Elk, Moose, Bighorn Sheep Apps due March 25

Mon, 03/23/2020

North Dakotan’s who want a chance to hunt elk, moose and bighorn sheep in 2020 are reminded the deadline for submitting applications is March 25.

Applicants can apply online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. General lottery applications can also be submitted by calling 800-406-6409. Preferential landowner (gratis) applications must be submitted online.

The status of the bighorn sheep season will be determined Sept. 1, after summer population surveys are completed. However, bighorn sheep applications must be submitted before the deadline. 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.

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.

Game and Fish to Close Offices to Public Access

Fri, 03/20/2020

North Dakota Game and Fish Department offices will close to public access today at 12 p.m. Central Time, due to coronavirus disease health concerns. This includes the main headquarters and district/lab offices in Bismarck, and district offices in Devils Lake, Dickinson, Jamestown, Harvey, Riverdale and Williston.

Game and Fish offices will remain closed until April 6.

Outdoor recreational facilities, including boat ramps that are accessible on the Missouri River, the department’s 229 wildlife management areas, and the pond and nature walk on the outdoor wildlife learning site adjacent to the main office in Bismarck, remain open.

While most Game and Fish staff will work remotely during business hours Monday through Friday, the main telephone line at department offices will be staffed. In addition, district game wardens will conduct daily patrols as regularly scheduled.

For hunters and anglers who are already familiar with Game and Fish, it’s most likely business as usual as all hunting and fishing license purchases, boat registrations and lottery applications are conducted online. For others with questions, visit the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov, and search the many links and resources available that provide a user-friendly experience. 

The moose, elk and bighorn sheep application deadline will remain at March 25. Applicants can apply online, or call 800-406-6409.

For questions, comments or concerns, contact your local Game and Fish office, or email ndgf@nd.gov. In addition, stay connected with Game and Fish by following along on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. 

Game and Fish Offers Up the Outdoors

Thu, 03/19/2020

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department encourages hunters and anglers to make mindful decisions on outdoor activities by following guidelines provided by the CDC.

Customer, volunteer and employee well-being is of top priority. Earlier this week, Game and Fish canceled upcoming public gatherings such as the National Archery in the Schools state tournament. In addition, late-season ice fishing tournaments have canceled events to minimize crowding, and several hunter education classes scheduled to begin in the next few weeks were canceled or postponed.

Students enrolled in any classes scheduled to start in March or April can find information on class status on the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov.

With social distancing in mind, the Game and Fish Department encourages hunters and anglers to purchase licenses online, rather than making an in-person visit. The same philosophy applies to watercraft registrations. Contact a local Game and Fish office for assistance with a purchase or registration. 

During this time of uncertainty, Game and Fish is offering several suggestions for students and parents to consider while K-12 schools and some businesses are closed due to public health concerns:

• Use free time to take the state’s boating safety course. State law requires youth ages 12-15 who want to operate a boat or personal watercraft by themselves with at least a 10 horsepower motor, must pass the boating course. And parents, it’s not just for kids. Some insurance companies give adult boat owners who pass the course a discount on boat insurance. The course is available for home study, and there is also an online version.
• New fishing licenses are needed starting April 1. Take care of that important detail online now so you’re not scrambling to get that license just prior to your first fishing trip of the open water season.

• 2020 is the first year of the new 3-year boat registration period. If you have a motorized watercraft and haven’t renewed yet, register online so you’re ready to go when the ice goes off your favorite lake.
• March 25 is the deadline to apply for a moose, elk or bighorn sheep hunting license.

Since it’s important to avoid crowds, North Dakota’s outdoors is a great place for recreation. You can put a boat on the Missouri River right now, or still get in some ice fishing on lakes where ice is still safe for travel. If you’re just looking for some exercise, take a hike on one of the department’s 229 wildlife management areas.

Stay connected with Game and Fish by following us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

2020-21 Licenses Needed April 1

Mon, 03/16/2020

North Dakota anglers, trappers and hunters are reminded that new licenses for the 2020-21 season are required starting April 1.

Licenses can be purchased online by visiting the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. Once the license is processed, users will have the option to print a hard copy and/or download the license to a smart phone or mobile device, which is helpful when asked to show proof of license while hunting or fishing in rural areas that lack cellular service.

Licenses can also be purchased at more than 140 vendor locations throughout the state, or by calling 800-406-6409. The 2020-21 small game, fishing and furbearer licenses are effective April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021.

In addition, Senate Bill 2293, passed by the 2019 state legislature, created an aquatic nuisance species program fund in the state treasury. Along with an ANS fee on motorized watercraft that went into effect Jan. 1, this state law also establishes a $2 surcharge on each resident fishing license and combination license, except for the resident 65 years of age or older license, permanently or totally disabled license, or a disabled veteran license; and establishes a $3 surcharge on each nonresident fishing and each nonresident waterfowl license. The ANS surcharge on licenses is in effect with the 2020-21 license.

NASP Tournament Canceled

Mon, 03/16/2020

Following the announced week-long closure of North Dakota's K-12 schools, the National Archery in the Schools Program state tournament scheduled for this weekend in Minot has been canceled due to public health concerns.

With an estimated 1,000 archers in grades 4-12 expected to convene Friday, March 20 at the State Fair Center, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department is following the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that groups cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more. 

Guide and Outfitter Exam Scheduled

Mon, 03/16/2020

The next guide and outfitter written examination is May 9 at 1 p.m. at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department office in Bismarck. The test is given periodically to anyone interested in becoming a guide or outfitter in the state.

In addition to passing a written exam, qualifications for becoming a guide include a background check for criminal and game and fish violations; certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and standard first aid; and employment by or contract with a licensed hunting outfitter.

Hunting outfitter eligibility requirements include the guide qualifications, as well as an individual must have held a hunting guide license for two years; and must have proof of liability insurance.

Interested individuals are required to preregister by calling the Game and Fish Department’s enforcement office at 328-6604.

Pronghorn Hunting Season Statistics

Mon, 03/09/2020

Hunter success during last fall’s pronghorn hunting season was 74 percent, according to statistics provided by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

Game and Fish issued 1,324 licenses (877 lottery and 447 gratis), and 1,167 hunters took 859 pronghorn, consisting of 786 bucks, 59 does and 14 fawns. Each hunter spent an average of 2.7 days afield.

The 2020 pronghorn hunting season will be determined in July.

Nonresident Any-Deer Bow Licenses

Mon, 03/09/2020

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will have 780 any-deer bow licenses available to nonresidents in 2020.

Applicants can apply online beginning March 15 on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. The deadline for applying is April 15. 

Up to five hunters can apply together as a party. A lottery will be held if more applications are received than licenses available. A total of 1,209 people applied in 2019. 

The number of nonresident any-deer bow licenses available is 15 percent of the previous year’s mule deer gun license allocation.

2020-22 Fishing Regulations Set

Mon, 03/09/2020

North Dakota’s 2020-22 fishing proclamation is set, with regulations effective April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2022. Anglers are reminded new fishing licenses are required April 1.

The 2020-22 North Dakota Fishing Guide has a new look. The 52-page document offers the same information, but in a much more user-friendly format. Anglers can find the guide online at the state Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov, or in mid-March at Game and Fish Department offices and license vendors throughout the state. 

Noteworthy regulation changes include:

• Lake Ashtabula and Whitman Dam are added to the list of waters where darkhouse spearfishing is not allowed. 

• The smallmouth bass daily limit is increased from 3 to 5 in the Missouri River and lakes Sakakawea, Oahe, Audubon, Darling, Ashtabula and Heart Butte. 

• Area and time for paddlefish extended snag-and-release days is expanded.

• Fish may be filleted for transport, unless size limits apply, under the following conditions:

1. Each individual portion of the meat removed from a fish is considered a fillet (fish cheeks and pectoral girdles (wings) are not considered as fillets and are legal to transport),
2. Two fillets are counted as one fish, and
3. The packaging of fish must be done in a manner so that the fillets can be readily separated and counted. If fillets are frozen, they must be packaged so that the fillets are separated and thus can be easily counted without thawing.

The 2020-21 fishing licenses can be purchased online by visiting the Game and Fish website. Resident licenses are available March 15, while nonresident fishing licenses are available April 1.

In addition, Senate Bill 2293, passed by the 2019 state legislature, created an aquatic nuisance species program fund in the state treasury. Along with an ANS fee on motorized watercraft that went into effect Jan. 1, this state law also establishes a $2 surcharge on each resident fishing license and combination license, except for the resident 65 years of age or older license, permanently or totally disabled license, or a disabled veteran license; and establishes a $3 surcharge on each nonresident fishing and each nonresident waterfowl license. The ANS surcharge on licenses is in effect with the 2020-21 license.

Elk, Moose, Bighorn Sheep Applications Online

Wed, 03/04/2020

Elk, moose and bighorn sheep applications are available online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. The deadline to apply is March 25.

A total of 523 elk licenses are available to hunters this fall, an increase of 45 from last year.

A total of 474 moose licenses are available, a decrease of five from last year. Hunting units M1C and M4 will remain closed due to a continued downward trend in moose numbers in the northeastern part of the state.

As stated in the 2020-21 chronic wasting disease proclamation, hunters harvesting an elk in units E2 and E6, or a moose in units M10 and M11, cannot transport the whole carcass including the head and spinal column outside of the unit.

A bighorn sheep hunting season is tentatively scheduled to open in 2020, 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. 

Bighorn sheep applicants must 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 be held and successful applicants contacted to select a hunting unit.

Because the bighorn sheep application fee is not refundable per state law, if a bighorn season is not held, applicants would not receive a refund.

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.

2019 Bighorn Sheep, Moose and Elk Harvests

Mon, 03/02/2020

Harvest statistics released by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department show overall hunter success during the 2019 season for bighorn sheep was 100 percent, 87 percent for moose and 62 percent for elk.

The department issued four bighorn sheep licenses and auctioned one. All five hunters harvested a bighorn ram.

The department issued 475 moose licenses last year. Of that total, 449 hunters harvested 389 animals – 154 bulls and 235 cows/calves. Harvest for each unit follows:

The department issued 487 elk licenses last year. Of that total, 449 hunters harvested 279 elk – 155 bulls and 124 cows/calves. Harvest for each unit follows:

Deadline to Remove Fish Houses

Mon, 03/02/2020

Anglers are reminded all unoccupied fish houses must be removed from all waters beginning March 15 until ice-out.

Fish houses may be used after March 15 if they are removed daily.

Anglers are advised to use caution while accessing area lakes because mild weather conditions can quickly result in unstable ice conditions that can make removing a fish house with a vehicle difficult or dangerous. Ice conditions can vary from region to region, between lakes in the same region, and even on the same lake.