School-aged archers from across the state participated in the 2022 National Archery in the Schools state tournament in Minot.
Oakes students claimed top honors in the bull’s-eye high school (grades 9-12), middle school (grades 7-8) and elementary (grades 4-6) team divisions. The overall individual male winner was Wahpeton archer Joshua Wiebusch, while Hankinson student Danica Onchuck…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department announced today that the state's 2022 paddlefish snagging season is closed 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 9 and run through Sunday, May 15. Paddlefish snaggers with an unused paddlefish tag can continue snagging…
North Dakota’s 2022 deer season is set, with 64,200 licenses available to hunters, down 8,000 from last year.
In total, any-antlered licenses decreased by 150 from last year, any-antlerless by 350, antlered whitetail by 4,150, and antlerless whitetail by 3,700. Antlered mule deer licensed remained the same, and antlerless mule deer licenses increased by 350.
In addition,…
When it comes to outdoor pursuits, North Dakota Game and Fish Department R3 coordinator Cayla Bendel has always been a generalist.
She said it started early, spending afternoons in Dad’s boat fishing for simply whatever was biting. She was just happy to catch something. She believes that even today avid anglers can relate to still feeling a little giddy the moment they hook into a fish…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will conduct an angler survey on the Red River this summer.
The survey is important because the information collected is used to estimate the time anglers spend fishing as well as the number of the various fish species caught and harvested.
Two survey clerks, one based in Grand Forks and the…
Volunteer instructors for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department were recognized at the annual event in Bismarck.
Wayne Stanley, Minot, was recognized as Hunter Education Instructor of the Year and William Bahm, Almont, received the International Hunter Education Association 50 for 50 award.
Thirty-year service awards were presented to Douglas Bolte, Regent; Neil Dockter,…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department announced the winners of the 2022 Earth Day patch contest.
First place winners in three age categories were Carter Loughman of Enderlin (K-4 grade), Bethany Just of Bismarck (5-8) and Zoe Beall of Alexander (9-12). Receiving honorable mention were Sydney Renicker of Dickinson (K-4), Deacon Sabot of Bismarck (5-8) and Quintavia Polensky of…
A total of 57,086 North Dakota deer hunters took approximately 32,793 deer during the 2021 deer gun hunting season, according to a post-season survey conducted by the state Game and Fish Department.
Game and Fish made available 72,200 deer gun licenses last year. Overall hunter success was 57%, with each hunter spending an average of 4.5 days in the field.
Hunter success for…
Boaters with watercraft registered outside of the state who do not have a 2022 aquatic nuisance species sticker need to purchase a current sticker before operating watercraft on North Dakota waters.
State law requires a $15 ANS fee for motorized watercraft not licensed in North Dakota to be paid for each calendar year, and the ANS sticker must be displayed on the watercraft.
In…
North Dakota’s paddlefish season opens May 1, and tags are only available for purchase online at the state Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov, and during normal business hours at Game and Fish offices in Bismarck, Dickinson and Williston. Snaggers buying tags online should plan accordingly and allow for a few days delivery through the mail.
The season is scheduled to…
Outdoor enthusiasts need to be aware of ground conditions while enjoying spring activities.
An increase in human outdoor activity in spring, 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 experiences a distinct spring fire season every year. With that in mind…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is sponsoring professional development for educator workshops this summer in Devils Lake, Bottineau and Fargo. Curriculum materials are suitable for elementary, middle and high school teachers.
Teaching Science Through Art is June 1-2 at Lake Region State College in Devils Lake and June 14-15 at Dakota College in Bottineau.
…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department Advisory Board will host 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.
These public meetings, held each spring and fall, provide citizens with an opportunity to discuss fish and wildlife issues and ask…
Landowners interested in a 2022 deer gratis license must apply online by visiting the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. The deadline for applying is June 8.
General deer and muzzleloader lottery applications will be available online in early May, also with a deadline of June 8.
Gratis applicants who have previously applied online will automatically have…
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 19,426 applications were received for bighorn sheep, 23,427 for elk and 26,038 for moose.
While in My Account, successful applicants must pay for a moose and/or elk license. In addition, a 2022-…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 2021 bighorn sheep survey, completed by recounting lambs in March, revealed a record 335 bighorn sheep in western North Dakota, up 4% from 2020 and 15% above the five-year average. The count surpassed the previous record of 322 bighorns in 2020.
Altogether, biologists counted 99 rams, 175 ewes and 61 lambs. Not included are approximately 40…
Individuals interested in taking the exam to select candidates for the position of a full-time temporary district game warden must register no later than May 24. The test is at 10 a.m., May 27, at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department's main office in Bismarck.
Applicants must register by submitting an online application through the North Dakota State Job Openings website.
…
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 state Game and Fish Department’s annual spring aerial mule deer survey is set to begin around 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…
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 the potential for wildfires in a heavily wooded recreation area along the Missouri River.
All open burning, including campfires, is banned until further notice on the Oahe Wildlife Management Area along both sides of the…
