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Upland Game Brood Survey Results

Five Bighorn Sheep Licenses

Motorists Warned to Watch for Deer

Check Boat Lifts, Docks for ANS

Order 2023 OUTDOORS Calendars

Hunting from Duck Boats Safely

Prepping for the Deer Gun Season

Permit Required to Possess Dead Deer

Whooping Crane Migration

Hosek Earns Governor’s Award

Elstad Retires

Kjos Joins Fisheries Development Staff

Eustice Named to Wildlife Staff

Upland Game Brood Survey Results

North Dakota’s late summer roadside surveys indicated pheasant and gray partridge were up from last year, while sharp-tailed grouse numbers were down.

Jesse Kolar, Game and Fish Department upland game supervisor, said the annual upland counts showed mixed results.

“We observed an increase in pheasant and partridge densities and reproductive rates with average brood size and age ratios, while sharptails decreased in density but had improved reproductive rates from 2021,” he said.

Total pheasants observed (49 per 100 miles) were up 9% from last year and broods (5.3) per 100 miles were up 8%. The average brood size (6.2) was up 7%. The final summary is based on 278 survey runs made along 100 brood routes across North Dakota.

Observers in the northwest counted 11 broods and 96 pheasants per 100 miles, up from eight broods and 68 pheasants in 2021. Average brood size was six.

Results from the southeast showed five broods and 39 pheasants per 100 miles, up from three broods and 24 pheasants in 2021. Average brood size was five.

Statistics from southwestern North Dakota indicated five broods and 48 pheasants per 100 miles, down from six broods and 59 pheasants in 2021. Average brood size was five chicks.

The northeast district, generally containing secondary pheasant habitat with lower pheasant numbers compared to the rest of the state, showed two broods and 18 pheasants per 100 miles, compared to three broods and 24 pheasants last year. Average brood size was seven.

Kolar said sharptail hunters should expect to find more hatch-year grouse this fall.

“The rangeland vegetation is significantly taller, and there will be many more areas to search to find grouse,” he said. “However, we have not had significant amounts of precipitation since mid-July, upland rangelands may not be as productive as hillsides or low-lying riparian areas, particularly if the fall remains hot. Although the densities were highest in the southwest, the relative trends remain highest in the prairie potholes along the Missouri River.”

Sharptails observed per 100 miles were down 30% statewide. Brood survey results show observers recorded two sharptail broods and 13 sharptails per 100 miles. Average brood size was six.

Generally, Kolar said, most of the partridge harvest is incidental while hunters pursue grouse or pheasants. But this year, with partridge numbers looking impressive, he said there may be pockets where hunters could focus primarily on partridge.

“Huns have rebounded, and the last time they were this good was in 2015,” Kolar said.

Partridge observed per 100 miles were up 46%. Observers recorded one partridge brood and 12 partridge per 100 miles. Average brood size was 10.

Five Bighorn Sheep Licenses

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department allocated five bighorn sheep licenses for the 2022 hunting season, the same as last year. A record 19,423 applicants applied for bighorn sheep. Successful applicants have been notified. Prospective hunters were required to apply for a bighorn license earlier this year on the bighorn sheep, moose and elk application.

One license was issued in unit B1, one in B3, one in B4 and one in B5. In addition, one license, as authorized under North Dakota Century Code, was auctioned in May by the Midwest Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation, from which all proceeds are used to enhance bighorn sheep management in North Dakota.

Motorists Warned to Watch for Deer

Motorists should watch for deer along roadways this time of year as juvenile animals disperse from their home ranges.

October through early December is the peak period for deer-vehicle accidents. Motorists are advised to slow down and exercise caution after dark to reduce the likelihood of encounters with deer along roadways. Most deer-vehicle accidents occur primarily at dawn and dusk when deer are moving around.

Motorists should be aware of warning signs signaling deer are in the area. When you see one deer cross the road, look for a second or third deer to follow. Also, pay attention on roadways posted with Deer Crossing Area caution signs.

Deer-vehicle accidents are at times unavoidable. If an accident does happen, law enforcement authorities do not have to be notified if only the vehicle is damaged. However, if the accident involves personal injury or other property damage, then it must be reported.

In addition, a permit is required to take parts or the whole carcass of road-killed deer. Permits are free and available from Department game wardens and local law enforcement offices.

A few precautions can minimize chances of injury or property damage in a deer-vehicle crash.

Always wear your seat belt.
Don’t swerve or take the ditch to avoid hitting a deer. Try to brake as much as possible and stay on the roadway. Don’t lose control of your vehicle or slam into something else to miss the deer. You risk less injury by hitting the deer.
If you spot deer ahead, slow down immediately and honk your horn.

Check Boat Lifts, Docks for ANS

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is asking water recreationists and property owners to check for zebra mussels and other aquatic nuisance species when removing boat lifts, docks and other equipment from state waters.

Ben Holen, Department ANS coordinator, said water recreationists and property owners play a vital role in ANS prevention.

Zebra mussels attach to hard surfaces that are left in the water for long periods of time, first settling in tight spaces and areas that are protected from sunlight, Holen said. Equipment such as boat lifts and docks are high risk vectors for spreading ANS, especially zebra mussels.

“It makes it easier to do a thorough search when equipment is taken out of the water in fall,” he said. “Pay special attention to wheel wells, right angles on frames, and areas otherwise protected from sunlight. Feel for attached organisms that have small hair-like structures holding them in place. Small mussels can feel like rough sandpaper and adults can be as large as 2 inches long.”

Holen said if you think you’ve found a zebra mussel, take photos, write down any relevant information, such as how many were found and where, and report it online at the Game and Fish website gf.nd.gov/ans, or email Holen at bholen@nd.gov.

Order 2023 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 2023. Along with color photographs of North Dakota wildlife and outstanding scenery, it also includes sunrise-sunset times and moon phases.

To order online, visit the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov., or send $3 for each, plus $1 postage, 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 magazine’s December issue, so current subscribers will automatically receive it in the mail.

Hunting from Duck Boats Safely

Waterfowlers hunting from boats are encouraged to wear properly fitted life jackets while on the water.

Hunting jackets with built-in life jackets are light and comfortable to wear. In addition, wearing a life jacket will not only keep the overboard hunter afloat, but also slows the loss of critical body heat caused by exposure to cold water.

Capsizing and falling overboard from small boats are the most common types of fatal boating accidents for hunters.

Prepping for the Deer Gun Season

With North Dakota’s deer gun season opening in early November, many hunters will be looking for a place to sight in their firearms to get ready for the season.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department manages five gun ranges on wildlife management areas in the state, and also partners with many local clubs around North Dakota to offer many other public shooting facilities.

The gun ranges managed by the Game and Fish Department include:

Lewis and Clark WMA, located 6 miles southwest of Williston.
Little Heart (Schmidt) Bottoms, located 12 miles south of Mandan off ND Highway 1806.
MacLean Bottoms, located 2 miles south of ND Highway 1804, about 15 miles southeast of Bismarck.
Riverdale WMA, located 2 miles southwest of Riverdale.
Wilton Mine WMA, located 2 miles east of Wilton.

The Department may periodically close these ranges for routine maintenance and improvements. The status of each range can be found on the Department’s website at gf.nd.gov. The website also provides a detailed listing of other shooting facilities in North Dakota.

Permit Required to Possess Dead Deer

North Dakota Game and Fish Department enforcement personnel issues 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. Deer carcasses cannot be left on the side of a roadway or in a ditch, and deer parts cannot be discarded in commercial dumpsters.

Whooping Crane Migration

Whooping cranes are in the midst of their fall migration and sightings will increase as they make their way into and through North Dakota over the next several weeks. Anyone seeing these endangered birds as they move through the state is asked to report sightings so the birds can be tracked.

The whooping cranes that do make their way through North Dakota each fall are part of a population of about 500 birds that are on their way from nesting grounds at Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada to wintering grounds at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, a distance of about 2,500 miles.

Whoopers stand about five feet tall and have a wingspan of about seven 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 straight 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 like 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 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offices at Lostwood, 701-848-2466; Audubon, 701-442-5474; the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, 701-328-6300; or to local game wardens across the state. Reports help biologists located important whooping crane habitat areas, monitor marked birds, determine survival and population numbers, and identify times and migration routes.

Hosek Earns Governor’s Award

Brian Hosek, Game and Fish Department business operations manager, was awarded in September the 2022 Governor’s Telegraph Award for Excellence in Technology for his role in the development and implementation of North Dakota’s electronic posting program, including the launch of the electronic posting application, empowering North Dakota’s hunters with information and resources.

“Brian’s creativity, work ethic and commitment are well known and respected within the Department, but it is always extra rewarding to see our staff receive recognition from others who also see their talents, especially the governor,” said Jeb Williams, Game and Fish Department director. “Governor Burgum’s commitment to recognizing state team members has been phenomenal and for Brian to receive this year’s Telegraph Award is really meaningful and I couldn’t be happier for him.”

Elstad Retires

Scott Elstad retired after 27 years with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. At the time of his retirement, Elstad was the Department’s aquatic habitat supervisor and directed the Save Our Lakes program, which contributed greatly over the years in improving fishing in North Dakota, including creating new fishing opportunities in community ponds around the state.

Kjos Joins Fisheries Development Staff

Zach Kjos has been named a fisheries development specialist for the Game and Fish Department in Bismarck. Prior to his new position, Kjos worked as a Department wildlife technician for four years in Williston.

Eustice Named to Wildlife Staff

Zach Eustice has been named a wildlife technician for the Game and Fish Department in Williston. Eustice worked as a seasonal wildlife technician at the Lonetree Wildlife Management Area district prior to his new position.

Wildlife crossing with bighorn sheep entering

In summer, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department documented for the first time bighorn sheep ewes leading their young through a wildlife crossing that runs under U.S. Highway 85 in western North Dakota. The trail camera photograph is significant because wildlife literatures suggests ewes are less likely to use an underpass because they don’t feel comfortable, fearing that predators might be hiding in the passage. Yet, the photograph shows adults leading young safely through the crossing and instilling in the latter that the underpass is indeed safe. Plus, it keeps them off the busy highway, where a number of vehicle-bighorn accidents have been documented in the past.

Return to North Dakota Outdoors October 2022 Edition