The North Dakota Game and Fish Department recently paid more than $621,000 in taxes to counties in which the department owns or leases land. The 2017 in-lieu-of-tax payments are the same as property taxes paid by private landowners.
The Game and Fish Department manages more than 200,000 acres for wildlife habitat and public hunting in 51 counties. The department does not own or manage any land in Traill or Renville counties.
Following is a list of counties and the tax payments they received.
County
Tax Due
County
Tax Due
County
Tax Due
Adams
182.33
Grand Forks
14,129.07
Pierce
2,815.44
Barnes
5,644.02
Grant
1,131.83
Ramsey
15,390.45
Benson
4,596.45
Griggs
82.08
Ransom
1,495.39
Billings
300.78
Hettinger
4,718.98
Richland
18,136.88
Bottineau
5,218.40
Kidder
10,315.27
Rolette
38,642.11
Bowman
2,097.65
LaMoure
9,812.72
Sargent
17,627.17
Burke
1,200.12
Logan
336.07
Sheridan
62,021.67
Burleigh
27,957.99
McHenry
1,609.79
Sioux
232.35
Cass
7,054.45
McIntosh
9,466.17
Slope
1,585.08
Cavalier
28,619.90
McKenzie
33,447.76
Stark
5,383.98
Dickey
12,964.84
McLean
94,341.96
Steele
8,245.29
Divide
1,873.65
Mercer
17,137.90
Stutsman
4,563.95
Dunn
5,892.05
Morton
19,720.35
Towner
2,267.82
Eddy
5,749.63
Mountrail
7,736.86
Walsh
10,871.86
Emmons
3,802.69
Nelson
5,560.39
Ward
115.79
Foster
978.75
Oliver
2,919.94
Wells
61,796.96
Golden Valley
146.55
Pembina
17,862.28
Williams
5,243.55
Open Fires Banned on Oahe WMA
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is prohibiting open burning this spring on property managed south of Bismarck and Mandan, as a means to reduce potential for wildfires on a heavily wooded recreation area along the Missouri River.
Bill Haase, wildlife resource management supervisor, said all open burning, including campfires, is banned until further notice on the Oahe Wildlife Management Area along both sides of the Missouri River. While the use of portable grills is allowed, extreme caution is advised due to the heavily vegetated area.
Haase said these woodlands are prone to wildfires prior to spring green-up. Mild temperatures and a high fuel load in the river bottoms are a cause for concern, he said, in addition to being a high use area for anglers, campers and other outdoor recreationists.
Oahe WMA covers more than 16,000 acres along Lake Oahe south of Bismarck-Mandan, in portions of Burleigh, Emmons, and Morton counties. Burning restriction signs are posted at all entrances to the WMA.
Moose and Elk Lotteries Held, Bighorn Sheep in September
North Dakota’s moose and elk lotteries have been held, and individual results are available by visiting My Account at the state Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov.
A total of 14,617 applications were received for bighorn sheep, 18,079 for elk and 21,042 for moose.
Successful applicants will receive a letter the week of April 30, stating the license will be mailed after the successful applicant submits the correct license fee and purchases a valid 2018-19 hunting license. All hunters, regardless of age, are required to have a general game and habitat license, or combination license, in addition to their moose/elk license.
The bighorn sheep lottery is scheduled in September, after summer population surveys are completed and total licenses are determined. Once the lottery is held, successful applicants will be contacted to select a hunting unit.
Hunters Urged to Monitor Travel Conditions
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department reminds spring snow goose hunters to monitor on- and off-road travel conditions as light geese begin to move through the state in large numbers.
While much of the snow that remains will likely disappear this week, moisture left behind may still make travel difficult on section line trails, unimproved roads and harvested grain fields where hunting might take place.
Driving on soft, muddy roads, trails and section lines is strongly discouraged. In addition, hunters are advised to seek permission from landowners before attempting any off-road travel in fields.
Pronghorn Hunting Season Statistics
Hunter success during last fall’s pronghorn hunting season was 75 percent, according to statistics provided by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
Game and Fish issued 410 licenses (255 lottery and 155 gratis), and 366 hunters took 275 pronghorn, consisting of 264 bucks, 10 does and one fawn. Each hunter spent an average of 2.4 days afield.
Three percent of the harvest occurred during the archery-only portion of the season.
The 2018 pronghorn hunting season will be determined in July.
Paddlefish Snagging Season Opens May 1
North Dakota’s 2018 paddlefish snagging season opens May 1 and is scheduled to continue through May 21. However, depending on the overall harvest, an early in-season closure may occur with a 24-hour notice issued by the state Game and Fish Department.
Legal snagging hours are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. One tag per snagger will be issued. Snagging is legal in all areas of the Yellowstone River in North Dakota, and in the area of the Missouri River lying west of the U.S. Highway 85 bridge to the Montana border, excluding that portion from the pipeline crossing (river mile 1,577) downstream to the upper end of the Lewis and Clark Wildlife Management Area (river mile 1,565).
If the season closes early because the harvest cap is reached, an extended snag-and-release-only period will be allowed for up to four days immediately following the early closure, but not to extend beyond May 21. Only snaggers with a current season, unused paddlefish snagging tag are eligible to participate. Only a limited area at the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers is open to this extended season snagging opportunity.
Mandatory harvest of all snagged paddlefish is required on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. On these days, all paddlefish caught must be kept and tagged immediately. All paddlefish snagged and tagged must be removed from the river by 7 p.m. of each snagging day. Any fish left at the Confluence fish cleaning caviar operation after 8 p.m. the day they were snagged will be considered abandoned and the snagger is subject to a fine.
Snag-and-release of all paddlefish is required on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays. Participants during snag-and-release-only days need to have in their possession a current season, unused paddlefish snagging tag. Use or possession of gaffs is prohibited on snag-and-release-only days, and, if it occurs, during the snag-and-release extension period.
All paddlefish snaggers must possess a paddlefish tag in addition to a valid fishing license. Cost of a paddlefish tag is $10 for residents and $25.50 for nonresidents.
Addresses and phone numbers of vendors selling tags:
Bismarck Game and Fish Office
100 N. Bismarck Expressway
Bismarck, ND 58501
701-328-6300
Sportsman’s Warehouse
925 32nd Ave. W.
Williston, ND 58801
701-572-2500
Scenic Sports
1201 E. Broadway
Williston, ND 58801
701-572-8696
Wal-Mart, Inc.
4001 Second Ave. W.
Williston, ND 58801
701-572-8550
Runnings Farm and Fleet
2003 Third Ave. W.
Dickinson, ND 58601
701-483-1226
Rosie's Food and Gas 204 S. Main
Dickinson, ND 58601
701-483-7860
J Sports Sporting Goods
100 Fourth Ave. NE
Watford City, ND 58854
701-260-5228
Water Released from West Arroda Lake
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is closing access to West Arroda Lake in Oliver County, effective immediately, due to dangerous ice conditions caused by rapidly receding water levels. The wildlife management area surrounding the lake remains open.
During a routine inspection conducted April 10, Game and Fish staff observed some soil erosion around the outlet of the dam, which is formed by North Dakota Highway 200-ALT about 20 miles west of Washburn. In cooperation with the North Dakota State Water Commission and the North Dakota Department of Transportation, Game and Fish started releasing water from the lake on April 10.
Game and Fish biologists estimate the lake level is down around 4 feet already, and sloping ice along the shoreline is slippery and there may be areas where there is no longer any water under the ice.
The water release will eventually remove most of the water from West Arroda so an inspection can be made to determine the extent and cause of the erosion and any possible effect on the integrity of the dam and highway. The lake level will remain low throughout the coming spring and summer months, and possibly even longer if repairs are necessary. The low water will make the boat ramp unusable and make shore-fishing difficult as well.
The draw-down will not affect nearby East Arroda Lake.
NASP State Tournament Results
While a spring snowstorm kept some of the record 750 registrants from attending, 600 archers did compete in the North Dakota National Archery in the Schools Program state bull’s-eye tournament in Minot March 23-24.
Oakes students claimed top honors in the elementary (grades 4-6) and middle school (grades 7-8) divisions, while Hankinson received the top prize in the high school (grades 9-12) division.
The overall male winner was Hankinson archer Cheyne Meyer, while Medina student Gracie Gunderson claimed the top spot in the female division.
Winning teams and the top 10 individuals qualify for the national tournament, scheduled for May in Louisville, Ky. The Game and Fish Department and North Dakota Youth Archery Advisory Council contribute a total of $3,000 in travel assistance to the first place team in each division, and $1,000 to the overall male and female individual winners. In addition, a total of $20,000 in college scholarships was awarded by the NDYAAC to the top five overall scorers in both boys and girls divisions.
Qualifying for nationals in each division are:
High school boys – 1) Cheyne Meyer, Hankinson; 2) Ty Wixo, Wahpeton; 3) Conor Shall, Oakes; 4) Evan Mickelson, Mt. Pleasant; 5) Chase Bladow, Hankinson; 6) Michael McKenna, North Sargent; 7) Clayton Stone, Hankinson; 8) Koven Walford, New Rockford-Sheyenne; 9) Michael Heim, Oakes; 10) Ben Frankki, Lidgerwood.
High school girls – 1) Gracie Gunderson, Medina; 2) Alicia Biewer, Hankinson; 3) Kate Loewen, Hankinson; 4) Jaden Gilje, North Sargent; 5) Jaidyn Sander, Hankinson; 6) Josephine Nelson, North Sargent; 7) Sydni Berg, Edgeley; 8) Avery Trittin, Lidgerwood; 9) Ainsley Helgerson, Oakes; 10) Mary Goroski, Wahpeton.
Middle school boys – 1) Brady Sand, Mayville-Portland-Clifford-Galesburg; 2) Casey Everson, Barnes County North; 3) Joshua Wiebusch, Wahpeton; 4) Jack Thompson, Hope-Page; 5) Clancy Zimbelman, Oakes; 6) Dillon Deering, Oakes; 7) Justin Schlenker, Barnes County North; 8) Grady Henderson, Edgeley; 9) Avery McFarland, North Sargent; 10) Marcus Garza, Oakes.
In addition, archers had the option of competing in a NASP 3-D Challenge, run simultaneously with the bull’s-eye tournament.
Overall male and female winners were Brady Sand, Mayville-Portland-Clifford-Galesburg, and Gracie Gunderson, Medina.
Andrew Hill of Oakes was the winner of a pronghorn hunt in Wyoming, with the winning score decided by a one arrow shoot-off from the top five overall archers.
Top performers in the 3-D high school boys were 1) Andrew Hill, Oakes; 2) Chase Bladow, Hankinson; 3) Conor Shall, Oakes; 4) Tavon Stadler, Griggs County; 5) Evan Mickelson, Mt. Pleasant.
3-D high school girls – 1) Gracie Gunderson, Medina; 2) Jaidyn Sander, Hankinson; 3) Josephine Nelson, North Sargent; 4) Kate Loewen, Hankinson; 5) Avery Trittin, Lidgerwood.
3-D middle school boys – 1) Brady Sand, Mayville-Portland-Clifford-Galesburg; 2) Joshua Wiebusch, Wahpeton; 3) Clancy Zimbelman, Oakes; 4) Jack Thompson, Hope-Page; 5) Maxin Walock, Oakes.
3-D middle school girls – 1) Piper Suhr, Griggs County; 2) Rylee Suhr, Griggs County; 3) Kyria Dockter, New Rockford-Sheyenne; 4) Paetyn Hamann, North Sargent; 5) Aysia Frederick, Wilton.
3-D elementary boys – 1) Damian Carlson, Edgeley; 2) Braysen Sagert, Oakes; 3) Colin Olson, North Sargent; 4) Alex Weisenburger, New Rockford-Sheyenne; 5) Brady Haugen, Griggs County.
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 2017 bighorn sheep survey, completed by recounting lambs in March, revealed a minimum of 265 bighorn sheep in western North Dakota, down 11 percent from 2016 and 9 percent below the five-year average.
Altogether, biologists counted 91 rams, 149 ewes and 25 lambs. Not included are approximately 20 bighorns in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
Big game biologist Brett Wiedmann said the survey count was the lowest since 2006.
“The decline in the 2017 count reflects the spread of bacterial pneumonia to three previously unaffected herds and consequently the adult and lamb mortalities that followed,” Wiedmann said.
The northern badlands population declined 10 percent from 2016, and the southern badlands population was down 21 percent.
“The total count of adult rams and ewes was much lower than the record high counts in 2016, but the lamb count and recruitment rate improved slightly in 2017, albeit still much below the long-term averages,” Wiedmann said.
Game and Fish Department biologists count and classify all bighorn sheep in late summer, and then recount lambs the following March, as they approach one year of age, to determine recruitment.
“Fortunately, adult mortality was low in previously affected herds, and lamb survival improved as well, which could indicate those herds initially exposed to the deadly pathogens in 2014 are beginning to recover,” Wiedmann said. “The next few years will be important in determining if the state’s population shows signs of recovering from the disease outbreak, or if the pathogens are likely to persist and cause a long-term population decline.”
Dr. Dan Grove, Department veterinarian, said that 20 adult bighorn were tested for deadly pathogens last winter, but results are still pending. He said animals continue to succumb to pneumonia, albeit at a much slower rate.
A bighorn sheep hunting season is tentatively scheduled to open in 2018, unless there is a recurrence of significant adult mortality from bacterial pneumonia. The status of the bighorn sheep season will be determined Sept. 1, after the summer population survey is completed.
Game and Fish issued five licenses in 2017 and all hunters were successful harvesting a ram.
Game and Fish Sponsors Earth Day Project
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is once again celebrating Earth Day by sponsoring clean-up days on publicly owned or managed lands.
With Earth Day recognized April 22, each member of a school, Girl Scout, Boy Scout, 4-H club or youth organization who participates in cleaning up public lands through May will receive a specifically designed conservation patch.
Last winter the Game and Fish Department sponsored a contest for students ages 6-18 to design a North Dakota Earth Day Patch. Winners in the three age categories were Brooke Livingston of Kenmare (6-9), Abbey Peterson of Velva (10-13), and Deanna Rose of Grand Forks (14-18). Rose’s design was chosen as the contest winner, and will be used on this year’s Earth Day patch.
Groups participating in the Earth Day project are encouraged to take the following precautions to ensure safety: keep young people away from highways, lakes and rivers; and only allow older participants to pick up broken glass.
Interested participants are asked to contact Pat Lothspeich at 328-6332 to receive a reporting form for their project.
Report Bald Eagle Nest Sightings
The state Game and Fish Department is asking for help in locating active bald eagle nests in North Dakota.
Game and Fish conservation biologist Sandra Johnson said the department is looking for locations of nests with eagles present, not individual eagle sightings.
Eagles are incubating eggs in April, and it’s easy to distinguish an eagle nest because of its enormous size. Johnson estimates the state has around 240 active bald eagle nests, possibly more.
Eagle nests are observed in more than three-quarters of the counties in the state, mostly near streams and mid- to large-sized lakes. However, they are also found in unique areas such as shelterbelts surrounded by cropland or pasture.
Observers are asked to not disturb the nest, and to stay away at a safe distance. Johnson said foot traffic may disturb the bird, likely causing the eagle to leave her eggs or young unattended.
Deer Gratis Applications Online
Landowners who are interested in applying for a 2018 deer gratis license can fill out their application online starting April 2 by visiting the state Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. The general deer lottery and muzzleloader applications will be available online in early May. The deadline for applying is June 6.
Chief of administrative services Kim Kary said the Game and Fish Department decided to open the deer gratis application period a month earlier than in past years, to provide additional time for landowners to get accustomed to the new online-only licensing system.
Gratis applicants who have previously applied online or by paper will already have their land description entered into the system. Kary said applicants will be able to copy the land description from the previous year into this year’s application. “Landowners will still need to bring up their land description and add the number of acres for each tract,” Kary added. “In addition, any changes to the land description from the previous year will have to be made.”
Online applications is part of the plan that was initiated by the state legislature in 2015, Kary said, which required Game and Fish to develop an all-electronic licensing system that went into effect two years ago. “When you factor in that more than 90 percent of regular lottery applications, and nearly 75 percent gratis, were already submitted online, it was the right time to eliminate paper applications and go completely online,” she said.
Kary mentioned the Game and Fish Department does not receive state tax dollars. “We are a self-funded agency relying on license revenue from sale of licenses and federal funds,” she added. “Eliminating paper applications saves our agency time and money without increasing license fees.”
Kary suggest landowners who do not have access to a computer can submit the application at a public service location such as a public library, stop at a Game and Fish office, or request help from a friend, relative or neighbor. The electronic system at vendors is not set up to handle lottery/gratis applications.
“Hunters should note we will continue to require all electronic applications as we move forward, which includes pronghorn, swan and fall turkey,” Kary said.
North Dakota Game and Fish Department