By Nick Simonson   The firearms deer season serves as the often spectacle-filled halftime show for the upland season in which wingshooters trade in their shotguns for rifles or exchange their #5 shot for slug ammunition.  Like the midpoint of a football game, the switch to deer season also gives those in the know a…

SAY SATURDAY! Get ready for another good weekend as conditions align to help finish off your deer hunts and gear you up for the rest of the fall seasons.  We connect with the NDG&F deer plan going into 2020 along with some bad news for Montana’s moose and some meteor shower updates in today’s Outdoors…

By Nick Simonson   With gains of nearly 30,000 acres in the Private Land Open to Sportsmen (PLOTS) program from 2018 to 2019, the North Dakota Game & Fish Department (NDG&F) is eyeing a continued increase of quality hunting lands for sportsmen across the state heading into 2020.  Now at about 791,000 acres of private…

FRIDAY FUN FINDS. We learn more about our winged quarry in today’s Outdoors Roundup, checking out the life of a wild turkey, a new stunning movie on ducks in the Prairie Pothole region and the results of West Nile studies on ruffed grouse. Featured Photo:  GOBBLERS. A trio of turkeys work the edge of a…

By Nick Simonson   It’s almost like a switch turns off in my brain the second I settle in for a still hunt for deer, as was the case this opening weekend of the firearms season.  The rammy, caffeine-fueled fidgeter checks out and some zen-like observer of the world settles down in place of my…

PACKED IN!  Hunters will be at it during this nice stretch, looking for deer on the move as the rut reaches its peak.  We’ve got the latest on that and more from around the region in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  A flock of sharptailed grouse lounge in a roadside bush near Bowman. Photo by…

By Doug Leier As the North Dakota deer season continues through Sunday, Nov. 24 some hunters have finished up while others continue to work hard at filling their tag. Here’s a few more answers to questions and situations hunters may find useful. Can I transport someone else’s deer? Yes, but you will need a transportation…

Following the cold snap, conditions will align on the backside of the full moon to make hunting magical again this weekend.  We cover that, some tips for working with CWD and taking good samples, along with a unique deer herd in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  PRIMED.  A set of cartridges sits at the ready…

CATCHING UP.   A busy deer season can’t distract us from all the good outdoor news going on in our region, and some helpful tips as those who’ve punched their tags eye early ice.  We cover those things and more in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  MOON FILLED. TAG FILLED?  November’s full moon signifies that rut…

A CUT ABOVE.  We take a look at the good conditions this firearms deer season is fielding along with where we’re at with the harvest – one scenario that is making hunts a bit more challenging in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  CORNY.  A rooster pheasant forages along the edge of a cornfield. Simonson Photo….

TRACKING SNOW.  Light snow will fall this morning, providing some tracking help for those still on the hunt in today’s breezes and cooler temps.  We hit the web and share some of our own tracking tips to bring you the deer info you need and a look at the next few days of the hunting…

By Nick Simonson   For many hunters, firearms deer season is the end-all-be-all outdoor experience; a two week span so rich in tradition that many would rather miss Christmas than their time in the deer blind or the treestand.  It would make sense then, that for the International Hunters Education Association (IHEA) the deer opener,…

UNDERWAY.  The first full day of the deer season continues the mild conditions from Friday, giving you another great chance to get out there, especially with the building full moon.  We should see more movement ahead of the cold snap which starts Sunday. Featured Photo:  A rooster and hen take flight down a small draw….

By Nick Simonson   With the opening of the firearm deer season at noon on Fri. Nov. 8, more than 60,000 hunters will take to the field, pursuing a rebounding population of both whitetail and mule deer across the state which are bouncing back from a difficult stretch at the turn of the decade.  Buoyed…

YOU MADE IT!  Welcome to the 2019 firearms deer season, starting at noon today (Fri. 11/8).  May all your shots be safe and on target, and may the season bring you the best memories along with the backstraps.  We do our final check in today’s Outdoors Roundup to get you set for the season! Featured…

By Nick Simonson   “Stop trying to hit me…and hit me.”   Morpheus’ command to Neo while sparring in a digitally generated kung-fu dojo in the genre-bending movie (and body-bending, as parodied in so many subsequent films) The Matrix, sums up my thoughts on shooting.  Morpheus’ encouragement for Neo to stop thinking about everything and…

DRINK IT IN.  A nice Thursday is on tap and we’ve got a lot of great news coming in from out there, including stable ND mule deer populations, tips for ruffies in late season and another cool sturgeon restoration program underway.  Those are up in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:   MOVEMBER.  Sporting a cool barbel…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept.   The 2019 North Dakota deer season opens Friday Nov. 8 and 12 noon Central time, and runs through Sunday Nov. 24. Legal shooting hours after opening day are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset each day.   Here’s a few of the more common questions that…

ANTICIPATION RISING.  We try to stay calm with an eye toward the weekend, the deer firearms opener and the approaching full moon, but the excitement is hard to overcome. In hopes of doing so, we focus on the important dates, some solidifying safety tips about the current state of ice in the region and a…

PRACTICALLY THERE.  We’re edging closer to the big firearms deer opener and have news on that front, waterfowl migrations and what way the wind will be blowing for the big day in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  Attention!  A 5×5 whitetail perks up in front of a trail camera. Simonson Photo.   WEATHER (Bismarck Forecast):…

WEIGHTY MATTERS.  If you’re looking for ways to add some weight to flies, along with flash, we’ve got you covered in today’s Outdoors Roundup, as cooler and windier conditions blow into the region providing a good opportunity to experiment at the vise today. Featured Photo: ASSORTED. Beads, barbell eyes and cone heads help add to…

BRIGHT OUTLOOK.  The week is setting up nicely headed into Friday’s deer gun opener, we check out the early previews of what’s to come, and take  a look back at some 1930s history as part of our Outdoors Roundup and inspect some programs in play to the south. Featured Photo: Head’s Up!  A whitetail doe…

By Nick Simonson   While known for its work in securing, improving and gaining public access to elk habitat in the western United States, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) is making an impact for its namesake and for new hunters in North Dakota.  In 2019, RMEF undertook a number of projects and grants investing…

COUNTING DOWN.  Less than a week remains until the deer firearms opener.  We’ve got the previews, tactics and tips for travel in today’s Outdoors Roundup, along with a great weekend setting up for those bow hunts and perhaps some upland adventures prior to “the break.” Featured Photo:  BRUNCH. A whitetail buck grazes the last of…

SUGAR RUSH.  How are your teeth this day after Halloween?  Skittle colored?  We shake off the sugar hangover and get focused on what’s coming up for the weekend and the month of November in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  BENDERS.  Dried sunflower stocks, likely hit hard by hail this summer, showcase an odd S-curve in…

By Nick Simonson   The roaring winds of Saturday dipped only slightly on Sunday morning as we made our way into the field to close out a weekend of pheasant hunting.  Along with the slight decrease in the northwest gusts came a drop in temperature and the dashboard readout on the truck posted 22 degrees….

ALL TREATS!  The most temperate day of the week will be today, Halloween, with lighter winds and a mix of precip holding off until likely after dark.    With the approaching firearms deer season, we’ve got tips today to get you geared up for next Friday well ahead of the season in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. Wild fish and game is a common, much anticipated course to many a North Dakota meal. But if you’ve ever tried a piece of freezer burned fish, or taken a bite of a sour piece of jerky you may hesitate the next time it’s offered your way.   This is…

CREATURE FEATURE.  As Halloween approaches, we check out some cool creatures. From bats, to birds to Bufo americanus, we cover them all in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  Trick or Treat!  A Woodhouse’s toad pauses for a pic. Simonson Photo.   WEATHER (Bismarck Forecast): Today:  Wed 10/30 – Calmer – Hi 32, Lo 18, Wind…