The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s fall mule deer survey indicated the drought had a big influence on fawn production.
Biologists counted 2,163 mule deer in the aerial survey in October. The ratio of 60 fawns per 100 does was significantly lower than last year (82/100) and the long-term average (88/100), while 38 bucks per 100 does was similar to 2020 (36/100) and long-term (43/100).
“This year’s count was the lowest fawn-to-doe ratio since 2011 and 2012, following the severe winters of 2008 through 2010,” said Bruce Stillings, big game management supervisor, Dickinson. “Nutritional stress related to the drought was also apparent with considerably more yearling bucks observed as spikes rather than forked bucks.”
Snowfall and windy conditions during the survey limited biologists to 20 of the 24 study areas, Stillings said.
The fall aerial survey, conducted specifically to study demographics, covers 24 study areas and 306.3 square miles in western North Dakota. Biologists also survey the same study areas in the spring of each year to determine deer abundance.
Deer Season Questions and Answers
Every year the North Dakota Game and Fish Department receives questions from deer hunters who want to clarify rules and regulations. Some common questions are listed below. Hunters with further questions are encouraged to visit the Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov., or call 701-328-6300, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. weekdays.
I have a concurrent season license. When can I use it? The license can be used during the archery season with a bow; the deer gun season with a bow, rifle or muzzleloader; or the muzzleloader season with a muzzleloader. You are restricted to the type of antlerless deer printed on the license and must stay in the unit to which the license is assigned.
Can hunters age 14 or 15 (in 2021) with a youth season license who did not harvest a deer during the youth season, hunt the regular deer gun season with this license? Yes, but you are subject to the restrictions listed on the license.
I was unsuccessful in filling my mule deer buck license in a restricted unit during the youth season. Can I hunt the remainder of the state during the regular gun season? No. You are restricted to the same unit as during the youth season.
I shot a deer, but it is rotten. What can I do? You must take possession of the animal by tagging it. A license only allows you the opportunity to hunt. It is not a guarantee to harvest a deer, or to the quality of the animal.
What should I do if I find a wounded deer? Contact a game warden. Do not shoot the deer unless you want to tag it or are instructed by the warden to do so.
Is camouflage blaze orange acceptable for the deer gun season? No. You must wear both a hat and outer garment above the waistline totaling at least 400 square inches of solid daylight fluorescent orange.
I hunt with a bow. When do I have to wear orange? Only during the regular deer gun season.
Can I hunt road rights-of-way? Do not hunt on road rights-of-way unless you are certain they are open to public use. Most road rights-of-way are easements under control of the adjacent landowner and are closed to hunting when the adjacent land is posted closed to hunting.
Can I hunt on a section line if it is posted on both sides? No. If the land is posted on both sides, the section line is closed to hunting, but is still open for travel.
Can I hunt over bait on private land? It is unlawful to hunt over bait, or place bait to attract big game for the purpose of hunting, in deer hunting units 3A1, 3A2, 3A3, 3A4, 3B1, 3C west of the Missouri River, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1, 3F2, 4A, 4B and 4C.
There is a new option in the 2021 proclamation that allows the head and spinal column to be left at the kill site, regardless of where you're hunting in North Dakota. Can you explain tagging and transportation requirements? Tag the deer as currently required, then take two pictures using a cellphone with location, date and time stamp turned on. One picture of the entire animal at the kill site with tag attached, and a second picture of a closeup of the tag so that tag information is readable. After taking pictures 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.
I shot a deer in a unit that has carcass transportation restrictions (3A1, 3A2, 3B1, 3F2, 4B and 4C). What field dressing restrictions must I follow? Hunters cannot transport the whole carcass outside of the unit. Exceptions: meat that has been boned out; quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached; meat that is cut and wrapped either commercially or privately; hides with no heads attached; skull plates with antlers attached having 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; and finished taxidermy heads. However, hunters can transport the whole carcass between adjoining CWD carcass restricted units.
Can I retrieve a wounded deer from posted land? If the deer was shot on land where you had a legal right to be and it ran onto posted land, you may retrieve it. However, you may not take a firearm or bow with you. The department suggests contacting the landowner as a courtesy prior to entering.
What if the landowner says I cannot retrieve a deer from posted land that was shot on land where I had a right to be? Contact a game warden.
Can I drive off-trail on private land to retrieve a deer? Unless prohibited by a landowner or operator, you may drive off-trail on private land once a deer has been killed and properly tagged. You must proceed to the carcass by the shortest accessible route and return to the road or trail by the same route.
Can I transport someone else's deer? Yes, but you will need a transportation permit from a game warden. The license holder, person transporting the animal, and the carcass must be presented to the game warden before the permit is issued.
May I carry a pistol when I am hunting with a deer rifle? Yes, but the handgun must meet minimum requirements listed in the deer hunting regulations to be legal for taking deer.
Can I carry both bow and gun afield during deer gun season if I have both licenses? Yes, but only if you are going to fill your gun license. No firearms, except handguns, may be in the hunter’s possession while hunting with a deer bow license. However, handguns may not be used in any manner to assist in the harvest of a deer with an archery license.
Hunters Encouraged to Have Deer Tested for CWD
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will continue its Hunter-Harvested Surveillance program during the 2021 hunting season by sampling deer for chronic wasting disease from select units in the central and western portion of the state.
Samples will be tested from deer taken from units 2H, 2I, 2J1, 2J2, 2K1, 2K2, 3A1, 3A2, 3A3, 3A4, 3B1, 3B3, 3C, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1, 3F2, 4A, 4B and 4C.
CWD is a slow-moving brain disease of deer, moose and elk that can cause population-level impacts under high infection rates.
“Many folks are aware of the fairly bad epizootic hemorrhagic disease year we’ve had,” said Game and Fish veterinarian Dr. Charlie Bahnson. “While EHD is a different disease from CWD, it illustrates the impact diseases can have on our wildlife populations. And unlike EHD, which is cyclical, CWD can become an increasing, annual pressure on our herd.”
Knowing where CWD is in the state and how many deer are infected is critical for managing the disease.
“One major goal is to confidently determine what areas do not have CWD,” Bahnson said. “We need to test a lot of deer to make that assessment, which is why hunters’ willingness to help is so important.”
Hunters are encouraged to drop off heads of adult or yearling deer at collection locations. Fawns and head-shot deer cannot be tested. Hunters wishing to keep the heads can bring them to a Game and Fish district office during business hours to have them sampled.
Results will be provided within four weeks, barring delays, by visiting My Account on the department’s website, gf.nd.gov, where you can also add or update contact information. Click Additional Info for CWD results for lottery licenses or Inbox for results for first-come, first-served licenses.
Hunters should note whole carcasses or heads of deer taken from units 3A1, 3A2, 3B1, 3F2, 4B and 4C may not be transported outside of the unit. Exception: hunters can transport whole deer carcasses between adjoining CWD carcass restricted units.
More information on CWD, including transportation restrictions, is available at the Game and Fish website.
Deer Hunters in Need of Replacement Tag
Deer hunters who can’t find their deer license should contact the North Dakota Game and Fish Department soon to make sure they have their tag before the season opens.
The Game and Fish Department must be contacted by phone at 701-328-6300, or email ndgf@nd.gov, to authorize the online purchase of a replacement tag. Printable applications are not available.
The deer gun season opens Friday, Nov. 5 at 12 noon Central Time.
Deer Mortality Caused by EHD Allows Whitetail Hunters to Seek Refunds
The state Game and Fish Department is allowing hunters with whitetail or “any” deer gun licenses in several units in western North Dakota the option of turning those licenses in for refunds.
Casey Anderson, wildlife chief, said the decision is based on continuing reports of white-tailed deer mortality caused by epizootic hemorrhagic disease, and evidence of moderate to significant deer losses in some areas that might affect hunting success in those locations. The first confirmed EHD report occurred in early August.
Hunters with antlered whitetail, antlerless whitetail, any antlered and any antlerless licenses are eligible for refunds in units 2H, 2I, 2J1, 2K1, 3A1, 3A3, 3B1, 3B2, 3B3, 3C, 3D1, 3D2, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1, 3F2, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 4F. Hunters who return their licenses will have their bonus points restored, if applicable, to the same number of points prior to the 2021 deer gun lottery.
“Compared to previous years, a much larger portion of the state seems to be affected,” Anderson said. “Unfortunately, substantial mortality has been documented in some areas.”
Game and Fish made license refunds an option for hunters in 2020 because of an EHD outbreak in limited units.
Department staff will continue to monitor reports to determine if licenses in additional units should become eligible for refunds due to the EHD outbreak. Hunters and landowners should report any dead deer along with photos, if possible, to the department through the online wildlife mortality reporting system, at gf.nd.gov/mortality-report.
Before deciding to turn in a license, Anderson urges license holders to make local contacts to find out the extent of mortality in their hunting unit.
“Consistent with previous EHD outbreaks, the impact can at times be severe in localized areas while other areas within the unit have little to no impact and a good deer harvest may still be needed,” he said.
License holders who qualify and want a refund must mail their tag, along with a note requesting a refund due to EHD, to the Game and Fish Department’s Bismarck office no later than Nov. 4. Envelopes postmarked Nov. 4 will be accepted.
EHD, a naturally occurring virus that is spread by a biting midge, is often fatal to infected white-tailed deer, while mule deer do not usually die from the disease. Hunters do not have to worry about handling or consuming meat from infected deer because the virus that causes EHD is not known to cause disease in humans. In addition, the first series of hard frosts typically kills the midge that transmits the EHD virus and will slow or halt the spread of the disease.
Whooping Crane Migration
Whooping cranes are in the midst of their fall migration and sightings will increase as they make their way through North Dakota over the next several weeks. Anyone seeing these endangered birds as they move through the state should report sightings so the birds can be tracked.
The whooping cranes that do travel through North Dakota in fall are part of a population of about 500 birds on their way from nesting grounds at Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada to wintering grounds in Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, a distance of about 2,500 miles.
Whoopers stand about 5 feet tall and have a wingspan of about 7 feet from tip to tip. They are bright white with black wing tips, which are visible only when the wings are outspread. In flight, they extend their long necks forward, while their long, slender legs extend out behind the tail. Whooping cranes typically migrate singly, or in groups of 2-3 birds, and may be associated with sandhill cranes.
Other white birds such as snow geese, swans and egrets are often mistaken for whooping cranes. The most common misidentification is pelicans, because their wingspan is similar and they tuck their pouch in flight, leaving a silhouette similar to a crane when viewed from below.
Anyone sighting whoopers should not disturb them, but record the date, time, location and the birds' activity. Observers should also look closely for and report colored bands, which may occur on one or both legs. Whooping cranes have been marked with colored leg bands to help determine their identity.
Whooping crane sightings should be reported to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offices at Lostwood, 701-848-2466; Audubon, 701-442-5474; the North Dakota Game and Fish Department in Bismarck, 701-328-6300; or to local game wardens across the state. Reports help biologists locate important whooping crane habitat areas, monitor marked birds, determine survival and population numbers, and identify times and migration routes.
Report Violations with RAP
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department encourages hunters, anglers and landowners who witness a fish or wildlife violation to file a report with the Report All Poachers program.
Witnesses should report a violation by calling the RAP telephone number at 701-328-9921.
Witnesses should note the vehicle description, including make, color, license plate number and state issued. Description of the violator should also be considered.
The RAP line offers rewards – from $100 to $1,000 depending on the nature and seriousness of the crime – for information that leads to conviction of fish and wildlife law violators. Reports can also go directly to game wardens or other law enforcement agencies. Callers can remain anonymous.
Permit Required to Possess Dead Deer
North Dakota Game and Fish Department enforcement personnel are issuing a reminder that a permit is required before taking possession of a dead deer found near a road or in a field. Only shed antlers can be possessed without a permit.
Permits to possess are free and available from game wardens and local law enforcement offices.
In addition, hunters are reminded to properly dispose of dead deer. Carcass waste cannot be left on public property, including roadways, ditches or wildlife management areas. The best place to dispose of carcass waste is via a municipal solid waste landfill.
Issues Resolved, Report Banded Migratory Birds
The Bird Banding Lab sent notice that migratory bird hunters can resume reporting bird bands online at reportband.gov, after recent power outages and down servers have been fixed.
Hunters unable to report any bands while the site was down are encouraged to revisit the site as information received from hunters is critical for management of migratory game birds.
Habitats of North Dakota is Online for Educators
Educators in need of additional professional development credits should consider Habitats of North Dakota, five online-only courses available through North Dakota State University.
Select one or all: Wetlands, Badlands, Riparian, Woodlands and Prairie habitats, each is one credit. Work at your own pace and develop a list of concepts and a lesson plan that will implement the key concepts into an existing curriculum.
In addition, students are responsible for reading and reviewing text, video and supplementary materials for each habitat guide. Courses are suitable for K-12 educators.
Comprehension and critical thinking questions are incorporated throughout each of the texts. Each unit also includes vocabulary and review sections. The material meets the state life science standards for grades 3-6 and North Dakota Studies standards for grade 4. Examples of implementation projects are provided for each Habitat course.
For more information, contact Sherry Niesar at sniesar@nd.gov or 701-527-3714.
Fall Mule Deer Survey Begins
The state Game and Fish Department’s annual fall aerial mule deer survey is set for mid-October in western North Dakota. Weather permitting, the survey takes about two weeks to complete.
During the survey period, people could notice low-flying small airplanes over some parts of the badlands.
Game and Fish biologists have completed aerial surveys of the same 24 badlands study areas since the 1950s. The survey is used to collect mule deer population data for monitoring demographic trends, such as buck-to-doe and fawn-to-doe ratios.
Order 2022 OUTDOORS Calendars
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is taking orders for its 2022 North Dakota OUTDOORS calendar, the source for all hunting seasons and application dates. Along with outstanding color photographs of North Dakota wildlife and scenery, it also includes sunrise-sunset times and moon phases.
To order online, visit buy and apply at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov., or send $4 for each, including postage and shipping, to: Calendar, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, 100 N. Bismarck Expressway, Bismarck, ND 58501-5095. Be sure to include a three-line return address with your order, or the post office may not deliver our return mail.
The calendar is the North Dakota OUTDOORS magazine’s December issue, so current subscribers will automatically receive it in the mail.
North Dakota Game and Fish Department
