A months-long investigation into the poaching of about 10, and possibly more, whitetail bucks in Barnes County beginning in 2019 ended in the conviction of four men.
“We charged them with the only ones that we could prove, which was right around 10 bucks,” said Greg Hastings, North Dakota Game and Fish Department warden in Jamestown and lead investigator in the case. “We suspected…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department Advisory Board will host its public meetings on site this spring at eight locations across the state. In addition, the district 7 meeting in Bismarck will be streamed live on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.
Attendance will be limited at the eight locations due to physical distancing guidelines. Those unable to attend in-person will be…
North Dakota Game and Fish Department offices, except for Riverdale, are open to public access after being closed to walk-in traffic since last spring due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Riverdale office will remain closed to walk-in traffic since it does not have an administrative assistant. Individuals will need to call ahead and make an appointment or contact the Bismarck office…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 2020 bighorn sheep survey, completed by recounting lambs in March, revealed a record 322 bighorn sheep in western North Dakota, up 11% from 2019 and 13% above the five-year average. The count surpassed the previous record of 313 bighorns in 2008.
Altogether, biologists counted 97 rams, 170 ewes and 55 lambs. Not included are approximately 40…
Landowners interested in a 2021 deer gratis license can apply online by visiting the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. The deadline for applying is June 2.
General deer and muzzleloader lottery applications will be available online in early May, also with a deadline of June 2.
Gratis applicants who have previously applied online will automatically have…
The state Game and Fish Department’s annual spring aerial mule deer survey is set to begin April 1 in western North Dakota. Weather permitting, the survey takes about two weeks to complete.
During the survey period, people could notice low-flying small airplanes over some parts of the badlands.
Game and Fish biologists have completed aerial surveys of the same 24 badlands study…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has scheduled an examination to select district game warden candidates. The test is at 10 a.m., June 11, at the department's main office in Bismarck.
Applicants must register no later than June 8 by submitting an online application through the North Dakota State Job Openings website.
Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and have…
Outdoor enthusiasts need to be aware of ground conditions while enjoying spring activities.
As outdoor activity increases in spring, so does the risk of wildfires. An increase in human outdoor activity, combined with dead ground vegetation and high winds, make this time of year highly susceptible to wildfires.
Because of highly variable weather patterns, North Dakota…
North Dakotan’s who want to hunt elk, moose and bighorn sheep in 2021 are reminded the deadline for submitting applications is March 24.
Applicants can apply online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov.
Elk, moose and bighorn sheep lottery licenses are issued as once-in-a-lifetime licenses in North Dakota. Hunters who have received a license through…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department and the North Dakota Department of Agriculture are urging pet stores, aquarium owners and plant enthusiasts to take action after invasive zebra mussels were found in moss ball plants in North Dakota and other states.
The moss balls (Aegagropila linnaei), also known as Marimo balls, are sold at many aquarium and pet supply stores, as well as…
Wildlife, shooting, fraternal and nonprofit civic organizations are urged to submit an application for the Encouraging Tomorrow’s Hunters program, a North Dakota Game and Fish Department grant program developed to assist in the recruitment, retention and reactivation of hunters.
The maximum grant allowed is $3,000. The program currently helps fund approximately 40 club and…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is asking for help locating active bald eagle nests.
Conservation biologist Sandra Johnson said the department is looking for locations of nests with eagles present, not individual eagle sightings.
Eagles lay eggs in early to mid-March, which hatch about a month later. Johnson said it’s easy to distinguish an eagle nest because of its…
The next guide and outfitter written examination is May 1 at 1 p.m. at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department office in Bismarck. Preregistration is required no later than April 23 by calling the Department’s enforcement office at 701-328-6604.
In addition to passing a written exam, qualifications for becoming a guide include a background check for criminal and game and fish…
North Dakota anglers, trappers and hunters are reminded that new licenses for the 2021-22 season are required beginning April 1.
Licenses can be purchased online by visiting the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. Once the license is processed, hunters and anglers will have the option to print a hard copy and/or download the license to a smart phone or mobile…
Whooping cranes are in the midst of their spring migration and sightings will increase as they make their way through North Dakota over the next several weeks. Anyone seeing these endangered birds as they move through the state is asked to report sightings so the birds can be tracked.
The whooping cranes that do travel through North Dakota in spring are part of a population of about…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is offering free seed for the 2021 growing season to landowners interested in planting wildlife food plots for pheasants.
Rather than traditional corn or sunflower food plots, Game and Fish is offering a diverse species, multi-season seed mix that will attract insects, the major diet component of pheasant chicks. Additionally, the mix will…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will have 780 any-deer bow licenses available to nonresidents in 2021.
Applicants can apply online beginning March 15 on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. The deadline for applying is April 15.
Up to five hunters can apply together as a party. A lottery will be held if more applications are received than licenses available. A total…
Zebra mussels were recently found in moss balls at some pet stores in North Dakota and several other states. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is urging customers who recently purchased moss balls to properly dispose of them by placing in a bag, freezing solid and discarding into the trash. It’s important to not put moss balls down the toilet or drain.
North Dakota pet stores…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is prohibiting open burning this spring on public property it manages south of Bismarck and Mandan, as a means to reduce potential for wildfires on a heavily wooded recreation area along the Missouri River.
Bill Haase, wildlife resource management supervisor, said all open burning, including campfires, is banned until further notice on the Oahe…
Anglers are reminded unoccupied fish houses must be removed from all waters beginning March 15 until ice-out.
Fish houses may be used after March 15 if they are removed daily.
Anglers are advised to use caution while accessing area lakes because mild weather conditions can quickly result in unstable ice conditions that can make removing a fish house with a vehicle difficult or…
