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…

TOTALLY TUESDAY.  While it remains cool this final Tuesday of October, we’re doing a double take on important CWD info, seeing that a little cold by itself isn’t so bad, and figuring out what to expect for deer opener in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo: SO FLY.  A Goddard Caddis is ready to float high…

FEELING COLDER.  The chill continues this week as below-average temperatures and strong winds bring cold conditions to the region.  We cover that, some lake exploration and tips for adjusting to more layers in today’s Outdoors Roundup Featured Photo: ON THE LOOKOUT. Ole the lab pauses while exploring a ridge in the cold and windy weekend…

CATCHING UP.  There’s more than enough news relating to recent conditions to go around, so we pepper it with improvements to ND’s habitat in today’s Outdoors Roundup.   Featured Photo:   ROLLING IN.  Clouds speed through on the northwest wind on Saturday as a hunter works a tree claim for pheasants. Simonson Photo.   WEATHER (Bismarck…

By Nick Simonson   Hunting upland birds behind a pointing dog can provide some of the biggest thrills in the outdoors.  Few moments stand out in the fall like a quivering tail on a rock-solid dog holding just inches from an unseen bird buried in the grass.  The tension and anticipation coming from those memorable…

SATURDAY STOMP.  Don’t let the winds blow you down today, get out there and stomp away!  Look for pheasants along cover and find ways to work with the wind on the weekend you’re given.  We’ve got tips for that and more in today’s Outdoors Roundup.   Featured Photo:   BLOWING! Debris from a harvested corn field…

By Nick Simonson   With the final week of the North Dakota State High School Clay Target League’s (ND CTL) fall season wrapping up, the hundreds of participating students will rest their guns for the winter ahead of the 2020 spring competition.  While they’re taking a break from the trap houses which will likely go…

FINELY TOOLED.  You’ll feel the warmth today if you’re out on a hunt, but it will be short lived, so enjoy it!  In addition to the forecast, we’ve got the insight into some small additions to your hunting pack that can make all the difference in the field, which we cover in today’s Outdoors Roundup….

By Nick Simonson   The beginning of fall and the start of archery hunting for deer is an interesting time.  It’s great to be out, sitting in the stand watching the last of summer (and the mosquitoes) fade away while deer begin to make their moves as the mornings and evenings cool off and patterns…

LET’S ROLL!  Things are looking good for today and tomorrow, with warmer temps and tolerable winds.  Plan your sneak out accordingly!  We’ve got some field tips and a few cool turtles to talk about in today’s Outdoors Roundup.   Featured Photo:   Six Pack.  A group of roosters works a ditch along a cattail slough. Simonson…

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…