a taxidermist or meat locker within the unit or state who can assist.
Game and Fish maintains several freezers throughout the region for submitting heads for CWD testing, beginning Sept. 1.
For questions about how to comply with this regulation, hunters should contact a district game warden or other department staff ahead of the planned hunt.
The following lower-risk portions of the carcass can be transported:
Meat boned out.
Quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached.
Meat cut and wrapped either commercially or privately.
Hides with no heads attached.
Skull plates with antlers attached and no hide or brain tissue present.
Intact skulls with the hide, eyes, lower jaw and associated soft tissue removed, and no visible brain or spinal cord tissue present
Antlers with no meat or tissue attached.
Upper canine teeth, also known as buglers, whistlers or ivories.
Finished taxidermy heads.
Deer hunters should note that beginning this year, there is an exception to the regulation that reads “a deer carcass or boned-out meat must be accompanied by the head to the final place of storage.” The exception is, tag the deer as required, then take two photographs using a cellphone with location, date and time stamp turned on. One photograph of the entire animal at the kill site with tag attached, and a second photograph of a closeup of the tag so that the tag information is readable. If a hunter leaves the head in the field at the kill site, after taking photos and saving them, the ear or antler with the tag attached must be cut off and accompany the meat or carcass while in transport. The photographs of the tagged deer must be shown to any game warden or other law enforcement officer upon request.
Hunting Big Game Over Bait
It is unlawful to hunt big game over bait, or place bait to attract big game for the purpose of hunting, in deer units 3A1, 3A2, 3A3, 3A4, 3B1, 3C west of the Missouri River, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1, 3F2, 4A, 4B and 4C.
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department strongly discourages recreational feeding of wildlife within these units. The restriction is in place to help slow the spread of chronic wasting disease, a fatal disease of deer, moose and elk that can cause long-term population declines if left unchecked.
In addition, hunting big game over bait or baiting for any purpose is prohibited on all Game and Fish Department wildlife management areas. Hunting big game over bait is also prohibited on all U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas, U.S. Forest Service national grasslands, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers managed lands, and all North Dakota state trust, state park and state forest service lands.
Wildlife biologists continue monitoring an ongoing mortality event in white-tailed deer in central North Dakota. Since early August, the state Game and Fish Department has documented whitetail deer deaths attributed to epizootic hemorrhagic disease.
“EHD is a viral disease transmitted by biting gnats,” said Dr. Charlie Bahnson, Game and Fish wildlife veterinarian. “We see a low level of EHD activity most years, but every so often, environmental factors line up to make for a bad season. Last year, southwest North Dakota was hit relatively hard by EHD. Right now, it appears that the virus is picking up where it left off, with most cases coming from locations on the edge of 2020’s heavily affected areas. The hardest hit area appears to be a 20-mile radius of the Bismarck-Mandan area, but we are also tracking smaller, localized outbreaks elsewhere in the state.”
Game and Fish is asking for assistance to better gauge the extent and severity of this year’s outbreak. The public is encouraged to report any sick or dead deer through an online reporting system.
“In some cases, we may need to collect samples off fresh carcasses, so please notify the department as soon as possible,” Bahnson said.
Hunters should report any dead deer along with photos, if possible, to the Game and Fish Department through the online wildlife mortality reporting system, at gf.nd.gov/mortality-report.
EHD primarily affects white-tailed deer, but other big game species are susceptible. The virus is not a danger to humans, however, hunters should not shoot or consume a deer if it appears sick.
Try Hunting Doves This Season
Want to take someone new hunting this fall? If so, the upcoming dove season offers a great opportunity to introduce a new hunter to North Dakota’s outdoors.
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has a Virtual Dove Hunting Mentor webpage with all the basics, including license requirements, regulations, gear recommendations and tips for finding a place to hunt.
The season opens Sept.1 and continues through Nov. 29.
All dove hunters regardless of age must possess a general game and habitat license, and hunters 16 and older need a small game license.
Hunters are also reminded to register with the Harvest Information Program prior to hunting any migratory game birds, including doves. Those who already HIP registered prior to hunting the spring light goose or August management take/early September Canada goose seasons in North Dakota do not have to register with HIP again.
Deer Archery Season Opens Sept. 3
North Dakota’s deer bow season opens Friday, Sept. 3 at noon and continues through Jan. 2, 2022.
Hunters should plan accordingly and allow for time to receive their tag in the mail, as this year the tag will arrive by postal mail and not over the counter while the customer waits. This applies while purchasing a bow license at a license vendor, or at the Game and Fish Department’s main office in Bismarck.
All archery hunters must have a bow tag in possession before hunting.
Bowhunters must follow all regulations of the managing agency when using tree stands, ground blinds and game cameras on public hunting areas, including displaying an equipment registration number, or the owner's name, address and telephone number, on all equipment left unattended on Game and Fish wildlife management areas.
In addition, hunting big game over bait is prohibited on both public and private land in deer hunting units 3A1, 3A2, 3A3, 3A4, 3B1, 3C west of the Missouri River, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1, 3F2, 4A, 4B and 4C.
Virgil Schlosser, with Hettinger County Water Resource District, was named the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Wildlife Management Area Partnership Award recipient for 2021 for his work on Indian Creek WMA.
This is the first year of the award.
Indian Creek Dam WMA is a 1,200-acre property in Hettinger County managed for wildlife, hunting, fishing and camping. A portion of the area is leased to the Hettinger County Water Resource District and Schlosser is their caretaker for this area.
“Virgil does an exceptional job of maintaining this area,” said Bill Haase, Game and Fish Department wildlife resource management supervisor. “He has a very high standard, so you can guarantee the recreational area is immaculate. Virgil’s efforts, with a helping hand at times from his wife, Carol, are appreciated by the department and the sportsmen and women.”
Indian Creek WMA is managed from the department’s Bismarck district office which is more than 2 hours away.
“We continually rely on Virgil for help with garbage clean-up, tree plantings, noxious weed control and mowing,” Haase said. “His local knowledge of the area is a real asset for our wildlife, fisheries and enforcement divisions. He always goes above and beyond what is expected of him and is willing to help whenever and however needed.”
Lower Water Levels Require Caution at Ramps
The ongoing extreme drought will likely begin to impact boating access throughout the state. With that in mind, boat owners need to be aware of water levels and exercise patience and caution when launching and loading a boat.
Fisheries development supervisor Bob Frohlich said as water levels decline, the bottom of many ramps lack sufficient water to launch boats and/or cause the ramps to become exposed. In many cases, he said boat ramps have large prop-wash holes and steep drop-offs at the bottom, which can damage boat trailers and axles if backed off the end of the cement.
“Boaters should back their trailer in slowly and be aware of the end of the ramp on lakes with lower-than-normal water levels,” Frohlich said. “And it’s likely that some lakes could still lose another 1-2 feet of water this year given the extremely dry conditions.”
North Dakota Game and Fish Department
