Gratis Application Process Improved

Tue, 04/01/2025

North Dakota landowners applying for deer gratis licenses will notice improvements to the online application process.

The new system simplifies land selection by allowing users to click on property descriptions rather than manually entering lengthy details.

During the first year, applicants need to search and select their lands. In subsequent years, a convenient renewal button will speed up future applications. An additional link is available to reference previous years records.

These changes help validate eligible records more efficiently, ultimately reducing the time required to process the deer lottery. By improving accuracy and preventing errors, the system ensures a smoother experience for applicants and a timely lottery for those eager to receive their results.

Step-by-step guidance is available on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website by visiting gf.nd.gov/buy-apply/help/gratis-application.

General deer and muzzleloader lottery applications will be online in early May. The deadline to apply is June 4.

Game and Fish Seeks Contractors for Work on Private Lands

Mon, 01/27/2025

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department encourages businesses to add their names to a list of available contractors to perform habitat work on Private Land Open To Sportsmen program lands across the state.

PLOTS is an agreement between the department and private landowners to open their lands to walk-in hunting. The department also encourages private landowners to establish or enhance habitat on PLOTS land with grass plantings, food plots, and so on. However, if a landowner does not have the necessary equipment for the work, a contractor is usually needed.  

There is a shortage of contractors, or equipment, to perform habitat work in some parts of the state. The bulk of the habitat work is planting native and introduced grasses, which requires a tractor, operator and a grass drill. Other work may include spraying, food plots, tree removal, prescribed burning, and construction of grazing infrastructure (fence/water).

Contractors or businesses interested in being added to the list can enter their information online or call 701-328-6265. This is not a guarantee for work, but as projects come about the department will refer landowners to the list of available contractors. 

Habitat and Hunting Access Summit Recording Available

Thu, 12/19/2024

Landowners, hunters, lawmakers, wildlife managers and others gathered in mid-December in Bismarck to discuss the importance of wildlife habitat on the landscape and providing access to hunters across the state.

Approximately 200 people attended the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Habitat and Hunting Access Summit where the evening opened with remarks from Gov. Kelly Armstrong on the importance of hunting to the state’s economy, workforce, but most importantly to North Dakota’s way of life.

“Every single time someone puts their gun away and says they’re done hunting because they can’t find anywhere to shoot a rooster, or just to have an opportunity to shoot a couple ducks, that means the likelihood of their kid hunting is almost zero,” Armstrong said. “And that’s really something that we should work on as landowners, as a government, as sportsmen … we should do everything we can to make sure that happens as few times as possible.”

And there are ways in which we can do this, Armstrong added, and there are ways in which we can have these conversations.

“But none of it’s going to happen overnight. But we have to remember that if we don’t pass this on to the next generation, it will die out,” he said. “It’s too big a part of the fabric of North Dakota to let that happen.” 

Department staff gave presentations on the status of habitat and wildlife populations in the state, followed by moderated panel discussions addressing questions that were submitted by attendees. 

The summit was hopefully only the beginning of what will be further conversations, initiatives and collaboration to address this very important topic to our state.

The summit was recorded.

Take Someone New Ice Fishing

Mon, 12/16/2024

To encourage greater participation in ice fishing, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department is again running the Take Someone New Ice Fishing Challenge from Dec. 16 through Mar. 31, 2025.

Invite somebody new along who has never been ice fishing and log your story here for a chance to a win a fish house donated by Runnings. One random winner will be chosen. 

All other winter fishing regulations apply.