NDG&F Dept. Press Release To help North Dakota hunters prepare for hunting seasons in 2018, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department annually provides its best estimate for opening dates for the coming year. Dates become official when approved by governor’s proclamation. Tentative Opening Dates for 2018 are as follows: Spring Turkey April 14 Deer…

HEY MIKE! What day is it?  You’re halfway to another good looking weekend, with an early forecast showing highs in the upper 30s and moderate winds once again.  In the meantime, get through a couple gusty days and you’re golden.  We talk about that color and its holiday partner in today’s Three Things. (Featured Photo:…

NDG&F Dept. Press Release Winter anglers are reminded that any fish house left unoccupied on North Dakota waters must be made out of materials that will allow it to float. A popular question this time of year is if campers qualify as legal fish houses. The answer is the same for any structure taken on…

SEE WHAT I MEAN?  Sandwiched between Monday’s gales and Wednesday’s gusts, you’ll find a perfect looking Tuesday.  With above average highs soaring into the mid-40s, you’ll have great weather to get out in the field or on the ice, but make sure recent winds and high temps haven’t eroded your favorite lake’s frozen surface.  We…

FOR THE KIDS!  While the next week once again sports high temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal, the final, solidifying onset of ice making weather will come soon.  Prepare your gear and consider taking a young person out there this season, introducing him or her to ice angling.  When you do, take our tips…

HIT THE 10 RING!  It’s a perfect day to close out your weekend with some time in the field.  High temps cross the 50 degree mark, minor moon phase is up and light winds give your pup that perfect pheasant-finding breeze.  Take advantage, as Monday’s coming with winds and a cool down.  We set the…

BUTTE-IFUL WEEKEND. Unseasonably warm temperatures will once again fall on the weekend, giving you another shot at time in the field, with highs brushing 40 today and over 50 tomorrow.  Hopefully you got your decorating done last weekend so you can chase some birds or pursue that late season buck the next couple of days. …

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. Lately I’ve been intrigued by the growing interest in hunting and fishing methods that are more “retro” or “back-in-the-day.” From recurve bows for deer hunting, to fishing with a hook and bobber in the summer, to spearing through the ice in winter. There’s something to be said for hunters and…

FAIR TO MIDDLIN.  Gusts rise again today, before setting the scene for a near perfect winter weekend.  Saturday’s light breeze and mid-30s, will be followed by a slightly windier and warmer Sunday.  You’ll have some melt so keep those feet dry no matter where you’re hunting this weekend.  We talk about current trends in today’s…

By Nick Simonson While many eyes turn to the ice this time of year, the onset of winter also brings new fly anglers into the fold.  Maybe a fly rod is a holiday gift to oneself, or perhaps a thoughtful relative wrapped it up in order to expand their favorite sportsman’s outdoor options. No matter…

BREAK LOOSE!  As yesterday was an inside day with its cold and windy conditions, today’s calm and warmer temps will give you your best weekday option to get outdoors.  Wintertime, with its shorter days and longer nights provides ample time for reading.  What are some of your favorite books on the outdoors?  We look through…

NDG&F Press Release The Coyote Catalog, a statewide effort designed to connect coyote hunters and trappers with landowners who are dealing with coyotes in their areas, is open for the winter. A partnership between the North Dakota Department of Agriculture and the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, the Coyote Catalog can be a good…

THE HARDEST PART.  As Tom Petty sang it, the waiting is the hardest part.  Ice making temps approach in the next couple of days, but a really deep freeze is still forecasted as a week off.  This weekend will lend itself to upland hunting, or comfortable deer hunts with the muzzleloader or bow, and still…

By Nick Simonson The X Caddis is that perfect imitation of a struggling bug trapped in the surface film of a stream or lake.  Unable to quite break free of the weight of its shuck, this in-transition insect is an easy meal for a hungry fish below.  Quick to tie and effective to fish, the…

NDG&F Press Release Individuals or parents with children who will need to take a course in 2018 should monitor the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov, as classes that begin in January will be added as times and locations are finalized. After accessing the “Buy and Apply” link, click on the hunter education…

WHITE OUT.  Blizzard conditions settled in over the eastern third of the state, bringing another dose of snow to the region.  Winds will persist today and keep things cold behind the front moving off to the east.  Tomorrow will be your best bet to get back in the field, so until then, we go potpurri…

NDG&F Press Release North Dakota anglers are encouraged to refer to the 2016-18 North Dakota Fishing Guide or the state Game and Fish Department’s website for winter fishing regulations. In addition, anglers can visit the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov, for an extensive list of fishing questions and answers. Some winter fishing regulations include: A…

SO LONG! Colder, gusty conditions will dominate the week as the warm bubble of air which we’ve enjoyed gets swept out by a big cold front.  However, the deep freeze is postponed yet again as models push the single digit temps we need to solidify things into next weekend.  In the meantime, we talk about…

SUPER SUNDAY!  Today’s full moon and ideal weather conditions (and not-so-ideal conditions coming for tomorrow) will give you one last chance to get out and enjoy everything before the gusts take over for much of the week.  We celebrate the supermoon, pick out some ice gear and talk stocking stuffers in today’s Three Things.  (Featured…

By Nick Simonson Some folks like to trick out their pickup trucks with lift kits, extra chrome, bigger tires and other accents.  In the summer, it’s not unusual to see boats with kicker motors, dual trollers at stern and bow, multiple sonar units, light strips and all the bells and whistles.  Adding on these conveniences…

WHAT A WEEKEND! Here’s hoping you’re getting the most out of this warm stretch, as winter’s return fittingly starts on Monday.  You can always hang lights and wreaths in the bitter cold of next weekend, so as for now, dust off the shotgun, grab Rover and get out there – you’ve got it all on…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. For much of October, North Dakota weather was a little of this and a little of that. The fall migration of ducks and geese once again seemed to stay in the northern tier a little longer than hunters in the rest of North Dakota would’ve preferred. Smaller ponds froze up and…

MAKE IT A THREE DAY!  Light winds, above-average temps and a full moon will meet hunters for the first weekend of North Dakota’s deer muzzleloader season.  Whatever you’re chasing in the field – deer, upland or the last of waterfowl – this is about as ideal as you’re going to get in December!  After Sunday,…

THAT BLEW!  Did you feel the shift yesterday as those nice southerly winds turned to harsh northwest gales? There were decorative Christmas deer from Bismarck that ended up in Lincoln, we’re pretty sure.  Warm temps and windy days aren’t good for making ice (or for the current ice we have) so play it cool and…

THERE IT GOES!  With a day remaining, November fades out as we look toward December and ice fishing, though we’ll need a bit more cold weather (not in the immediate forecast) to re-harden local waters after this month’s cold start transitioned to unseasonable temps.  There’s a lot of grey, spooky ice out there, so be…

NDG&F Press Release North Dakota’s early mountain lion season in Zone 1 closed Sunday, Nov. 26, and the late season, when hunters can pursue lions with dogs, is now open. During the early season, hunters took six cats from a harvest limit of eight. Under the season structure, a conditional season could open five days…

LOVE IS IN THE AIR!  The rut is wrapping up, and those die-hard hunters are in the field looking for the last few bucks chasing does in hopes of passing on their lineage.  We talk more about mates and those species that lock up for life, hold a harem, and some that are in between,…

NDG&F Press Release North Dakota waterfowl hunters are reminded the statewide duck and white-fronted goose seasons close Dec. 3. However, duck hunting in the high plains unit reopens Dec. 9 and continues through Dec. 31. In addition, the season for Canada geese closes Dec. 21, except for the Missouri River Zone, which closes Dec. 29….

ALL SHE WROTE.  The 2017 Deer Firearms Season is officially in the books, and a lot of great bucks were taken as cold conditions triggered a solid start to the rut and then warmer temperatures allowed hunters to get out and after those deer.  Don’t hang up your field boots just yet, as we look…