WARM IT UP.  Temperatures take us back into summer territory, with highs in the mid 80s for the final day of July.  Relatively calm winds will facilitate a great two-day stretch on the water before a chance for rain moves in on Friday. In the meantime, we’ve got news and stories from state and regional…

NDG&F Press Release     North Dakota’s 2019 pronghorn hunting season is set, with 1,330 licenses available in 12 open units.   Bruce Stillings, big game management supervisor for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, said license numbers and open units are up from last year, when the department allocated 1,075 licenses and had…

TUESDAY TRACKER.  Wind and warm will be the name of the game today as we start thinking about the upcoming upland season.  So far, things are looking good weather-wise throughout the nesting and brooding timeframe. We cover that and more in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  Summer Sprint. A hen pheasant and her chicks make…

MILD MONDAY.  Things cool off a tad after a strong line of storms pushed through the eastern half of the state yesterday, dropping hail and bringing heavy rain and strong winds. With a cool down, we refresh the plan to fight ANS, look ahead to an NDWF fundraiser and migratory bird money in our Outdoors…

SHAKE IT OFF.  As we enter the dog days of summer, don’t forget to keep your four-legged friend cool.  Practice retrieves by stick, dummy or bumper, and get them some fitness time on the trail as well. If worse comes to worse, just take them fishing.  On the latter we’ve got sources for salmon and…

By Nick Simonson In our summer fun tying series, we’ve addressed beetles and ants and whipped up a spider, but by far the finest floating fly to flip for fish in any flow is the late summer classic – the foam hopper.  In yellows, greens and beiges these foam flies can be tied to match…

KID CATCHES.  Today’s a great day to get out with a young angler – it’s warm, sunny, and calm – the kind of day that lingers in memory for a lifetime, so go out and make it happen. This stretch of late summer provides good opportunities for kids to get on fast biting fish.  In…

NDG&F Press Release Pronghorn and swan applications are now available online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. Only North Dakota residents are eligible to apply for a pronghorn license. The pronghorn license fee is $30 for ages 16 and older, and $10 for under age 16. Applicants for a pronghorn lottery license…

By Nick Simonson   The principles of catch-and-release angling and selective harvest have been part of the public fishing consciousness for several decades, with the idea that through proper landing, handling and treatment of caught fish, productive fisheries can be sustained and maintained through the actions of anglers.  While a noble pursuit and one practiced…

HOT STUFF.  A warm weekend is on tap, with a solid stretch of weather to help close out your July.  We look back at a hot June, how to build a boat launch, and a blue-green algae alert in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:   The Fish Creek valley winds down to the recreation area near…

THIRSTY?  Drink it in! There’s lots to discover in area waters and sampling all fishing that’s available has always been a hallmark of Dakota Edge Outdoors.  In our Outdoors Roundup, the NDG&F encourages taking advantage of the state’s great smallmouth fisheries, we look at how other agencies are trying to control nuisance fish and what’s…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. It’s the middle of summer and hunting seasons are still weeks away.   In the meantime, North Dakota Game and Fish Department biologists are busy with their summer upland game and waterfowl brood surveys that will provide some perspective on hunting prospects for when the seasons do open.   The…

LET’S WALK.  Great conditions for hiking and getting in shape for the upcoming hunting season abound this week, straight into the weekend. Get out there, get some miles on and enjoy this nice stretch perfect for fishing or hunting prep and any outdoor activity. We trek around the horn from the Badlands to the big…

NDG&F Press Release North Dakota Game and Fish Department fisheries personnel recently finished stocking more than 140 lakes across the state with walleye fingerlings, completing one of the largest stocking efforts in the history of the agency. This includes more than 11.3 million fingerlings from Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery, besting the previous record walleye production…

COLOR MY WORLD.  A bright sunny day follows an influx of clouds this morning as things remain calm on your near-perfect Monday.  How you color your day is up to you, but we look at some of the more notable man-made shades that work well in the wild as part of our Outdoors Roundup. Featured…

UPS & DOWNS.  Clouds roll in this morning and then speed out this afternoon, bringing a chance for rain, but things will clear by evening.  Tomorrow (being Monday, of course) should be a great one, so call in sick!  We go around the horn in our Outdoors Update talking sage grouse, turtles and an upland…

HATCH A PLAN.  A slight cool down will help you get outside and on to some summer things.  Whether that’s fishing or hunting prep is up to you.  We take a look at how things are shaping up in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  THE DRY PATH.  A pheasant hen and two of her chicks…

FLASHY.  Another night of thunder and lightning added some flash to the sky in the early morning hours, bringing with it a bit of a cool down for the weekend.  We check that out and get psyched for some salmon fishing in today’s Outdoors Roundup.   Featured Photo:  BLING!  Flashers are ready to go for…

DRY OUT DAY. With westerly winds picking up, last night’s rain and rumbles will be blown eastward and things will begin to dry out. We’ve got the tips for fixing tips and getting ready for autumn with your late-summer hunting prep in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo: SIDE PROFILE.  A buck in velvet strikes a…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Outreach Biologist   As much as North Dakotans enjoy their home-grown local fisheries, the statistics show the big waters of Devils Lake, Sakakawea, Oahe and the Missouri River outweigh the others when it comes to number of anglers, fishing trips and hours of angling.   But the importance of these big…

HOOKED ON SUMMER.  After last night’s rains move out, things will warm up into yet another ideal summer day with light winds and temps in the mid-80s.  Take advantage of those conditions by getting on the water and using today’s tips in our Outdoors Roundup.   Featured Photo: UP TOP. The placement of a knot matters…

UNSTEADY.  Some instability builds in today and tomorrow as a chance for rain lingers with the heat and humidity which have settled in.  The July full moon will keep the bite going into the weekend, and the weather should still be nice. We check out where the wind is blowing, along with tips for bass…

NDG&F Dept. Release North Dakota Game and Fish Department upland game biologists have summarized the spring survey results for sharp-tailed grouse, ruffed grouse and sage grouse. Statistics from the spring sharp-tailed grouse census indicate a 9 percent increase in the number of male grouse counted compared to last year. Statewide, 2,267 sharptails were observed on…

LIGHTNING.  After a few rumbles of thunder in the evening and overnight, generated by yesterday’s heat, we jump back up for more warmth today. While we do, we lay out some summer time tips for better fish, better fishing and some natural lights (not the beer) in our Outdoors Roundup.   Featured Photo: Light’s Out.  A…

By Nick Simonson Everything moves faster in summer.  Kids on bikes zip down the hill in front of my house with lightning speed.  The days, despite being longer, disappear into the blur of humidity and haze of a hot day, filled with activity that barely allows a second to catch a deep breath of sweet…

SOME LIKE IT HOT.  The temperatures stay high today as things plateau into a great week for those in the outdoors.  From fishing to hunting prep you’ve got conditions to keep you outdoors.  We take on those topics and more in our Outdoors Roundup to wrap the weekend.   Featured Photo: Dog Days.  A kayaker paddles…

CALM BEFORE THE…CALM?  Things are looking great this Super Saturday as a gorgeous day rolls out on the water, and the next week looks to put summer in full swing with almost ideal conditions every day, save for a chance at some storms due to the heat.  We cover that, a big shooting sports event…

By Nick Simonson   If a tree falls in the water, and no one is around to hear it, it really doesn’t matter if it makes a sound, because it’s likely you’ll find crappies near it.  Fallen trees, those that wash downstream, or those that pile up make great summertime crappie haunts and exploring them…

OH WOW!  A great weekend is on tap, starting today.  If there were ever a three-day stretch reserved for perfect summer fishing, this would be it. As we get ready, we sift through the shoreline sand of the internet to find some legendary pike stories, pics and videos in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  DEO’s…

By Nick Simonson   There was nothing subtle about the take that came along the stand of watershield leaves which partially covered the surface of the clear shallows.  A solid bump elicited the hyperspastic reel-down on my baitcaster and the sweeping hookset which followed.  Where most of the one-to-two-pound fish had been rocketed out of…