Game and Fish Fills Leadership Positions

Mon, 01/06/2025

Bruce Kreft and Brian Hosek have filled division chief positions for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

Kreft, conservation section leader since 2023, was promoted to conservation and communications chief when Greg Link retired after 45 years with the agency.

A Towner native with a zoology degree from North Dakota State University, Kreft started his career with Game and Fish as a fisheries technician from 1989-90; assistant Missouri River biologist from 1990-92; central district fisheries biologist from 1992-2000; and conservation biologist from 2000-2023. 

Link started his career with Game and Fish as a seasonal employee in 1980. In 2011, he assumed leadership of the conservation and communications division. 

The conservation and communications division informs, educates and promotes fish and wildlife related opportunities; manages nongame species and species of conservation priority; and consults with developers to avoid, minimize and offset impacts to fish and wildlife resources. 

Hosek, longtime business operations manager, was named chief of administrative services when Kim Kary announced her retirement after 20 years with the agency. 

A graduate of Emporia State University with a degree in earth and data sciences, Hosek started his Game and Fish career in 2001 as the department’s GIS coordinator, and his role evolved into business operations manager during his tenure. 

Kary began her career with the department as the business manager in 2005, and in 2010 moved into the administrative services division chief position. 

The administrative services division provides policy, planning and support services and is responsible for all game and fish licensing.

Habitat and Hunting Access Summit Recording Available

Thu, 12/19/2024

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.

The summit was recorded.

Take Someone New Ice Fishing

Mon, 12/16/2024

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. 

All other winter fishing regulations apply.