North Dakota Outdoors and beyond

Paddlefish Snagging Season Opens May 1

North Dakota’s paddlefish snagging season opens May 1 and is scheduled to continue through the end of the month. However, depending on the overall harvest, an early in-season closure may occur with a 36-hour notice issued by the state Game and Fish Department.

Legal snagging hours are from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. One tag per snagger will be issued. Snagging is legal in all areas of the Yellowstone River in North Dakota, and in the area of the Missouri River lying west of the U.S. Highway 85 bridge to the Montana border, excluding that portion from the pipeline crossing (river mile 1,577) downstream to the upper end of the Lewis and Clark Wildlife Management Area (river mile 1,565). The use or possession of a gaff hook within one-half mile in either direction of the Highway 200 bridge on the Yellowstone River is illegal at any time during the snagging season.

Mandatory harvest of all snagged paddlefish is required on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. On these days, all paddlefish caught must be tagged immediately.

Snag-and-release of all paddlefish will be required on Mondays and Tuesdays. Those planning to participate during snag-and-release-only days will need to have in their possession a current season, unused paddlefish snagging tag.

If the season closes early, an extended snag-and-release-only period will be allowed for up to seven days immediately following the early closure, but not to extend beyond May 31. Snaggers will need to have in their possession a current season, unused paddlefish snagging tag and only a limited area at the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers will be open to this extended season snagging opportunity.

Use or possession of gaffs is prohibited on Mondays and Tuesdays, and, if it occurs, during the snag-and-release extension period.

Cost of a paddlefish tag is $3 for residents and $7.50 for nonresidents.

This weekend on Outdoors Live we’ll bring you Wildlife Division Chief Randy Kreil weighing on the winter’s impact on wildlife and the weekly Central Dakota Outdoors report from Pat Stockdill Saturday at 3PM and Sunday morning at 7-8:30AM
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My father in law sent me this picture from their dike between North River and Highland Park. As you note by the date of April 6 it was snapped right in the heart of flood fighting. I chuckled as my mind relayed, "when a bald eagle takes a perch on your dike, I’d suggest it’s natures way of confifming your dike has met the standard"

Hunter Wall of Webelos Scout Pack 528 in Bottineau is the first recipient of the Theodore Roosevelt Award, an award that recognizes North Dakota youth who have advanced outdoor skills and are active in Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts or 4-H.

The Theodore Roosevelt Award, sponsored by the state Game and Fish Department, is designed to promote the development of a healthy mind and body, good citizenship, a strong conservation ethic, an understanding of North Dakota’s natural history, and the ability to handle oneself while engaging in a wide variety of outdoor recreational activities.

Wall had to earn a required 12 activity badges and 10 belt loops in five focus areas: development of mind and body; citizenship; living in the wilderness; environmental education; and hunting and fishing.

In addition, he had to visit with a wildlife biologist about the role of hunting in wildlife management, and give a 5-10 minute presentation to a youth group on the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is once again celebrating Earth Day by sponsoring a youth clean-up day on public-owned or managed lands in April and May.

Each member of a school, Girl Scout, Boy Scout, 4-H club or youth organization who participates in cleaning up public lands during April and May will receive a specifically designed conservation patch. Last year, more than 4,100 youth received a patch for their efforts in keeping public lands trash-free in North Dakota.

Last winter the department sponsored a contest for students ages 6-18 to design a North Dakota Earth Day Patch. Winners in the three age categories were Taylor Reilly of Hoople (6-9), Joanna Jensen of Bismarck (10-13), and Jennifer Anderson of Lisbon (14-18). Anderson’s design was chosen the patch winner, and will be used on this year’s Earth Day patch.

Groups participating in the Earth Day project are encouraged to take the following precautions to ensure safety: keep young people away from highways, lakes and rivers; and only allow older participants to pick up broken glass.

Interested participants are asked to contact Pat Lothspeich at 328-6332 or Bill Jensen at 328-6637 to receive a reporting form for their project.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department announces the following summary of changes to the 2008-10 North Dakota Fishing Proclamation and Guide.

Effective immediately, Stump Lake in Nelson County has been added to the list of waters allowing a northern pike daily limit of five and a possession limit of 10. The reasoning is that Stump Lake is now connected to Devils Lake and fish swim freely between the two. The pike limit on Devils Lake has been five for years, and given a strong population throughout the system, the inclusion of Stump Lake helps standardize the fishing regulations.
Effective immediately, legal archery and spearing equipment for licensed anglers may also include the use of night vision equipment or electronically enhanced light gathering optics – including flashlights and lanterns – as an aid in locating and/or shooting at fish.
Archery, spear and underwater spearfishing will be legal from May 1 through Sept. 30. The 2008-10 proclamation and guide has the closing date printed as Nov. 30.

With the first weekend of North Dakota spring turkey season in the books and snow geese reports from South Dakota into Canada, it’s been quite a ride. I personally am not sure if or when I’ll go turkey hunting.

My unit near Valley City is rather small and the Sheyenne River is most likely out of the banks into May, and even then the roads, bridges and culverts washed out will be a tell tale sign there’s more important things to take care of. IF you are out turkey hunting or snow goose hunting for that matter, offer up to help some people out and at a minimum stay on good solid roads. Walk an extra mile instead of drive-isn’t walking some of the best parts of hunting?

I personally color myself skeptical, but after reading a recent enforcement story out of Kentucky, for the first time in awhile I feel a bit naive. Maybe I don’t want to believe this is going on? 

For the past 20 months, Kentucky undercover officers witnessed the illegal buying, selling and possession of live foxes and coyotes. They also witnessed Creech cutting the tails off live coyotes destined for use in chase pens.

"Officers in other states have heard of that practice, but this is the first time someone has actually demonstrated it to an officer," said a Kentucky undercover officer who witnessed the mutilation. "The tail is the first thing the hounds grab, so cutting it off makes it harder for the dogs to catch the coyote and extends the chase."

Creech is charged with seven counts of cruelty to animals, nine counts of illegally possessing wildlife without a permit, and seven counts of illegally buying wildlife. He was arrested and faces fines up to $15,000 and up to seven years in jail.

The trade in foxes and coyotes stems from the practice of turning packs of fox hounds loose inside fenced enclosures ranging in size up to several hundred acres to chase foxes or coyotes. The chases may begin about sundown and may continue through noon or so the next day.

Officers say some chase pen operators need a continuous supply of foxes and coyotes and will pay as much as $100 or more for each animal.

That sets off alarms for wildlife biologists concerned about creating a commercial black market in Kentucky for the sale of coyotes and foxes to running pens.

Here’s the full story

This weekend on Outdoors Live we’ll bring you Annette Schilling from ND Tourism and she’ll take us through the spring opportunities across North Dakota . Bob Forhlich from NDGF Fisheries checks in with some lake and river boat ramp and dock status updates and the weekly Central Dakota Outdoors report from Pat Stockdill Saturday at 9PM and Sunday morning at 7-8:30AM

Listen live on AM 790 http://www.kfgo.com
podcast at http://outdoorslive.mypodcast.com/