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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
Electronic Posting System for Private Land Available
Landowners interested in posting private land electronically for the 2022-23 hunting season can log into My Account on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. The deadline for landowners to digitally post land is July 1, which 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.
North Dakotans interested in supporting wildlife conservation programs are reminded to look for the Watchable Wildlife checkoff on the state tax form.
The state income tax form gives wildlife enthusiasts an opportunity to support nongame wildlife like songbirds and birds of prey, while at the same time contributing to programs that help everyone enjoy all wildlife.
The checkoff – whether you are receiving a refund or having to pay in – is an easy way to voluntarily contribute to sustain this long‑standing program. In addition, direct donations to the program are accepted any time of year.
Wildlife managers urge outdoor enthusiasts to consider where they recreate during North Dakota’s leanest months to spare already stressed animals that are simply trying to survive the snow and cold.
This advice is especially true this winter as wildlife habitat and available food sources are limited because ongoing drought conditions leading up to winter nearly crippled the development of vegetation that many animals rely on to survive.
“People in North Dakota want to have fun in winter because we have four or five months of it, which means we've got a lot of people out shed hunting, riding snowmobiles and track machines, snowshoes, those kinds of things,” said Casey Anderson, North Dakota Game and Fish Department wildlife division chief. “It's important, the tougher the winter is, that people are cognizant about where wildlife are and really view wildlife from a distance.
“That means wait to shed hunt until later in the spring so that you're not pushing deer in and out of thermal cover where they're trying to just conserve energy,” he added. “You push them out into the open, then they get exposed to the elements a lot more and it adds further stress. Also, people need to realize if they’re out on a snowmobile or a machine and are pushing wildlife, chasing wildlife, that's actually an illegal activity in North Dakota as far as harassment of wildlife is concerned.”
Anderson said it’s common for snowmobilers and others to ride in areas where snow has accumulated, such as near shelterbelts and other wooded habitat.
“Those areas can be fun to ride because that's where the drifts are, but people also have to realize that there could be deer or other wildlife within those areas that are using that for thermal cover and a windbreak. And so, every time you push them out, it increases the amount of energy they expend to survive the next day.”
These same warnings, for shed hunters and others, also apply on Game and Fish Department owned or operated wildlife management areas where many animals gather to weather the winter months.
Earth Day Patch Contest for Students
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.
Contest entry deadline is March 15. 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.
Midwinter Waterfowl Survey
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual midwinter waterfowl survey in early January indicated about 81,000 Canada geese in the state.
Andy Dinges, Department migratory game bird biologist, said that number likely would have been higher, but snow and bitterly cold weather in late December undoubtedly pushed some birds south just prior to the survey.
“The number of waterfowl recorded dropped substantially from last year’s survey, but that was a relatively mild winter with little snow accumulation,” Dinges said.
In addition, Lake Sakakawea didn’t officially freeze over until Jan. 24 last year, which was the latest date on record.
“Despite recent weather we are still wintering a good number of waterfowl this year and conditions remain fair for wintering birds, unless we get too much snow accumulation,” Dinges said.
During the survey, an estimated 55,000 Canada geese were observed on the Missouri River, and another 21,100 on Nelson Lake in Oliver County. Dinges said after summarizing the numbers, an additional 7,000 mallards were tallied statewide, most of which were recorded on Nelson Lake. Lake Sakakawea officially froze over just a few days before the survey this year.
The 10-year average (2012-21) for the midwinter survey in North Dakota is 123,100 Canada geese and 24,700 mallards.
All states participate in the midwinter survey during the same time frame, to reduce the possibility of counting birds more than once.
Spring Turkey Season Set
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is offering 7,647 wild turkey licenses for the 2022 spring hunting season, 635 more than last year.
Ten of the 22 hunting units have more spring licenses than last year, one has fewer licenses and 10 remain the same. Unit 21 (Hettinger and Adams counties) is again closed due to lack of turkeys in the unit.
One noteworthy change from last year is handguns are no longer a legal firearm. Only shotguns, including muzzleloading shotguns, no larger than 10 gauge are legal.
Spring turkey applicants can apply online at the Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov.
The deadline for applying is Feb. 16.
Applicants should note that a general game and habitat license is required when applying for a turkey license. The applicant has the option of having the general game and habitat license refunded if their turkey license is not drawn in the lottery.
In addition, hunters 16 and older must possess a small game license, or combination license.
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. Per legislation, four spring wild turkey licenses are made available to the Outdoor Adventure Foundation and three to the National Wild Turkey Federation.
The spring turkey season opens April 9 and continues through May 15.
Participation Needed in Hunter Harvest Surveys
Even though North Dakota’s 2021 hunting seasons have been put to bed, hunter success, or lack thereof, still matters.
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has conducted hunter harvest surveys for more than a half-century, using the findings to help manage the state’s wildlife populations. Thousands of surveys are sent annually, and participation is strongly urged because hunter harvest plays a noted role, for example, in setting hunting license numbers for the upcoming season.
“We survey hunters about their hunting activity because understanding how many animals were removed from the population is a really important ecological piece of information,” said Chad Parent, department survey coordinator. “We use that information that we get back from the hunter harvest surveys to compare against where we're at with our harvest objectives at any point in a given year. And that can mean, in some cases, license increases. It can sometimes mean that we decrease the number of licenses, potentially in the case of a site that was hit hard by EHD, for example. But ultimately these surveys are important because they inform the recommendations that we pass along to the governor during the proclamation setting process.”
Thousands of big game, small game, waterfowl, swan, turkey and furbearer questionnaires will be emailed to randomly selected hunters. A follow-up survey will be mailed to those who did not respond to the first survey.
Not everyone who, say, receives a hunter harvest survey for the 2021 deer gun season will have harvested a deer, but Parent stressed that those hunters still need to fill out and return their surveys.
“We design our surveys so that a random sample of hunters get those surveys, and we understand that some hunters weren’t successful, which in a lot of ways is just as important as knowing who did harvest a deer,” he said.
Parent said the hunter harvest surveys are short and take very little time to complete. He added that a follow-up survey will be mailed to those who did not respond to the emailed survey.
“The more surveys we get back from hunters, the more robust the statistical information is to help us produce better harvest estimates,” Parent said. “I equate the hunter harvest surveys to the work we do at Game and Fish. We fly aerial surveys to count deer and we drive roadside surveys to count upland game birds. The more time biologists spend in airplanes or driving North Dakota backroads, the better the estimates we get back. And it's the exact same concept for hunter harvest surveys.”
North Dakota Game and Fish Department