Outdoor enthusiasts need to be aware of ground conditions while enjoying spring activities.
Increased human activity outdoors in spring, combined with dead ground vegetation and high winds, make this time of year highly susceptible to wildfires.
Because of highly variable weather patterns, North Dakota experiences a distinct spring fire season every year. With that in mind, it’s important to pay attention to the fire danger index, and to follow the appropriate measures.
Hunters and anglers are urged to keep up with the daily rural fire danger index, issued by the National Weather Service, to alert the public to conditions that may be conducive to the accidental starting or spread of fires.
In addition, county governments have the authority to adopt penalties for violations of county restrictions related to burning bans. These restrictions apply regardless of the daily fire danger index and remain in place until each county’s commission rescinds the ban.
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is sponsoring Pollinators in the Classroom, a professional development workshop for educators.
Pollinators in the Classroom will be held June 10-11 at United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck. The workshop will explore pollinators, what they are, where they live, life cycles, importance, and how you can make a difference. It will be fun and fast paced with many hands-on activities educators can use in their classrooms, and incorporate discussion of classroom and curriculum integration.
Students will receive a copy of the Urban Pollinator Program Curriculum, and should be prepared for walking field trips in the area. All materials are included.
The course is suitable for k-12 educators.
For more information contact curriculum specialist Sherry Niesar at 701-527-3714 or sniesar@nd.gov. Register by clicking on the link.
Earth Day Patch Contest Winners
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department announced the winners of the 2025 Earth Day Patch Contest. Over 1,600 students from 100 schools entered this year’s contest.
Winners in four age categories are Tryg Klindworth, Beulah (K-3); Mariah Achtenberg, White Shield (4-6); Jazmin Vasquez, Minot Bishop Ryan (7-9), and Brielle Volk, Mohall (10-12). Achtenberg’s design was chosen as the overall winner and will be made into the 2025 Earth Day patch.
Youth and adults who participate in cleaning up public lands receive the 2025 patch to celebrate Earth Day and their service. Projects that qualify for the Earth Day patch include refuse pick-up on local, state or federal properties and landscaping on public property including planting trees, bushes and pollinator plants.
Groups participating in the service projects are encouraged to take the following precautions to ensure their safety: keep young people away from highways, lakes and rivers and only allow older participants to pick up broken glass or sharp objects.
Participants are asked to contact Sherry Niesar at 701-527-3714 or sniesar@nd.gov to receive a patch.
Advisory Board Meetings Announced
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department Advisory Board will host public meetings this spring at eight locations across the state.
These public meetings provide citizens with an opportunity to discuss fish and wildlife issues and ask questions of their district advisors and agency personnel.
The district 7 meeting in Bismarck will be streamed live on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.
District 2 – Bottineau, Burke, McHenry, Mountrail, Pierce, Renville and Ward counties
Date: April 14 – 7 p.m.
Location: Wildlife Club, 1901 U.S. Highway 52, Velva
Host: North Dakota Fur Hunters and Trappers Association
Contact: Rick Tischaefer, 701-460-1055
Advisory board member: Travis Leier, Velva
District 8 – Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Hettinger, Slope and Stark counties
Date: April 14 – 7 p.m.
Location: Eagles Club, 31 First Ave. E., Dickinson
Host: Roughrider Archers
Contact and advisory board member: Rob Brooks, Rhame, 701-440-8952
District 1 – Divide, McKenzie and Williams counties
Date: April 15 – 7 p.m.
Location: McKenzie County Sportsman’s Club, 2306 121X Ave. NW, Watford City
Host: Watford City Droptine Chapter of Mule Deer Foundation
Contact and advisory board member: Beau Wisness, Keene, 701-421-8814
District 3 – Benson, Cavalier, Eddy, Ramsey, Rolette and Towner counties
Date: April 15 – 7 p.m.
Location: Memorial Building, 408 Fifth Ave., Cando
Host: Dakota Rifle and Pistol Club
Contact: Duane Holien, 701-303-0798
Advisory board member: Edward Dosch, Devils Lake
District 5 – Cass, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele and Traill counties
Date: April 21 – 7 p.m.
Location: Hughes Shelter, 820 RJ Hughes Dr., Chahinkapa Park, Wahpeton
Host: Red River Area Sportsman Club
Contact: Greg Gerou, 701-840-0188
Advisory board member: Doug Madsen, Harwood
District 6 – Barnes, Dickey, Foster, Griggs, Logan, LaMoure, McIntosh, Stutsman and Wells counties
Date: April 21 – 7 p.m.
Location: North Dakota Farmers Union, 1415 12th Ave. SE (north door), Jamestown
Host: Stutsman County Wildlife Club
Contact and advisory board member: Cody Sand, Ashley, 701-535-1071
District 4 – Grand Forks, Nelson, Pembina and Walsh counties
Date: April 22 – 7 p.m.
Location: Fire Department, 305 Elizabeth St. W., Cavalier
Host: Pembina County and Area Sportsman’s Club
Contact: Roger Furstenau, 701-265-2960
Advisory board member: Karissa Daws, Michigan
District 7 – Burleigh, Emmons, Grant, Kidder, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan and Sioux counties
Date: April 22 – 7 p.m.
Location: Game and Fish Main Office, 100 N. Bismarck Expressway, Bismarck
The new system simplifies land selection by allowing users to click on property descriptions rather than manually entering lengthy details.
During the first year, applicants need to search and select their lands. In subsequent years, a convenient renewal button will speed up future applications. An additional link is available to reference previous years records.
These changes help validate eligible records more efficiently, ultimately reducing the time required to process the deer lottery. By improving accuracy and preventing errors, the system ensures a smoother experience for applicants and a timely lottery for those eager to receive their results.
Step-by-step guidance is available on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website by visiting gf.nd.gov/buy-apply/help/gratis-application.
General deer and muzzleloader lottery applications will be online in early May. The deadline to apply is June 4.
Game and Fish Seeks Contractors for Work on Private Lands
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department encourages businesses to add their names to a list of available contractors to perform habitat work on Private Land Open To Sportsmen program lands across the state.
PLOTS is an agreement between the department and private landowners to open their lands to walk-in hunting. The department also encourages private landowners to establish or enhance habitat on PLOTS land with grass plantings, food plots, and so on. However, if a landowner does not have the necessary equipment for the work, a contractor is usually needed.
There is a shortage of contractors, or equipment, to perform habitat work in some parts of the state. The bulk of the habitat work is planting native and introduced grasses, which requires a tractor, operator and a grass drill. Other work may include spraying, food plots, tree removal, prescribed burning, and construction of grazing infrastructure (fence/water).
Contractors or businesses interested in being added to the list can enter their information online or call 701-328-6265. This is not a guarantee for work, but as projects come about the department will refer landowners to the list of available contractors.
Habitat and Hunting Access Summit Recording Available
Landowners, hunters, lawmakers, wildlife managers and others gathered in mid-December in Bismarck to discuss the importance of wildlife habitat on the landscape and providing access to hunters across the state.
Approximately 200 people attended the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Habitat and Hunting Access Summit where the evening opened with remarks from Gov. Kelly Armstrong on the importance of hunting to the state’s economy, workforce, but most importantly to North Dakota’s way of life.
“Every single time someone puts their gun away and says they’re done hunting because they can’t find anywhere to shoot a rooster, or just to have an opportunity to shoot a couple ducks, that means the likelihood of their kid hunting is almost zero,” Armstrong said. “And that’s really something that we should work on as landowners, as a government, as sportsmen … we should do everything we can to make sure that happens as few times as possible.”
And there are ways in which we can do this, Armstrong added, and there are ways in which we can have these conversations.
“But none of it’s going to happen overnight. But we have to remember that if we don’t pass this on to the next generation, it will die out,” he said. “It’s too big a part of the fabric of North Dakota to let that happen.”
Department staff gave presentations on the status of habitat and wildlife populations in the state, followed by moderated panel discussions addressing questions that were submitted by attendees.
The summit was hopefully only the beginning of what will be further conversations, initiatives and collaboration to address this very important topic to our state.
To encourage greater participation in ice fishing, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department is again running the Take Someone New Ice Fishing Challenge from Dec. 16 through Mar. 31, 2025.
Invite somebody new along who has never been ice fishing and log your story here for a chance to a win a fish house donated by Runnings. One random winner will be chosen.
North Dakota Game and Fish Department