Wetland Conditions Fair for Duck Hunting

Thu, 09/23/2021

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual fall wetland survey indicates poor to fair wetland conditions for duck hunting throughout the state.

Andy Dinges, Department migratory game bird biologist, said the number of duck hunting wetlands are down statewide about 44% from last fall and are also 45% below the 2003-2020 average.

“We are experiencing fall wetland conditions similar to what occurred from 2006-08, which was our last prolonged dry period throughout the state,” Dinges said.

Dinges said the northeast region has the highest number of duck hunting wetlands this fall, but is still about 30% below average for the region. The south central region is also faring a little better and is only about 17% below the long-term average for the number of duck hunting type wetlands. However, all other regions of the state are experiencing conditions that are at least 50% below average for the number of duck hunting type wetlands observed.

“Most of the remaining wetlands are in fair to good shape, but hunters should certainly expect mud margins around wetlands, possibly making hunting more difficult,” he said. 

Wetland conditions were poor in early spring from little to no snow melt, in addition the early and mid-summer were also extremely dry for most of the state, Dinges said.

“We have received some much-needed rainfall in the last month or so, but it hasn’t been enough to really improve wetland conditions,” he added. “Most of the state has only received about 50-75% of normal precipitation since last year when the fall wetland survey was conducted.”

The quality of waterfowl hunting in North Dakota is largely determined by weather conditions and migration patterns. Dinges said waterfowl populations are still doing well for the most part despite drought this year, which still makes for the potential of some good fall hunting in North Dakota.

“Hunters should always scout because of ever-changing conditions and distribution of waterfowl,” he said. “Hunters should also be cautious driving off-trail to avoid soft spots, and while encountering areas of tall vegetation that could be a fire hazard.”

The fall wetland survey is conducted in mid-September, just prior to the waterfowl hunting season to provide an assessment of conditions duck hunters can expect. Duck hunting wetlands are classified as seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands. 

Department Continues to Monitor EHD Outbreak

Wed, 09/22/2021

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department continues to monitor an ongoing epizootic hemorrhagic disease outbreak. To date, the most heavily affected area is along a portion of the Missouri River extending from just south of Bismarck/Mandan to the Garrison Dam, as well as a smaller area near Williston.

“With the help of public reports, we are able to get a pretty good idea on where the outbreak is occurring,” said Casey Anderson, Department wildlife division chief. “Tracking an outbreak like this would not be possible without the public's involvement.”  

EHD is a naturally occurring virus spread by a biting midge that is often fatal to white-tailed deer, and less commonly to mule deer, pronghorn and elk. Humans are not susceptible to the virus.

The Department would like to thank those who have sent in reports. Based on these continuing reports along the Missouri River of white-tailed deer mortality attributed to EHD, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department is now offering refunds for returned licenses from the special herd reduction bow season license holders in south Bismarck/Mandan and northern Burleigh County.

EHD outbreaks rapidly slow after a series of hard frosts kill the midge that transmits the virus. Department personnel will monitor reports they receive through the opening weekend of pheasant season. We will then determine in which units the severity of the outbreak warrants refunds for the gun hunting season for those seeking refunds.

The public is asked to continue reporting any dead deer to the Game and Fish Department through the online wildlife mortality reporting system.

Youth Waterfowl Hunting Trailer Available

Fri, 09/17/2021

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department and Ducks Unlimited co-sponsor a trailer full of waterfowl hunting gear for families with young hunters.

Purchased by the Game and Fish Department’s Encouraging Tomorrow’s Hunters grant program, the trailer is designed for families who don’t have the appropriate gear for their young hunters to hunt waterfowl. The equipment is donated by Avery Outdoors.

Use of the trailer is free and is equipped with goose and duck decoys for field hunting, and two bags of floating duck decoys and marsh seats for hunting a wetland.

For more information, or to reserve equipment, contact the Ducks Unlimited office in Bismarck at 701-355-3500.

Assistance Available for Ranchers

Fri, 09/17/2021

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department wants ranchers to be aware of practices to protect hay and other feed supplies from deer and other big game animals this winter. Drought conditions across the state have resulted in hay shortages, and if combined with severe winter conditions, can result in depredation to hay and other feed supplies.

The Game and Fish Department can discuss which practices ranchers can use and programs available to protect hay from wildlife. Ranchers are encouraged to store hay in a manner and location that reduces damage by wildlife, such as stacking bales where they can be accessed easily if winter conditions deteriorate.

Through the department’s Private Land Initiative, temporary plastic fence and permanent fencing or panels may be available for ranchers experiencing chronic depredation problems. A limited supply of materials for permanent fencing is available for 2021, however, ranchers can still contact Game and Fish to get on a list for permanent fencing materials for 2022.

Ensuring adequate deer harvest in an area can also help reduce depredation. Landowners can visit with Game and Fish about ways to increase deer harvest through walk-in hunting access programs, “Ask Before You Enter” hunting signs, or a landowner-contact program that provides hunter contact information to landowners wanting to trim doe numbers on their property.

For help or more information on how to protect hay supplies, available fencing supplies or increasing deer harvest in your area, visit the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov, or call the main office in Bismarck at 701-328-6300, or a local district office.

Hunting from Duck Boats Requires Safety

Fri, 09/17/2021

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

Hunting coats with life jackets already built in are light and comfortable to wear. In addition, wearing a life jacket will not only keep the overboard hunter afloat, but also slow 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.

Waterfowl Hunters Reminded of ANS Regulations

Fri, 09/17/2021

Waterfowl hunters are reminded to do their part in preventing the spread of aquatic nuisance species into or within North Dakota.

Waterfowl hunters must remove aquatic plants and plant fragments from decoys, strings and anchors; remove aquatic plant seeds and plant fragments from waders and other equipment before leaving hunting areas; remove all water from decoys, boats, motors, trailers and other watercraft; and remove all aquatic plants from boats and trailers before leaving a marsh or lake. In addition, hunters are encouraged to brush their hunting dogs free of mud and seeds.

Cattails and bulrushes may be transported as camouflage on boats. All other aquatic vegetation must be cleaned from boats prior to transportation into or within North Dakota.

Drain plugs on boats must remain pulled when a boat is in transit away from a water body.

In addition, hunters are reminded of a state law that requires motorized watercraft, including motorized duck boats, operated on state waters and not licensed in North Dakota, to display an ANS sticker, including an ANS fee of $15 to be paid each calendar year.

More ANS information, including regulations, or to purchase the ANS sticker, visit the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov.

Watchable Wildlife Photo Contest

Mon, 09/13/2021

The deadline for submitting entries in the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual Watchable Wildlife Photo Contest is Oct. 1.

The contest has categories for nongame and game species, as well as plants/insects. An overall winning photograph will be chosen, with the number of place winners in each category determined by the number of qualified entries.

Photographers should go to the Game and Fish Department’s website at gf.nd.gov/photo-contest. Then it is a matter of providing some pertinent information about the photo and uploading it. Doing so helps both with ease of submitting photos for the photographer and managing those images for department staff. 

Contestants are limited to no more than five entries. Photos must have been taken in North Dakota.

By submitting an entry, photographers grant permission to Game and Fish to publish winning photographs in North Dakota OUTDOORS and on the department’s website.

2021 Waterfowl Season

Mon, 09/13/2021

North Dakota’s waterfowl season opens for residents Sept. 25, while nonresidents may begin hunting waterfowl Oct. 2.

The season for swans opens Oct. 2 for both residents and nonresidents who have purchased a swan license.

Hunters may take six ducks per day with the following restrictions: five mallards of which two may be hens, three wood ducks, two redheads, two canvasbacks, one scaup and one pintail. Hunters can take two additional blue-winged teal from Sept. 25 through Oct. 10. The daily limit of five mergansers may include no more than two hooded mergansers. For ducks and mergansers, the possession limit is three times the daily limit.

The hunting season for Canada geese will close Dec. 18 in the eastern zone, Dec. 23 in the western zone and Dec. 31 in the Missouri River zone. The season for whitefronts closes Dec. 5, while the season on light geese is open through Dec. 31.

Shooting hours for all geese are one-half hour before sunrise to 2 p.m. each day.

Extended shooting hours for all geese are permitted from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset on Saturdays and Wednesdays through Nov. 27, and on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays from Nov. 28 through the end of each season. 

The bag limit for Canada geese during the regular season is eight daily and 24 in possession, except in the Missouri River zone where the limit is five daily and 15 in possession.

The daily limit on whitefronts is three with nine in possession, and light geese has a daily limit of 50 with no possession limit.

In accordance with state law, nonresidents are not allowed to hunt on North Dakota Game and Fish Department wildlife management areas or conservation PLOTS (Private Land Open To Sportsmen) areas from Oct. 9-15, with the exception of nonresidents hunting on PLOTS land they own.

Hunters who do not HIP certify when they buy a North Dakota license can add it through the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov, or by calling 888-634-4798 and recording the HIP number on their printed license. Those who registered to hunt North Dakota’s spring light goose season or August Management Take/Early September Canada goose season do not have to register with HIP again, as it is required in each state only once per year.

Hunters should refer to the North Dakota 2021-22 Hunting and Trapping Guide for further details on the waterfowl season.

Check Boat Lifts, Docks for ANS

Mon, 09/13/2021

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.

ANS coordinator Ben Holen said water recreationists and property owners play a vital role in ANS prevention, noting that a local cabin owner recently found zebra mussels attached to a boat lift in Lake Elsie, Richland County.

“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 continued. “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 pictures, 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.

Upland Game Brood Survey

Thu, 09/09/2021

Watch the grouse and partridge season preview webcast 

North Dakota’s roadside surveys conducted in late July and August indicate pheasants were down from last year, while sharp-tailed grouse and gray partridge numbers were about the same.

State Game and Fish Department upland game supervisor Jesse Kolar said results of the annual upland late summer counts were expected. “Recent weather patterns have shifted toward a drier period, particularly this year with a warm, open winter and exceptional drought across much of the state,” Kolar said. “Hunters should expect to find similar numbers to 2020, with the exception that there will be fewer acres of typical grassland cover to walk.”

Total pheasants (45) observed per 100 miles are down 23% from last year and broods (5) per 100 miles are down 30%. The average brood size (six) remained unchanged. The final summary is based on 266 survey runs made along 102 brood routes across North Dakota.

Observers in the northwest counted eight broods and 68 pheasants per 100 miles, down from 10 broods and 80 pheasants in 2020. Average brood size was six.

Results from the southeast showed three broods and 24 pheasants per 100 miles, down from five broods and 42 pheasants in 2020. Average brood size was four.

Statistics from southwestern North Dakota indicated six broods and 59 pheasants per 100 miles, down from seven broods and 65 pheasants in 2020. Average brood size was seven chicks.

The northeast district, generally containing secondary pheasant habitat with lower pheasant numbers compared to the rest of the state, showed three broods and 24 pheasants per 100 miles, compared to three broods and 22 pheasants last year. Average brood size was five.

Kolar said sharptail hunters should expect to find mainly adult grouse this fall. He said numbers along the Missouri River are still high compared to long-term averages, so hunters who can find cover should have average to good hunting. The eastern part of the state has fewer sharp-tailed grouse, with isolated hot spots.

“Many rangelands that hold grouse on an average year will be too open to hunt this fall, and most grouse will likely be found in shrubland and woodland draws and/or near riparian areas,” he added.

Sharptails observed per 100 miles are up 2% statewide. Brood survey results show observers recorded two sharptail broods and 19 sharptails per 100 miles. Average brood size was six.

Although partridge numbers have shown a slight increase, Kolar said most of the partridge harvest is incidental while hunters pursue grouse or pheasants. Partridge densities in general, he said, are too low to target.

Partridge observed per 100 miles are up 9%. Observers recorded one partridge brood and 10 partridge per 100 miles. Average brood size was 10.

The grouse and partridge seasons open Sept. 11 and continues through Jan. 2, 2022.

The pheasant season opens Oct. 9 and continues through Jan. 2, 2022. The two-day youth pheasant hunting weekend, when legally licensed residents and nonresidents 15 and younger can hunt statewide, is set for Oct. 2-3.

Youth, Military Waterfowl Weekend Sept. 18-19

Tue, 09/07/2021

Introduce a youngster to duck hunting during North Dakota’s two-day youth waterfowl weekend Sept. 18-19. In addition, the special veteran and active military personnel waterfowl season is set for the same weekend.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has a Virtual Duck Hunting Mentor webpage with all the basics, including license requirements, regulations, gear recommendations and tips for finding a place to hunt.

Legally licensed resident and nonresident youth waterfowl hunters 15 and younger, and veterans and members of the Armed Forces on active duty, including members of the National Guard and Reserves on active duty (other than for training), may hunt ducks, geese, coots and mergansers statewide.

The daily bag limit and species restrictions are the same as for regular duck and goose seasons. However, the additional two blue-winged teal allowed during the first 16 days of the regular season are not allowed during this weekend.

Resident and qualifying nonresident youth waterfowl hunters must possess a general game and habitat license. Nonresidents from states that do not provide a reciprocal licensing agreement for North Dakota residents must purchase the entire nonresident waterfowl license package.

Veterans and members of the Armed Forces must possess a resident hunting license, which includes a general game and habitat license and a small game license. 

Hunters 16 and older must also possess a federal waterfowl stamp, and youth 12 and older need to have passed a certified hunter education course.

In addition, all hunters must be Harvest Information Program certified. Hunters who do not HIP certify when they buy a North Dakota license can add it by visiting the state Game and Fish Department website at gf.nd.gov, or call 888-634-4798 and record the HIP number on their printed license.

Zebra Mussels Discovered in Lake Elsie

Tue, 09/07/2021

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has confirmed the presence of invasive zebra mussels in Lake Elsie, Richland County, after a local cabin owner reported adult mussels attached to a boat lift over the Labor Day weekend.

Aquatic nuisance species coordinator Ben Holen said subsequent follow-up sampling found zebra mussels at various locations and life stages throughout the lake.

The 390-acre lake is a popular recreation destination located a few miles southwest of Hankinson.

Lake Elsie is now considered a Class I ANS Infested water, joining Twin Lakes, Lake LaMoure, Lake Ashtabula, the lower portion of the Sheyenne River, and the Red River in this designation. Emergency rules will go into effect immediately to prohibit the movement of water away from the lake, including water for transferring bait. Notices will be posted at lake 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, recreationists must follow North Dakota regulations:

• Remove aquatic vegetation before leaving the water access and do not import into North Dakota.
• Drain all water before leaving the water access.
• Remove drain plugs and devices that hold back water and leave open and out during transport.
• Do not import bait. For Class I ANS Infested waters, bait cannot be transported in water. In all other areas, bait must be transported in a container that holds 5 gallons or less. It is illegal to dump unused bait on shore or into the lake.

In addition to North Dakota regulations, the Game and Fish Department strongly recommends the following:

• Avoid mooring your watercraft in zebra mussel infested waters.
• Clean – remove plants, animals and excessive mud prior to leaving a water access.
• Drain – drain all water prior to leaving a water access.
• Dry – allow equipment to dry completely or disinfect before using again. This includes boat docks and boat lifts brought from other waters/states. A seven-day dry time is recommended after recreating on a zebra mussel infested water at typical summer temperatures. This includes boat docks and boat lifts brought from other waters/states.

For more information about ANS in North Dakota, options for disinfection, or to report a possible ANS, visit https://gf.nd.gov/ans.