Spring Turkey Drawing Held, Licenses Remain

Tue, 02/27/2018

The 2018 spring wild turkey lottery has been held and individual results are available on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov.

The Game and Fish Department will mail the spring turkey licenses to successful applicants after they purchase a valid 2018-19 hunting license. All spring turkey hunters regardless of age are required to have a general game and habitat license in addition to their spring turkey license. Hunters age 16 and older must also have a small game license, or a combination license. The 2018-19 licenses are available for purchase beginning March 15.

Spring turkey hunters are encouraged to purchase their other necessary licenses well in advance so their turkey tag arrives before the season opener on April 14.

A total of 554 spring turkey licenses remain in six units. These remaining licenses are issued on a first-come, first-served basis beginning March 20.

The governor’s proclamation allows a maximum of two licenses. Hunters who did not apply in the first drawing are eligible to apply for remaining licenses.

Licenses remain in unit 06, Bowman County; unit 19, Grant and Sioux counties and portions of Morton County; unit 25, McHenry County and portions of Pierce and Ward Counties; unit 31, Mountrail County; unit 45, Stark County; and unit 51, Burke County and portions of Renville, Bottineau and Ward counties.

Applications must be submitted online at the Game and Fish website. Only North Dakota residents are eligible to apply.

2017 Bighorn Sheep, Moose and Elk Harvests

Mon, 02/26/2018

Harvest statistics released by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department show overall hunter success during the 2017 season for bighorn sheep was 100 percent, 92 percent for moose and 58 percent for elk.

The department issued four bighorn sheep licenses and auctioned one. All five hunters harvested a bighorn ram.

The department issued 245 moose licenses last year. Of that total, 240 hunters harvested 221 animals – 138 bulls and 83 cows/calves. Harvest for each unit follows:

The department issued 400 elk licenses last year. Of that total, 362 hunters harvested 211 elk – 112 bulls and 99 cows/calves. Harvest for each unit follows:

March 15 Deadline to Remove Permanent Fish Houses

Mon, 02/26/2018

Anglers have until midnight, March 15 to remove permanent fish houses from North Dakota waters, and from any state wildlife management area or federal refuge land.

Fish houses may be used after March 15 if they are removed daily.

Anglers are advised to use caution while accessing area lakes because mild weather conditions can quickly result in unstable ice conditions that can make removing a fish house with a vehicle difficult or dangerous.

Even on lakes where ice remains solid away from shore, anglers should watch the weather and adjust activities accordingly. Ice conditions can vary from region to region, between lakes in the same region, and even on the same lake.

NDGF Offers Wild Game Processing Workshop

Mon, 02/12/2018

Individuals age 15 and older who are interested in learning how to take harvested game from the field to the table, can sign up for an upcoming wild game processing workshop sponsored by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

The workshop is scheduled for Saturday, March 17, from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. at the Game and Fish Department district shop (3001 E. Main) in Bismarck. The fee is $25, and participants will leave with several packages of fresh sausage.

Participants can register by contacting education coordinator Brian Schaffer at 701-328-6312, or email bschaffer@nd.gov. Schaffer advises interested participants to sign up soon, as space is limited.

Youth Grant Program Application Deadline April 10

Mon, 02/12/2018

Wildlife, shooting, fraternal and nonprofit civic organizations are urged to submit an application for the Encouraging Tomorrow’s Hunters program, a North Dakota Game and Fish Department grant program developed to assist recruitment of the next generation of hunters and shooters.

The maximum grant allowed is $3,000. The program currently helps fund approximately 40 club and organizational events and projects each year, with an average grant of $1,550.

Grant funds help cover event expenses, including promotional printing; event memorabilia such as shirts, caps or vests; ammunition and targets, and eye and ear protection.

Past funding has enabled groups to conduct youth pheasant and waterfowl hunts, or sponsor trap and other shooting events, including archery and rifle shooting.

One change from previous years is that grants related to the high school clay target league will now come out of a separate fund, and these will be for newly formed teams in 2018 only. All other shooting events, including summer youth trapshooting leagues, are still eligible for Encouraging Tomorrow's Hunters grants.

Any club or organization interested in conducting a youth hunting or shooting event can get more information, including a grant application, from the Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov, or by contacting outreach biologist Pat Lothspeich at 701-328-6332.

The deadline to apply for a 2018 grant is April 10. 

Darkhouse Spearers Must Register

Mon, 02/12/2018

All individuals, regardless of age, who participate in darkhouse spearfishing are reminded to register with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department prior to participating.

Free registration is available at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov, or through any Game and Fish Department office.

North Dakota’s darkhouse spearfishing season closes March 15. Legal fish are northern pike and nongame species.

Spearers must have a valid fishing license, except for those under the age of 16.

All waters open to hook-and-line fishing are open to darkhouse spearing except:

·         East Park Lake, West Park Lake, Lake Audubon – McLean County

·         Heckers Lake – Sheridan County

·         Larimore Dam – Grand Forks County

·         McClusky Canal

·         New Johns Lake – Burleigh County

·         Red Willow Lake – Griggs County

·         Wood Lake – Benson County

Anglers should refer to the 2016-18 North Dakota Fishing Guide for more information. 

Spring Turkey Application Deadline Feb. 14

Mon, 02/12/2018

Prospective spring turkey hunters are reminded the deadline for submitting an application for the 2018 season is Feb. 14.

Spring turkey applicants can apply online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. Applications can also be submitted by calling 800-406-6409. Paper applications are no longer available for spring turkey or any other lottery licenses, which also includes moose, elk and sheep; deer gun, pronghorn and swan. 

First-time spring turkey hunters ages 15 or younger are eligible to receive one spring license valid for the regular hunting season in a specific unit. To be eligible, the youth hunter must be 15 or younger on opening day of spring turkey season, and have never received a spring turkey license in North Dakota.

Spring turkey licenses are available only to North Dakota residents.

The season opens April 14 and continues through May 20.

Spring Light Goose Conservation Order

Tue, 02/06/2018

North Dakota’s spring light goose conservation order opens Feb. 17 and continues through May 13.

Residents must have a valid current season 2017-18 (valid through March 31) or 2018-19 (required April 1) combination license; or a small game, and general game and habitat license. The 2018-19 license is available for purchase beginning March 15.

Nonresidents need a 2018 spring light goose conservation order license. The cost is $50 and is valid statewide. Nonresidents who hunt in the spring remain eligible to buy a fall season license. The spring license does not count against the 14-day fall waterfowl hunting season regulation.

In addition, nonresident youth under age 16 can purchase a license at the resident fee if their state has youth reciprocity licensing with North Dakota.

A federal duck stamp is not required for either residents or nonresidents.

Resident and nonresident licenses are available online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov, by calling 800-406-6409, and at license vendors.

Hunters must register annually with the Harvest Information Program prior to hunting in each state. The HIP number can be obtained online, or by calling 888-634-4798. The HIP number obtained for North Dakota’s spring conservation order is also valid for North Dakota’s fall hunting season.

The Game and Fish Department will provide hunters with migration updates once geese have entered the state. Hunters can access the department’s website, or call 701-328-3697, to receive generalized locations of bird sightings in North Dakota until the season ends or geese have left the state. Migration reports will be updated periodically during the week.

The spring conservation order is only open to light geese – snows, blues, and Ross’s. Species identification is important because white-fronted and Canada geese travel with light geese. The conservation order is closed to whitefronts, Canada geese, swans and all other migratory birds.

For more information on regulations refer to the 2018 Spring Light Goose Hunting Regulations and the 2017 North Dakota Waterfowl Hunting Guide. 

Game Warden Exam Set for Feb. 23

Mon, 02/05/2018

Individuals interested in taking the exam to select candidates for the position of a full-time temporary district game warden must register no later than Feb. 19. The test is at 10 a.m., Feb. 23, at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department's main office in Bismarck.

Applicants must register by submitting an online application through the North Dakota State Job Openings website.

Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and have a bachelor’s degree at time of hire (tentative hire date is May 1), have a valid driver’s license and a current North Dakota peace officer license, or be eligible to be licensed. Candidates must have excellent interpersonal skills in communications and writing, and must not have a record of any felony convictions.

District game wardens enforce game and fish laws and related regulations in an assigned district and other locations as determined by the department. Wardens normally work alone under varied conditions, at all hours of the day, night and weekends. In addition to law enforcement duties, wardens assist in the areas of public relations, education programs, and hunter and boat safety education.

Salary through training for a district game warden is $3,800 per month. For more information, see the district game warden job announcement on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.

Midwinter Waterfowl Survey

Mon, 01/29/2018

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual midwinter waterfowl survey in early January indicated about 135,000 Canada geese in the state.

Andy Dinges, migratory game bird biologist, said that number likely would have been higher, but bitterly cold weather in late December undoubtedly pushed some birds south just prior to the survey.

“However, we still saw a significant increase in the number of Canada geese, as compared to the 26,400 that were recorded last year,” Dinges said. “A year ago, wintering conditions with heavy snowfall were highly unfavorable, which dramatically reduced access to waste grain.”

During the recent survey, an estimated 110,800 Canada geese were observed on the Missouri River, and another 24,000 on Nelson Lake in Oliver County. No waterfowl were recorded on Lake Sakakawea, which officially froze over just days before the survey. Dinges said after summarizing the numbers, an additional 16,400 mallards were tallied statewide, most of which were recorded on Nelson Lake.

The 10-year average (2008-17) for the midwinter survey in North Dakota is 95,600 Canada geese and 27,300 mallards.

All states participate in the midwinter survey during the same time frame, to reduce the possibility of counting birds more than once. 

Personal Items Must be Removed from WMAs by Jan. 31

Mon, 01/29/2018

Hunters are reminded that treestands, blinds, steps and other personal items such as cameras, must be removed from all wildlife management areas by Jan. 31.

Items not removed by Jan. 31 are considered abandoned property and are subject to removal and confiscation by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

Two Deer Test Positive for CWD

Mon, 01/29/2018

A whitetail buck and a mule deer doe, taken during the 2017 deer gun season from unit 3F2 in southwestern North Dakota, have tested positive for chronic wasting disease, according to Dr. Dan Grove, wildlife veterinarian for the state Game and Fish Department.

Since 2009, the total now stands at 11 deer to test positive for CWD in North Dakota, and all were from within unit 3F2.

In 2010, the Game and Fish Department implemented special regulations in 3F2 and surrounding units to limit the natural spread of the disease, and to protect the rest of the deer, elk and moose herds in North Dakota.

In addition to the 350 samples tested for CWD from unit 3F2, another 1,050 were tested from deer harvested last fall by hunters in the central third of the state, and from any moose or elk taken during the hunting season. In all, more than 1,400 samples were tested.

Since the Game and Fish Department’s sampling efforts began in 2002, more than 31,000 deer, elk and moose have tested negative for CWD. 

“The Department takes the risk of CWD to the state’s deer, elk and moose herds seriously,” Grove said. “CWD is considered a permanent disease on the landscape once an area becomes endemic.”

The hunter-harvested surveillance program annually collects samples taken from hunter-harvested deer in specific regions of the state. In 2018, deer will be tested from the western portion of the state.

The Game and Fish Department also has a targeted surveillance program that is an ongoing, year-round effort to test animals found dead or sick.

CWD affects the nervous system of members of the deer family and is always fatal. For more information on CWD, refer to the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.