dakotaedgeoutdoors

Our Outdoors: Getting Closer

By Nick Simonson The darkening grayness of the overcast sunset hour crept down from the buttes along the small valley formed by the feeder creek and river where my bow stand rests, near their junction. The rising north winds carried flurries into my eyes which I blinked away. I looked down at the frosted the…

Daily Edge for Thu. Nov. 16

RUB A DUB DUB. We’d hate to be a sapling this time of year. If you’ve been getting out the past few days, odds are you’ve happened upon the fast-developing rublines and the unfortunate shrubs and trees which have been shredded by rut-drunk bucks. This weekend is setting up to be a nice one, so…

Winged Beef and Broccoli

By Nick Simonson For many folks, sharptailed grouse is an acquired taste, as the deep red breast meat is more reminiscent of beef than chicken, and among all the upland game birds harvested in an autumn, it definitely doesn’t have a flavor comparable to any farmyard fowl. Take advantage of that texture and taste by…

Daily Edge for Wed. Nov. 15

FALL FOR NOW. Much of the snow from the past two weeks has melted away, putting the landscape back in beige. We chill out today, staying in the 20s all day, before we bounce around in the mid-30s for the foreseeable future. The weekend is setting up to be calm, so plan your mid-season firearms…

Fall Advisory Board Meetings Set

NDG&F Press Release Outdoor enthusiasts are invited to attend a North Dakota Game and Fish Department fall advisory board meeting in their area. These public meetings, held each spring and fall, provide citizens with an opportunity to discuss fish and wildlife issues and ask questions of their district advisors and agency personnel. The governor appoints…

Daily Edge for Tue. Nov. 14

GO FISH. No seriously, if there’s some openwater somewhere near you, take advantage and wet a line today, as we probably won’t see highs near 60 for a few more months. Of course, if you were waiting for hardwater, this might set us back some. In today’s Three Things, we talk about the fish of…

Fishing Tourneys Require 30 Day Notice to NDG&F

NDG&F Press Release Organizers planning fishing tournaments, including ice fishing contests this winter, are reminded to submit an application along with fishing tournament regulations to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department at least 30 days prior to the start of the event. The 30-day advance notice allows for review by agency staff to ensure…

Daily Edge for Mon. Nov. 13

NOVEMBER THUNDER? No, it was the sound of rifle hunters reverberating through the draws and valleys of North Dakota yesterday, as the second straight day of calm winds and warmer temps allowed hunters to get out and explore a bit more than on the opening afternoon. If you haven’t seen it yet, we talk about…

Daily Edge for Sun. Nov. 12

TEMPS RISE, DEER FALL. Ideal conditions had hunters out in droves on the first full day of the season, and today will bring more of the same as light southerlies and temps around 40 will be conducive for great deer hunting, whether walking or still. Keep your eye out for that buck – and other…

Dakota Uplander: Good to be Back

By Nick Simonson Not ten yards out from the truck, my young lab, Ole, plowed into the lightly drifted snow in the treeline running down the center of a 40-acre square of PLOTS land. The western side had been hayed in reaction to this summer’s drought, while grass on the eastern side, save for a…

Daily Edge for Sat. Nov. 11

TAGGED OUT YET? Probably not. Conditions were not ideal for the first afternoon of the ND deer season, and gusts up to 35 mph kept a lot of hunters on the sidelines or sitting in the truck watching. Look for things to improve today, for the first full day of the season. We talk darkhouses,…

Keep Safety Front of Mind this Season

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. With deer gun season getting underway, and upland game and waterfowl seasons continuing on, it’s a good time for a reminder about hunting safety. Not that there is a bad time for such a reminder. Whether it’s grouse hunting in September or deer hunting in November, the same rules apply…

Daily Edge for Fri. Nov. 10

WIDE OPEN! Congrats! You made it to another deer opener! The last of the cold stretch wraps up this morning as southerlies blow warmer temperatures in for the start of the season. You’ll have enough snow to track your deer, but it won’t stick around much longer, like the fleeing flocks of geese overhead. We…

Deer Hunters Should Be Aware of Thin Ice

NDG&F Press Release North Dakota’s deer gun season opens Nov. 10 at noon, and the state Game and Fish Department cautions deer hunters to be wary of ice conditions. In some parts of the state, there are already small and mid-sized waters that show the appearance of safe ice. Even though deer might be able…

Our Outdoors: United in Orange

By Nick Simonson Blaze orange is the color that binds us as hunters at this time of year. While we all may don the most visible shade known to man to let members of our hunting parties, or those in others know of our presence, the color serves as a common bond. It is a…

Daily Edge for Thu. Nov. 9

SEE YOUR BREATH! It was a chilly evening on stand last night and those conditions will persist today, minus the snow flurries. In what will be the calmest and coolest stretch of weather for a while, tonight may be your best bet for that buck before things get moving with deer opener tomorrow! We talk…

History of the Half Day

By Nick Simonson Like most states in the upper Midwest, North Dakota’s firearms deer season is designed to span the most likely stretch of the rutting period, which usually happens during the month of November. However, unlike a lot of those states, North Dakota’s season is 16-and-a-half-days long. In Minnesota, the season is 16 days,…

Non-Profits Must Apply for Fundraising Licenses by Jan. 1

NDG&F Dept. Release Nonprofit organizations that are eligible to receive big game hunting licenses in 2018, must have the application submitted to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department no later than Jan. 1 Deputy director Scott Peterson said as a result of a legislatively mandated study, Game and Fish worked closely with the 2017 state…

Daily Edge for Wed. Nov. 8

UNDERHILL & OVERHILL. Sunset comes earlier and earlier, and we’re still five weeks out from the solstice. While this makes an after-work trip into the field less and less likely, it does mean you can pop right out for that night bite when things freeze solid. We’d like to say it’s going to be soon…but…

Hunting Opportunities Expand on ND Refuges

US FWS Press Release In a continuing effort to increase access to hunting and fishing on public lands, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a final rule to open or expand opportunities across 132,000 acres on 10 national wildlife refuges. This will bring the number of refuges where the public may hunt up to…

Donate Venison to Sportsmen Against Hunger

NDG&F Dept. Press Release The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is reminding deer hunters to keep in mind the Sportsmen Against Hunger program this fall. While this year’s deer proclamation allows only one deer gun license per hunter, families with more than one license might want to consider donating a deer to this worthy…

Daily Edge for Tue. Nov. 7

COLOR UP! Alright, there’s been a lot of gray skies, white flakes, and beige cover on the Daily Edge, leaving things a bit monochromatic as of late, so let today’s installment serve as a reminder that you can color up your winter season when you feel the need to. Tie up a few flies, jigs,…

Fall Mule Deer Survey Completed

NDG&F Dept. Press Release The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s fall mule deer survey indicated fawn production in 2017 was lower than in 2016. Biologists counted 2,548 (3,003 in 2016) mule deer in the aerial survey in October. The buck-to-doe ratio of 0.32 (0.48 in 2016) was lower than the long-term average of 0.43…

Daily Edge for Mon. Nov. 6

DON’T BE A WIMP. While geese are pre-programmed to head south as their waters lock up for the winter, you don’t have to bail on some of the season’s best days which are yet to come. New temperature model runs show this week holding cooler than average, keeping some tracking snow on the ground and…

50 Pheasant Flies: Pheasant Ice Soft Hackle

By Nick Simonson Soft hackle flies come in all shapes and sizes. For dainty fish like trout, tiny spider patterns with wisps of partridge hackle are all it takes to mimic delicate crane flies or smaller aquatic insects just under the surface. For those hungry fish that want a bit more of a mouthful, heavier…

Daily Edge for Sun. Nov. 5

ICED UP. Freezing mist hit the southern stretch of ND yesterday, leaving roads a bit slick and trees and cover decorated with a solid glaze. Behind the front, we’ll cool down and clear up over the next couple of days, further pushing rutting activity in local deer populations. Gearing up for deer opener, it looks…

Starting a CTL Team – Part 2, School Sponsorship

By Nick Simonson With the funding and conservation club support in place to start a Clay Target League (See Part 1 of this Series) team for youth in your area, the next task in our series can often seem to be the most challenging. Whether it’s concerns with public presentation, or not being able to…

Daily Edge for Sat. Nov. 4

WHITE WALKERS. We’ve got snow! About two inches fell in the Bismarck area between yesterday and last night, with more on the way. You may have to dig out in some areas of the state, but the white stuff will make tracking in the field easier. Whether you’re gearing up for deer season, or heading…

What Is Dead May Never Die

By Nick Simonson The chill of the near Halloween night had left a layer of ice on the small feeder creek which led down to the lake at the center of a small Wildlife Management Area. The cold, still air amplified the crackle and snap of each footstep of my young lab, Ole and I…

Daily Edge for Fri. Nov. 3

STICK AROUND! Today’s weather will bring with it the first accumulations of snow which may actually stick around for a few days. By mid-day, things may get dicey, so whatever early hunts you have planned, make sure you drive with care on the way back in. We talk deer, ducks and more in Today’s Three…