James Myhre, district game warden for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department in New Rockford, received the agency’s Director’s Award for professional excellence at the department’s annual staff meeting in December.
Jeb Williams, Game and Fish director, said Myhre has provided exceptional service to North Dakota for 22 years.
“He knows that helping hunters, anglers, trappers and boaters is only part of the job,” Williams said. “James is a farmer and rancher and knows the importance of working with and assisting in his district any way he can. He is one of the highest performers in the enforcement division year after year. He always goes above and beyond in providing exceptional service and represents the department in a way that we all should aspire to.”
Free Ice Fishing Weekend
North Dakota’s free ice fishing weekend is Dec. 28-29. Resident anglers may fish those two days without a license. Residents 15 and younger do not need a fishing license at any time of year. All other winter fishing regulations apply.
The weekend provides a great opportunity to try fishing for the first time or take someone new.
Habitat and Hunting Access Summit Recording Available
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 North Dakota Game and Fish Department annually provides its best estimate for opening dates to help hunters prepare for hunting seasons.
Dates become official when approved by governor’s proclamation. Tentative opening dates for 2025 include:
2025 Tentative Season Open Dates
Season
Tentative Opening Date
Spring Turkey
April 12
Deer and Pronghorn Bow, Mountain Lion
Aug. 29
Dove
Sept. 1
Sharptail, Hun, Ruffed Grouse, Squirrel
Sept. 13
Youth Deer
Sept. 19
Youth Waterfowl
Sept. 20
Early Resident Waterfowl
Sept. 27
Pronghorn Gun
Oct. 3
Regular Waterfowl, Youth Pheasant
Oct. 4
Pheasant, Fall Turkey
Oct. 11
Mink, Muskrat, Weasel Trapping
Oct. 25
Deer Gun
Nov. 7
Deer Muzzleloader
Nov. 28
Fish House Regulations
Any fish house left unoccupied on North Dakota waters must be made of materials that allow it to float. In addition, fish houses do not require a license.
Other fish house regulations include:
Occupied structures do not require identification. However, any unoccupied fish house must have an equipment registration number issued by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, or the owner’s name, and either an address or telephone number, displayed on its outside in readily distinguishable characters at least 3 inches high.
Fish houses may not be placed closer than 50 feet in any direction to another house without consent of the occupant of the other fish house.
Unoccupied fish houses must be removed from all waters after midnight, March 15.
Darkhouse Spearfishing Registration
Individuals required to possess a valid fishing license (age 16 and older) to darkhouse spearfish must first register online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov.
Darkhouse spearing is allowed for all anglers with a valid fishing license and for youth under age 16.
Northern pike and nongame fish are the only legal species statewide, while walleye can be speared at Stump Lake and the Devils Lake complex south of U.S. Highway 2 and the Missouri River System (including lakes Oahe and Sakakawea and the Missouri River) up to the first tributary bridge.
Spearers and anglers are reminded that materials used to mark holes must be in possession as soon as a hole greater than 10 inches in diameter is made in the ice.
All waters open to hook and line fishing are open to darkhouse spearing except:
East Park Lake, West Park Lake, Lake Audubon – McLean County
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.
North Dakota’s river otter trapping season is closed. The statewide season’s predetermined harvest limit of 25 has been reached.
Only North Dakota residents were eligible to participate, with a season limit of one otter per trapper.
Waterfowl Book Makes Great Gift
Looking for a gift for a waterfowl hunter this holiday season? You might want to check out the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s “The Duck Factory – A History of Waterfowl in North Dakota.”
Authored by Mike Jacobs and Erik Fritzell, the 213-page, soft-cover publication in full color traces the history of waterfowl species and their habitats in North Dakota.
Migratory game bird program leader Mike Szymanski said there is a lot of interesting information about the interactions with people and waterfowl in North Dakota.
“This book is appealing to both waterfowl hunters and people interested in history,” Szymanski said. “It has a lot of really cool, old photos of hunting scenes and historical figures.”
“The Duck Factory” is an important story because of North Dakota’s longtime and continuing contribution to the world of migratory birds, Szymanski said. “North Dakota is the most important state for breeding ducks,” he added. “The contribution of ducks from North Dakota into the fall flight is unmatched by any other state, and its importance to duck hunters cannot be understated. Describing the history of waterfowl in North Dakota was a story that we felt was certainly worth telling.”
The book is sold only online for $24.99, including shipping, on the Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov, by clicking on Buy and Apply, and then Shop.
Coyote Catalog Available
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.
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.
Special Allocation Lottery Apps Deadline
Nonprofit organizations eligible to receive big game hunting licenses in 2025 must have the application submitted to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department no later than Jan. 1.
North Dakota state law provides direction for the Game and Fish director to allocate big game hunting licenses to eligible organizations. Under this directive, up to two elk, moose and pronghorn licenses, and 10 white-tailed deer licenses, can be issued to organizations for fundraising.
Eligible organizations must be exempt from federal income taxation under section 501(c)(3), and must provide proof from the Internal Revenue Service to that effect. In addition, organizations must be active and in good standing with the office of the North Dakota Secretary of State.
Successful lottery applicants must agree to donate at least 10% of the net proceeds of any license fundraiser to a conservation-related project, such as hunting access, conservation education, habitat development or shooting range management.
Late Season Hunting Dates
The statewide duck and white-fronted goose seasons close Dec. 1. However, duck hunting in the high plains unit reopens Dec. 7 and continues through Dec. 29.
In addition, the season for Canada geese closes Dec. 16 in the eastern zone, Dec. 21 in the western zone and Dec. 27 in the Missouri River zone. Light goose hunting closes statewide Dec. 27.
Archery deer, fall turkey, sharp-tailed and ruffed grouse, partridge and pheasant hunting seasons continue through Jan. 5.
North Dakota Game and Fish Department