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News Releases

North Dakota Game and Fish Department

North Dakota Game and Fish Department

News Releases

Whooping Crane Migration

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

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 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, or Long Lake, 701-387-4397, national wildlife refuges; 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. 

 

Elk, Moose, Bighorn Sheep Apps Due March 22

Elk, moose and bighorn sheep applications must be submitted online, or postmarked, before midnight March 22.

To apply online, visit the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. Paper applications are also available at vendors.

Individuals mailing applications to the department are advised to mail early because some post offices use the following day’s postmark for mail received after regular hours. The department’s online application feature will be deactivated March 22 at midnight.

Hunters who have received a license through the lottery in the past are not eligible to apply for that species again.

Mountain Lion Season closes in Zone 1, Conditional Season Opens March 21

Mountain lion hunting during the late season in zone 1 is closed immediately. The zone’s late-season quota was filled after the seventh cat was taken.

A conditional season in zone 1 will open March 21 for hunters to pursue the additional five mountain lions that were not taken during the early season. The zone 1 early season quota was eight, and only three were taken.

The conditional season will close March 31, 2017, or immediately once the fifth cat is taken. Early season regulations apply, which means hunters are not allowed to use dogs. In addition, hunters who harvested a lion during the early or late season are not eligible to participate.

Zone 1 includes land south of ND Highway 1804 from the Montana border to the point where ND Highway 1804 lies directly across Lake Sakakawea from ND Highway 8, crossing Lake Sakakawea then south along ND Highway 8 to ND Highway 200, then west on ND Highway 200 to U.S. Highway 85, then south on U.S. Highway 85 to the South Dakota border.

The mountain lion season in zone 2, which is the rest of the state outside zone 1, has no quota and is open through March 31, 2017.

New Law Moves Pheasant Opener to Oct. 7

A new law passed by the North Dakota Legislature will result in the State Game and Fish Department to propose Oct. 7 as opening day of the 2017 pheasant hunting season, one week earlier than what the department earlier announced.

Senate Bill 2318, signed into law March 14, requires North Dakota’s pheasant season to open no later than Oct. 12.

Game and Fish Department director Terry Steinwand said the new law means the pheasant hunting season will no longer always open on the second Saturday in October, which has been the case for more than 20 years.

With the regular pheasant season opening a week earlier, Game and Fish will propose that the youth pheasant hunting season also open earlier, on Sept. 30 instead of Oct. 7.

In addition, out-of-state hunters are reminded that state law does not allow nonresidents to hunt on Game and Fish owned or managed lands during the first week of pheasant season. Therefore, Private Land Open to Sportsmen acreage and state wildlife management areas are open to hunting by resident hunters only from Oct. 7-13. Nonresidents, however, can still hunt those days on other state-owned and federal lands, or private land.

New Licenses Needed April 1

North Dakota anglers, spring light goose hunters and trappers are reminded that new licenses for the 2017-18 season are required starting April 1.

Anglers and hunters can purchase new licenses  beginning March 15 at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov, and at more than 140 vendor locations throughout the state.

License buyers who use the Game and Fish website will notice a new look to the online system, which allows customers to purchase, apply for or renew licenses.

Hunters and anglers who have purchased licenses in the past should find their information in the new system. However, if prior information isn’t found, or if the information seems incorrect – such as boat registrations or bonus points – customers should contact the Department at 701-328-6335.

Game and Fish IT supervisor Brian Hosek said the new system, which has been in place since December, has met expectations and is working well. “The majority of users, such as people renewing their boat registrations, and spring turkey applicants, have experienced a smooth transition, but with a major overhaul like this we expect some issues to arise that need to be worked out,” Hosek said. “We ask anyone who experiences a technical issue to contact the Department so we can help them work through it.”

Help and tutorial links are available, which highlight new changes to the online services system. Some benefits of the new system include:

·         Customers are able to view licenses, lottery applications and results, bonus points, boat registration, magazine and calendar orders, and more, all in one place.

·         Address information is stored (and may be updated), so license buyers no longer need to reenter personal information each time a license is purchased or an application is filled out.

·         Replacement hunter education cards can be printed directly from your account page.

·         Email and text notification preferences can be managed from your account page.

·         Purchase and renew magazine subscriptions and purchase calendars online.

·         Mobile friendly – making it easier to conduct business on a smartphone.

One other item that some license buyers will notice is that the vendor service fee has changed. In the past, vendors could charge a 50-cent service fee on a license purchase, but the 2017 North Dakota Legislature changed that to allow vendors the option to add a 3 percent service fee to the total transaction.

The service fee does not apply to license purchases or applications made through the Game and Fish Department’s website.

The 2017-18 small game, fishing and furbearer licenses are effective April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018. 

Game and Fish Volunteers Recognized

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

John Paulson, Bismarck, was recognized as volunteer of the year. Paul Speral, Fargo, was named archery instructor of the year. George Babcock, Garrison, and Rodney Hubbard, Fargo, were recognized as hunter education instructors of the year, while Minot residents Jonathan Hughes and Justin Hughes were named hunter education team of the year, and Skip Pederson, Valley City, received the hunter education lifetime achievement award.

Honored for 30 years of service were Darwin Bucholz, Rolla; Terry Fasteen, Helena, Mont.; Allen Goerger, Barney; Huel Halstenson, West Fargo; Richard Harwood, Lemmon, S.D.; Susan Harwood, Lemmon, S.D.; Robert Ingold, Manning; Thomas Kempf, Sawyer; Mike Kiernan, West Fargo; Dwight Leier, Esmond; Dennis Miller, Mandan; Lynda Miller, Mandan; Scott Mitchell, Rolla; Joe Solseng, Grand Forks; Todd Thingelstad, Grand Forks.

Recognized for 25 years of service were Douglas Bolte, Regent; James Borkowski, Bottineau; Dean Burwick, Dickinson; Brenda Davis, Rhame; Gene Davis, Rhame; Gary Ertmann, Devils Lake; Gerard Goldade, Hague; Theodore Hoberg, Grand Forks; Alan Klatt, Grand Forks; Lynn Hawler, Cando; Glenn Lemier, Oakes; Dale Marks, Ypsilanti; David Meberg, Hebron; Karla Meikle, Bismarck; Eugene Pederson, Valley City; Doyle Roeder, Bismarck; Daryl Simmons, Garrison; Patricia Stark, Cavalier; Gene Van Eeckhout, Jamestown; Curtis Walen, Carrington.

Honored for 20 years of service were Darren Benneweis, Lisbon; Larry Brooks, Bottineau; Scott Fasteen, Lincoln; Doyle Johannes, Underwood; Brad Kilde, Glen Ullin; Ike Kuntz, Dickinson; Marty Liesener, Ray; Mike Marquette, Cogswell; Brad Olson, West Fargo; Dale Patrick, Bismarck; Elizabeth Schaner, Center; Thomas Simmons, Cavalier; Paul Vasquez, Grand Forks; Don Underwood, Grand Forks.

Fifteen-year service awards were presented to Harold Capaci, Minot; Wesley Crosby, Williston; Tom Hetletvedt, Ypsilanti; Connie Jorgenson, Devils Lake; Jackie Martin, Anamoose; Kevin Mattson, Kindred; Robert Miller, Oakes; Ryan Mitchell, Rolla; Andrew Robinson, Minot; Joseph Schirado, Bismarck; Richard Simon Sr., Grand Forks; Paul Speral, Fargo; Ronald Swenson, Williston; Lavern Vance, Ray; Alan Waldo, New Rockford.

Ten-year active instructors recognized were Dorian Anderson, Drake; Jeff Ball, Des Lacs; Skip Balzer, Bismarck; Wayne Bauer, Wishek; Kimberly Blake, Park River; David Blocker, Mohall; John Butz, Northwood; Mark Crosby, Bowbells; Jeremy Duckwitz, Moffit; Paul Goldade, Wishek; Mike Graue, Devils Lake; Tanya Helfrich, Mandan; Amanda Johnson, Minnewaukan; Nadine Kassian, Wilton; Paul Lambert, Minot; Casey Martin, Bismarck; Deb Michels, Elgin; Timothy Nelson, Harvey; Lyle Olson, Lisbon; Todd Olson, Mohall; Levi Reese, Hillsboro; Dennis Schlenker, Bismarck; Chad Symington, Manvel; Samuel Theurer, Mandan.

Recognized for five years of service were Lynn Burgard, Bismarck; Justin Campbell, Hannaford; Tracey Day, Surrey; Jose Figueroa-Diaz, Devils Lake; Jason Hanson, Mayville; Wayne Henderson, Edgeley; Coby Hubble, Crosby; Clint Johnson, Carrington; Kevin Lahlum, Horace; Laurie Niblick, Bismarck; Jared Nygaard, Bismarck; Kendall Peterson, Devils Lake; Glenn Redmond, Belfield; Dennis Schaner, Mandan; Cory Wolf, Lincoln; Jordan Woroniecki, Dickinson.

Two-year active instructors recognized were Quincy Burroughs, Tioga; Kenneth Cabarle, Minot; Bob Dooley, Minot; Don Frost, West Fargo; Lisa Goldade, Wishek; JD Hanson, Center; Alan Haut, Fargo; Troy Jespersen, Grenora; Joel Johnson, Mooreton; Shannon Johnson, Fargo; Henry Juntunen, Bismarck; Leah Kessler, Watford City; Melissa Klitzke, Powers Lake; Edward Krank, Gladstone; Roger Landblom, Fargo; Patrick Liner, Williston; Leslie Moszer, Bismarck; Taylor Brown, Ryder; Benjamin Murphy, Killdeer; Rob Sailer, West Fargo; William Vasicek, Grand Forks; Scott Williams, Crosby. 

 

Advisory Board Meetings Announced

Outdoor enthusiasts are invited to attend a North Dakota Game and Fish Department spring 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

Date: March 27 – 7 p.m.

Location: Fairgrounds Archery Range, Williston

Host: Missouri Basin Bowmen

Contact: Steve Rehak, 770-3643

Advisory board member: Jason Leiseth, Arnegard, 586-3714

 

District 2 – Counties: Bottineau, Burke, McHenry, Mountrail, Pierce, Renville and Ward

Date: March 27 – 7 p.m.

Location: Memorial Building, 224 2nd Ave SE, Rugby

Host: Barton Sportsman’s Club

Contact: Joe Lautenschlager, 721-1882

Advisory board member: Robert Gjellstad, Voltaire, 338-2281

 

District 6 – Counties: Barnes, Dickey, Foster, Griggs, Logan, LaMoure, McIntosh, Stutsman and Wells

Date: March 28 – 7 p.m.

Location: Hakuna Matata Café and Convention Center, Hwy 13 and 281, Edgeley

Host: Wood Lake Pheasants Forever and Loren Schulz

Contact: Rodney Zahn, 357-8441

Advisory board member: Joel Christoferson, Litchville, 973-4981

 

District 7 – Counties: Burleigh, Emmons, Grant, Kidder, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan and Sioux

Date: March 28 – 7 p.m.

Location: Turtle Lake Wildlife Club, 695 15th Ave NW, Turtle Lake

Host: Turtle Lake Wildlife Club

Contact: Steve Seeger, 448-2448

Advisory board member: Dave Nehring, Bismarck, 214-3184

 

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

Date: April 3 – 7 p.m.

Location: The Great American Inn, Hwy 2 East, Devils Lake

Host: Lake Region Anglers

Contact and advisory board member: Tom Rost, Devils Lake, 350-1424

 

District 8 – Counties: Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Hettinger, Slope and Stark

Date: April 3 – 7 p.m.

Location: Borderline Bar and Grill, 207 South Main, Reeder

Host: Cedar Creek Pheasants Forever

Contact: Tod Donner, 928-0330

Advisory board member: Dwight Hecker, Dickinson, 483-4952

 

District 4 – Counties: Grand Forks, Nelson, Pembina and Walsh

Date: April 4 – 7 p.m.

Location: Community Center, 133 Broadway, Michigan

Host: Rainbow Lodge

Contact: Chris Anderson, 304-0040

Advisory board member: Joe Solseng, 317-5009

 

District 5 – Counties: Cass, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele and Traill

Date: April 4 – 7 p.m.

Location: Community Center, 207 Lincoln St., Embden

Host: Four Corners Wildlife Club

Contact: Kent Jensen, 793-4446

Advisory board member: Duane Hanson, West Fargo, 367-4249 

Deer Poaching Charges Filed

The Morton County state’s attorney’s office has filed criminal complaints against four men who were identified in two separate incidents of unlawful possession of deer in North Dakota in November and December, 2016.

Both incidents took place in southeastern Morton County, either in or near the Dakota Access Pipeline protest camp that was located near the mouth of the Cannonball River.

In the first incident, Sean Carney of Center Conway, New Hampshire, and Danny LeClaire of Pocatello, Idaho, are charged with unlawful possession of big game. Warrants for their arrest were issued and they are not believed to be in North Dakota at this time.

Carney and LeClaire were identified in a photo, skinning a deer for which they allegedly did not have a license to possess.

In the second incident, William Larkin of Olean, New York and William Bighorse of Freeville, New York are charged with unlawful possession of big game for their alleged participation in dragging a whitetail buck from the Cannonball River in November and killing it by stabbing it with a knife and then suffocating it in the mud.

Authorities are still trying to identify other suspects from a video of this incident, which was released to the public on Jan. 5, 2017.

Arrest warrants for Larkin and Bighorse were issued and they are also believed to be out of state.

Unlawful possession of big game is a Class A misdemeanor and is punishable by a maximum penalty of one year's imprisonment, a fine of $3,000, or both.

North Dakota Game and Fish Department Chief Warden Robert Timian said public response to the photo and video the agency released was very helpful, and was directly related to identifying the suspects and gathering evidence to support the charges. 

Pronghorn Hunting Season Statistics

Hunter success during last fall’s pronghorn hunting season was 73 percent, according to statistics provided by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

Game and Fish issued 730 licenses (474 lottery and 256 gratis), and 716 hunters took 523 pronghorn, consisting of 482 bucks and 41 does. Each hunter spent an average of 2.2 days afield.

The 2017 pronghorn hunting season will be determined in July. 

2016 Bighorn Sheep, Moose and Elk Harvests

Harvest statistics released by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department show overall hunter success during the 2016 season for bighorn sheep was 100 percent, 97 percent for moose and 56 percent for elk.

Game and Fish issued seven bighorn sheep licenses and auctioned one. All eight hunters harvested a bighorn ram.

A total of 200 moose licenses were issued last year. Of that total, 192 hunters harvested 187 animals – 121 bulls and 66 cows/calves.

The department issued 348 elk licenses last year. Of that total, 324 hunters harvested 179 elk – 102 bulls and 77 cows/calves. 

Moose and Elk harvest statistics by unit.

 

Elk, Moose, Bighorn Sheep Apps Available

North Dakota’s elk, moose and bighorn sheep applications are available online at the State Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. Paper applications are scheduled to arrive at vendors by March 10. The deadline for applying is March 22.

A total of 389 elk licenses are available to hunters this fall, an increase of 51 from last year.

Unit E1 is split into east and west units to help direct harvest on the two separate elk herds in the Turtle Mountains and Pembina Hills.

New Unit E6 has seven licenses, and is made up of all land east of Highway 31 in Sioux County. Management efforts in this unit are coordinated with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

A total of 247 moose licenses are available in 2017, an increase of 45 from last year. Most of the increase is antlerless licenses in units M9 and M10, due to an increasing moose population in these units.

Unit M10 is split into two units to help direct harvest. Unit M10 is north of U.S. Highway 2, and Unit M11 is south of U.S. Highway 2. Hunting units M1C and M4 will remain closed due to a continued downward trend in moose numbers in the northeastern part of the state.

Similar to last year’s bighorn sheep hunting season and lottery application process, a hunting season is tentatively scheduled to open in 2017, depending on the sheep population. The status of the bighorn sheep season will be determined Sept. 1, after summer population surveys are completed. The season was closed in 2015 due to a bacterial pneumonia outbreak.

As in 2016, applicants will still apply for a license at the same time as moose and elk, but not for a specific unit. Once total licenses are determined for each unit in late summer, the bighorn lottery will then be held and successful applicants will be contacted to select a hunting unit.

Because the bighorn sheep application fee is not refundable as per state law, if a bighorn season is not held, applicants would not receive a refund. Nonresidents may apply for North Dakota bighorn sheep licenses only through the Game and Fish website.

Elk, moose and bighorn sheep lottery licenses are issued as once-in-a-lifetime licenses in North Dakota. Hunters who have received a license through the lottery in the past are not eligible to apply for that species again. 

 

Spring Turkey Drawing Held, Licenses Remain

 

The 2017 spring wild turkey lottery has been held and hopeful hunters can check individual results by accessing the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website at gf.nd.gov.

A total of 891 licenses remain in 12 units. The governor’s proclamation allows a maximum of two licenses, and hunters who did not apply in the first drawing are also eligible.

Licenses remain in unit 03, Benson and Ramsey counties and portions of Pierce County; unit 06, Bowman County; unit 13, Dunn County; unit 19, Grant and Sioux counties and portions of Morton County; unit 25 McHenry County and portions of Pierce and Ward Counties; unit 30, portions of Morton County; unit 31, Mountrail County; unit 44, Slope County; unit 45, Stark County; unit 47, Eddy, Foster, Kidder, Sheridan, Stutsman and Wells counties; unit 51, Burke County and portions of Renville, Bottineau and Ward counties; and unit 99, Mercer and Oliver counties.

Licenses are issued on a first-come, first-served basis beginning March 15. Applicants can apply online, or print an application to mail at the Game and Fish website. In addition, applications can be requested by calling 701-328-6300. Only North Dakota residents are eligible to apply.

The spring turkey season opens April 8 and continues through May 14.