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,…

KITE KILLER.  It may even be too windy to fly a kite today as overnight rains come on gales of up to 45 mph, which will be sustained most of the day.  We get you ready for pheasant season with an update from the NDG&F, find the trail for grouse hunting in Minnesota and look…

By Nick Simonson     With the 2019 North Dakota Pronghorn Firearms Season set to open at noon on Friday, Oct. 4, and an increase to 1,335 tags issued by the North Dakota Game & Fish Department (NDG&F) this year, management specialists with the agency and hunters are excited about the prospects after the animals’…

SWIRLING WINDS.   From south today to north tomorrow, strong shifting winds will be the tale of the weekend.  We’ve got tips for managing the gusts in the youth pheasant weekend, some PLOTS info to be aware of and where to find DEO on the air for your first Friday of October! Featured Photo:  PLOTS are…

By Nick Simonson   As a hunter who started on his own at the age of 22, I was non-traditional to say the least, and my trip up the learning curve was about ten years behind those young people around me in my hunter’s education class that summer.  In the process though, I was mentored…

FALL PERFECTION.  A rare calm autumn day greets hunters and anglers looking to get a good one in the books as winds drop off after overnight rain and snow.  Expect increasing sun throughout the day as we get to it in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  Take advantage of great conditions for fishing, hunting or…

By Doug Leier In the spring, fisheries biologists have a small window of time to collect the northern pike and walleye eggs that are eventually stocked in North Dakota lakes as fingerlings in May and June. In the fall, those same biologists revisit many of the waters where fish are stocked to see how those…

WET WEDS.  We’ll have to deal with rain yet again with a chance for its late autumn friend – snow – tonight, as another system moves through. In the meantime we’ve got some fun reads and exciting wilderness-based movies from around the web to get you ready for a near perfect day on Thursday as…

NDG&F Press Release The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has amended the 2019 deer proclamation to allow hunters to purchase multiple licenses that are valid during any open deer season. Beginning Oct. 7 at 8 a.m. Central Time, any remaining doe licenses will be issued as a concurrent season license, which can be used during the…

LOOKING AROUND.  We slide through some very fall-like conditions in the front half of the week for the immediate area but get a good look at some relief for the weekend before checking out what’s happening with shorter seasons in Wisconsin, and troubling headlines from Georgia in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  The autumn sun…

NDG&F Dept. Release North Dakota’s two-day youth pheasant season is Oct. 5-6. Legally licensed residents and nonresidents ages 15 and younger may hunt roosters statewide. Resident youth hunters, regardless of age, must possess a fishing, hunting and furbearer certificate and general game and habitat license. Nonresident youth hunters from states that provide a reciprocal licensing…

WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS.  It’s the final day of the first of fall’s months, and it’ll feel like it with cool north winds and tapering precip, but things are getting better as the Sunday system moves out of the region.  We’ve got the news and notes to get you geared up for a good week, including…

INSIDE THINGS.  While you might have a football game on this Sunday, there’s plenty to do to wrap up summer things and get ready for more fall adventures.  We’ve got those tips to chase away the rainy day blues in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  THE WALK OF LIFE. A cautious young buck steps through…

By Nick Simonson   Conditions have set waterfowl hunters up for a successful season as a summer with plentiful rains and lush resulting vegetation have helped raise a good population of resident waterfowl throughout much of the state and sustain an increased number of huntable areas as the season gets going.  With the resident waterfowl…

GO EARLY!  Beat the rain today and get out there early as the wet part of our weekend slogs in around midday.  We’ve got the news, tips and some new frontiers for DEO in our Outdoors Roundup today. Featured Photo:  You’ve Gotta Laugh!  A deer’s velvet antler suggests and up-close-and-personal inspection of a trail camera…

By Nick Simonson   With the cooling waters of autumn, trout are on the rise in those stocked lakes which were deep enough to sustain them throughout summer. With significant warm stretches lacking in the past season, it is likely these cold-water fish survived well and opportunities for sizeable stockers are better than average this…

GET SET!  Friday will provide some outdoor opportunities and Saturday morning will allow for adventures as well, as the rain bumps back into the evening.  Take advantage because a damp, cold and windy stretch is on tap for early next week…plus a chance for everyone’s favorite white four-letter word!? Featured Photo:  Organized (kinda).  Fly tying…

By Nick Simonson   The sensations experienced and the understanding gained from a hunt or fishing trip are rewards all their own.  Whether the challenge of meeting the rising landscape or braving the heat, cold, wind, rain or snow ends with a punched tag, a missed shot, a landed fish or a lost lunker, there…