Boat North Dakota Course

Mon, 06/10/2024

North Dakota state law requires youth ages 12-15 who want to operate a boat or personal watercraft by themselves with at least a 10-horsepower motor must pass the state’s boating basics course.

The course is available for home-study by contacting the North Dakota Game and Fish Department at 701-328-6300, or ndgf@nd.gov. Two commercial providers also offer the course online, and links to those sites are on the boat and water safety education page on the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov.

While the home-study course is free, there is a fee to take it online. The online provider charges for the course, not the Game and Fish Department. The fee remains with the online provider.

The course covers legal requirements, navigation rules, getting underway, accidents and special topics such as weather, rules of the road, laws, life saving and first aid. 

Register for Game Warden Exam

Mon, 06/03/2024

Individuals interested in taking the exam to select candidates for district game warden positions must register by July 10. Exams are scheduled for 10 a.m. Central time at the following locations:

• July 17 – Game and Fish office, Williston.
• July 18 – Game and Fish office, Bismarck.
• July 19 – Cass County Sheriff’s Department, Fargo.

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

Applicants must be at least 21, have a bachelor’s degree at time of hire or an associate degree with either 2 years of law enforcement or wildlife experience, have a valid driver’s license and a current North Dakota peace officer license, or eligible to be licensed. Candidates must successfully complete a comprehensive background check and must not have a record of any felony convictions.

Salary through training is $5,120 per month. For more information, see the district game warden testing announcement on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.

Deer Application Deadline

Mon, 06/03/2024

The deadline for submitting applications for the 2024 deer gun season is June 5.

Applicants for regular deer gun, gratis, youth and muzzleloader can apply online through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website at gf.nd.gov.

A general game and habitat license is required when applying. If the applicant has not already purchased the 2024-25 license, it will be added to their cart at checkout. The applicant has the option of having the general game and habitat license refunded if their deer license is not drawn in the lottery.  

Gratis applications received on or before the regular deer gun lottery application deadline will qualify for an any-legal-deer license. As per state law, gratis applications received after the deadline will be processed based on licenses remaining after the lottery.

Hunter Education Classes

Mon, 01/08/2024

If you were born after 1961, are 12 years or older, you must take an in-person or home study certified hunter education course before you can get a firearm or bowhunting license in North Dakota.

Understanding this, especially if you have your sights set on hunting this fall, now is not the time to drag your feet. Most in-person courses are from January through May.

Individuals interested in taking a hunter education class in 2024 must click on the education link at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. To register for a class, click on “enroll” next to the specific class, and follow the simple instructions. Personal information is required. Classes are listed by city and can also be sorted by start date. Classes will be added throughout the year as they become finalized.

Individuals interested in receiving a notice by email or SMS text message when each hunter education class is added, can click on the “subscribe to news and alerts” link below the news section on the Game and Fish home page. Check the box labeled “hunter education” under the education program updates.

Children must turn 12 during the calendar year to take the home study course, and age 11 during the calendar year to take the traditional in-person class.

Coyote Catalog Available

Mon, 12/04/2023

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department and North Dakota Department of Agriculture are again opening the Coyote Catalog, a statewide effort designed to connect hunters and trappers with landowners dealing with coyotes in their areas.

Landowners can sign up on the Department of Agriculture website, nd.gov/ndda/.

Hunters and trappers can sign up at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.

Anyone who registered for the Coyote Catalog in the past must register again to activate their name on the database. 

Throughout winter, hunters or trappers may receive information on participating landowners, and should contact landowners to make arrangements.

Landowners experiencing coyote depredation of livestock should first contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services.

The Coyote Catalog will remain active through March 31.

For more information, contact Ryan Herigstad at Game and Fish, 701-595-4463 or rherigstad@nd.gov; or Michelle Mielke, at the Department of Agriculture, 701-328-2233 or mmielke@nd.gov.