The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Official Newspaper for Foster County
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Regardless of how safe and cautious boaters are on the water, accidents happen. If a boating accident involves injury, death or disappearance of a person, an accident report must be completed and sent to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department within 48 hours of the occurrence. If property damage exceeds $2,000, but no deaths or injuries occur, a boat operator has five days to file a report. These reporting requirements are mandatory whether there is one or more boats involved. A boat accident form is available on the Game and Fish...
I took a little good-natured ribbing from fisheries chief Greg Power for a column a little while back referencing his connection to our North Dakota fisheries dating back to Jimmy Carter, bell bottoms and disco music. While it's all in jest, the truth is history is one of the best teachers we have. Power recently gave another history lesson in the March-April issue of North Dakota OUTDOORS. The full magazine feature can be found on the Game and Fish Department's website at gf.nd.gov. With...
Photographers interested in sending photos for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Watchable Wildlife Photo Contest must follow guidelines for submitting their work. Photographers should go to the Game and Fish Department’s website at gf.nd.gov/wildlife/watchable-photo-contest. Then it is a matter of providing some pertinent information about the photo and uploading it. Doing so helps both with ease of submitting photos for the photographer and managing those images for department staff. The contest is open and the deadline for sub...
Outdoor recreationists are encouraged to keep it clean this summer by picking up all trash. It is not uncommon to see garbage piling up around full trash containers. Styrofoam containers are not biodegradable, but are often found wedged in cattails, drifting or washed up on shore. Tires, mattresses and kitchen appliances have found their way to public use areas. Not only does it spoil the beauty of the land, it destroys habitat, has the potential to pollute North Dakota waters and can injure wildlife....
There's never enough time and space to cover all the common questions anglers have. Some are in-depth and the Department does its best to answer these questions via North Dakota OUTDOORS, videos, podcasts, all of which can be found for free on the Department's website at gf.nd.gov. Many topics warrant deep discussion such as size restrictions or trophy regulations. Others are short and simple, yes or no. Yes, you can fish with two lines during open water. No, you may not "help" someone else catc...
Outdoor enthusiasts should note that possession or use of fireworks on state wildlife management areas is prohibited. The primary objective of a wildlife management area is to enhance wildlife production, provide hunting and fishing opportunities, and offer other outdoor recreational and educational uses compatible with these objectives. Only activities that would not disrupt the intentions of how these areas are managed are encouraged, and fireworks are not compatible. In addition, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department will lift the...
The fish and wildlife variety in North Dakota is truly impressive. From paddlefish and pallid sturgeon in the Missouri River, to trophy catfish and the recent repopulation of sturgeon in the Red River. We're home to mountain lions, moose and elk, also the unique furbearers including river otters, fishers, bobcats and American martens. While few outside of the state would recognize the variety, North Dakotans take pride in sharing the water and land with these unique residents. One of the more...
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department encourages boaters to plan accordingly when launching and loading a boat. Here are a few simple reminders to ensure a fluent transition at the ramp. Launching • Don’t pull onto the ramp until your boat is ready to launch. • Prepare for launching in the parking area. Remove covers, load equipment, remove tie downs, attach lines and put in drain plug before backing onto the ramp. • When ready, pull in line to launch. Wait your turn. Be courteous. Loading • Don’t block the loading area with your boat u...
North Dakota state law requires youth ages 12-15 who want to operate a boat or personal watercraft by themselves with at least a 10 hp motor must pass the state’s boating basics course. The course is available for home-study by contacting the North Dakota Game and Fish Department at 701-328-6300, or [email protected]. Two commercial providers also offer the course online, and links to those sites are on the boat and water safety education page on the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov. While the home-study course is free, there is a fee to take it o...
As a kid growing up in the 1980s, fishing was about opportunity. Thankfully, North Dakota forefathers set up most communities near a waterway for transportation and goods. For me it was less about necessity and more about my ability to ride a bike to the river where I was certain to catch a pike or perch, but most often it was a bullhead on the end of my hook. I wasn't a very good angler and not much has changed. I actually tried to fool myself and set myself goals on catching a whopper...
North Dakota residents who want to give fishing a try can fish for free June 1-2. That is the state’s free fishing weekend, when all residents 16 and older can fish any North Dakota water without a license. Residents 15 and younger do not need a fishing license at any time of year. The weekend provides a great opportunity to try fishing for the first time or take someone new. Information on regulations, where to fish and what equipment is needed is available on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website at gf.nd.gov...
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will lift the Tuesday-Wednesday no-camping restriction for Memorial Day week, which will allow overnight camping May 28-29 on those WMAs that otherwise have this two-day restriction in place. A complete list of WMA regulations is available on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov....
Twenty years ago I wrote a column about technology. It was inspired by a walk through an early spring hunting and fishing expo. What I wrote then and what I'm thinking about today with forward-facing sonar and even more evolution really hasn't changed much at all has it? Think back to your last trip outdoors with friends. Chances are, somebody brought along a cell phone. Another buddy may have packed hand-held radios, and it wouldn't be surprising if someone had a GPS unit mounted on the pickup...
When it comes to phone apps, I'll be the first to admit I'm not the next generation. I'm at best the past generation and hopefully not the lost generation. While I admit I do enjoy having access to all the Game and Fish Department information on my mobile device, I'm much more comfortable on my desktop and laptop if needed. In full transparency, I've yet to buy my hunting and fishing license on the official North Dakota Game and Fish Department app. Until right now. But like the rest of you, I'v...
North Dakota’s 2024 deer season is set, with 50,100 licenses available to hunters, down 3,300 from last year. In addition, muzzleloader licenses decreased by 66 and restricted youth antlered mule deer licenses remained the same. Casey Anderson, North Dakota Game and Fish Department wildlife division chief, said population, harvest and survey data indicate the state’s deer population is stable to decreasing in the southeastern part of the state. “The 2023-24 winter was one of the mildest on record. However, fawn production was reduced follo...
A highlight of my early years with the Game and Fish Department as a district game warden was the variety of field-training opportunities. New wardens learn different required skills from seasoned wardens at stations literally in every corner of North Dakota. My primary training warden was Kurt Aufforth, who was stationed in Watford City at the time, and my weeks with him coincided with the paddlefish snagging season. A lot has changed since then. Kurt is retired and I'm a biologist in West Farg...
North Dakota’s paddlefish season opens May 1, and is scheduled to continue through May 21. Paddlefish tags are available for purchase online at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov, at license vendors, and during business hours at Game and Fish Department offices in Bismarck, Dickinson, Jamestown, Devils Lake, Lonetree (Harvey) and Williston. All paddlefish snaggers must possess a paddlefish tag, in addition to a valid fishing license. For more information on the paddlefish snagging season, snaggers should refer to the Game and Fish w...
There's just something to be said for consistency. Not just because I'm an old man and don't like change, either. Changing fishing regulations year to year and lake to lake can maximize management at the expense of confusion leading to angler frustration. Same with hunting. Case in point: In my years with Game and Fish I've seen deer license allocation range from a high of nearly 150,000 in 2008 and a low of 43,275 in 2015. The lottery system used to distribute the tags for the hunters is...
Do you think much about wild turkeys in North Dakota? If you're like me, when you see a turkey you call them out: "tom, jake, hen ... how many are there? Are they on private land? Where did they come from and where are they headed?" Game and Fish biologists wonder some of the same things, and with a five-year study and the cooperation of University of North Dakota, Department personnel put transmitters on 100 turkeys last winter, with the goal of fitting 115 birds with the same devices this wint...
The work of North Dakota game wardens is so much more than checking hunting and fishing licenses. The men and women wearing a badge and working the frontlines of game and fish law enforcement are the first called when a hunter has a question or a landowner is dealing with deer depredation. They're the individuals keeping personal watercraft operators safe while making sure poachers aren't taking more fish and wildlife than legally allowed. Each year Scott Winkelman, chief game warden, provides...
Landowners interested in a 2024 deer gratis license must apply online by visiting the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. The deadline for applying is June 5. General deer and muzzleloader lottery applications will be available online in early May, also with a deadline of June 5. Gratis applicants who have previously applied online will automatically have their land description forwarded to this year’s application. However, any changes with land descriptions from last year’s application must be made prior to sub...
We live in a world of point, click, instant access and information. Patience is a rare commodity, but when it comes to hunting and fishing, it's not an option. Waiting for the right deer or the hot bite is as important as finding the right lure or spot. In the same way, maintaining, enhancing and growing wildlife populations like deer and pheasants is a long-term investment. It's not practical to think simply stocking fish or dumping food for wildlife is much more than a short-term feel good at...
The spring snow goose conservation season opened up back in February and the spring turkey season is just a couple of weeks away. If you are a hunter, you need to make sure land your hunting is not physically or electronically posted. Landowners who missed the deadline last year or did not electronically post their land last year can still physically post their land at any time. It's an important and sometimes overlooked aspect of the electronic posting of land in North Dakota. Electronic...
Volunteer instructors for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department were recently recognized at the annual banquet in Bismarck. Richard Bahm, Mandan, was recognized as Hunter Education Instructor of the Year. Local volunteers recognized included the following: • Fifteen-year service awards were given to Christopher Krenzel, Harvey and Michael Ness, Carrington. • Recognized for five years of service was Jason Lura, Carrington. • A two-year active instructor recognized was Cody Krause, Carrington....
Local clubs or communities interested in receiving a grant to support a high school trap shooting team must have the application in before April 1. Existing teams that have received a grant in the past are not eligible. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department offers a grant of up to $1,000, with funds designed to purchase gear such as eye and hearing protection, vests, shell bags and magnetic barrel rests. Interested applicants can print out the high school trap league grant application online at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. For...
