The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will host thousands of visitors to its free Conservation and Outdoors Skills Park July 19-27 at the State Fair in Minot.
Visitors will be treated to an array of activities, exhibits and useful information as the park is open from 1-7 p.m. daily. Pathways to Hunting, Fishing, Trapping and Archery are major attractions where interested kids and adults participate in each outdoor activity.
In addition to hands-on outdoor learning opportunities, the area offers a live fish display, furbearer exhibit and native prairie plantings. An information center staffed by Game and Fish Department personnel is located in the Conservation and Outdoors Skills Park, on the north end of the fairgrounds near the State Fair Center.
Record Walleye Production Will Boost Fisheries
Walleye fingerling stocking wrapped up with Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery setting a record with just short of 12 million fingerlings produced.
Distribution trucks traveled more than 12,000 miles over a two-week period to stock the fish, according to Jerry Weigel, North Dakota Game and Fish Department fish production/development section supervisor.
When combined with fingerling production from Valley City National Fish Hatchery, 177 waters were stocked, providing a great boost in developing future fishing prospects across the state.
While producing nearly 12 million walleye fingerlings is significant for the one hatchery, Garrison Dam and Valley City National Fish Hatchery combined efforts in 2017 to produce more than 12 million fingerlings.
“Traditionally, on large production years, significant numbers of walleye fingerlings would go to big systems like Lake Sakakawea, Lake Ashtabula and Stump Lake,” Weigel said. “This year, no walleyes went to those waters, given very strong survival from last year’s stockings. Just over 10 million fish went to up-and-coming smaller systems to enhance those fisheries along with taking advantage of rising lake levels at many prairie lakes due to the very wet spring.”
Each spring, walleye eggs are collected by fisheries personnel and taken to Garrison Dam and Valley City national fish hatcheries where they are hatched. After hatching, the walleye fry are stocked into production ponds and after a month of growth, 1-inch or more fingerlings are collected and stocked across the state.
“Stocking conditions in 2024 were optimal given the wet spring and early summer, and cooler than normal temps,” Weigel said. “The receiving waters were rich in invertebrates, critical food for the survival of the newly stocked walleye. Conditions are favorable for good survival and growth of young walleyes, which will continue to provide good fishing opportunities across the state for years to come.”
Clean, Drain, Dry
Water recreationists should do their part to help prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species in North Dakota.
While the effort to stop the transportation of ANS has been mostly successful, challenges remain as not all anglers, pleasure boaters and other water enthusiasts are abiding by the clean, drain, dry message.
North Dakota waters remain relatively free of aquatic nuisance species. Besides common carp, most species – zebra mussels, Eurasian water milfoil, flowering rush, curlyleaf pondweed and three species of invasive carp – are only found in a handful of waters in the state.
To keep our waters clean of aquatic nuisance species, the Game and Fish Department reminds all water users to clean, drain and dry all equipment after every use.
Clean and remove all plants and animals from watercraft or equipment prior to leaving any recreational area.
Drain all water from watercraft and equipment before leaving designated access points. Not draining water can be extremely hazardous and may cause negligent transportation of aquatic nuisance species to other locations.
Dry all equipment completely before using again.
First-Come, First-Served Deer Gun Licenses Available July 24
More than 1,900 deer licenses are available in four units for North Dakota’s 2024 deer gun season, and will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis beginning July 24 at 8 a.m. Central time. Residents and nonresidents who have not already received a lottery or landowner license are eligible to apply online by visiting the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.
Hunters who want to purchase additional licenses may do so Aug. 14 at 8 a.m. Central time. At that time, any remaining licenses will be issued as a concurrent season license, which can be used during the archery season with a bow; deer gun season with a bow, rifle or muzzleloader; or during the muzzleloader season with a muzzleloader. However, youth under age 14 (at the end of the calendar year) will be issued a concurrent season license for archery only.
There is no limit on the number of concurrent season licenses a hunter can purchase.
Hunters with concurrent season licenses are restricted to the type of antlerless deer printed on the license and must stay in the unit in which the license is assigned.
Unit
Type
Available
3A2
Any-antlerless
48
3F1
Antlerless whitetail
297
3F2
Any-antlerless
758
3F2
Antlerless whitetail
769
4F
Antlerless whitetail
38
Register for Game Warden Exam
Individuals interested in taking the exam to select candidates for district game warden positions must register by July 10. Exams are scheduled for 10 a.m. Central time at the following locations:
July 17 – Game and Fish office, Williston.
July 18 – Game and Fish office, Bismarck.
July 19 – Cass County Sheriff’s Department, Fargo.
Applicants must be at least 21, have a bachelor’s degree at time of hire or an associate degree with either 2 years of law enforcement or wildlife experience, have a valid driver’s license and a current North Dakota peace officer license, or eligible to be licensed. Candidates must successfully complete a comprehensive background check and must not have a record of any felony convictions.
Salary through training is $5,120 per month. For more information, see the district game warden testing announcement on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.
Watchable Wildlife Photo Contest
Photographers interested in sending photos for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Watchable Wildlife Photo Contest must follow guidelines for submitting their work.
Photographers should go to the Game and Fish Department’s website at gf.nd.gov/wildlife/watchable-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.
The contest is open and the deadline for submitting photos is Oct. 1. For more information or questions, contact Patrick Isakson, department conservation biologist, at pisakson@nd.gov.
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.
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, on the department’s website and social media channels.
Report Boat Accidents
Regardless of how safe and cautious boaters are on the water, accidents happen. If a boating accident involves injury, death or disappearance of a person, an accident report must be completed and sent to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department within 48 hours of the occurrence.
If property damage exceeds $2,000, but no deaths or injuries occur, a boat operator has five days to file a report.
These reporting requirements are mandatory whether there is one or more boats involved.
A boat accident form is available on the Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov, at any Game and Fish office or by contacting a local game warden.
Operation Dry Water
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will participate in Operation Dry Water as part of a nationally coordinated effort to increase knowledge about the dangers of boating under the influence. The goal is to reduce the number of accidents and deaths associated with alcohol and drug use on state waterways.
ODW weekend, July 4-6, is the national weekend of heightened enforcement directed at boating under the influence laws and recreational boater outreach.
While educating boaters about the hazards associated with boating while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a year-round effort, on ODW weekend the Game and Fish Department’s game wardens focus on the water, informing boaters about safe boating practices, and removing impaired operators from the water.
Tips for staying safe on the water:
Boat sober – Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in recreational boater deaths. Alcohol and drug use impair a boater’s judgment, balance, vision and reaction time.
Wear your life jacket – 85% of drowning victims nationwide were not wearing a life jacket.
Take the online boating safety education course – 71% of deaths nationwide occurred on boats where the operator had not received boating safety instruction.
Put Garbage Where it Belongs
Outdoor recreationists are encouraged to keep it clean this summer by packing out all trash.
All garbage, including used fireworks, should be placed in proper trash receptacles. If trash cans aren’t available, or full, dispose of trash at home.
It is not uncommon to see garbage piling up around full trash containers. Styrofoam containers are not biodegradable, but are often found wedged in cattails, drifting or washed up on shore.
Tires, mattresses and kitchen appliances have found their way to public use areas. This illegal dumping is costly to clean up and takes a significant toll on the environment. Not only does it spoil the beauty of the land, it destroys habitat, has the potential to pollute North Dakota waters and can injure wildlife.
Pronghorn Survey Begins
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual aerial pronghorn survey will begin July 1 and is scheduled to be completed within two weeks.
During the survey period, small airplanes will sometimes fly low over parts of western North Dakota.
The survey determines pronghorn abundance, herd demographics and fawn production. This data is used to set the number of licenses for the fall hunting season.
Spring Turkey Hunters Had Successful Season
Hunter success during the spring turkey hunting season was 49%, according to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
The department issued 8,137 licenses for the 2024 spring season, and a record 6,847 hunters took 3,336 birds, the highest spring harvest on record.
RJ Gross, upland game management biologist, said spring turkey hunting success in North Dakota is usually driven by weather.
“This year the weather was very mild with no snow on the ground, and that lead to more hunters out on the landscape,” he said. “Also, turkeys had above average production last year, according to our late summer roadside counts and hunter observations of large groups of jakes this spring. Along with high overwinter survival, this led to an abundant population of turkeys."
WMA Regulations Prohibit Fireworks, Camping Restrictions Lifted for Holiday
Outdoor enthusiasts should note that possession or use of fireworks on state wildlife management areas is prohibited.
The primary objective of a wildlife management area is to enhance wildlife production, provide hunting and fishing opportunities, and offer other outdoor recreational and educational uses compatible with these objectives. Only activities that would not disrupt the intentions of how these areas are managed are encouraged, and fireworks are not compatible.
In addition, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department will lift the Tuesday-Wednesday no-camping restriction for the Fourth of July holiday week, which will allow overnight camping July 2-3 on those WMAs that otherwise have this two-day restriction.
A complete list of WMA regulations is available on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.
North Dakota Game and Fish Department