Buffaloberry Patch

North Dakota Game and Fish Department fisheries personnel stocked a record 180 lakes across the state with nearly 12 million walleye fingerlings.

Jerry Weigel, Department fisheries production and development supervisor, said the number of lakes bested the previous high by nearly 30 waters.

“There is record water across the state, so timing of a near record walleye production could not have come at a better time,” Weigel said. “Valley City and Garrison Dam national fish hatcheries contributed to make this happen. Both hatcheries have been outstanding in helping address our demand for walleye fingerlings.”

Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery set a record for the most pounds shipped of these 1- to 1.5-inch fingerlings, with more than 8,400 total pounds.

Given the record walleye production, coupled with a record number of lakes stocked resulted in a lot of driving time for fish haulers.

“Just in the first seven days of this year’s walleye production, haulers traveled more than 8,200 miles and stocked over 150 lakes with 7.6 million fish,” Weigel said.

Crews had near perfect conditions with most lakes at or near record water levels, with flooded vegetation for the young fish to hide and plenty of food for them to eat, which bodes well for future fishing opportunities.

“One of the biggest challenges this year was access to some lakes,” Weigel said. “As a result of last fall’s record rains, a lot of local roads in central and eastern North Dakota remained flooded and often closed, thus making navigating some roads more challenging.”

Later this fall, fisheries personal will sample walleye lakes to assess success of this year’s walleye stocking, as well as what Mother Nature provided.

One common observation fish haulers noted while traveling across the state, Weigel said, was the high amount of fishing taking place, both from shore and from boats.

“It’s a great time to fish for walleye,” he added. “Statewide, there are a lot of opportunities, and a good chance of success.”

Complete list of all fish stockings

Hunters can help in the effort to manage upland game birds in the state 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 sex and age ratios from wings and tail feathers, survival, nesting success, hatch dates and overall production.

What biologists learn from the samples is vital to helping manage North Dakota’s upland game birds.

Hunters interested in receiving wing envelopes can request them online.

Hunters and trappers can find the North Dakota 2020-21 Hunting and Trapping Guide, which includes upland game, migratory game bird and furbearer hunting/trapping regulations and other information online. Printed guides are available at the usual license vendor locations.

The 50-plus page guide also features a colored duck identification guide, aquatic nuisance species information, Tom Roster’s Nontoxic Shot Lethality Table and more.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department reminds hunters that tree stands, ground blinds and game cameras cannot be placed on state wildlife management areas prior to August 20.

Equipment set out prior to that date, or left on a WMA after January 31, is considered abandoned property and is subject to removal.

In addition, an equipment registration number, or the owner’s name, address and telephone number, must be displayed on all equipment requiring identification.

Owners can generate an equipment registration number by visiting My Account. One registration number will be issued that can be used on all equipment that requires identification.

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 from states and provinces with documented occurrences of CWD in wild populations, or in captive cervids.

In addition, hunters harvesting a white-tailed deer or mule deer from deer hunting units 3A1, 3B1, 3F2, 4B and 4C, a moose from moose hunting units M10 and M11, or an elk from elk hunting units E2 and E6, cannot transport the whole carcass outside of the unit. However, hunters can transport the whole carcass between adjoining CWD carcass restricted units.

The following lower-risk portions of the carcass can be transported:

North Dakota’s sandhill crane season opens September 19 and continues through November 15.

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. Harvest Information Program certification is required.

With most in-person North Dakota Game and Fish Department hunter education program courses canceled in spring due to the coronavirus pandemic, Game and Fish needed to find a way to get students certified for hunter education this year. To do so, Department staff and volunteers traveled around the state this summer to provide practical and written exams to those students issued temporary hunter education certification. Through this effort, hundreds of students received their hunter education certification. Jeff Long, Department education coordinator, is pictured here administering a portion of the practical exam to a student at Game and Fish headquarters in July.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department confirmed the presence of invasive zebra mussels in Lake LaMoure after a local game warden reported the finding in July.

Ben Holen, Department aquatic nuisance species coordinator, said follow-up sampling confirmed well-established populations of zebra mussels of various ages, especially near the dam. It is unknown how the small, sharp-shelled mussels were introduced, and there is no known method to completely rid a lake once they become established.

The 430-acre lake, located in LaMoure County in southeastern North Dakota, is a popular boating and fishing destination.

Holen reminds water recreationists that everyone plays a role in stemming the spread of mussels to waters not infested.

“This situation shows how important it is for boaters, anglers, swimmers and skiers to be aware of aquatic nuisance species and to take precautions to prevent their spread,” he said.

Prevention is the best way to avoid spreading ANS. They often travel by hitchhiking with unsuspecting lake-goers.

“Always clean, drain and dry boats and other equipment before using another lake,” Holen said. “Also, don’t transfer lake water or live fish to another body of water. This can help stop the spread of not only zebra mussels, but most aquatic nuisance species that may be present.”

Since Lake LaMoure eventually flows into the James River above the city of Oakes, Game and Fish Department staff will also increase zebra mussel surveillance on the lower James.

Lake LaMoure, and the James River in Dickey County, are now considered Class I ANS Infested waters. They join Lake Ashtabula, lower portion of the Sheyenne River, and the Red River as zebra mussel infested waters. Emergency rules are in effect to prohibit the movement of water away from the lake, including water for transferring bait. Notices are posted at access sites.

Zebra mussels are just one of the nonnative aquatic species that threaten our waters and native wildlife. After using any body of water, water recreationists must follow North Dakota regulations: