A bow fisherman from Bismarck has set a new bow/spear state record.
Mitch Estabrook arrowed a 60-pound, 8-ounce buffalo from Heart Butte Reservoir on May 16. It broke the previous record by 3 pounds, taken at Heart Butte Reservoir in 2017 by Derek Larson of Mandan.
Buffalo are a native fish sometimes confused with nonnative and invasive common carp. North Dakota Game and Fish…
The deadline for landowners interested in posting private land electronically for the 2022-23 hunting season is July 1.
Landowners can log into My Account on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. The July 1 deadline is necessary to produce print material and digital content prior to hunting seasons that begin in August.
The 2021 state legislature passed…
Anglers are reminded that it is illegal to import minnows and other forms of live aquatic bait, such as leeches and frogs, into North Dakota.
When purchasing live aquatic bait, anglers must buy from a licensed North Dakota retail bait vendor. Bait vendors can properly identify species and ensure all bait is clean of any aquatic nuisance species.
For more information, refer to…
The state Game and Fish Department reminds anglers that live white suckers are not legal baitfish anywhere in North Dakota, except in the Bois de Sioux and Red rivers.
Anglers can use live white suckers on the Bois de Sioux and Red rivers, and tributaries up to the first vehicular bridge; however, they are illegal elsewhere. Fathead minnows, sticklebacks and creek chubs are the only…
North Dakota state law requires youth ages 12-15 who want to operate a boat or personal watercraft by themselves with at least a 10-horsepower motor must pass the state’s boating basics course.
The course is available for home-study by contacting the North Dakota Game and Fish Department at 701-328-6300, or ndgf@nd.gov. Two commercial providers also offer the course online, and links…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 75th annual spring breeding duck survey conducted in May showed an index of nearly 3.4 million birds, up 16% from last year.
Migratory game bird supervisor Mike Szymanski said the index was the 23rd highest on record and stands 38% above the long-term (1948-2021) average.
Indices for most individual species, with the exception of…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department offers a simple message to the well-intentioned who want to pick up and rescue what appear to be orphaned baby animals this time of year: don’t touch them. Whether it is a young fawn, duckling, cottontail rabbit or a songbird, it is better to leave them alone.
Often, young animals are not abandoned or deserted, and the mother is probably nearby…
The deadline for submitting applications for the 2022 deer gun season is Wednesday, June 8.
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.
A general game and habitat license is required when applying for a deer license. If the applicant has not already purchased one for…
North Dakota residents who want to give fishing a try are reminded they can fish for free June 4-5.
That is the state’s free fishing weekend, when all residents 16 and older can fish any North Dakota water without a license. Residents 15 and younger do not need a fishing license at any time of year.
Fishing regulations and information on fishing waters is available on the Game…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will lift the Tuesday-Wednesday no-camping restriction for the upcoming Memorial Day week, which will allow overnight camping May 31 and June 1 on those WMAs that otherwise have this two-day restriction in place.
A complete list of WMA regulations, is available on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.
The North Dakota Game Wardens Association, Ray Goetz Memorial Fund and Report All Poachers are sponsoring two $600 scholarships for graduating high school seniors or current higher education students interested in majoring in wildlife law enforcement or a related field.
Applicants must be North Dakota residents, be in good academic standing and have an interest in wildlife law…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department completed its annual spring mule deer survey in May, and results indicate western North Dakota’s mule deer population is 13% higher than last year and 34% above the long-term average.
Biologists counted 2,923 mule deer in 298.8 square miles during this year’s survey. The overall mule deer density in the badlands was 9.8 deer per square mile.…
Hunter success during last fall’s pronghorn hunting season was 68%, according to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
Game and Fish issued 1,710 licenses (1,034 lottery and 676 gratis), and 1,457 hunters took 991 pronghorn, consisting of 807 bucks, 159 does and 25 fawns. Each hunter spent an average of three days afield.
The 2022 pronghorn hunting season will be…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department recently paid more than $718,000 in taxes to counties in which the department owns or leases land. The 2021 in-lieu-of-tax payments are the same as property taxes paid by private landowners.
The Game and Fish Department manages more than 200,000 acres for wildlife habitat and public hunting in 51 counties. The department does not own or manage…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department removed the open fire ban on Oahe Wildlife Management Area.
However, this area still falls under burn restrictions implemented by Morton, Burleigh and Emmons counties, which only allow open fires, including campfires, when the fire danger rating is low or moderate. Information, including restrictions, on current fire danger indexes is available…
Governor Doug Burgum declared May 15-21 Aquatic Nuisance Species Awareness week in North Dakota to raise the public’s understanding of the preventative steps recreationists need to follow to stop the introduction and spread of aquatic nuisance species in the state’s waterways.
Knowing the fallout of aquatic nuisance species, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department has long…
District game warden job announcement video.
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…
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 21-27, with the campaign actually kicking off May 20 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 hashtag #…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Earth Day patch contest is geared to bring greater awareness to the environment.
Yet, like Earth Day, which began in 1970 and kicked-started the environmental movement, concern for the outdoors isn’t simply a once-a-year thing. Understanding this, the Game and Fish Department supports Earth Day, Every Day to promote continual awareness about…
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has honored the Tri-Cities Joint Job Development Authority for its ongoing efforts to develop and maintain public-use facilities used and appreciated by anglers.
“The JDA was selected from a long list of candidates throughout the state and is a very worthy recipient of what this award…
