By Doug Leier Following discovery of zebra mussels in North Dakota’s Lake Ashtabula in May, the good news is that over the course of the summer and early fall, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s searches for additional new zebra mussel infestations all came back negative.   On the other hand, recent assessments of these invasive aquatic…

LOOKING GOOD!  After rains and wind, things will be shaping up in the back half of the week for whatever outdoor activity you’re pursuing.  We’ve got that and a first look at fall’s precipitation totals along with a new Minnesota C&R muskie record in today’s Outdoors Roundup.   Featured Photo:   Get Back To It!  Ole…

MIX IT UP.  We’ve got a bad mix of light precip for your Tuesday night into Wednesday – rain and possibly snow – along with good mix of fish, game and snakes(!?) in our Outdoors Roundup, while we lament the spread of CWD into a new hunting area of the state. Featured Photo:   The sun…

NDG&F Release Two mule deer taken in September have tested positive for chronic wasting disease, including one taken during the archery season from deer gun unit 4B in McKenzie County, where CWD had not previously been found. The other deer was harvested during the youth season in unit 3A1 in Divide County where CWD was…

GUSTY.  A windy Monday sets up across the region behind Sunday’s rain.  With that new precipitation comes increased concerns over water levels in North Dakota.  We take a look at those along with the shifting influence of the moon in this stage of the fall and the end of the CTL season in our Outdoors…

WET SUNDAY.  The afternoon will be a washout, but the morning may provide some good opportunities on stand an in the field before the rains come.  We cover that and the extended forecast, along with some highlights as National Refuge Week closes and tips for field dressing deer in today’s Outdoors Roundup Featured Photo: Pair…

By Nick Simonson   With the changing weather spurring snow and coveralls one day and t-shirts and grilling just 72 hours later, waterfowl are moving into and out of North Dakota in fits and starts to match the conditions, and wet settings across the map are presenting a variety of opportunities for hunters and places…

TWO HALVES.  The weekend will take on a Halloweeny “Jeckyl and Hyde” feel as Saturday, while windy will be nice for outdoor activity, and Sunday will deteriorate into wind and rain (possibly evening snow?) by mid-day.  Along with the weather we cover salmon spawning, refuge changes and keeping boots in top shape with all this…

By John Bradley   I’ve always been drawn to getting new hunters into the field. I was lucky enough to have a large family of hunters and never had a shortage of people to take me out as a kid. It’s clear from my work in the conservation field that not everyone is so lucky….

TRAIL HARDENED. Warmer conditions continue today and into the front half of the weekend, with highs in the 50s helping to move meltwater down into swollen creeks and rivers.  With the wind and warmth, travel conditions should be better on backroads as they dry up, but pay attention in those areas that have been snowbound…

By Nick Simonson   With the forecast in mind on Tuesday, my wife and I packed all of our lawn furniture in storage under the deck, broke out a bag of chicken wings and the last of summer’s hamburger patties and ambivalently celebrated and mourned under 80-degree evening heat the end of the warm-weather season. …

TALK OF THE TUNDRA.  As the snow recedes and temperatures rise, we get talking about getting back into the outdoors this weekend.  We cover timely topics such as federal refuge divestment, the fish surveying process and a TB scare for deer hunters in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:   LISTEN UP!  A doe perks her ears…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. If you hunt in North Dakota, you are likely familiar with the state Game and Fish Department’s Private Land Open to Sportsmen program. The inverted yellow, triangular signs that dot the state’s countryside are highly sought markers this time of year when many hunting seasons are in full swing and…

MMM, MMM GOOD. A warmer pattern settles in, opening those snowed-over areas up a bit more each day and pulling wildlife out into the open again.  We cover mule deer, milkweed for monarchs and more on the melt in today’s Outdoors Roundup.   Featured Photo:   MAKING MOVES.  A flock of wild turkeys move along the…

RUSHING & RUTTING.  Waterfowl are on the move from the north and bucks are getting fired up with antlers clacking and noses to the wind.  With conditions improving, it’s a great time to be in the outdoors, which is why we’ve got that information from around the to get you out there this week! Featured…

TAKE A TOUR. When you’re done checking out the snowfall totals from last week’s storm, take another trip around the broader region to see what’s happening in the outdoors of surrounding states in today’s Outdoors Roundup.  Insight into hunter numbers in MN, firearm regulations in SD and upland improvements in MT all provide ideas to…

THAT’S BRIGHT. While the monochromatic white-and-beige winter scale has set in some, there’s still plenty of time to color up your outdoor activities.  We talk about colors shifts and small changes in lure assembly to keep things bright and cheery – and attractive to fish – in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:   PUT A BEAD…

By Nick Simonson   The 2019 Pheasant Opener will be notable for the significant snowfall that has occurred throughout the birds’ central and eastern hunting range in the upper Midwest.  When the system clears and hunters have dug their way out of their garages and cautiously advance into the field, prime areas will look much…

SOME SYSTEM.  The combination front with trailing low packed a wallop and the back side of the system will continue to drop snow over North Dakota today.  After tomorrow’s dig-out, there may be opportunities to survey the landscape and perhaps even hunt in light evening winds.  We cover that and more in our Outdoors Roundup….

By Nick Simonson     For upland hunters, pheasant opener serves as New Year’s Day and is the square on the calendar that kicks off not only another season but is also the point in time where efforts on the landscape pay off with more birds and successes and adjustments can be made based on…

ROUND TWO?  We’re watching the weather circle back around the incoming low bracing for more snow.  In the meantime we prepare for cold weather hunting, celebrate refuges and more in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  SNOW, DOG.  While totals have backed off some, there’s still plenty for field dogs to play in! Simonson Photo.  …

By Nick Simonson   On the backside of the first hill which dropped off sharply into the drain leading to the large slough at the end of the waterfowl production area, my lab Ole lit up with the hint of something carried by the northwest winds.  As he advanced on the invisible trail through the…

BULLSEYE.  The worst of the snowfall will cover eastern ND, with more than a foot possible in many places between Bismarck and Fargo by the time things wrap up in the first wave on Friday.  Wrap-around snow and high winds will continue to make things tricky for Saturday’s Pheasant Opener, so we cover that and…

By Doug Leier Last year, North Dakota pheasant hunters bagged about 327,000 roosters, which was a bit higher than the annual harvest in 2017.   Starting Saturday, Oct. 12, hunters can begin the 2019 version of the state’s pheasant season, and if preseason predictions pan out, the numbers might just go up again.   State…

COLD SLAP!  While models are still setting up, it’s looking like an early Halloween trick for much of North Dakota as massive moisture pumped up along a sweeping cold front will drop as snow, particularly from Bismarck to Fargo.  There’s lots of red on the map, meaning some of this could be heavy. Featured Photo: …

UGH CENTRAL.  Models are once again all over the place, but all of them show snow for ND this week.  Some forecasts say starting Wednesday night (Bismarck – 3”), others push potential as late as Saturday (Fargo – 15” plus!?).  We’ll keep an eye on the weather while we address sportsman’s issues, conservation efforts and…

MAKING OUR WAY.  While we’ll still have some breeze, we’re making our way out from the back of this weekend’s weather and before you know it, we’ll have a few perfect days for the outdoors!  We talk about the finalizing forecast, a change in tactics it may require for pheasants and a fun upland shirt…

LONG WINDED.  Gusts continue today but we’re looking forward to a great first half of next week, along with potential for snow ahead of the pheasant opener.  We talk weekly weather, a well-earned honor and concealment tips inside the blind in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  SUNNY DOE.  You remember sun, right?  We – like…

By Nick Simonson   Unless you’re hunting solo, rare is the pheasant hunt where it isn’t a rush to mount the gun, size up the shot and send some lead after a fleeing rooster.  For even experienced hunters and especially those in the midst of competitive and fast-shooting friends, it can be a race to…

By Nick Simonson   For avid big game hunter Dusty Nielsen of Valley City, the recently-opened North Dakota pronghorn unit of 1D proved too attractive to pass up when applying for the license lottery this summer.  With only 115 tags available in the area which had been closed since 2009 due to low population numbers,…