nd.gov - The Official Portal for North Dakota State Government
My Account  |  Logout  |  Cart

News Releases

North Dakota Game and Fish Department

North Dakota Game and Fish Department

News Releases

Hunters Keep Up With Fire Danger Index

With pheasant hunting season opening this Saturday and thousands of hunters taking to the field, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department reminds hunters to be aware of the daily fire danger index.

Recent high daytime temperatures, combined with typical dry, late-summer and early-fall ground conditions, have caused an elevated fire danger index in some counties that will influence outdoor activities.

Hunters are urged to keep up with the daily rural fire danger index, issued by the National Weather Service, to alert the public to conditions that may be conducive to accidental starting or spread of fires.

In addition, county governments have the authority to adopt penalties for violations of county restrictions related to burning bans. These restrictions apply regardless of the daily fire danger index and remain in place until each county’s commission rescinds the ban.

The fire danger index can change daily depending on temperature, wind and precipitation forecasts. If the index reaches the extreme category, open burning is prohibited; off-road travel with a motorized vehicle is prohibited, except for people engaged in a trade, business or occupation where it is required; and smoking is restricted to inside of vehicles, hard surface areas, homes or in approved buildings.

Information on current fire danger indexes is available at NDResponse.gov.

Permit Required to Possess Dead Deer

North Dakota Game and Fish Department enforcement personnel are issuing a reminder that a permit is required before taking possession of a dead deer found near a road or in a field. Only shed antlers can be possessed without a permit.

Permits to possess are free and available from game wardens and local law enforcement offices.

In addition, hunters are reminded to properly dispose of dead deer. Deer carcasses cannot be left on the side of a roadway or in a ditch, and deer parts cannot be discarded in commercial dumpsters.

Order 2021 OUTDOORS Calendar

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is taking orders for its North Dakota OUTDOORS calendar, the source for all hunting season and application dates for 2021. Along with outstanding color photographs of North Dakota wildlife and scenery, it also includes sunrise-sunset times and moon phases.

To order online, visit buy and apply at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov., or send $4 for each, including postage and shipping, to: Calendar, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, 100 N. Bismarck Expressway, Bismarck, ND 58501-5095. Be sure to include a three-line return address with your order, or the post office may not deliver our return mailing.

The calendar is the North Dakota OUTDOORS magazine’s December issue, so current subscribers will automatically receive it in the mail.

Winkelman Named Chief Game Warden

Investigations supervisor Scott Winkelman was named chief game warden for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department Oct. 1, following the retirement of longtime chief Robert Timian.

Winkelman started his career with the department in 2003 as a district game warden in Bottineau. In 2007, he relocated to Bismarck to work in investigations.

Timian retired Sept. 1 after a 35-year career with the agency – the last 16 as chief of enforcement.

 

Youth Pheasant Weekend

North Dakota’s two-day youth pheasant season is Oct. 3-4. Legally licensed residents and nonresidents ages 15 and younger may hunt roosters statewide.

Resident youth hunters, regardless of age, must possess a fishing, hunting and furbearer certificate and general game and habitat license. Nonresident youth hunters from states that provide a reciprocal licensing agreement for North Dakota residents qualify for North Dakota resident licenses. Otherwise, nonresident youth hunters must purchase a nonresident small game license.

Youth ages 12 and older need to have passed a certified hunter education course. However, hunters age 12 and older who have not taken the hunters education course can receive an apprentice hunter validation, which allows youth to hunt small game for one license year.

Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. The daily bag limit and all other regulations for the regular pheasant season apply.

An adult at least 18 years of age must accompany the youth hunter in the field. The adult may not carry a firearm.

See the North Dakota 2020-21 Hunting and Trapping Guide for additional information.

Motorists Warned to Watch for Deer

Motorists are reminded to watch for deer along roadways this time of year because juvenile animals are dispersing 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 along roadways. Most deer-vehicle accidents occur primarily at dawn and dusk when deer are most often moving around.

Motorists should be aware of warning signs signaling deer are in the area. When you see one deer cross the road, look for a second or third deer to follow. Also, pay attention on roadways posted with Deer Crossing Area caution signs.

Deer-vehicle accidents are at times unavoidable. If an accident does happen, law enforcement authorities do not have to be notified if only the vehicle is damaged. However, if the accident involves personal injury or other property damage, then it must be reported.

In addition, a permit is required before taking possession of a road-killed deer. Permits are free and available from game wardens and local law enforcement offices.

A few precautions can minimize chances of injury or property damage in a deer-vehicle crash. 

  • Always wear your seat belt.
  • Don’t swerve or take the ditch to avoid hitting a deer. Try to brake as much as possible and stay on the roadway. Don’t lose control of your vehicle or slam into something else to miss the deer. You risk less injury by hitting the deer.

If you spot deer ahead, slow down immediately and honk your horn.

PLOTS Regulations

Out-of-state hunters are reminded that state law does not allow nonresidents to hunt on North Dakota Game and Fish Department owned or managed lands during the first week of pheasant season.

Private Land Open To Sportsmen acreage and state wildlife management areas are open to hunting by resident hunters only from Oct. 10-16. Nonresidents, however, can still hunt those days on other state-owned and federal lands, or private land.

The law applies to all small game, waterfowl, furbearer and big game hunting on PLOTS and state wildlife management areas during the first seven days of the pheasant season. Starting Oct. 17 this year, nonresidents may hunt on PLOTS and WMAs if the appropriate season is open.

In addition, all hunters are reminded that activities such as riding horses for hunting purposes or for pleasure on PLOTS require written permission from the landowner. Permission from the landowner is always required for motorized vehicle access, such as for setting decoys in a field, unless specifically designated on the PLOTS sign.

Leaving equipment or other provisions in a PLOTS area overnight, such as tree stands or blinds, decoys, firearms and archery equipment, or trail cameras is not allowed without written permission from the landowner.

Biologists Monitoring Deer Mortality Due to EHD

Wildlife biologists have been monitoring an ongoing mortality event in white-tailed deer in western North Dakota.

Since late August, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department has documented white-tailed deer deaths attributed to epizootic hemorrhagic disease in Emmons, Grant, Morton, Dunn, Billings, Stark, Hettinger and Adams counties.

“EHD is a viral disease transmitted by biting gnats,” said Dr. Charlie Bahnson, Game and Fish wildlife veterinarian. “We see a low level of EHD activity most years, but every so often, several environmental factors line up to make for a bad season, particularly in the southwest. This can result in high, localized mortality, but the good news is that the outbreak ends with cold weather that kills the gnats and our deer population does rebound. At this point we do not believe EHD has caused significant mortality like it did in 2011, but it does have our attention due to the number of reports we have received, which is why we are asking the public for their assistance to better gauge the intensity of this year’s outbreak.”

To gauge the extent and severity of the outbreak, Game and Fish encourages the public to report any sick or dead deer. Reports must include the species, age, sex and location.

“In some cases, we may need to collect samples off fresh carcasses, so please notify the department as soon as possible,” Bahnson said.

EHD primarily affects white-tailed deer, but other big games species are susceptible. The virus is not a danger to humans. However, hunters should not shoot or consume a deer if it appears sick.

Hunters should report any dead deer along with pictures (if possible) to the Game and Fish Department at ndgflab@nd.gov, or 701-328-6351. 

 

Wetland Condition Update for Duck Season

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

Andy Dinges, Department migratory game bird biologist, said the number of duck hunting wetlands are down about 38% statewide from very wet conditions last fall, but still only 2% below the long-term average. He said duck hunting wetlands in the south central and southeast regions are still relatively abundant and both are about 40% above the long-term.

One region that has also slightly improved since last fall is the northeast, which has seen about a 9% increase in the number of duck hunting wetlands holding water, and has the most duck hunting wetlands of any region. Dinges said the northwest and north central regions are still holding on to a good number of duck hunting wetlands, but are now both about 20% below average.

“Wetland conditions were good to excellent in early spring, but much of the state has received average to below average precipitation since mid-March, with the exception of some areas in the eastern part of the state,” Dinges said. “However, we are still holding on to most of our semi-permanent wetlands. Most of these remaining wetlands are in good shape, providing a promising outlook for the season. Some wetlands are certainly beginning to dry up and hunters should expect mud margins around some wetlands, possibly making hunting more difficult.”

The quality of waterfowl hunting in North Dakota is largely determined by weather conditions and migration patterns. Dinges said fair to good reproduction for ducks in traditional breeding areas this year still makes for good fall hunting potential in North Dakota.

“Hunters should always scout because of ever changing conditions and distribution of waterfowl,” he added. “Hunters should also be cautious driving off-trail to avoid soft spots, and while encountering areas of tall vegetation that could be a fire hazard.”

The fall wetland survey is conducted in mid-September, just prior to the waterfowl hunting season to provide an assessment of conditions duck hunters can expect. Duck hunting wetlands are classified as seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands.

Hunting from Duck Boats Requires Safety

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

Hunting jackets with life jackets already 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 small boats are the most common types of fatal boating accidents for hunters.

 

Waterfowl Season Set

North Dakota’s 2020 waterfowl season opens for residents Sept. 26, while nonresidents may begin hunting waterfowl Oct. 3.

The season for swans opens Oct. 3 for both residents and nonresidents who have purchased a swan license.

Hunters may take six ducks per day with the following restrictions: five mallards of which two may be hens, three wood ducks, two redheads, two canvasbacks, one scaup and one pintail. Hunters can take two additional blue-winged teal from Sept. 26 through Oct. 11. The daily limit of five mergansers may include no more than two hooded mergansers. For ducks and mergansers, the possession limit is three times the daily limit.

The hunting season for Canada geese will close Dec. 19 in the eastern zone, Dec. 24 in the western zone and Jan. 1 in the Missouri River zone. The season for whitefronts closes Dec. 6, while the season on light geese is open through Jan. 1.

Shooting hours for all geese are one-half hour before sunrise to 1 p.m. each day through Oct. 31. Beginning Nov. 1, shooting hours are extended until 2 p.m. each day.

Extended shooting hours for all geese are permitted from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset on Saturdays and Wednesdays through Nov. 28, and on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays from Nov. 29 through the end of each season. 

The bag limit for Canada geese during the regular season is eight daily and 24 in possession, except in the Missouri River zone where the limit is five daily and 15 in possession.

The daily limit on whitefronts is three with nine in possession, and light geese has a daily limit of 50 with no possession limit.

In accordance with state law, nonresidents are not allowed to hunt on North Dakota Game and Fish Department wildlife management areas or conservation PLOTS (Private Land Open To Sportsmen) areas from Oct. 10-16.

Hunters who do not HIP certify when they buy a North Dakota license can add it through the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov, or by calling 888-634-4798 and recording the HIP number on their printed license. Those who registered to hunt North Dakota’s spring light goose season or August Management Take/Early September Canada goose season do not have to register with HIP again, as it is required in each state only once per year.

Hunters should refer to the North Dakota 2020-21 Hunting and Trapping Guide for further details on the waterfowl season.

 

Waterfowl Hunters Reminded of ANS Regulations

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

Waterfowl hunters must remove aquatic plants and plant fragments from decoys, strings and anchors; remove aquatic plants seeds and plant fragments from waders and other equipment before leaving hunting areas; remove all water from decoys, boats, motors, trailers and other watercraft; and remove all aquatic plants from boats and trailers before leaving a marsh or lake. In addition, hunters are encouraged to brush their hunting dogs free of mud and seeds.

Cattails and bulrushes may be transported as camouflage on boats. All other aquatic vegetation must be cleaned from boats prior to transportation into or within North Dakota.

Drain plugs on boats must remain pulled when a boat is in transit away from a water body.

In addition, hunters are reminded of a state law that requires motorized watercraft, including motorized duck boats, operated on state waters and not licensed in North Dakota to display an ANS sticker, including an ANS fee of $15 to be paid each calendar year.  

More ANS information, including regulations, or to purchase the ANS sticker, visit the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov.