By Nick Simonson   A few hours of staring at unpopped flags on a small pike lake didn’t pay off a couple weekends ago for me and my oldest son, but the glare from the snow on the ice did provide my first sunburn of the season.  Last weekend’s fast-melting conditions made a trip for…

LUCK OF THE DRAW. If you’re looking to get lucky, put your name in to the ND “Big 3” lotteries for the once-in-a-lifetime elk, moose and bighorn sheep tags.  In our Outdoors Roundup we check out the new NDG&F webcast previewing the process. Featured Photo:  GOOD RUN.  A black crappie took this Road Runner jig…

BLUSTERY!  Winds will pick up today making time outdoors challenging.  As we watch the approaching system and snow totals dropping as models align, we’ve got news and notes from across the upper tier of the upper Midwest as part of today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  White Walkers?  We’re watching the weather for this weekend and…

HUMP DAY!    Welcome to Wednesday and what will be the nicest day of the week.  We have an eye on some weekend weather, pronghorn harvest numbers from last season and what’s happening in Washington as part of today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  BUCK YEAH.  A buck pronghorn pauses in the grass west of Mandan….

NDG&F Release North Dakota’s 2020-22 fishing proclamation is set, with regulations effective April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2022. Anglers are reminded new fishing licenses are required April 1. The 2020-22 North Dakota Fishing Guide has a new look. The 52-page document offers the same information, but in a much more user-friendly format. Anglers can find the…

KEEP CALM.  Carry on with your outdoor activities!  Conditions will again allow for good times outside with highs hitting 40 and light winds making things pleasant.  We’re still watching for some weekend spookiness, but models aren’t aligned yet.  Until then we’ve got more news you can use in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  SUNRISE.  The…

STILL, DECENT.  Calmer conditions settle in for the front half of the week, but it appears like all good things, there may be a price to pay for it as next weekend approaches. We’ll keep an eye on what’s in store and where the threat of snow may fall; you get caught up on spring…

THE COOLDOWN.  Here’s hoping you enjoyed the above-average stretch of weather we experienced last week as things cool off to more seasonal levels in the coming days.  We’ve got some good views and reads today on sausage making, a haven for ruffies, and the battle against invasive jumping fish in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo: …

SUPERB SATURDAY!  Things are looking great today as good weather aligns with a growing moon which will hit full on Monday.  Get out on that late ice, or target those openwater opportunities that are starting to occur under dams and other stretches where fish will start thinking about staging. We’ve got more for your weekend…

By Nick Simonson   With the recent warm stretch and receding snowline in the upper Midwest, many outdoors enthusiasts have their eyes to the skies watching for the return of waterfowl species to the region.  Snow goose hunters in particular are preparing for the here-today-gone-tomorrow nature of migratory light geese that pass through the area…

THE RIVER.  Welcome to Friday! Things will settle down some after gale-force Thursday and a good weekend is setting up for your outdoor activities.   We’ve got a Big 3 reminder, some great venison recipes and the push for more secure funding for wild spaces in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  HONKERS.  Canada geese stake their…

By Nick Simonson   I can recall the sun rising over the eastern waters of Devils Lake as I headed to the hotel to meet my parents for a weekend of early spring fishing on the just-opened channels of the north end of the sprawling lake.  The rays shimmered on the lightly rippled bay and…

NDG&F Release Elk, moose and bighorn sheep applications are available online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. The deadline to apply is March 25. A total of 523 elk licenses are available to hunters this fall, an increase of 45 from last year. A total of 474 moose licenses are available, a decrease of…

THE TURN.  The fourth day of your work week will bring windy conditions, and while the outlying gusts may still top 50 mph, winds will likely be steady in the 30-40 mph range.  While you tighten your hat straps, we’ve got news and tips from around the state in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:   HOLE…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept.   As a biologist, when I hear, see and read information on chronic wasting disease, I try to focus on the facts and the details known at the present time. That’s an important point to understand in dealing with wildlife diseases. While in North Dakota the number of cases is…

READY, SET, GO!  The wheels are spinning fast on spring and it looks like we’re making a hard charge toward the season a bit early this year as conditions warm up throughout the week, guessing the first robin will arrive soon. We’ve got updates on what the weather may have in store for March, a…

CUTTING INTO IT. Things continue to beige up on the landscape as snow melts away in what is starting out as a mild March.  We’ve got an update on snow cover, new boating regs to the west and how to add some color to your creations in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:   COLORATION.  A selection…

WINDY WEEK.  Gusts will continue throughout much of the week as a springlike pattern settles in over the region aiding in melting and drying.  Early meteogram runs are showing midweek gusts on Thursday near 70 mph (SEVENTY?!?) which would be downright amazing.  We’re thinking spring with boating and fishing tips in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured…

By Nick Simonson   If it’s fly tying season and you’re thinking spring is coming outdoors, you’ve got to be thinking summer when it comes to finishing off your patterns.  The later stretches of the cold weather season often reflect the planning for the latter stages in the warm water season, and tying projects often…

LAMBISH?  March arrives on stiff northwest winds, but no snow and temps above freezing keep things positive to start the final month of winter. We’ve got updates on severity along with news and notes from around ND to get you geared up for this great time of transition! Featured Photo:   HONEYCOMB.  Late season ice begins…

By Nick Simonson   While winter and spring aren’t often associated with hunting in the upper Midwest, the months of January through May are an important time in the lives of young hunters as the bulk of hunter education courses are offered to those looking to get licensed in time for next fall’s seasons.  With…

WEEKEND SPLIT.  Saturday will make the melt happen as temps jump into the mid-forties and conditions remain calm for all of your outdoor adventures, providing a great end to February.  Sunday’s gusts will be notable as winds roar out of the northwest cooling us down some on the first of march.  We’ve got some reminders…

WONDERFUL WEEKEND.  Melting temperatures, low winds and great conditions will combine for an excellent weekend on the ice.  We’ve got a review from the NDG&F as the season starts to wane along with some antler breaks and campfire styles for everyone in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:   ON FIRE.  We talk campfire tactics today in…

By Nick Simonson   The rating on a box of shotgun shells reads 1180, 1205 or more than 1300 feet per second, the speed at which the pellets are disbursed in pursuit of a thrown clay or an incoming goose.  The bent coil at the base of a tip-up flag is precariously held in place…

BACK UP!  We climb the temperature scale once again as things warm toward a fantastic-looking weekend.  We’ve got more on the conditions and what’s happening locally, nationally and hopper-ly (not a word) in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:   Hopper patterns are a favorite fly to tie as the winter season winds down. Simonson Photo WEATHER…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept.   I didn’t need to look at the rainfall data last fall to confirm how abnormally wet much of the state was. And this winter, just looking out my window without knowing the exact numbers, it’s evident we’ve had plenty of snow in the eastern part of the state.  …

NEWS YOU CAN USE.  Things will settle down after the threat of snow sputtered out and the cold temps stayed north earlier in the week.  Meanwhile, we’ve got the updates from  around the region and some recognition right here at home in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:   GOOD LOOKING.  A doe pops her head up…

COOLING OUT.  We’ll feel the chill today following Monday’s system but things warm up quickly for your end-of-week adventures.  We’ve got a good look at what’s to come weather wise along with cooking tips and just where we get the term “riding shotgun.” Featured Photo:   Right On.  Spring is a good time to think about…

TIP TOP.  Monday’s looking snowy as a small disturbance takes most of Monday to clear central North Dakota. While you get ready for some light shoveling we’ve got the tip-up tips for the business end of your pike offerings as late ice – and faster fishing – approaches. Featured Photo:   FLAG!  Admit it, you love…

SHIFTING.  We’ll see a change in the wind leading to some accumulating snow tomorrow.  We take a look at where we’re at with the white stuff and how runoff may (or may not) affect your spring fishing and a CRP deadline drawing near in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:   Good Grass.  The nationwide CRP Signup…