Buffaloberry Patch

A total of 45,927 North Dakota deer hunters took approximately 25,146 deer during the 2023 deer gun hunting season, according to a post-season survey conducted by the state Game and Fish Department.

Game and Fish made available 53,400 deer gun licenses last year. Overall hunter success was 55%, with each hunter spending an average of 4.7 days in the field.

Hunter success for antlered white-tailed deer was 54%, and 51% for antlerless whitetails.

Mule deer buck success was 80%, and 78% for antlerless mule deer.

Hunters with any-antlered or any-antlerless licenses generally harvest white-tailed deer, as these licenses are predominantly in units with mostly whitetails. Buck hunters had a success rate of 60%, while doe hunters had a success rate of 55%.

Game and Fish issued 12,188 gratis licenses in 2023, and 9,664 hunters harvested 4,216 deer for a success rate of 44%.

A total of 1,020 muzzleloader licenses were issued, and 890 hunters harvested 280 white-tailed deer (140 antlered, 140 antlerless). Hunter success was 32%.

A total of 27,607 archery licenses (24,237 resident, 3,370 nonresident) were issued in 2023. In total, 22,608 bowhunters harvested 6,436 deer (5,411 whitetails, 1,025 mule deer) for a success rate of 29%.

Zebra mussels were confirmed in the lower end of Lake Oahe in South Dakota in December 2023 by South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks staff.

As a result, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department is working closely with South Dakota to monitor the colonization of mussels in Lake Oahe during the 2024 open water season, according to Ben Holen, Game and Fish Department aquatic nuisance species coordinator.

“The nearest mussel that was found last year was over 100 lake miles south of the North Dakota border, so we will utilize various early detection techniques to track the leading edge of the zebra mussel population as it establishes up the lake,” Holen said.

In addition to monitoring efforts, the Department will launch a digital marketing campaign and will work with the North Dakota Department of Transportation to place highway signage to raise zebra mussel awareness and promote compliance with ANS regulations, Holen said. Also, expect a higher game warden presence along Lake Oahe this year.

“It is critically important that water recreationists comply with ANS regulations and remember to clean, drain, dry all watercraft and equipment between every use,” he added.

Lake Oahe recreationists and others can find facts about zebra mussels, ANS regulations and decontamination tips online.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 2023 bighorn sheep survey, completed by recounting lambs in March, revealed a record 364 bighorn sheep in the grasslands of western North Dakota, up 5% from 2022 and 16% above the five-year average. The count surpassed the previous record of 347 bighorns in 2022.

Altogether, biologists counted 106 rams, 202 ewes and 56 lambs. Not included are approximately 40 bighorn sheep in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and bighorns introduced to the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in 2020.

Brett Wiedmann, Department big game biologist, was pleased to see an increase in the survey for the sixth consecutive year.

The northern badlands population increased 5% from 2022 and was the highest count on record. The southern badlands population dropped to its lowest level since bighorns were reintroduced there in 1966.

“We were encouraged to see a record count of adult rams, and adult ewes and lambs were near record numbers,” Wiedmann said. “Unlike the population declines observed in most other big game species following the severe winter of 2022-23, the increase in the bighorn population was attributable to two factors: higher than expected survival of adults and lambs during the extreme winter conditions of 2022, and better than anticipated lamb production and survival during 2023. Basically, bighorn sheep are incredibly hardy animals that can thrive during North Dakota’s most frigid winters.”

Department biologists count and classify all bighorn sheep in late summer, and then recount lambs the following March as they approach one year of age to determine recruitment.

Currently, about 490 bighorns make up the populations managed by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, National Park Service and the Three Affiliated Tribes Fish and Wildlife Division, just shy of the benchmark of 500 bighorns in the state.

A bighorn sheep hunting season is tentatively scheduled to open in 2024. The status of the season will be determined Sept. 1, following the summer population survey.

From left: Jeb Williams, Department director, Richard Bahm, and Scott Peterson, Department deputy director.

Volunteer instructors for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department were recently recognized at the annual banquet in Bismarck.

Richard Bahm, Mandan, was recognized as Hunter Education Instructor of the Year.

Longtime volunteers were also recognized for their service:

30 YEARS – Mark Biel, Bismarck; Jeff Bjugstad, Wahpeton; Patsy Crooke, Mandan; Darrell Ekberg, Manvel; Gary Ertmann, Devils Lake; Theodore Hoberg, Grand Forks; Vernon Laning, Stanton; Robert Martin, Jamestown; Francis Miller, Mandan; and Kenneth Retzlaff, Ellendale.

25 YEARS – William Bahm, Almont; Mark Engen, Anamoose; Mark Entzi, Watford City; Daryl Heid, Center; Matthew Herman, Ashley; Leon Hiltner, Wales; Michael Hinrichs, Bismarck; Del Houghton, Steele; Lynn Kieper, Bismarck; Curtis Miller, Tioga; Marvin Neumiller, Washburn; Craig Roe, Kindred; Douglas Sommerfeld, Lisbon; Tim Stiles, Fairmount; Cindie Van Tassel, Breckenridge, Minn.; and Paul Vasquez, Grand Forks.

20 YEARS – Mark Fisher, Devils Lake; Glen Hauf, Makoti; Jonathan Hughes, Minot; Morris Hummel, Coleharbor; Terry Kassian, Wilton; Keith Kinneberg, Wahpeton; Jacqueline Martin, Anamoose; Dale Patrick, Jamestown; Andrew Robinson, Minot; Thomas Rost, Devils Lake; Scott Thorson, Towner; and Matthew Veith, Bismarck.

15 YEARS – Mark Berg, Nortonville; Troy Enga, Berthold; Cassie Felber, Towner; Christopher Krenzel, Harvey; Andrew Majeres, Garrison; Phil Mastrangelo, Mandan; Dale Miller, Grandin; Michael Ness, Carrington; Mike Redmond, Ray; and Dustin Roeder, Menoken.

10 YEARS – Troy Anderson, Dickinson; Michael Bahm, Mandan; Craig Blomster, Leeds; Jamey Boutilier, Zap; Jennifer Ekberg, Grand Forks; Jason Forster, Lidgerwood; William Harkness, Leeds; Connie Jorgenson, Devils Lake; Dennis Lakoduk, Minot; Krista Lundgren, Kulm; Bruce Nielsen, Valley City; Dean Rustad, Ray; Kori Schantz, Underwood; and Daniel Sem, Minot.

5 YEARS – John Arman, Bismarck; Austin Barnhart, Dickinson; Joel Bohm, Mohall; Kody Helland, Kathryn; Kolten Helland, Kathryn; Troy Jespersen, Grenora; Jayar Kindsvogel, Center; Kellen Latendresse, Minot; Jason Lura, Carrington; Jeff Myers, Ryder; David Randall, Minot; Brad Sage, Mandaree; Kevin Streitz, Minot; Arnold Tow, Tioga; Ryan Walker, Fargo; Adam Westphal, Starkweather; Jordan Yellowbird, Garrison; and Anna Walker, Williston.