North Dakota Outdoors and beyond

the outdoors, hunting, fishing, trapping and more

   Jan 26

Earth Day patch contest

By dougleier

The state Game and Fish Department’s annual Earth Day awareness campaign is accepting entries for design of a 2012 Earth Day patch. North Dakota students ages 6-18 are eligible to participate. The deadline to submit entries is March 15.

The Game and Fish Department will announce a winner in three age categories – 6-9, 10-13, and 14-18. Each winner will receive a pair of Nikon 8×40 binoculars. The final patch design will be chosen from the three winners.

The winning design will be used on a patch given to members of Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, 4-H clubs and any school participating in Earth Day cleanup projects on state-owned or managed lands in North Dakota in April and May.

The patch should incorporate some aspect of Earth Day – celebrated April 22 – or keeping North Dakota clean. It must be round and three inches in diameter. There is a limit of five colors on the patch, and lettering must be printed. Name, address, age and phone number of the contestant must be clearly printed on the entry form. Only one entry per person is allowed.

Earth Day entry and reporting forms are available on the Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. For more information, contact Pat Lothspeich by email at ndgf@nd.gov, or call (701) 328-6300.

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   Jan 25

DNR releases proposal for wolf harvest season this fall

By dougleier

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is proposing an inaugural gray wolf hunting and trapping season this fall that calls for a conservative harvest quota of 400 animals.

Wolf research indicates Minnesota’s wolf population could sustain a higher quota, but DNR officials say they are taking a measured approach to the state’s first season.

The proposal sets a quota of 6,000 licenses that will be allocated through a lottery system. Only one license will be allowed per hunter or trapper. Hunting would be allowed with firearms, archery equipment and muzzleloaders. Calls and bait would be allowed with restrictions.

The season is proposed for the end of November and would be closed once the quota is met. Hunters would be required to register animals on the same day they are harvested and data would be collected from carcasses. Other states with harvest seasons for wolves and other big game animals similarly monitor seasons and close them when quotas are met.

DNR will outline its proposals to the Legislature on Thursday, Jan. 26 before the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee and the House Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee.

While the legislatively approved wolf management plan authorizes hunting and trapping seasons, the agency is seeking additional authorization from the state Legislature this session to offer a wolf license and implement other management strategies. Legislators will have to pass a bill by the end of the session and the governor will have to sign it in order for a season to be held.

The DNR will also take public comments prior to finalizing and implementing a wolf season.

The initial season will allow wolf biologists to collect information on hunter and trapper interest and harvest success and will provide biological information on harvested wolves to help inform future wolf population management and monitoring. The state has an estimated population of 3,000 gray wolves and past surveys indicate the population is stable.

Wolves are prolific, survival of young is generally high and populations can offset effects of mortality caused by hunting and trapping seasons, DNR officials say.

The DNR intends to manage wolves as a prized and high-value fur species by setting the season when pelts are most prime, limiting the take through a lottery and requiring animals be registered.

DNR plans to adjust the framework of future wolf seasons based on information collected during the inaugural season. This adaptive management approach will result in progressive changes as the DNR learns how to best manage a wolf season in Minnesota. The wolf harvest quota does consider other causes of mortality such as removal due to livestock and domestic animal depredation and threats and vehicle collisions.

 

The agency will also be undertaking a new wolf population survey starting next winter.

Minnesota’s population of Great Lakes gray wolves transitions from federal protection to state management on Friday, Jan. 27. That is when the DNR implements its state management plan, which is designed to ensure their long-term survival of wolves in the state.

 

The agency has three lead conservation officers designated to ensure enforcement of the state’s wolf laws by conservation officers throughout the wolf range. The agency also has a wolf research biologist and management specialist.

 

Information on changes to regulations on taking wolves to protect domestic animals can be found online at mndnr.gov/wolves.

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   Jan 25

Spring Turkey Season Set, Online Apps Available

By dougleier


The state Game and Fish Department is offering 5,795 wild turkey licenses for the spring hunting season, a decrease of 925 from last year. The decrease is a result of additional winter mortality the last three years and poor production during spring 2011.

 

Ten of the 22 hunting units have fewer spring licenses than in 2011, while 11 remain the same. Unit 21 (most of Hettinger and Adams counties) is again closed in 2012 due to lack of turkeys in the unit.

 

Successful spring turkey applicants must purchase a 2012-13 hunting license, as last year’s 2011-12 licenses expire March 31. In addition to the spring turkey license, hunters must have a fishing, hunting and furbearer certificate, and a general game and habitat license. Also, hunters ages 16 and older must possess a small game license, or combination license.

 

First-time spring turkey hunters ages 15 or younger are eligible to receive one spring license valid for the regular hunting season in a specific unit. To be eligible, the youth hunter must be 15 or younger on opening day of spring turkey season, and have never received a spring turkey license in North Dakota.

 

Spring turkey applicants can apply online at the Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. Applications can also be submitted by calling (800) 406-6409.

 

Application forms will also be available by Feb. 1 at most license vendors, county auditors and Game and Fish offices. The deadline for applying is Feb. 15. Online or phone applications must be logged before midnight that day.

 

Spring turkey licenses are available only to North Dakota residents. The spring turkey season opens April 14 and continues through May 20.

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   Jan 25

still room for winter outdoors woman workshops

By dougleier

BOW Program Offers Darkhouse Spearfishing, Ice Fishing Class

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program has scheduled a one-day darkhouse spearfishing and ice fishing class Feb. 11 at Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge in Ward County.

Women interested in attending the class are encouraged to register online at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. Aregistration form is also available for download, or by contacting Nancy Boldt, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, 100 N. Bismarck Expressway, Bismarck, ND 58501-5095; (701) 328-6312; or email ndgf@nd.gov.

The cost is $50, and preregistration with payment is required. Equipment and snacks will be provided.

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   Jan 23

it’s a record

By dougleier

The annual mid-winter bald eagle survey conducted Jan. 13 along the Missouri River stretching from Bismarck to the Garrison Dam showed a record number of bald eagles, according to Patrick T. Isakson, conservation biologist for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

A total of 108 bald eagles were counted, breaking the previous best of 85 in 2008. “The mild winter has kept the river open and a lot of waterfowl in the area,” Isakson said, while mentioning the availability of prey is also indicative of the number of eagles wintering in the state.

The aerial survey is part of a nationwide effort to try to get an estimate of the number of bald eagles wintering in the lower 48 states. All survey routes across the country are run at the same time to avoid counting the birds twice.

Eagles are relatively easy to spot as they prefer to perch in large cottonwood trees along the river. Adult bald eagles have a white head and tail and a dark brown body, while immature bald eagles are brown with irregular white plumage. Golden eagles, which are also counted, are dark in color and have a gold cap on their head.

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   Jan 17

boating class? in January? yep….

By dougleier

Now is a good time for parents with children who want to operate a boat or jet ski this summer to have them take the state’s boating basics course.

State law requires youngsters ages 12-15 to pass the course before they operate a boat or personal watercraft with at least a 10 horsepower motor. In addition, major insurance companies give adult boat owners who pass the course a premium discount on boat insurance.

The course is available for home-study from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Bismarck office. Two commercial providers also offer the course online, and links to those sites can be found by accessing the department’s website at gf.nd.gov.

While the home-study course is free, students will be charged a fee to take it online. The online provider charges for the course, not the Game and Fish Department. The fee stays with the online provider.

Upon completion of the online test, and providing a credit card number, students will be able to print out a temporary certification card, and within 10 days a permanent card will be mailed.

The course covers legal requirements, navigation rules, getting underway, accidents and special topics such as weather, rules of the road, laws, life saving and first aid.

For more information contact Nancy Boldt, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, by email at ndgf@nd.gov; or call (701) 328-6300

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   Jan 16

a little more caution…yes..on the ice

By dougleier

Seems like everyday there’s a new concern in/on/around the ice. Today is no different.

Early ice fishing reports from many areas of the state have been promising.  However, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department advises winter anglers to be cautious when moving or removing permanent fish houses and travelling on state lakes.

Robert Timian, chief game warden, said an unseasonably mild winter has caused some ice houses to already break through the ice. “Record breaking high temperatures and strong winds this winter have resulted in inconsistent ice conditions in much of the state,” Timian said. “Anglers should assess the need to move their respective ice houses. If ice conditions on a lake deteriorate, they should check the weather forecast and consider removing their house.”

While snow and colder temperatures are yet to come, those conditions might come too late to help form solid ice for any length of time. “When we get into late February, warm weather and longer daylight will deteriorate ice conditions, causing shorelines that are already thin to weaken,” Timian said. “Therefore, we suggest anglers be aware of these unique winter conditions and be prepared to move, or even remove their ice houses.”

Whether the ice house is removed now or in two months, Timian advises anglers to do so before the ice begins to thaw. “Fish houses can become frozen into the ice under these conditions, causing some anglers to only take parts of the house that are easily retrievable,” he added. “This is unacceptable. The owner has a legal responsibility to remove the entire house and its contents.”

Permanent fish houses must be off the ice by midnight, March 15. Portable fish houses may be used after March 15 if they are removed daily

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   Jan 12

Clean Water, Lands and Outdoor Heritage Amendment to help conserve North Dakota’s natural resources

By dougleier

BISMARCK– A coalition has filed a constitutional initiated measure petition with the North Dakota Secretary of State that would establish dedicated funding for water, land and wildlife conservation in North Dakota.

 

“North Dakota is at a pivotal moment.  With the state’s rapid development, we have the opportunity now to invest in maintaining our clean water, our unique natural lands and our outdoors heritage,” said, Steve Adair, sponsoring committee chairperson.  “This fund will conserve these resources while they are still intact and help improve natural flood control through the restoration and protection of natural areas along rivers, lakes and streams.”

The constitutional amendment will establish a Clean Water, Lands and Outdoor Heritage Fund that will receive five percent of the total revenues generated from taxes collected from the production and extraction of oil and gas.  Supporters estimate the fund could generate $50 million annually, based on current state oil production and price projections.

“This measure will provide meaningful conservation tools and programs that will protect and restore habitat throughout North Dakota,” said coalition member Peggy Ladner.

Coalition partners stressed the Clean Water, Lands and Outdoor Heritage fund will not adversely affect other programs currently funded through oil tax revenue.  The measure will establish a nine-member citizen board to oversee the distribution of the fund.  Any state agency, local government entity, tribal government or non-profit corporation is eligible to submit a grant application for funding. The measure also calls for all project funds to be only spent in North Dakota to benefit North Dakota’s natural resources. The purposes for the fund include protecting water quality, improving flood control, and conserving habitat for wildlife and people.

“We see the fund creating incentives for farmers, ranchers and other landowners to conserve grass and wetlands, which will help keep water clean and natural areas intact,” Ladner said.

“We North Dakotans tend to take our quality of life for granted – our clean water, open spaces, and abundant wildlife,” said Keith Trego, sponsoring committee member.  “The things that we grew up with are not going to be here unless we take action.”

Trego pointed to the loss of Conservation Reserve Program and native prairie acres across the state. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 145,000 acres of North Dakota native prairie were converted to cropland between 2002 and 2007. North Dakota has lost about 1 million acres of CRP, and another 1.2 million acres are scheduled to expire by the end of 2012.

Once the Secretary of State approves the ballot measure wording, the coalition must gather 26,904 qualified signatures before August 8, 2012, in order for the measure to be placed on the November 6, 2012, general election ballot.

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   Jan 12

Ducks Unlimited report

By dougleier

Growers take advantage of prevent plant and dry fall

BISMARCK, ND – North Dakota farmers responded to some unique opportunities this past fall to increase their winter wheat acres. USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service this morning reported acreage in North Dakota was up by 75 percent to 700,000 acres.

“Growers were likely most influenced by the record number of prevent plant acres they experienced this year and several other factors that were favorable for planting winter wheat,” said Blake Vander Vorst, Ducks Unlimited senior agronomist. “When the weather finally turned dry in late summer, some of the fields dried out and the timing was right for planting winter wheat.”

Producers were also encouraged to plant more acres because of the crop’s benefits of workload spreading, higher yields and profitability. Winter wheat also helps growers to build their overall crop insurance proven yield for wheat. Federal crop insurance considers hard red spring wheat and winter wheat as one crop for crop insurance purposes in North Dakota and in some South Dakota counties.

The response of winter wheat variety trials to Stratego and Prosaro fungicide reflects the above average seasonal moisture in 2011 and the season-long disease pressure. Yields increased by an average of 25 percent for the fungicide-treated winter wheat in variety trials conducted at twelve locations in the Dakotas. South Dakota farmers decreased winter wheat seeded acreage by 18 percent, Montana’s acres decreased by 2 percent and Minnesota’s increased by 67 percent.

NASS yield data for North Dakota for the 13-year period from 1999 to 2011 reports winter wheat had a 19 percent yield advantage over spring wheat and a 1 percent to 30 percent yield advantage on any given year. Growers who work with DU commonly indicate a 20 percent to 30 percent increase over spring wheat and up to a 50 percent increase in years that are drier and warmer than normal.

About Winter Cereals: Sustainability in Action
With a shared vision of sustaining cereals agriculture, Winter Cereals: Sustainability in Action is a unique collaboration between Ducks Unlimited, Bayer CropScience, regional universities and Winfield Solutions. It embraces ongoing improvement of agriculture productivity through research and development in the Prairie Pothole Region, while improving the habitat important to North America’s waterfowl and other wildlife.
For more information on WCSIA, visit www.wintercereals.us.

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   Jan 11

hunter safety classes

By dougleier

Now, not in June or September is the time to find and take a class for the 2012 season.

Individuals interested in taking a hunter education class in 2012 should know that most courses are offered early in the calendar year.

To register for a hunter education course, students need to sign up online at the Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. Many classes will be added over the next several weeks, and the rest will be added throughout the year as they are finalized.

To register, click on the online services tab, and “online course enrollment” under the hunter education heading. Classes are listed by city, and can also be sorted by start date. To register for a class, click on “enroll” next to the specific class, and follow the simple instructions. Personal information is required.

If circumstances dictate the registrant cannot attend the course, it is important to access the website to delete the enrollment. This will allow others to enroll because space is limited. In addition, an individual cannot register for another course until the initial registration is deleted.

In addition to enrolling for classes, the website also provides a free hunter education study guide and a tree stand safety course. Students are encouraged to use these resources to study course material.

Those who do not have access to the Internet and want to sign up for a class can call the hunter education program in Bismarck at (701) 328-6615.

State law requires anyone born after December 31, 1961 to pass a certified hunter education course to hunt in the state. Hunter education is mandatory for youth who are turning 12 years old, and children can take the class at age 11.

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