North Dakota Outdoors and beyond

To all those going ga ga over Petty hunting ND. Dick Cheney hunts pheasants just a few miles into South Dakota. I doubt anyone keeps a list, but I think the names of ‘famous’ hunters spending time in ND.
Billy Martin
Bobby Knight
Larry Bird
just a couple of the top of my head.

Richard Petty……yeee…..haaaa

I’m anxiously awaiting the migration update. Should be posted here sometime in the next 12 hours. Here’s a snippet. Many of the smaller wetlands have frozen, there’s been snow–enough to cover up some food in central portions of ND. Combine that with limited water and we’re really getting set up for a BUST in the duck hunt. Seems like we’ve encountered this for the past 5 years or so.

Here’s what happens: instead of a gradual change from fall weather more towards winter, we’re blasted with any icy, cold, snowy stretch which all to early pushes birds right on through ND without the usual gradual 4 week progression.

But this is all speculation. I’ll know more throughout the day.

One of the more frequent questions I get, is answered right now.

I’ve already begun hearing some complaints about the ‘lack’ of hunters in traditional hunting grounds. I don’t buy it.

Hunters go where the birds are. Sure a small % may look at license fees etc as to when and where to hunt, but for the most part the license is the cheapest part of the hunt and data shows even with 14 days of waterfowl season the the average number of days a non-resident hunts is less than 7.

Drought in central ND has scared off some non-residents. And plentiful pheasants in what used to be "non" pheasant areas has spread the hunters across other parts of the state.

first of all GO BISON. I’d like to see Sid Hartmans phone light up next Sunday when NDSU squeaks past the Gophers.

not to the business of ND Outdoors:

My gut feeling?
This years opening weekend will go down as one of the best pheasant openers—ever. Easy to hype it up, and blow it out of proportion but did you ever guess 10 years ago we’d be shooting limits of roosters in 39 minutes….in Cass County of all places?

Wanna play a game? See if you can find a rooster to shoot in Trail County? My hunch is you could, that would be my guess of one of the hardest places to find a rooster.

If you’ve never hunted pheasants NOW is the time to do it.

Second to probably only the deer opener, ND pheasant season opens this morning 1/2 before sunrise—about 7:15 in Fargo, 7:30 in Bismarck.

Roosters will be plentiful, and so to will hunters. Take a moment BEFORE you pull the trigger and reassure where your hunting partners are, and what’s beyond the target.

The only successful hunt, is a safe hunt.

9:40 CT I’l be a guest on Cam and Company. It’s Sirrius Satellite radio 144 or it’s webcast on www.nranews.com

and guess what–we’ll be talking about pheasants. shocking I know.

It’s not just NDSU homecoming this Saturday, it’s also the pheasant season opener. Think about this as hunters gush about the great pre-hunt population. There was a strong push to open up all CRP and earlier. Most entities held their ground. But the reality is you can’t have it both ways. Pheasants NEED thick CRP. Take it away and ND pheasnat population starts trending like Iowa, where numbers are OFF 22% from last year.

Some of the same landowners that are charging people to hunt roosters want CRP opened up earlier and more often.

Just something to think about as NDSU destroys Miss. Valley State and you bag 3 roosters in about the same time it takes Kyle Steffes to score his first TD.

what’s this weather going to do to waterfowl? it’ll be a meat grinder. who knows what will come out of it. We do need to keep water open and food from getting covered. Once water is froze and food is covered. The birds will go. Simple fact. No food, no water, they scatter.

Second question:
how did Nodaks own Adam Langlie fare last week in the Forum Football fling? check in-forum.com and find out. that’s my next stop! We’re all pulling for ya Adam.

I’m afraid the following migration report may be a bit stale. Regardless here’s the scoop from early this week. Understand when weather like this falls into the region migration status will change from day 2 day and hour 2 hour. thanks to Ken Torkelson and my friends at USFWS–

In northeastern North Dakota, many of the local ducks have grouped together
and few migrants have arrived, so hunters will have to do their scouting.
Biologist Cami Dixon of the Devils Lake Wetland Management District reports
seeing fewer mallards and more diving ducks this week.  She adds that a few
more migrant Canada geese have arrived, but there are no large numbers of
snow geese yet.

Waterfowl numbers have dropped at Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge, north
of Jamestown.  Biologist Paulette Scherr says the duck population has
dipped to 20,000, with about half of them mallards and the rest a good mix
including 1,500 diving ducks.  The Refuge is also holding 2,000 Canada
geese and 300 tundra swans.  Some small flocks of both migrant and resident
Canada geese are being seen in the surrounding area, with larger wetlands
holding good numbers of diving ducks.

Some migrant ducks are expected to arrive in southeastern North Dakota
after the cold front pushes through, but teal and local birds are moving
out.  Biologist Kristine Askerooth of Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge
says the area still has good pockets of ducks and Canada geese, but hunters
will have to work harder.  She reports the bean harvest is progressing
rapidly, and corn harvesting has started.

East-central North Dakota’s duck population is on the increase.  Wetland
manager Ed Meendering of the Valley City Wetland Management District says
he has seen quite a few more mallards this week, plus an increase in Canada
geese.  On the other hand, Meendering says he has not yet seen any migrant
Canada geese, snow geese or sandhill cranes.

Waterfowl populations seem to be holding steady in southeast-central North
Dakota.  Mick Erickson of the Kulm Wetland Management District says the
area still has good numbers of local mallards and gadwalls, and larger
flocks of resident Canada geese are being reported.  However, most teal
have departed.  He reports the best water conditions are in eastern Logan
and McIntosh counties.

More diving ducks have moved into Stutsman and Wells counties.  Chase Lake
Wetland Management District manager Tomi Buskness reports some of the local
ducks have moved out, but there are still some mallards, Canada geese and
sandhill cranes in the area.

Cold temperatures have iced over many wetlands and driven much of the
waterfowl out of northwestern North Dakota.  Refuge manager Tim Kessler of
the Crosby Wetland Management District says several days of warmer weather
will be needed to open up the wetlands.  He reports   there are lots of
ducks and geese remaining in southern Saskatchewan.

Many of Mountrail County’s remaining small wetlands have iced over and
local ducks have moved on.  However, operations specialist Chad Zorn of
Lostwood Wetland Management District says some migrant mallards in flocks
of 20-40 birds appear to have moved in.  He reports seeing very few snow
geese.

More waterfowl have reached Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge near Kenmare.
Manager Dan Severson says the Refuge is holding 1,500 snow geese, about
2,500 Canada geese and 20,000 ducks.  Most of the snow geese are on the
north end of the Refuge, the Canada geese are a mixture of residents and
migrants, and mallards make up about half the duck numbers, with local
gadwalls, teal and pintails well represented.  Severson says he is seeing
about 900 tundra swans, a much higher number than normal.  He cautions that
cold weather could quickly and drastically change the situation.

Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge near Minot was holding about 20,000
ducks over the weekend.  Deputy refuge manager Tom Pabian says the ducks
are scattered, but most are concentrated on the north end.  The Refuge is
also holding about 2,000 Canada geese, but only a few small flocks of snow
geese.  Pabian says hunters will need to do some driving to find the
western Ward County wetlands holding water, because many of them have
ducks.

A few more ducks have reached  J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge in
north-central North Dakota.  Project leader Tedd Gutzke believes the Refuge
is holding about 10,000 mallards, but only about 500 snow geese in groups
of 25-50 on the north end.  Also, some 2,000 Canada geese are scattered
throughout the Refuge.  Gutzke reports the five-county area is dry, with
Rolette and northern Pierce counties offering the best water conditions.
He says hunters should be able to find ducks where there is water.

Up to 5,000 Canada geese and 3,000 ducks are using Audubon National
Wildlife Refuge near Coleharbor.  Wetland manager Mike Goos reports a
significant migration of sandhill cranes last weekend and early this week.
He has also observed a gradual increase in the number of migrant Canada
geese.  In the surrounding areas, hunters will need to scout, as ducks have
been hard to find.  He believes the forecast cold temperatures could bring
in more migrant Canada geese and ice over many wetlands, further
concentrating waterfowl.

Duck hunters in Burleigh, Kidder and Emmons counties will probably notice
the exodus of birds that has taken place over the past week.  Biologist
Gregg Knutsen of Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge reports seeing many
empty wetlands at mid-week.  He says the Refuge is holding a modest
concentration of ducks, mostly shovelers and gadwalls.  Knutsen adds the
Refuge’s sandhill crane population has dropped to 2,500, and Canada goose
numbers are at about 1,500.

Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern South Dakota has
recorded increases in the numbers of Canada geese and ducks.  The Refuge is
holding 2,000 Canada geese and 60,000 ducks.  Biologist Bill Schultze says
mallard and green-winged teal populations are up, and ruddy ducks and
lesser scaup are also showing up.  He reports the area’s corn harvest is
just beginning, but many farmers have completed their soybean harvest.

Field checks continue to find violations of the “hunter’s choice”bag limit.
The daily limit is five ducks, with these restrictions: two scaup, two
redhead and two wood duck; and only one from the following group:  hen
mallard, pintail and canvasback.  Officers say the best way for hunters to
avoid “mistakes” is to make positive identification of their target before
pulling the trigger.

In addition, some hunters have not had the required “duck stamp” in their
possession, and others are failing to sign the stamp.