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.
North Dakota Game and Fish Department Reports
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.
Three-quarters of North Dakota pronghorn hunters find success
(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)Hunter success during last fall’s pronghorn hunting season was 75 percent, according to statistics provided by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Game and Fish issued 410 licenses (255 lottery and 155 gratis), and 366 hunters took 275 pronghorn – 264 bucks, 10 does and one fawn. Each hunter spent an average of 2.4 days…
North Dakota bighorn sheep population lowest since 2006
Down 11 percent from 2016 and 9 percent below the five-year average. Status of bighorn sheep hunting season will be determined Sept. 1, after the summer population survey is completed.
Tracking whoopers: North Dakota readies for migrating whooping cranes
The whoopers that do make their way through North Dakota are part of a population of about 400 birds that are on their way from wintering grounds at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas to their nesting grounds at Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada, a distance of about 2,500 miles. Anyone seeing these endangered birds as they move through the state is asked to report sightings so the birds can be tracked.
North Dakota deer hunters see 61-percent overall success rate in 2017
Mule deer hunters did particularly well, with buck success at 83 percent, antlerless mule deer 86 percent.
North Dakota fishing regulation changes: more angler-friendly paddlefish snagging regs
North Dakota’s 2018-20 fishing proclamation is set, with regulations effective April 1, 2018 through March 31, 2020. Noteworthy regulation changes include: The season for taking of nongame fish with a bow will now be open year-round. The transportation of live white suckers, other than within Richland, Cass, Traill, Grand Forks, Walsh and Pembina counties, is now illegal. The beginning of…
Major spike in North Dakota moose licenses; online applications also available for elk, bighorn sheep
Elk licenses also are up; status of bighorn sheep season to be determined after summer population surveys are completed.
North Dakota bighorn sheep, moose hunters eclipse 90-percent success rate
And of 362 elk hunters, 211 were successful – or 58 percent.
Game and fish violations edge up in North Dakota
The most common violations were boating-related.While game and fish violations were up in 2017, the number of citations has remained relatively consistent in North Dakota from year to year, the state Game and Fish Department said in a news release Monday, Jan. 29. Robert Timian, chief of enforcement for Game and Fish, said there are three basic causes of violations…
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