News

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual fall wetland survey indicates fair wetland conditions for duck hunting throughout the state.

Andy Dinges, Department migratory game bird biologist, said the number of duck hunting wetlands are up statewide about 26% from extreme drought conditions experienced last fall, but still 29% below the long-term average. The number of duck…

North Dakota’s two-day youth pheasant season Oct. 1-2 is a great opportunity to introduce a new hunter to the outdoors with limited competition.

That’s when legally licensed residents and nonresidents 15 and younger can hunt rooster pheasants statewide. An adult at least 18 must accompany the youth hunter in the field. The adult may not carry a firearm.

Resident youth hunters…

Hunting small game, waterfowl, furbearers or big game by nonresidents is prohibited by state law on Private Land Open To Sportsmen acreage and state wildlife management areas from Oct. 8-14, the first seven days of the pheasant season. However, nonresidents can hunt on PLOTS land they own during that week.

In addition, leaving equipment on PLOTS overnight, such as tree stands, blinds,…

Motorists should watch for deer along roadways this time of year as juvenile animals disperse from their home ranges.

October through early December is the peak period for deer-vehicle accidents. Motorists are advised to slow down and exercise caution after dark to reduce the likelihood of encounters with deer. Most deer-vehicle accidents occur primarily at dawn and dusk when deer are…

Watch the waterfowl season preview webcast with biologist Mike Szymanski. 

North Dakota’s waterfowl season opens for residents Sept. 24, while nonresidents may begin hunting waterfowl Oct. 1.

The season for swans opens Oct. 1 for both residents and nonresidents who have purchased a swan license.

Hunters may take six ducks per day with the following restrictions: five…

The deadline for submitting entries in the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual Watchable Wildlife Photo Contest is Oct. 3.

The contest has categories for nongame and game species, as well as plants/insects. An overall winning photograph will be chosen, with the number of place winners in each category determined by the number of qualified entries.

Photographers…

Waterfowl hunters should do their part in preventing the spread of aquatic nuisance species into or within North Dakota.

Hunters must remove aquatic plants and plant fragments from decoys, strings and anchors; remove aquatic plant seeds and plant fragments from waders and other equipment before leaving hunting areas; remove all water from decoys, boats, motors, trailers and other…

Waterfowlers hunting from boats are encouraged to wear properly fitted life jackets while on the water.

Hunting coats with life jackets built in are light and comfortable to wear. In addition, wearing a life jacket will not only keep the overboard hunter afloat, but also slow the loss of critical body heat caused by exposure to cold water.

Capsizing and falling overboard from…

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department allocated five bighorn sheep licenses for the 2022 hunting season, the same as last year.

One license was issued in unit B1, one in B3, one in B4 and one in B5. In addition, one license, as authorized under North Dakota Century Code, was auctioned in May by the Midwest Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation, from which all proceeds are used to…

The fall wild turkey lottery has been held and more than 800 licenses remain in nine units. Unsuccessful applicants will have a refund issued directly to their credit card.

Beginning at 8 a.m. Central time on Sept. 14, all remaining licenses will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Hunters are allowed a maximum of five licenses for the fall season. 

Resident and…

Hunters can help in the effort to manage upland game birds in North Dakota by collecting feathers from harvested birds and sending in wing envelopes.

Birds included in the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s upland game wing survey, which has been in practice for decades, are ring-necked pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse, Hungarian partridge, turkeys and ruffed grouse.

…

Friday, Sept. 16 at noon Central time signals the start of a nine-and-a-half-day deer hunting season for licensed youth hunters.

Residents who are 11, 12 or 13 in 2022 can hunt statewide for antlerless white-tailed deer. 

Resident deer gun hunters who are 14 or 15 in 2022 can hunt statewide with a youth season license for any deer, except for antlered mule deer in units 3B1,…

Introduce a youngster to duck hunting during North Dakota’s two-day youth waterfowl weekend Sept. 17-18. In addition, the special veteran and active military personnel waterfowl season is set for the same weekend.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has a Virtual Duck Hunting Mentor webpage with all the basics, including license requirements, regulations, gear recommendations and…

North Dakota’s sandhill crane season opens Sept. 17 and runs through Nov. 13.

Limits are three daily and nine in possession in unit 1 (west of U.S. Highway 281), and two daily and six in possession in unit 2 (east of U.S. Highway 281). Shooting hours are a half-hour before sunrise to 2 p.m. each day.

Hunters are urged to use caution and identify birds to prevent shooting at…

North Dakota’s roadside surveys conducted in late July and August indicate pheasant and gray partridge were up from last year, while sharp-tailed grouse numbers were down.

State Game and Fish Department upland game supervisor Jesse Kolar said the annual upland late summer counts showed mixed results. “We observed an increase in pheasant and partridge densities and reproductive rates…

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department launched a podcast, “North Dakota Outdoors.”

Join hosts Cayla Bendel, Department R3 coordinator, and Casey Anderson, Department wildlife division chief, to hear from Game and Fish staff, partner staff and other experts on an array of outdoors topics from fish and wildlife surveys and research, habitat programs, conservation policy, stories from…

State Game and Fish Department migratory bird biologists expect a fall flight of ducks from North Dakota similar to 2007, 2008 and 2017.

To bring that forecast closer to home, the fall flight is anticipated to be about 26% above last year’s fall flight, based on observations from the Department’s annual mid-July duck production survey.

According to Mike Szymanski, Department…

North Dakota Game and Fish Department officials are encouraging hunters to be respectful and cautious as farmers and ranchers are busy with field work this time of year.

Hunters should pull to the side of the road or find an approach when meeting combines, grain trucks or tractors pulling equipment.

Hunters should avoid parking along roadways or field approaches where vehicles…

North Dakota’s fall turkey application deadline is Sept. 7.

Fall turkey hunters, including gratis applicants, interested in applying can submit an online application through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov.

Only North Dakota residents are eligible to apply in the first lottery. Nonresidents can apply for remaining fall turkey licenses following…

With the deer bow, elk, and moose seasons opening soon, North Dakota Game and Fish Department officials remind hunters there are options for getting their animals tested for chronic wasting disease.

Hunters can drop off heads at any of the following locations: