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News Releases

North Dakota Game and Fish Department

North Dakota Game and Fish Department


News Releases


Remaining Fall Turkey Licenses Available Sept. 20



The fall wild turkey lottery has been held and more than 1,400 licenses remain in 13 units. Unsuccessful applicants will have a refund issued to their credit card.

Beginning at 8 a.m. Central time on Sept. 20, all remaining licenses will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Hunters are allowed a maximum of five licenses for the fall season. 

Resident and nonresident hunters must purchase a license online at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. 

The fall turkey season runs Oct. 14 – Jan. 7, 2024. 

Licenses remain for the following units: Unit 03, Benson and Ramsey counties and a portion of Pierce County, (20); Unit 04, portions of Billings and Golden Valley counties, (82); Unit 13, Dunn County, (604); Unit 19, Grant and Sioux counties and portions of Morton County, (53); Unit 25, McHenry County and portions of Pierce and Ward counties, (304); Unit 27, McKenzie County, (24); Unit 30, portions of Morton County, (132); Unit 31, Mountrail County, (28); Unit 40, Rolette County and portions of Bottineau, Renville and Pierce counties, (15); Unit 44, Slope County, (34); Unit 45, Stark County, (37); Unit 47, Eddy, Foster, Kidder, Sheridan, Stutsman and Wells counties, (35); and Unit 51, Burke County, Renville County and a portion of Ward County, (81).

Submit Wing Envelopes



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 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.

Fall Turkey Deadline



North Dakota’s fall turkey application deadline is Sept. 6.

Fall turkey hunters, including gratis applicants, can submit an online application through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov.

Only North Dakota residents are eligible to apply. Nonresidents can apply for remaining fall turkey licenses following the first lottery.

New Upland Bird Hunting Course Available



The North Dakota Game and Fish Department was recently a partner on a Multistate Conservation Grant project to create a comprehensive online course on how to hunt upland birds.

In this free course, five stories of different upland hunters and landscapes are featured, including North Dakota. It also covers the basics of equipment, technique, safety and more with companion video modules.

The course is available on the Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever website.

Game Wardens Association Offers Scholarships



The North Dakota Game Wardens Association is sponsoring scholarships for enrolled higher education students interested in majoring in wildlife law enforcement or a related field.

Applications are available by contacting the North Dakota Game Warden’s Association, ndgamewardens@gmail.com, and must be received no later than Oct. 15.

Hunters Be Mindful of Farmers, Ranchers



Hunters should be respectful and cautious as farmers and ranchers are busy with field work this time of year.

North Dakota Game and Fish Department officials said hunters should pull to the side of the road or find an approach when meeting combines, grain trucks or tractors pulling equipment.

In addition, hunters should avoid parking along roadways or field approaches where vehicles could block travel by farm machinery, leave gates as you found them, collect trash and empty shells, and not clean game in the road ditch or approach.

CWD Testing During Deer Bow, Elk, Moose Seasons



With the deer bow, elk, and moose seasons opening soon, North Dakota Game and Fish Department officials remind hunters of the options for getting animals tested for chronic wasting disease.

Hunters can drop off heads at any of the following locations:

View interactive map

  • Bismarck – North Dakota Game and Fish Department wildlife health lab, 3001 East Main Ave.
  • Devils Lake – North Dakota Game and Fish Department district office, 7928 45th St NE.
  • Dickinson – North Dakota Game and Fish Department district office, 225 30th Ave SW.
  • Fargo – North Dakota Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, 4035 19th Ave N.
  • Grand Forks – Grand Forks County Sheriff, 5205 Gateway Dr.
  • Jamestown – North Dakota Game and Fish Department district office, 3320 E Lakeside Road.
  • Kenmare – Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge, 42000 520th St NW.
  • Lonetree – North Dakota Game and Fish Department district office, 1851 23rd Ave NE (Available only during office hours, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Friday).
  • Lamoure – Community Volunteer EMS of Lamoure, 300 4th St SE.
  • Minot – State Fairgrounds, 2005 E Burdick Expy (map).
  • Napoleon – Transportation Department, 59 Broadway St.
  • Riverdale – North Dakota Game and Fish Department district office, 406 Dakota Ave.
  • Wahpeton – Transportation Department, 7930 180th Ave SE.
  • Williston – North Dakota Game and Fish Department district office, 5303 Front St W.

Self-sampling kits are also available to hunters who wish to have their animal tested but are unable to drop the head off at a collection site. The kits allow hunters to remove the lymph nodes and ship them to the Department's wildlife health lab for testing. A sampling kit request form can be found on the Department’s website, gf.nd.gov.

Also note, whole carcasses of animals harvested in North Dakota must remain in the deer unit or may be transported anywhere in the state, but carcass waste must be disposed of via landfill or waste management provider. This does not apply to heads dropped at CWD collection sites or lymph nodes submitted for CWD surveillance. Taxidermists and game processors can also accept intact carcasses of animals harvested within North Dakota but assume responsibility for disposal.

Upland, Youth Pheasant Seasons on the Horizon



With September in our sights, hunting seasons for upland game in North Dakota open soon.

The season opens for sharp-tailed grouse, Hungarian partridge and ruffed grouse on Sept. 9. Following that, the two-day youth pheasant season for legally licensed residents and nonresidents ages 15 and younger opens Sept. 30.

Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Sharptails, ruffed grouse and partridge each have a daily limit of three and a possession limit of 12. The daily limit for the youth pheasant season is also three birds, but the possession limit is six.

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 North Dakota OUTDOORS August-September issue for an outlook on the fall hunting season, available online by the season opener 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.

For other season information and regulations, hunters should consult the North Dakota 2023-24 Hunting and Trapping Guide

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. 5-6 on those WMAs that otherwise have the two-day restriction in place.

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

Duck Brood Numbers Jump Nearly 80%



State Game and Fish Department migratory game bird biologists expect a fall flight of ducks similar to 1998, 2004 and 2020.

If those past seasons don’t ring a bell, the fall flight is anticipated to be about 23% above last year’s fall flight, based on observations from the annual mid-July duck production survey.

According to Mike Szymanski, migratory game bird management supervisor, the department’s 76th annual breeding duck survey conducted in May indicated the 2023 duck index was the 23rd highest on record, up 1.5% from 2022, and exceeded the 1948-2022 average index by 39%.

“After a very dry summer and fall last year, a snowy winter helped wetland conditions rebound nicely going into breeding season. However, precipitation has been spotty across the Prairie Pothole Region of the state since spring thaw, with the southern and central areas of the Missouri Coteau receiving more consistent rainfall,” Szymanski said. “Habitat conditions in uplands and wetlands were in good shape for a majority of the breeding season. A relatively strong number of ducks present in May helped to support breeding efforts that, despite a late thaw, were not delayed to a great degree.”

The number of broods observed during the department’s July brood survey was up 79% from 2022, and 88% above the 1965-2022 average index. The average brood size was 6.5 ducklings, down 10% from 2022.

While there remains a shortage of upland nesting habitat across the state, Szymanski said overwater nesting species such as canvasbacks, redheads and ring-necked ducks all set records for number of broods observed this year, along with ruddy ducks nearly breaking their previous record.

Game and Fish biologists will conduct a separate survey in mid-September to assess wetland conditions heading into the waterfowl hunting season. 

Deer Archery Season



North Dakota’s deer bow season opens Sept. 1 at noon and continues through Jan. 7, 2024.

Bowhunters can buy a license online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov, or at vendors linked to the department’s online licensing system.

Hunters should plan accordingly and allow for time to receive their tag in the mail, as 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. The bow tag will be mailed the next business day after the license is purchased.

All archery hunters must have a bow tag in possession before hunting.

Hunters should refer to the 2023 deer hunting guide for season information and regulations. 

Federal Duck Stamp Required



A federal duck stamp is required for waterfowl hunters 16 and older beginning Sept. 1. Waterfowl includes ducks, geese, swans, mergansers and coots.

This year’s 2023-24 federal duck stamp is available for electronic purchase through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov, or license vendors registered with the department’s licensing system. Physical stamps are not available at North Dakota license vendors but can still be purchased at many U.S. Postal Service offices.

The electronic stamp is a purchase item like any other hunting or fishing license. When the purchase is completed the electronic stamp is valid immediately. “Federal Duck Stamp” will be printed on the license certificate, along with an expiration date 45 days from the date of purchase. The physical stamp will be sent by postal mail.

The physical stamp is processed and sent by the official duck stamp vendor in Texas and should arrive to buyers well before the expiration date printed on the electronic license. The physical stamp must remain in possession of the hunter after the 45-day electronic stamp has expired. Individuals with questions regarding the status of their physical stamp can contact the federal duck stamp vendor customer service number at 800-852-4897.

The federal duck stamp has a fee of $25. An additional $2 fee is added to cover shipping and handling costs of the physical stamp.