The deadline for submitting applications for the 2021 deer gun season is Wednesday, June 2.
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.
Applicants should note that a general game and habitat license is required when applying for a regular gun, youth or muzzleloader…
North Dakota Game and Fish Department fisheries biologists tagged hundreds of walleyes in two North Dakota waters earlier this spring to determine exploitation and harvest in these popular fisheries.
Walleyes were fitted with jaw tags at Rice Lake, Emmons County, and Antelope Lake, Pierce County, as part of one-year studies in both waters.
Tagging fish for study purposes in…
With some access sites unusable because of low water levels, boat ramps are likely to be more congested than usual this year. With that in mind, boaters are reminded to plan accordingly when heading to a lake or river this summer.
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department receives complaints every year about overly aggressive behavior at boat ramps. A few simple reminders will help…
The 2021 state legislature passed a bill to allow electronic posting of private land, giving landowners another option for posting private property. This online database system is available to enroll lands, with the law going into effect Aug. 1, 2021.
In addition to current posting laws allowing landowners to post lands with physical signs, electronic posting adds the option to…
The Maclean Bottoms (Gun Range) boating access site and picnic shelters are closed effective immediately due to significant river erosion of the area.
Maclean Bottoms boat ramp is located approximately 15 miles southeast of Bismarck on the Oahe Wildlife Management Area.
Access to the gun (shooting) range and the rest of the wildlife management area remains open.
North…
North Dakota has seen an increase in aquatic nuisance species in the last decade, yet the state remains in pretty good shape with the low number of waterbodies with invasive species.
Even so, public awareness about ANS, including zebra mussels, and the actions that help prevent their spread, remains a priority of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. All people who recreate on…
After engaging and enlisting partners and stakeholders last spring and summer, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department initiated the Meadowlark Initiative, a new statewide strategy to combine the efforts of conservation, agriculture and industry partners to enhance, restore and sustain native grasslands in North Dakota.
Last November, the Game and Fish Department and 13 contributing…
Individuals interested in taking the district game warden exam scheduled for June 11 are reminded to register no later than June 8 by submitting an online application through the North Dakota State Job Openings website.
The test is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the department's main office in Bismarck.
Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and have a bachelor’s degree at time…
A safe boating public awareness campaign held annually in May serves as a good reminder for boaters heading into summer.
National Safe Boating Week is May 22-28, with the campaign actually kicking off May 21 with Wear Your Life Jacket at Work Day. Water recreationists are encouraged to snap a picture while at work and share it on social media with the hashtags #lifejacket2work and #…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department tracked 21 outdoors-related bills during the 2021 legislative session, nine of which were passed by both chambers and signed into law.
The following bills take effect Aug. 1. A complete list of bills is on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.
HB 1017 – Appropriates $92,368,134 to the Game and Fish Department for the biennium beginning…
Effective Sunday, May 9, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department has closed the state's 2021 paddlefish snagging season to any additional harvest to provide long-term protection of the paddlefish population.
An additional seven-day snag-and-release season will begin Monday, May 10 and run through Sunday, May 16. Paddlefish snaggers with an unused paddlefish tag can continue…
North Dakota’s 2021 deer season is set, with 72,200 licenses available to hunters, 3,150 more than last year.
In total, any-antlered licenses increased by 1,500 from last year, any-antlerless by 1,250, antlered whitetail by 100, antlerless whitetail by 100, antlerless mule deer by 200 and antlered mule deer licenses remained the same.
In addition, muzzleloader licenses…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department completed its annual spring mule deer survey in April, and results indicate western North Dakota’s mule deer population is similar to last year and 21% above the long-term average.
Biologists counted 2,671 mule deer in 306.3 square miles during this year’s survey. Overall mule deer density in the badlands was 8.7 deer per square mile.
…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has announced the winners of this year's Earth Day patch contest.
Winners in the three age categories were Avery Steiner of Bismarck (6-9), MacKenzie Gaul of Pembina (10-13), and Emilia Thielman of Fargo (14-18). Gaul’s design was chosen as the contest winner.
Each member of a school, Girl Scout, Boy Scout, 4-H club or youth…
School-aged archers from across the state participated virtually in the 2021 National Archery in the Schools state tournament. Archers competed in their own gymnasiums and scores were submitted electronically.
The top 10 archers in each division of the bullseye tournament qualify for the national tournament, which will be held virtually. In addition, the top team in each division also…
North Dakota’s 2021 paddlefish snagging season opens May 1 and is scheduled to continue through May 21. However, depending on the overall harvest, an early in-season closure may occur with a 24-hour notice issued by the state Game and Fish Department.
Legal snagging hours are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central Time daily. One tag per snagger will be issued. Snagging is legal in all areas of…
In a continuing effort to stop the introduction and spread of aquatic nuisance species, particularly zebra mussels already anchored in some North Dakota waters, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department installed a boat cleaning station near the Red River in Grand Forks and at Lake Ashtabula and Lake Metigoshe.
The self-serve, waterless CD3 units are free and open to the public and…
The 2021 Collaborative Environmental Education Workshop, featuring Habitats of North Dakota, Project Learning Tree and Project Wild materials, will be held June 15-16 at North Dakota State University in Fargo.
This is an educational workshop for teachers, environmental educators or anyone who wishes to learn more about the outside world. The five North Dakota habitats (wetlands,…
A total of 58,146 North Dakota deer hunters took approximately 39,322 deer during the 2020 deer gun hunting season, according to a post-season survey conducted by the state Game and Fish Department.
Game and Fish made available 68,650 deer gun licenses last year. Overall hunter success was 68%, with each hunter spending an average of 4.8 days in the field.
Hunter success for…
North Dakota’s moose and elk lotteries have been held, and individual results are available by visiting My Account at the state Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov.
A total of 19,126 applications were received for bighorn sheep, 23,023 for elk and 26,035 for moose.
While in My Account, successful applicants must pay for a moose and/or elk license. In addition, a 2021-…
