North Dakota Outdoors and beyond

North Dakota’s 2012 deer season is set, with 65,300 licenses available to hunters this fall, 44,650 fewer than last year and the lowest since 1988.

Randy Kreil, wildlife chief for the State Game and Fish Department, said the decline in the deer population is a result of increased adult mortality and reduced fawn production following the severe winters of 2008-10. In addition, the extreme winter conditions followed nearly a decade of aggressive deer management featuring large numbers of antlerless licenses in many units.

“It is expected there will be very few, if any licenses remaining after the initial lottery,” Kreil said. “Therefore, there is not a concurrent season this year.”

Hunters are able to draw one license for the deer gun season and one for the muzzleloader season, and purchase an archery license. Unlike the past several years, however, Kreil said a hunter will not be able to receive more than one license for the deer gun season.

Low deer numbers are evident in all portions of North Dakota, Kreil said, as all but two hunting units are below management goals. The statewide hunter success rate in 2011 was 52 percent, the lowest on record and well below the typical 70-75 percent success rate experienced by North Dakota deer hunters.

“The large decrease of licenses in 2012 is necessary to allow the deer population to grow toward management goals,” Kreil said.

The mule deer population in the badlands was also stung by three consecutive harsh winters, with the three lowest years of fawn production observed from 2009-11. Survey numbers indicate mule deer in the badlands are down 23 percent from last year and 52 percent below 2007.

As a result, no antlerless mule deer licenses are available for the 2012 deer season in units 3B1, 3B2, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 4F, Kreil said. “This restriction applies to regular gun, resident and nonresident any-deer bow, gratis and youth licenses,” he added.

The number of licenses available for 2012 is 1,200 antlered mule deer, a decrease of 3,350 mule deer licenses from last year; 1,282 for muzzleloader, down 826 from last year; and 120 restricted youth antlered mule deer, a decrease of 130 from last year.

North Dakota’s 2012 deer gun season opens Nov. 9 at noon and continues through Nov. 25.Online applications for the regular deer gun, youth, muzzleloader, and resident gratis and nonresident landowner seasons will be available about May 9 through the Game and Fish Department’s website at gf.nd.gov. Also, paper applications will be at vendors throughout the state the week of May 14. The deadline for applying is June 6.

Total deer licenses are determined by harvest rates, aerial surveys, deer-vehicle collision reports, depredation reports, hunter observations, input at advisory board meetings, and comments from the public, landowners and department field staff.

The recent decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the Great Lakes population of gray wolves from federal protection might not seem as important in North Dakota as some of the other states in the Midwest, but it is significant nonetheless.

Stephanie Tucker, North Dakota Game and Fish Department furbearer biologist, said this development is important because it means the Great Lakes population has recovered enough to no longer warrant protection by the Endangered Species Act. “However, the Great Lakes population region delisting only includes the portion of North Dakota east of U.S. Highway 83 and the Missouri River, thus complicating their management status in our state,” Tucker said.

Due to this action, the management of wolves found roaming through the eastern portion of the state will fall back to the State Game and Fish Department under state management guidelines as a protected furbearer. The complicating aspect of the decision is that wolves moving through western North Dakota (west of Highway 83 and the Missouri River) still remain under federal protection because that area falls between the Great Lakes and Rocky Mountain boundaries.

“Although we do get rare sightings in North Dakota, we don’t have a resident wolf population in the state, or enough suitable habitat to support one; therefore, we have no plans to allow a hunting season on wolves at this point,” Tucker said. “The upside is that under state management, we now have the flexibility to deal with any issues that may arise with the occasional transient animals moving through North Dakota.”

State law provides a provision for landowners to protect their property from depredation by a state-managed furbearer. Therefore, landowners in eastern North Dakota could shoot a wolf posing a threat to livestock. However, west of highway 83 and the Missouri River, wolves are still an endangered species under stricter federal protection. Subsequently, landowners in that part of the state must first contact proper federal authorities before taking action on their own.

“Our hope is that in the near future, additional delisting action by the Fish and Wildlife Service will address western North Dakota,” Tucker said. “Then the confusion over split management status in our state will be eliminated.”

Charges have been filed today by the Jackson County attorney’s office against a Jackson County man in southwestern Minnesota for allegedly shooting a cougar on Nov. 27, 2011, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Daniel Hamman, 26, was charged by citation with shooting a protected animal.

Hamman allegedly shot the cougar after being contacted by a neighbor, who saw the cat run from a rural grove of trees into a culvert. The cougar was shot as it flushed from the culvert.

Maximum penalties Hamman could face include a fine up to $1,000 and up to 90 days in jail.
The DNR has filed an affidavit of restitution requesting the court to order Hamman to pay $1,000 to the state for the cougar. Criminal charges are not evidence of guilt. A defendant/suspect is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The cougar shot in Jackson County was a 125-pound male, estimated to be one to three years old. The DNR conducted a necropsy of the cougar to assess the condition of the animal, look for signs of captivity and collect additional samples to help determine the origin of the animal. No obvious signs of captivity were present such as being declawed, exhibiting excessive pad wear, or having tattoos or microchips. Samples have been submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife Forensics Lab in Missoula, Mont., to do a DNA analysis; results are pending. The DNR plans to have the cougar mounted and used for educational purposes.

Since 2007, the DNR has confirmed 14 cougar sightings across the state. Eleven have been from trail cameras or video. One was road killed, one was found dead and one was shot. Dozens of other, unconfirmed sightings have also been reported.

Why might cougars show up in Minnesota? Cougars are solitary, roaming animals. As young males reach maturity, they begin to look for new territory and will travel considerable distances. The timing of many of Minnesota’s verified cougar sightings (mid- 2000s and forward) is not unexpected given the somewhat rapid increase in the cougar population in the western Dakotas that began in the mid-1990s. Extensive research in the Black Hills has documented the changing cougar dynamics that typically lead to increased dispersal of young males.

Although verifications have increased, evidence of cougars in Minnesota remains extremely rare.

Cougars are protected animals in Minnesota. State statute makes it illegal for a citizen to kill a cougar in most circumstances. Minnesotans can kill a cougar if a life threatening situation arises. Public safety officials are authorized to kill a cougar to protect public safety. If a cougar poses an immediate threat to public safety, a DNR conservation officer or local law enforcement person should be contacted as soon as possible.

Minnesota Statutes section 97A.301, Subdivision 1(1) states: Misdemeanor. Unless a different penalty is prescribed, a person is guilty of a misdemeanor if that person: (1) takes, buys, sells, transports or possesses a wild animal in violation of the game and fish laws.

According to Minnesota Statutes section 97B.641, there is no open season for cougars in the state of Minnesota.

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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State Game and Fish Department officials are confirming that a rural western North Dakota homeowner shot and killed a 38-pound mountain lion kitten inside his home on Wednesday evening.

According to chief game warden Robert Timian, upon returning to his farmstead northwest of Grassy Butte Wednesday, the homeowner discovered the mountain lion kitten lying on his couch. The man then grabbed a .22 pistol kept near his doorway, shot the animal, and then contacted Game and Fish.

Timian said the initial investigation revealed the garage door was open during the day, and the door from the garage into the house was open when the owner returned home. Since the lion apparently killed four domestic cats in the house, and other domestic cats were present, it’s possible the lion was attracted to the house by cat scent coming through the open door, Timian added.

“This is a very unusual situation,” Timian said. “The homeowner probably wasn’t in any danger from the small lion, and he was well within his rights to dispatch it.”

The home is located in an area of North Dakota where mountain lions are present. While Game and Fish periodically gets reports of lions in or near farmsteads, Timian said this is the first one that has entered a home. The fact that it was a young animal may have been a factor in its presence around a dwelling.

The third mountain lion was taken during the late-season in zone 1 over the weekend. If one more is taken from zone 1 before March 31, 2012, the late-season quota of four will be reached and mountain lion hunting in zone 1 will close immediately.

Zone 1 includes land south of ND Highway 1804 from the Montana border to the point where ND Highway 1804 lies directly across Lake Sakakawea from ND Highway 8, crossing Lake Sakakawea then south along ND Highway 8 to ND Highway 200, then west on ND Highway 200 to U.S. Highway 85, then south on U.S. Highway 85 to the South Dakota border.

The mountain lion season in zone 2, which is the rest of the state outside zone 1, has no quota and is open through March 31, 2012.

Mountain lion hunting during the early season in zone 1 is closed immediately. The 10^th cat was taken Nov. 12, filling the zone’s early-season quota.

The late season in zone 1, with a quota of four, opens Nov. 21.

Zone 1 includes land south of ND Highway 1804 from the Montana border to the point where ND Highway 1804 lies directly across Lake Sakakawea from ND Highway 8, crossing Lake Sakakawea then south along ND Highway 8 to ND Highway 200, then west on ND Highway 200 to U.S. Highway 85, then south on U.S. Highway 85 to the South Dakota border.

The mountain lion season in zone 2, which is the rest of the state outside zone 1, has no quota and is open through March 31, 2012.

The mountain lion season is open only to North Dakota residents. A furbearer or combination license is required.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will remove the idle-speed-only and dusk-to-dawn restrictions for boaters on the Missouri and Heart rivers in the Bismarck-Mandan area, effective at 6 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 1.

With the river level predicted to drop below the 14-foot stage by about noon Central Time on Wednesday, department officials felt it was the right time to lift restrictions. “We are waiting until Thursday morning to lift restrictions so we have time to assess boat ramp status,” said Director Terry Steinwand. “We know how important outdoor recreation is to North Dakotans, and this provides an opportunity for water enthusiasts to enjoy the river before the boating season is completely over.”

Watercraft operators are encouraged to use common courtesy while navigating the river, as some potential hazards exist. “Safety must be on the minds of everyone because the current is still rather high and water temperatures continue to drop,” Steinwand said.

The water level is still high enough, Steinwand emphasizes, where isolated properties are still affected by flood conditions. “In this type of situation we ask boaters to be courteous and move farther out into the channel,” he said.

In addition, the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services said Coast Guard restrictions placed on the river have also been rescinded.

The nearest public boat ramps that are currently open in the Bismarck-Mandan area are Steckel (Wilton), Hazelton and Ft. Rice.

Fisheries crews are currently working on the MacLean ramp, which should be opened by the weekend. In addition, Kimball and Graner ramps are being assessed and it’s anticipated they may be usable within the next week.

Though water levels are still too high on Grant Marsh and Little Heart ramps, it is possible they could become operational yet this year.

Kniefel Landing, Hoge Island and Fox Island ramps will likely remain closed this year.

“Erosion and shoreline damage was experienced at all ramps, and we urge the public to use extreme caution near ramps and all bordering shoreline as conditions have changed dramatically this summer,” Steinwand said.

The current status of Missouri River boat ramps is available on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.

Wildlife biologists believe recent reports of white-tailed deer deaths in western North Dakota could indicate the presence of epizootic hemorrhagic disease.

Dr. Dan Grove, State Game and Fish Department wildlife veterinarian, said the reports have characteristics similar to previous EHD events, though biologists have not yet confirmed the cause of the deer deaths.

“Deer losses to EHD occur periodically,” Grove said. “Sometimes the incidents are isolated and affect few animals, and in other cases the disease is spread over a large geographic region.”

As of Aug. 30, less than 20 dead deer have been reported in four counties – McKenzie, Hettinger, Slope and Golden Valley.

Game and Fish is urging bow hunters and elk hunters in the field in early September to report any observations of dead deer, Grove said, and to report locations quickly so biologists can gauge distribution and severity. “To isolate the EHD virus, the animal cannot have been dead for more than 24 hours,” he added.

Information needed from each report is the species, age, sex and location. “It would be nice if we could get the legal description of the land, or a GPS coordinate, and a photograph if possible,” Grove said. “At the very least, we will need the number of miles and direction from the closest town.”

EHD primarily affects white-tailed deer, and is most noticeable in western North Dakota when high whitetail populations combine with a hot and humid late summer and early fall. Most deer that die from this are infected before the first hard frost, which kills the biting midges that spread the disease, Grove said.

The last time North Dakota had significant deer deaths from EHD was 2005.

EHD causes dehydration and a high body temperature, causing deer to seek water prior to death. Other clinical and behavior symptoms may include respiratory distress; swelling of head, neck, and tongue; lesions on tongue and roof of mouth; indifference to humans; and in later stages, hemorrhaging from body orifices.

EHD is not a danger to humans. However, hunters should not shoot or consume a deer if it appears sick.

Hunters should report any dead deer observations to the Game and Fish Department at ndgf@nd.gov, or (701) 328-6351.

Hunters waiting for their second and third deer lottery results shouldn’t have to wait much longer.

State Game and Fish Department staff worked well into the night on Friday to hold the second lottery drawing and print those licenses, according to Kim Molesworth, administrative services division chief for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

The third lottery for concurrent season antlerless deer licenses is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Aug. 30, with licenses likely mailed on Wednesday, Aug. 31.

“We apologize for the delay,” Molesworth stated. “We know that some bowhunters are anxious to get their concurrent season licenses to use when archery season opens Sept. 2. We’re trying to get those out as soon as possible.”

Bowhunters who are travelling through Bismarck prior to the opener, and don’t want to risk not receiving their license before they leave, can call or email the department’s Bismarck office by noon on Wednesday, Aug. 31 to request us to hold their license, Molesworth said. Game and Fish would then hold the license at its Bismarck office until the hunter picked it up.

Contact the Bismarck Game and Fish licensing section office at (701) 328-6335, or email ndgf@nd.gov and write “Hold concurrent season license” in the subject line.

Game and Fish will mail gratis licenses after the third lottery drawing is held.

The second and subsequent lottery drawings were later than usual this year because of the one-week extension of the deer application deadline, and an initial shipment of special license paper that didn’t meet specifications, Molesworth said. The second shipment of paper arrived in early August, Molesworth added, and the first lottery licenses were printed and mailed first.

After the third lottery drawing is held, Game and Fish will issue any remaining licenses on a first-come, first-served basis.

Hunters can use additional concurrent season doe licenses during the archery season with a bow; the deer gun season with a bow, rifle, or muzzleloader; or during the muzzleloader season with a muzzleloader. These licenses are for antlerless deer only, and hunters must stay in the unit to which the license is assigned.

In addition, youth deer license hunters ages 14 and 15 may purchase additional concurrent season doe licenses to use during the youth season.