Pheasant and Partridge Numbers Similar to Last Year, Sharptails Down

Thu, 09/06/2018

North Dakota’s roadside surveys conducted in late July and August indicate total pheasant and Hungarian partridge numbers this fall are similar to last year, while sharp-tailed grouse numbers are down.

R.J. Gross, upland game management biologist for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, said the survey shows total pheasants observed per 100 miles are down 2 percent from last year. In addition, broods per 100 miles were unchanged, while the average brood size was up 27 percent. The final summary is based on 278 survey runs made along 101 brood routes across North Dakota.

“Even though survey data suggests pheasant production was certainly better than last year, hunters will still notice the lack of production from 2017 in the overall population,” Gross said.

Statistics from southwestern North Dakota indicate total pheasants were down 32 percent and broods observed down 29 percent from 2017. For every 100 survey miles, observers counted an average of six broods and 45 pheasants. The average brood size was 5.2 chicks. Despite the population decline, Gross said the southwest still holds the most pheasants in the state.

Results from the southeast show birds are up 63 percent from last year, and the number of broods up 77 percent. Observers counted five broods and 40 birds per 100 miles. The average brood size was 5.8. Gross said while some areas of the state show a large increase in percentages from last year, such as in the southeast, it is important to keep in mind this is based off a low population in those areas in 2017.

Statistics from the northwest indicate pheasants are up 9 percent from last year, with broods up 4 percent. Observers recorded three broods and 26 pheasants per 100 miles. Average brood size was 6.5.

The northeast district, generally containing secondary pheasant habitat with lower pheasant numbers compared to the rest of the state, showed two broods and 19 pheasants per 100 miles. Average brood size was 5.8.

Sharptails observed per 100 miles are down 49 percent statewide from 2017, while partridge are up 7 percent.

“Hunting will be slower than last season in most of the state, and all indications are that hunters will see significantly lower numbers of grouse statewide,” Gross said. “There will be localized areas of good hunting opportunities, but in general hunting will be fair at best.”

Despite increases in sharptail lek counts this spring for eastern North Dakota, brood survey results show statewide declines in number of grouse and broods observed per 100 miles, and a slight decline in average brood size. Observers recorded 0.8 sharptail broods and 6.8 sharptails per 100 miles. Average brood size was 4.55.

Although partridge numbers have shown a slight increase, Gross said the majority of the partridge harvest is incidental while hunters pursue grouse or pheasants. Partridge densities in general, he said, are too low to target. Observers recorded 0.4 partridge broods and 4.4 partridge per 100 miles. Average brood size was 7.03.

The 2018 regular pheasant season opens Oct. 6 and continues through Jan. 6, 2019. The two-day youth pheasant hunting weekend, when legally licensed residents and nonresidents ages 15 and younger can hunt statewide, is set for Sept. 29-30.

The 2018 grouse and partridge seasons open Sept. 8 and continue through Jan. 6, 2019. 

Landowners Seek Doe Hunters

Wed, 09/05/2018

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is currently working with landowners in nine hunting units across the state who would like to host youth hunters with antlerless deer licenses in 2018.

Participating landowners are located in hunting units 2J2, 2K2, 3A4, 3B3, 3D2, 3F2, 4D, 4E and 4F.

The program is not intended for buck hunters, but designed to direct hunters with antlerless licenses to specific areas to reduce deer populations.

Interested hunters can get their name on a list of possible participants by accessing the Game and Fish Department’s website at gf.nd.gov.

Not everyone who signs up will end up with a new place to hunt, because not everyone’s schedule will match up with a landowner’s, and more people will likely put their name on the list than there are openings. Hunters who are selected will be sent the landowner’s name, phone number and any information relating to the landowner’s specific situation.

Participating landowners currently have openings for about 110 doe hunters. Hunters must have a valid 2018 deer gun license – the Game and Fish Department does not provide a hunting license with this program.

Youth Waterfowl Weekend is Sept. 15-16

Wed, 09/05/2018

North Dakota’s two-day youth waterfowl season is Sept. 15-16. Legally licensed resident and nonresident youth waterfowl hunters age 15 and younger may hunt ducks, geese, coots and mergansers statewide.

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

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

In addition, all youth hunters must be Harvest Information Program certified, and youth ages 12 and older need to have passed a certified hunter education course. Hunters age 15 and younger do not need a federal duck stamp.

Hunters who do not HIP certify when they buy a North Dakota license, can add it by visiting the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov, or by calling 888-634-4798 and recording the HIP number on their printed license.

Shooting hours for the youth waterfowl season are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. An adult of at least 18 years of age must accompany the resident youth hunter into the field, and a licensed adult is required to accompany a nonresident youth hunter. The two-day weekend hunt does not count against a nonresident adult hunter’s 14-day regular season waterfowl dates. 

Deer Season for Young Hunters Opens Sept. 14

Wed, 09/05/2018

Friday, Sept. 14 at noon signals the start of a nine-and-a-half-day deer hunting season for youth, and hunters are reminded that a 2018 general game and habitat license must be purchased before the state Game and Fish Department mails the youth deer license.

Hunters are encouraged to purchase the required license early, since it takes a couple days to receive the deer license in the mail.

Licensed residents ages 11, 12 and 13, and 10-year-olds who turn age 11 in 2018, are allowed to hunt statewide, but only for antlerless white-tailed deer.

Resident deer gun hunters age 14 or 15, and 13-year-olds who turn age 14 in 2018, with a “youth season” license, can hunt statewide for any deer, except antlerless mule deer in unit 4A. In addition, a special license is required to hunt antlered mule deer in units 3B1, 3B2, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 4F.

After opening day, hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Solid daylight fluorescent orange vests or coats, and hats, are required for all young hunters and their adult mentors.

Each youth deer hunter must be under direct supervision of an adult while in the field.

The youth deer season closes Sunday, Sept. 23. 

Grouse and Partridge Seasons Open Sept. 8

Thu, 08/30/2018

North Dakota’s popular hunting seasons for grouse and partridge will open Saturday, Sept. 8.

State Game and Fish Department upland game supervisor Jesse Kolar said last year’s drought is still having an impact on bird numbers.

“Numbers were already low going into 2017, and then we didn’t have good production largely due to the drought, so this spring our numbers were down once again,” Kolar said. “Therefore, assuming typical production this summer, but from fewer birds, hunters should be able to expect similar conditions to last year.”

Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Sharptails, ruffed grouse and Huns each have a daily limit of three and a possession limit of 12.

Hunters, regardless of age, must have a fishing, hunting and furbearer certificate and general game and habitat license. In addition, hunters age 16 and older need a small game license.

In addition, hunters 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 accidental starting or spread of fires.

County governments also 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.

Information on current fire danger indexes is available through ndresponse.gov, or from a county sheriff’s office.

For further season information and regulations, hunters should consult the North Dakota 2018-19 Hunting and Trapping Guide. 

Hunters Asked to Submit Wing Envelopes

Thu, 08/30/2018

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is once again asking upland game hunters for help with future bird management, by simply collecting some feathers from harvested birds and sending in wing envelopes this fall.

Wing data allows biologists to assess production, determine the timing of hatches, and get a better understanding of the harvest ratio of males to females, and juveniles to adults.

Instructions for submitting wing data are printed on the envelope.

Hunters interested in receiving wing envelopes should visit the Game and Fish website (gf.nd.gov) to order a supply of wing envelopes, or contact the department’s main office in Bismarck by phone (701-328-6300) or email (ndgf@nd.gov).

In addition, Game and Fish district offices have a supply of wing envelopes for distribution. District offices are located at Devils Lake, Jamestown, Riverdale, Dickinson, Williston and Lonetree Wildlife Management Area near Harvey. 

Hunters Reminded of Big Game Transport Rules

Mon, 08/27/2018

Big game hunters are reminded of requirements for transporting deer, elk and moose carcasses and carcass parts into and within North Dakota as a precaution against the possible spread of chronic wasting disease.

Hunters are prohibited from transporting into or within North Dakota the whole carcass of deer, elk, moose or other members of the cervid family from states and provinces with documented occurrences of CWD in wild populations, or in captive cervids. Hunters should note that Montana is now included in the 2018-19 CWD proclamation as a state that has had free-ranging deer, moose or elk diagnosed with CWD and therefore now has big game transport restriction. 

In addition, hunters harvesting a big game animal in unit 3F2 in North Dakota cannot transport the whole carcass, including the head and spinal column, outside of the unit. This is a new rule from last year, when hunters could take the carcass outside of the unit if it was taken directly to a meat processor within five days of the harvest date.

Only the following portions of the carcass can be transported:

·         Meat that has been boned out.

·         Quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached.

·         Hides with no heads attached.

·         Meat that is cut and wrapped either commercially or privately.

·         Clean (no meat or tissue attached) skull plates with antlers attached.

·         Antlers with no meat or tissue attached.

·         Upper canine teeth, also known as buglers, whistlers or ivories.

·         Finished taxidermy heads.

Hunters should also note that hunting big game over bait, or placing bait to attract big game for the purpose of hunting, is prohibited in deer units 3C west of the Missouri River, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1 and 3F2. 

PLOTS Guide Available

Mon, 08/27/2018

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Private Land Open To Sportsmen Guide for 2018 is now available online at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. In addition, the free printed PLOTS guides are available at most license vendors and other locations throughout the state.

The guide will feature about 762,000 PLOTS acres. Because the guide is printed in mid-August, some PLOTS tracts highlighted in the guide may have been removed from the program since the time of printing. There will also be some PLOTS tracts where the habitat and condition of the tract will have changed significantly. Conversely, Game and Fish may have added new tracts to the program after the guide went to press.

To minimize possible confusion, Game and Fish will update PLOTS map sheets weekly on its website.

The PLOTS guide features maps highlighting these walk-in areas, identified in the field by inverted triangular yellow signs, as well as other public lands.

The guides are not available to mail, so hunters will have to pick one up at a local vendor or Game and Fish officeor print individual maps from the website. 

Swan Hunt Lottery Held, Licenses Remain

Mon, 08/27/2018

North Dakota’s swan lottery has been held and 408 licenses remain. Only hunters who do not have a swan license for the 2018 season can apply, as regulations limit hunters to one license per year.

Beginning Sept. 4, all remaining licenses will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Resident and nonresident hunters must apply online at the state Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. The license fee is $10 for residents and $30 for nonresidents.

The statewide tundra swan hunting season is Sep. 29 – Dec. 30, 2018.  

Agencies Prohibit Hunting over Bait

Mon, 08/27/2018

Hunters are reminded it is unlawful to hunt big game over bait, or place bait to attract big game for the purpose of hunting, on both public and private land in deer unit 3C west of the Missouri River, and all of units 3E1, 3E2, 3F1 and 3F2.

In addition, placing of bait for any purpose is prohibited on all North Dakota Game and Fish Department wildlife management areas.

Hunting over bait is defined as the placement and/or use of baits for attracting big game and other wildlife to a specific location for the purpose of hunting. Bait, in this case, include grains, minerals, salts, fruits, vegetables, hay, or any other natural or manufactured food.

The designation does not apply to the use of scents and lures, water, food plots, standing crops or livestock feeds used in standard practices.

Hunting big game over bait is also prohibited on all U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas, U.S. Forest Service national grasslands, and all North Dakota state school, state park and state forest service lands. 

First-Come, First-Served Deer Gun Licenses Available Sept. 6

Wed, 08/22/2018

More than 1,000 antlerless whitetail deer gun licenses are still available in three units after the North Dakota Game and Fish Department recently completed its second lottery drawing. Individual results are available online at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.

Antlerless whitetail licenses remaining in units 3F1 (321 licenses), 3F2 (498 licenses) and 4F (218 licenses) will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 8 a.m. Central Time on Sept. 6. These licenses are only available online, and to individuals who have not already received a lottery or landowner license.

These licenses are valid only during the regular deer gun season, Nov. 9-25. Residents and nonresidents are eligible to apply.

Federal Duck Stamp Required Sept. 1

Mon, 08/20/2018

Waterfowl hunters age 16 and older are reminded a federal duck stamp is required beginning Sept. 1. Waterfowl includes ducks, geese, swans, mergansers and coots.

This year’s 2018-19 federal duck stamp is available for electronic purchase through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov, instant licensing telephone number, 800-406-6409, or at license vendors registered with the department’s licensing system. Physical stamps are not available at North Dakota license vendors, but they can still be purchased at many U.S. Postal Service offices.

The electronic stamp is a purchase item like any other hunting or fishing license. When the purchase is completed the electronic stamp is valid immediately. The words "Federal Duck Stamp" will be printed on the license certificate, along with an expiration date 45 days from the date of purchase. The actual physical stamp will be sent by postal mail.

The physical stamp is processed and sent by the official duck stamp vendor in Texas, and should arrive to the individual buyer well before the expiration date printed on the electronic license. The physical stamp must remain in possession of the hunter after the 45-day electronic stamp has expired. Individuals who have questions regarding the status of their physical stamp can contact the federal duck stamp vendor customer service number at 800-852-4897.

The federal duck stamp has a fee of $25. An additional $1.50 fee is added to cover shipping and handling costs of the actual physical stamp.