Pheasant, sharptail, partridge numbers: Reason for hope in North Dakota
Observers recorded five broods and 39 pheasants per 100 miles. Sharptails observed per 100 miles are up 113% statewide from 2018, and partridge are up 58%.
North Dakota Game and Fish Department Reports
Hatchery comes up big for North Dakota walleye stocking
Game and Fish Department fisheries personnel recently finished stocking more than 140 lakes across the state with walleye fingerlings, completing one of the largest stocking efforts in the history of the agency.
In North Dakota, ‘Sharptails are beginning to rebound’
Statistics from the spring sharp-tailed grouse census indicate a 9 percent increase in the number of male grouse counted compared to last year.
First report of bighead carp in North Dakota waters
The invasive was verified in the James River near LaMoure.
Big jump in North Dakota spring breeding duck numbers
72nd annual spring breeding duck survey showed an index of 3.4 million birds, up 20 percent from last year. That’s the 22nd highest index on record and stands 40 percent above the 71-year average.
North Dakota sees uptick in spring pheasant count
The primary regions holding pheasants ranged from up 14 percent in the southeast and up 17 percent in the northwest, to down 8 percent in the southwest, and the count in the northeast, which is not a primary region for pheasants, was up 33 percent from last year.
North Dakota sees major hike in available deer hunting licenses
Increases in all categories add up to 65,500 licenses available to hunters this fall, 10,350 more than last year.
Western North Dakota sees dip in mule deer numbers
But population is said to be above objective and remains at a level able to support more hunting opportunities this fall.
North Dakota deer gun hunters find success at 64% clip
And mule deer buck success was 81 percent, and antlerless mule deer was 83 percent.
After rare CWD-positive whitetail in North Dakota, a whole lot of negatives, too
Following the positive detection, Game and Fish removed an additional 52 deer for testing. All tested negative.
North Dakota Game and Fish citations: license-related violations most prevalent
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s enforcement division has tallied the number of hunting, angling and boating citations for 2018, and failure to carry a license was the number one violation. Game wardens issued more than 2,400 citations last year, compared to 2,500 in 2017 and 2,300 citations in 2016. Counties with the most violations were Ramsey (343), Williams…
North Dakota midwinter waterfowl survey: Canada geese numbers up from 10-year average
It’s said that the number likely would have been higher, but the blizzard that hit North Dakota in late December undoubtedly pushed some birds south prior to the survey.
CWD detected in new area of North Dakota
While two positive deer were taken in unit 3F2, an area of North Dakota known to have CWD, a third was taken from Divide County in deer unit 3A1, previously considered free of CWD.
In North Dakota, ‘One of the highest collection of eggs in the history of the salmon program’
Average size of Lake Sakakawea female salmon was 6 pounds, and once again there was an abundance of young male salmon, which typically forecasts a good run the next couple years.
North Dakota mule deer survey reason for optimism
Big game biologist: Mule deer fawn production has been on a positive trend since 2013.
North Dakota fall fish survey: ‘Young-of-the-year’ walleye size, abundance reason for optimism
Lake Sakakawea had the eighth highest catch of young-of-the-year walleye on record. And Devils Lake saw fair to good numbers of walleye, with the catch close to average even though Game and Fish didn’t stock any walleye in the fishery this year.
North Dakota hunters asked to be on alert after discovery of invasive weed
Palmer amaranth seedlings have egg-shaped leaves with a hair-like protusion at the leaf tip. (Photo by Christy Sprague, Michigan State University)With pheasant season opening this weekend, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department is asking hunters be on the lookout for Palmer amaranth, an invasive weed that was recently identified in the state for the first time. Palmer amaranth is…
Thanks to rains, North Dakota duck brood numbers see recent bounce-back, spike
This year’s duck brood index was up 37 percent from last year, and showed 5.11 broods per square mile, an increase of 39 percent.
With pronghorn numbers up 57 percent, North Dakota bulks up hunting opportunities
North Dakota’s 2018 pronghorn hunting season is set, with 1,075 licenses available in 10 open units. That’s way up from 410 licenses and five open units last year. But if you’re not from North Dakota, you’re out of luck – the hunt is only open to state residents.
North Dakota Game and Fish encouraging anglers to keep fish caught in deeper waters
While catch-and-release is often encouraged under the right conditions, fish reeled in from this depth will likely die if released.
With 50-plus new walleye lakes, North Dakota steps up stocking efforts
“Considering not many went into Lake Sakakawea, this was one of the largest stockings of more than 8 million fingerlings into the smaller fishing waters across the state.”
North Dakota spring pheasant count down sharply from last year
Population index is down 30 percent from the same time last year; number of roosters heard crowing this spring reportedly down statewide, with decreases ranging from 15 to 38 percent in the primary regions holding pheasants.
North Dakota upland bird harvest numbers take a hit
Drought conditions and not as many hunters in the field last fall meant fewer pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse and Hungarian partridge in the bag.
Rainbow smelt die-off hits North Dakota’s Lake Sakakawea
(Conservation Law Foundation)A fish kill affecting adult rainbow smelt is ongoing in portions of the upper half of Lake Sakakawea. Dave Fryda, Missouri River System fisheries supervisor for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, said the cause of the die-off has been documented in the state numerous times in the past. “The vast majority of the dead and dying…
Mostly increases in North Dakota deer license numbers
Antlered mule deer licenses increased by 150 from last year, antlerless mule deer by 550, antlered whitetail by 150 and antlerless whitetail by 150.
Mule deer continue strong recovery in western North Dakota
Biologists counted 2,540 mule deer over 245.8 square miles during this year’s survey. That’s 45 percent above the long-term average, with overall mule deer density in the badlands at 10.3 deer per square mile, down only slightly from 10.9 in 2017, and well above low of 4.6 in 2012.
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