North Dakota Outdoors and beyond

Anglers fishing in southeastern North Dakota are reminded of a length requirement when fishing for walleye.

The 2012-14 fishing proclamation includes a 14-inch minimum walleye length restriction on six lakes in southeastern North Dakota – Alkali Lake, Buffalo Lake and Tosse Slough in Sargent County; and Lake Elsie, Lueck Lake and West Moran Lake in Richland County.

Anglers should refer to the 2012-14 North Dakota Fishing Guide for all fishing regulations.

Taking Live Aquatic Bait Prohibited from James River

Anglers and bait vendors should be aware of a regulation that prohibits taking of minnows or other aquatic bait from portions of Pipestem Creek and the James River.

Because record high flows in the James River in 2011 facilitated the movement of silver carp upstream into North Dakota, it is illegal to take live bait from all of Pipestem Creek below Pipestem Dam, and from the James River between the Jamestown Dam and the South Dakota border, including any tributaries up to the first vehicular bridge or crossing.

The 2012-14 fishing proclamation states “no live bait may be taken from any water body in North Dakota that is infested with aquatic nuisance species.” Silver carp is an ANS that can out-compete native and other game fish in large river systems

Anglers fishing in southeastern North Dakota are reminded of a length requirement when fishing for walleye.

The 2012-14 fishing proclamation includes a 14-inch minimum walleye length restriction on six lakes in southeastern North Dakota – Alkali Lake, Buffalo Lake and Tosse Slough in Sargent County; and Lake Elsie, Lueck Lake and West Moran Lake in Richland County.

Anglers should refer to the 2012-14 North Dakota Fishing Guide for all fishing regulations.

Anglers fishing from shore along the Red and Bois de Sioux rivers are reminded of a licensing requirement that went into effect last year.

Anglers fishing from shore on the North Dakota side of the Red and Bois de Sioux rivers must have a valid North Dakota fishing license. Prior to 2012, either a North Dakota or Minnesota license was allowed.

However, anglers fishing from a boat or on the ice can possess either a valid North Dakota or Minnesota fishing license.

Anglers should refer to the 2012-14 North Dakota Fishing Guide for additional information.

A multi-year walleye tagging study that will eventually include thousands of fish was initiated on the Missouri River earlier this spring.

The study area is big, running from Garrison Dam in central North Dakota downstream to Lake Oahe Dam in South Dakota. It’s being conducted by biologists and researchers from the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, and South Dakota State University.

The study, which falls on the heels of the 2011 flood and a major decline in the forage base, is designed to assess walleye movements, mortality and what proportion of the walleye population is harvested annually by anglers.

“The goal is to tag 10,000 walleye in study area in the Dakotas per year,” said Scott Gangl, Game and Fish Department fisheries management section leader. “Up to 4,000 of those fish will be tagged and released annually in the Missouri River and upper Lake Oahe in North Dakota.”

The four-year study will target adult walleye and each will be fitted with a metal jaw tag stamped with a unique number to identify the fish, and a phone number to report the tag. “Anglers should treat tagged fish like any other fish they catch,” Gangl said. “If they would normally harvest that fish, they should harvest it. If they would typically release it, they should release it. Anglers practicing catch-and-release can write the tag number down and report it, leaving the tag in the fish when released.”

Anglers can report tags by calling the phone number found on tags, which, anglers should note, is a South Dakota phone number. Tag information can also be reported on the Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov, tag reporting page or by calling (701) 328-6300.

“When an angler does report a tag, we ask for the date the fish was caught, where it was caught, was the fish harvested or released, tag number and length and weight of the fish,” Gangl said. “An angler who reports a tagged fish, along with their contact information, will be sent a letter providing some history on the fish, such as when and where it was tagged, how big it was when tagged and so on.”

Gangl said a small portion of the tags, just 5 percent, will offer a reward to anglers to encourage them to turn them in. These tags will be clearly marked “Reward.”

Reward tags need to be turned in to Game and Fish offices in Riverdale and Bismarck, or to a Game, Fish and Parks office in South Dakota.

When they start to thin out in South Dakota…we all know what that means…here’s the latest from Sand Lake NWR:
This information is current as of Friday, April 26, 2013.
Snow geese continue to fly over the Sand Lake area, moving into North Dakota.
Some smaller flocks of snow geese have stopped to feed in the area, but are not currently
using Sand Lake. Reports are that the flocks of snow geese in the Groton and Redfield
areas are thinning out. Smaller flocks of snow geese will probably continue to move
through the area, but with the upcoming warm weekend, will probably not be staying
long. Temperatures today through Sunday are predicted to reach highs of 60’s and 70’s.
The lakes are still mostly frozen over, but the edges of the lakes and areas near the
channels are opening up. Several great egrets and snowy egrets were observed near the
headquarter’s area this morning, and we also heard several willets.
Refuge roads are currently closed, but should be open soon, weather permitting.

More than 360 archers competed in the North Dakota National Archery in the Schools Program state tournament April 12-13 in Bismarck.

Jeff Long, NASP coordinator for the State Game and Fish Department, said the event continues to grow every year. “This year’s turnout was outstanding, especially considering we were on the verge of a nasty storm that hit statewide,” Long said, while noting the number of participants (362) was up 9 percent from last year.

The high school (grades 9-12) state championship team was from Griggs County Central, the middle school (grades 7-8) champs were from Hankinson and taking top honors in the elementary school (grades 4-6) division was Barnes County North.

Overall male and female winners were Spencer Brockman of North Sargent and Lauren Moser of Medina.

The top three place winners in each division were:

High school boys – Brockman; James Nadeau, Dunseith; and Alex Irlmeier, Medina.

High school girls – Lisa Buckhaus, Hankinson; Hunter Schroeder, Dunseith; and Ashley Brockman, North Sargent.

Middle school boys – Race Kath, Hankinson; Logan Kensok, Griggs County Central; and Eric Horner, St. Mary’s.

Middle school girls – Moser; Kate Loewen, Hankinson; and Hannah Willson, Barnes County North.

Elementary boys – Dawson McKeever, North Sargent; Ryan Zastoupil, Killdeer; and Andrew Lehman, Hankinson.

Elementary girls – Desi Parsons, Griggs County Central; Hope Willson, Barnes County North; and Alicia Biewer, Hankinson.

from Sand Lake NWR: This information is current as of noon, Tuesday, April 23, 2013.
Not too much has changed in the overall progress of the migration since the last
report. Some flocks of snow geese were seen in fields in southeastern North Dakota
during the weekend. We are still getting reports of good numbers of geese east and south
of Groton and in the Scatterwood Lake area southwest of Aberdeen. Large flocks were
reported in the Redfield area over the weekend, and in the Huron area, along highway 14.
Last evening, large flocks were seen between Ashton and Mellette, in northern Spink
County. As of yesterday and this morning, there are very few snow geese in the
immediate Sand Lake area. Duck numbers have also dropped on the refuge.

This information is current as of Thursday, April 18, 2013.
It appears that many of the snow geese in the Sand Lake area last week have
shifted back to the south. There are reports of small flocks of snows in southeastern
North Dakota, but many of the large flocks are to the south of Sand Lake. Good numbers
have been reported south of Groton, in Spink County, in areas near Wolsey and south of
Huron, and near Britton. As of yesterday, there was still a flock of just over 100,000
snow geese on Mud Lake, and several smaller flocks near highway 10 on Sand Lake.
Duck numbers have also dropped since last week.
The weather continues to be a big factor in holding up the migration. The Sand
Lake area has at least 8 inches of snow on the ground and little open water. High
temperatures this week have only been in the low 30’s. More rain and snow and highs in
the 30’s are predicted through the weekend. It looks like warmer temperatures may be
finally coming next week.
Refuge roads remain closed due to snow and wet conditions

 
Increases in North Dakota hunting, fishing and boat registration fees recently passed by the state legislature will not take effect until 2014.

Terry Steinwand, director of the State Game and Fish Department, said the current three-year boat registration cycle runs through December, and 2013-14 hunting and fishing licenses are in effect through next March. Therefore, registration fees for boat owners will go up Jan. 1, 2014, while hunters and anglers will see the license increase in April, 2014.

“This is the first time in many years we’ve seen such a wide range of license fee increases,” Steinwand said. “State legislators, hunters and anglers voiced overwhelming support during committee hearings and when voted on the floor. We heard that same type of support at statewide advisory board meetings last fall.”

Steinwand said the main issue the legislature deliberated was how much of an increase was appropriate. “There were some avid hunters and anglers in the state who wanted to see a substantial increase in prices to support habitat, enforcement, fisheries and access, but it was important that the increases didn’t price anyone out of the outdoors experience,” he added. “The feedback we’ve been getting from hunters and anglers is that this legislation strikes the right balance.”

Despite these increases, Steinwand said North Dakota hunting and fishing licenses are still less expensive than equivalent licenses in surrounding states.

Senate Bill 2231 passed the house by a vote of 77-15 and the senate 39-6.

Effective Jan. 1, 2014, the cost to license a motorboat under 16 feet in length, and all canoes, will increase from $12 to $18; motorboats from 16 feet to less than 20 feet in length from $24 to $36; and  motorboats at least 20 feet in length from $33 to $45.

Effective April 1, 2014:
• resident small game hunting license will increase from $6 to $10
• nonresident small game hunting license from $85 to $100
• resident big game hunting license from $20 to $30 (youth big game license remains at $10)
• nonresident big game hunting license from $200 to $250
• nonresident big game bowhunting license from $200 to $250
• resident furbearer license from $7 to $15
• resident wild turkey license from $8 to $15
• combination license from $32 to $50
• nonresident waterfowl hunting license from $85 to $100
• statewide nonresident waterfowl license from $125 to $150
• nonresident furbearer and nongame license from $25 to $40
• resident swan license from $5 to $10
• nonresident swan license from $25 to $30
• resident crane license from $5 to $10
• nonresident crane license from $5 to $30
• and a nonresident reciprocal trapping license from $250 to $350

In addition, the resident application fee for moose, elk and sheep will increase from $3 to $5, and a habitat restoration stamp required for the general game license increases from $10 to $17, with $8 (instead of $5) of each habitat stamp sold placed in the Game and Fish Department’s private land habitat and access improvement fund.

Changes to fishing licenses effective April 1, 2014 include:
• resident fishing license will increase from $10 to $16
• resident age 65 and older or permanently disabled fishing license from $3 to $5
• resident husband and wife fishing license from $14 to $22
• resident paddlefish tag from $3 to $10
• nonresident paddlefish tag from $7.50 to $25.50
• nonresident husband and wife fishing license from $45 to $60
• nonresident fishing license from $35 to $45
• nonresident three-day fishing license from $15 to $25
• and a nonresident 10-day fishing license from $25 to $35

In addition to Senate Bill 2231, other bills regarding license fees were recently signed into law.

House Bill 1264, in part, charges a fee of $5 for residents and $50 for nonresidents to hunt statewide during the early Canada goose season. These dates no longer count against the 14-day regular season nonresident waterfowl license. This law is in effect for the 2013 hunting season.

Effective April 1, 2014, House Bill 1434 allows a North Dakota veteran with a 50 percent service-related disability to buy a fishing license for $5.

A complete list of hunting and fishing related bills is available on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.

Increases in North Dakota hunting, fishing and boat registration fees recently passed by the state legislature will not take effect until 2014.

Terry Steinwand, director of the State Game and Fish Department, said the current three-year boat registration cycle runs through December, and 2013-14 hunting and fishing licenses are in effect through next March. Therefore, registration fees for boat owners will go up Jan. 1, 2014, while hunters and anglers will see the license increase in April, 2014.

“This is the first time in many years we’ve seen such a wide range of license fee increases,” Steinwand said. “State legislators, hunters and anglers voiced overwhelming support during committee hearings and when voted on the floor. We heard that same type of support at statewide advisory board meetings last fall.”

Steinwand said the main issue the legislature deliberated was how much of an increase was appropriate. “There were some avid hunters and anglers in the state who wanted to see a substantial increase in prices to support habitat, enforcement, fisheries and access, but it was important that the increases didn’t price anyone out of the outdoors experience,” he added. “The feedback we’ve been getting from hunters and anglers is that this legislation strikes the right balance.”

Despite these increases, Steinwand said North Dakota hunting and fishing licenses are still less expensive than equivalent licenses in surrounding states.

Senate Bill 2231 passed the house by a vote of 77-15 and the senate 39-6.

Effective Jan. 1, 2014, the cost to license a motorboat under 16 feet in length, and all canoes, will increase from $12 to $18; motorboats from 16 feet to less than 20 feet in length from $24 to $36; and  motorboats at least 20 feet in length from $33 to $45.

Effective April 1, 2014:
• resident small game hunting license will increase from $6 to $10
• nonresident small game hunting license from $85 to $100
• resident big game hunting license from $20 to $30 (youth big game license remains at $10)
• nonresident big game hunting license from $200 to $250
• nonresident big game bowhunting license from $200 to $250
• resident furbearer license from $7 to $15
• resident wild turkey license from $8 to $15
• combination license from $32 to $50
• nonresident waterfowl hunting license from $85 to $100
• statewide nonresident waterfowl license from $125 to $150
• nonresident furbearer and nongame license from $25 to $40
• resident swan license from $5 to $10
• nonresident swan license from $25 to $30
• resident crane license from $5 to $10
• nonresident crane license from $5 to $30
• and a nonresident reciprocal trapping license from $250 to $350

In addition, the resident application fee for moose, elk and sheep will increase from $3 to $5, and a habitat restoration stamp required for the general game license increases from $10 to $17, with $8 (instead of $5) of each habitat stamp sold placed in the Game and Fish Department’s private land habitat and access improvement fund.

Changes to fishing licenses effective April 1, 2014 include:
• resident fishing license will increase from $10 to $16
• resident age 65 and older or permanently disabled fishing license from $3 to $5
• resident husband and wife fishing license from $14 to $22
• resident paddlefish tag from $3 to $10
• nonresident paddlefish tag from $7.50 to $25.50
• nonresident husband and wife fishing license from $45 to $60
• nonresident fishing license from $35 to $45
• nonresident three-day fishing license from $15 to $25
• and a nonresident 10-day fishing license from $25 to $35

In addition to Senate Bill 2231, other bills regarding license fees were recently signed into law.

House Bill 1264, in part, charges a fee of $5 for residents and $50 for nonresidents to hunt statewide during the early Canada goose season. These dates no longer count against the 14-day regular season nonresident waterfowl license. This law is in effect for the 2013 hunting season.

Effective April 1, 2014, House Bill 1434 allows a North Dakota veteran with a 50 percent service-related disability to buy a fishing license for $5.

A complete list of hunting and fishing related bills is available on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.