Buffaloberry Patch

Fall Fish Surveys Completed

North Dakota Game and Fish Department fisheries biologists completed fall reproduction surveys, which evaluates natural reproduction and stocking success across the state.

Scott Gangl, Department fisheries management section leader, said Lake Sakakawea produced the fourth highest young-of-the-year catch of sauger since 1970. In addition, walleye numbers were relatively good due to natural reproduction and stocking efforts.

“We are seeing a lot of young-of-the-year smelt in the stomachs of other fish, which is an indication of good smelt reproduction in Lake Sakakawea this year,” Gangl said.

The Missouri River is still recovering from the flood of 2011, Gangl said. “But this year we did sample gizzard shad at all sites from the Garrison Dam down to Lake Oahe,” he said.

Gizzard shad in Lake Oahe saw the highest number since 2008. But overall, Gangl said forage is still lacking. “With good natural reproduction again in 2016, this is the third consecutive strong year-class of walleye,” he added. “Which means the walleye catch will continue to be dominated by smaller fish.”

The Devils Lake basin reported relatively good catches of young-of-the-year walleye, after Game and Fish stocked 1.7 million fingerlings in spring.

Statewide, smaller lakes showed various levels of success. “We saw good walleye survival on the newer lakes, with more variable success on the established lakes,” Gangl said. “In addition, we saw good reproduction of bluegills in many of our lakes statewide.”

Donate Deer to Sportsmen Against Hunger

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is reminding deer hunters to remember the Sportsmen Against Hunger program this fall.

While this year’s deer proclamation allows only one deer gun license per hunter, families with more than one license might want to consider donating a deer to this worthy cause. In addition, hunters with an archery and muzzleloader license can help as well.

The list of participating processors is available on the North Dakota Community Action website, www.capnd.org.

Sportsmen Against Hunger is a charitable program that raises money for processing of donated goose and deer meat, and coordinates distribution of donated meat to food pantries in North Dakota. It is administered by NDCAP, a nonprofit agency that serves low-income families across the state.

Boats Need 2017-19 Registration

Boat owners are reminded that 2017 is the first year of a new three-year registration period.

The price to register motorboats under 16 feet in length, and all canoes, is $18, motorboats from 16 feet to less than 20 feet in length is $36, and motorboats at least 20 feet in length is $45.

The new boat registration cycle begins January 1, 2017 and runs through Dec. 31, 2019.

Boat owners should receive their registration mailing by the end of December. In addition, boat registrations can be renewed online.

Renewal applications will not be accepted until after December 15.

Also, anyone buying a new or used watercraft can register online and generate a 10-day temporary permit that is valid until the registration is processed.

Boat owners purchasing watercraft from private individuals this winter are reminded to register it in their name. Registering a used watercraft purchased from an individual must include proof of transfer of ownership, such as a photocopy of the previous owner’s registration card, a canceled check or a signed note from the previous owner stating transfer of ownership.

Regulations require the boat number to be in contrasting color to the hull in plain vertical block letters at least 3 inches in height, excluding any border, trim, outlining or shading, and must be maintained in a legible condition so the number is clearly visible in daylight hours. The number must read from left to right, and groups of numbers and letters must be separated by a space or hyphen equivalent in width to the letter “M.”

In addition, a validation sticker issued by the Game and Fish Department must be displayed on the boat within 6 inches of the number toward the rear of the boat. No other numbers should be displayed in this area.

Boat owners who do not receive a renewal notice by January 1 should contact the Game and Fish Department at 701-328-6335, or email ndgf@nd.gov. Many renewals are likely to be returned because some owners who moved within the last three years did not notify the Department with their new address.

Winter Fishing Regulations

Anglers are encouraged to refer to the 2016-18 North Dakota Fishing Guide for winter fishing regulations.

New regulations for 2016-18 include:

• Reduces statewide possession limit for bluegill, yellow perch and white bass from 80 to 40 each.
• Opened Sweet Briar Dam and Braun Lake to darkhouse spearfishing. Closed Larimore Dam and Wood Lake to darkhouse spearfishing.
• Markers must be in the possession of anglers and/or spearers as soon as a hole greater than 10 inches in diameter is made in the ice.
• Fishing poles must be easily visible and within a maximum distance of 150 feet of participating angler.

Other winter fishing regulations include:

• A maximum of four poles is legal for ice fishing. However, when fishing a water body where both open water and ice occur at the same time, an angler is allowed a maximum of four poles, of which no more than two poles can be used in open water.
• Tip-ups are legal, and each tip-up is considered a single pole.
• There is no restriction on the size of the hole in the ice while fishing. When a hole larger than 10 inches in diameter is left in the ice, the area in the immediate vicinity must be marked with a natural object.
• It is only legal to release fish back into the water immediately after they are caught. Once a fish is held in a bucket or on a stringer, they can no longer be legally released in any water.
• It is illegal to catch fish and transport them in water.
• It is illegal to leave fish, including bait, behind on the ice.
• Depositing or leaving any litter or other waste material on the ice or shore is illegal.
• Any dressed fish to be transported, if frozen, must be packaged individually. Anglers are not allowed to freeze fillets together in one large block. Two fillets count as one fish.
• The daily limit is a limit of fish taken from midnight to midnight, and no person may possess more than one day’s limit of fish while actively engaged in fishing. The possession limit is the maximum number of fish that an angler may have in his or her possession during a fishing trip of more than one day.
• Anglers are reminded that three North Dakota lakes are closed to ice fishing. The State Fair Pond in Ward County, McDowell Dam in Burleigh County and Lightning Lake in McLean County are closed when the lakes ice over.

Advisory Board Meetings Announced

Outdoor enthusiasts are invited to attend a North Dakota Game and Fish Department fall advisory board meeting in their area.

These public meetings, held each spring and fall, provide citizens with an opportunity to discuss fish and wildlife issues and ask questions of their district advisors and agency personnel.

The governor appoints eight Game and Fish Department advisors, each representing a multi-county section of the state, to serve as a liaison between the department and public.

Any person who requires an auxiliary aid or service must notify the contact person at least five days prior to the scheduled meeting date.

District 1 – Counties: Divide, McKenzie and Williams counties.

• Date: Monday, Dec. 5 – 7 p.m.
• Location: Rough Rider Center (Silver Room 2209 Wolves Den Pky.)
• Host: Mule Deer Foundation
• Contact: TBD
• Advisory board member: Jason Leiseth, Arnegard, 586-3714

District 2 – Bottineau, Burke, McHenry, Mountrail, Pierce, Renville and Ward counties.

• Date: Nov. 28 – 7 p.m.
• Location: Berthold Sportsmen Club, 210 Main St., Berthold
• Host: Berthold Sportsmen Club
• Contact: Joe Lautenschlager, 721-1882
• Advisory board member: Robert Gjellstad, Voltaire, 338-2281

District 3 – Counties: Benson, Cavalier, Eddy, Ramsey, Rolette and Towner

• Date: Dec. 6 – 7 p.m.
• Host: Cando Gun Club
• Location: Cando Armory, Cando
• Contact: Reed Weston
• Advisory board member: Tom Rost, Devils Lake, 662-8620

District 4 – Grand Forks, Nelson, Pembina and Walsh counties.

• Date: Dec. 6 – 7 p.m.
• Location: American Legion Club, 208 N. Main St., Fordville
• Host: Dakota Prairie Wildlife Club
• Contact: Lynn Baier, 331-1074
• Advisory board member: Joe Solseng, 317-5009

District 5 – Cass, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele and Traill counties.

• Date: Nov. 28 – 7 p.m.
• Location: American Legion, South of Lake Elsie, Hankinson
• Host: Hankinson American Legion
• Contact: Terry Puetz, 640-3294
• Advisory board member: Duane Hanson, West Fargo, 367-4249

District 6 – Barnes, Dickey, Foster, Griggs, Logan, LaMoure, McIntosh, Stutsman and Wells counties.

• Date: Nov. 29 – 7 p.m.
• Location: The Bunker, 1520 3rd St. SE, Jamestown
• Host: United Sportsmen
• Contact: Larry Kukla, 320-4182
• Advisory board member: Joel Christoferson, Litchville, 973-4981

District 7 – Burleigh, Emmons, Grant, Kidder, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan and Sioux counties.

• Date: Nov. 29 – 7 p.m.
• Location: North Dakota Game and Fish Department, Bismarck
• Host: North Dakota Natural Resources Trust
• Contact: Keith Trego, 220-0978
• Advisory board member: Dave Nehring, Bismarck, 214-3184

District 8 – Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Hettinger, Slope and Stark counties.

• Date: Dec. 5 – 7 p.m.
• Location: La Quinta Inn and Suites, Dickinson
• Host: Mule Deer Foundation
• Contact: Arnold Karsky, 290-9754
• Advisory board member: Dwight Hecker, Fairfield, 575-4952

30-Day Notice for Fishing Tournaments

Organizers planning fishing tournaments, including ice fishing contests this winter, are reminded to submit an application to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department at least 30 days prior to the start of the event.

The 30-day advance notice allows for review by agency staff to ensure the proposed tournament will not have negative consequences or conflicts with other proposed tournaments for the same location and/or time.

Tournaments may not occur without first obtaining a valid permit from the Department.

In addition, the number of open-water tournaments on lakes Sakakawea and Oahe, the Missouri River and Devils Lake are capped each year, depending on the time of year and location.

Darkhouse Spearfishing Registration

North Dakota’s darkhouse spearfishing season opens on most state waters December 1. The season extends through March 15. Legal fish are northern pike and nongame species.

Darkhouse spearing is allowed for all residents with a valid fishing license and for residents under age 16. Nonresidents may darkhouse spearfish in North Dakota if they are from states that offer the same privilege for North Dakota residents.

All individuals who participate in darkhouse spearfishing must register with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department prior to participating. Registration is available online, or through any Game and Fish Department office.

All waters open to hook and line fishing are open to darkhouse spearing except: East Park Lake, West Park Lake, Lake Audubon, McLean County; Heckers Lake, Sheridan County; McClusky Canal; New Johns Lake, Burleigh County; Red Willow Lake, Griggs County; Larimore Dam,

Grand Forks County; and Wood Lake, Benson County.

Anglers should refer to the 2016-18 North Dakota Fishing Guide for more information.

Some Refuges Open to Late-Season Upland Game

Hunters are reminded that several North Dakota national wildlife refuges open to late-season upland game bird hunting the day after the deer gun season closes.

Arrowwood, Audubon, Des Lacs, J. Clark Salyer, Lake Alice, Lake Zahl, Long Lake, Lostwood, Tewaukon (pheasants only), and Upper Souris NWRs open November 21.

However, portions of each refuge are closed to hunting. Hunters should contact refuge headquarters for information on closed areas and other restrictions: Arrowwood 701-285-3341; Audubon 701-442-5474; Des Lacs 701-385-4046; J. Clark Salyer 701-768-2548; Lake Alice 701-662-8611; Lake Zahl 701-965-6488; Long Lake 701-387-4397; Lostwood 701-848-2722; Tewaukon 701-724-3598; and Upper Souris 701-468-5467; or visit www.fws.gov for details on each individual refuge.

National wildlife refuges are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Hunters are reminded that use of nontoxic shot is required on all USFWS lands. State regulations found in the North Dakota 2016-17 Small Game Guide apply. Seasons for pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse, Hungarian partridge and ruffed grouse close statewide on January 8, 2017.

Order 2017 Outdoors Calendars

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is taking orders for its North Dakota OUTDOORS calendar, the source for all hunting season and application dates for 2017. Along with outstanding color photographs of North Dakota wildlife and scenery, it also includes sunrise-sunset times and moon phases.

To order, send $3 for each, plus $1 shipping and handling per calendar, 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 mailing.

The calendar is the North Dakota OUTDOORS magazine’s December issue, so current subscribers will automatically receive it in the mail.

Hunter Ed Classes

Most hunter education courses have wrapped up for 2016.

However, individuals or parents with children who will need to take a course in 2017 should monitor the Game and Fish website, as classes that begin in January will be added to the online services link as soon as times and locations are finalized.

Individuals interested in receiving a notice by email when each hunter education class is added can click on the “subscribe to news and alerts” link found below the news section on the Department’s home page. Check the box labeled “hunter education” under the education program updates.

In addition, SMS text notifications of new classes can be sent directly to a cell phone. Simply text “NDGF Hunter Class” to 468311 to subscribe to this feature.