By Nick Simonson When it comes to fast moving water, or big fish lurking below the school, nothing gets an angler down to business like the addition of a heavy, flashy bead at the front of a fly.  Whether it is a rapidly flowing stream harboring trout in deeper pockets or tucked into the slow…

By Doug Leier Going back to my beginning with the Game and Fish Department as a game warden, the common questions surrounding deer season haven’t changed that much. Neither have the answers. Which say’s a lot about North Dakota’s deer hunting heritage. The 60,000-plus hunters are passionate about the time-honored tradition and want to know…

By Nick Simonson With firearms deer seasons opening up across the United States, rolling down from the north in the next couple of weeks as the cool weather of mid-fall settles in and sparks rutting behavior across the map on into the southern states later this season, Chief Conservation Officer Kip Adams of the National…

By Mike Peluso The first half of this week we couldn’t have asked for better fall fishing weather. For me, the week was spent both on the Missouri River and on Devils Lake. Unfortunately, I was going to fish Lake Sakakawea later in the week, but Mother Nature said otherwise. I’ll start with Devils Lake…

By Nick Simonson There’s nothing so clear and so adrenaline inducing as seeing a deer through the reticle of a scope.  The movements of the animal are magnified, and if from the right position of concealment at a distance, natural and without knowledge, until the last moment, that the hunt is on. In those seconds…

By Nick Simonson When fishing far away from home, the added element of being in a new area often makes early forays a bit more challenging and a bit less successful.  That doesn’t always have to be the case, however, as doing a little research on the front end of a trip, applying similar baits…

By John Bradley Only five percent of the U.S. population hunts. That leaves 95 percent of the population as non-hunters. They are our neighbors, family, friends, or friends of friends, and so on. That population will ultimately decide if hunting is allowed to continue. If someone who hasn’t been closely exposed to hunting from a…

By Mike Peluso I was all ready to spend the week up at Devils Lake for three guide trips last week, but after watching the news and seeing winds anywhere from 25 to 45 mph, I decided it wasn’t worth it. As I’ve gotten older, I have come to realize I don’t hate walleyes that…

By Nick Simonson A rather startling headline made its way around the internet last week regarding a staggering drop of almost 70 percent of all wildlife species worldwide over the past 50 years.  Far beyond clickbait, the story detailed results of the Living Planet Report, an annual survey conducted by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)…

By Nick Simonson It’s safe to venture with its technicolor dreamcoat of feathers that a rooster pheasant provides more useful plumes for fly tying than any other bird. Where specialized chickens are bred for the sole purpose of producing their long, dangly feathers ideal for tying dry flies, the canvas found on the body of…

By Doug Leier I played a part on the Game and Fish Department’s chronic wasting disease task force and out of everything I learned, what stuck with me most, is how much I’d forgotten. Which is why review of rules, regulations and restrictions is so important for all of us. North Dakota’s archery deer season…

By Nick Simonson Until I became an active hunter, leg day was the worst day in a workout routine.  Usually falling on a Friday morning early in the weight room, it was the easiest one to skip and opt for sleeping in and starting the weekend a bit early.  However, as I’ve gotten older and…

By Nick Simonson In the dry, crackling brown of a cattail slough is one of my favorite places to be in the fall.  When the stand of dense vegetation is about chest high – tall enough to provide a good screen and cover for pheasants, but short enough to allow for a clear shot when…

By Nick Simonson The North Dakota Private Land Open to Sportsmen (PLOTS) program enters its 25th year with approximately 800,000 acres open to hunters living in and venturing to the state for varied hunting opportunities.  At no other time of year are these acres more utilized by resident hunters than this weekend’s pheasant opener on…

By Nick Simonson If you’re a fan of the Netflix show Stranger Things (and even if you aren’t) it was tough to get away from the reissuance of Kate Bush’s song “Running Up That Hill” this summer.  Even now as we get into autumn, the tune which saved Max from the grip of Vecna (spoiler…

By Nick Simonson I’m a fan of end-of-the-world movies, particularly those incorporating the zombie genre into their plot.  There’s something that piques my interest in those scenarios where nothing is left but a handful of hardy survivors taking on what remains of a hardened and structureless society of scavengers scraping by amidst the hordes of…

By Doug Leier North Dakota Game and Fish Department Hunters born 35 years ago or more have long enjoyed the opportunity the North Dakota Game and Fish Department Private Land Open To Sportsmen has provided. Hard to believe this program began back in 1997, and hunters who were around 10 years old may remember paging…

By Brad Durick We ended the guiding season right at what we thought was the end of the bite. A string of warm days has brought the temperature back up and kept the catfish going. The past few days they have been feeding on the flats and in the faster water. Sit on them 20-25…

By Mike Peluso This week’s walleye fishing on the Missouri River near Bismarck is the same story as in previous weeks. A few small fish are being caught around that 12-to-13-inch size range. I’m hoping we will see some more walleyes show up in the next couple of weeks. Sakakawea continues to be good. I…

By Nick Simonson With the youth pheasant weekend in just a few days on Sat. Oct. 1, and the general pheasant opener just a week later on Oct. 8, hunters are checking their boots, loading shells in their vests, and figuring out which parcels of their favorite hunting grounds they’ll hit when their opportunity opens…

By Nick Simonson Grass equals birds.  Habitat equals deer. Clean water equals fish.  These are the things I along with many other hunters and anglers have come to know in the outdoors. I can recall once cutting from corner to corner on a dirt field to grab the pickup truck and collect my dog and…

By Doug Leier Last week I wrote about the Game and Fish Department’s Private Land Open To Sportsmen program, which provides walk-in access to hunters on thousands of acres across the state. The PLOTS Guide, which features these walk-in tracts, also includes public land hunting access information, including more than 200 wildlife management areas totaling…

By Mike Peluso If you follow me on my Snapchat you know there are two things I absolutely hate. One is the beet juice they use on our streets in Bismarck in the winter, the other is wind. As you can guess by the time of year, I haven’t been complaining about the beet juice…

By Brad Durick The nights have been cold over the past week, and we are losing just about a degree per night in water temperature on the Red River. Right now, we are just under 60 degrees, meaning there really isn’t much time left for the good catfish bite of 2022. Not much has changed…

By Nick Simonson Whether you’re headed out after sharptailed grouse now or getting geared up for the pheasant opener in a couple weeks, having those items at the ready which make for a good hunt will help up your odds and ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. Take note of the following necessities and nice-to-haves…

By Nick Simonson While some autumn days feel more like an extension of summer, it won’t be long until colder temperatures start impacting the way animals behave, move, and identify their seasonal safe havens.  Pheasants are no different, and when things get cold – whether it’s an unseasonal dusting of snow on opening weekend, or…

By Nick Simonson Once in a great while on the water, or in the tree stand, or even just out for an early morning run, I catch a glimpse of the rising sun before it disappears under the clouds for the day as a system begins to move through.  I often find myself thinking with…

By Brad Durick You can tell it is Mid-September on the Red River. The mornings have been cool, with warmer weather during the middays. Right now, the catfish are a bit sluggish and hanging just off the drops to the holes on the off-current sides and tight in log jams and snags that are not…

By Mike Peluso I have another split on the schedule this week, with the first part on Devils Lake and the second half on Lake Sakakawea. I am hoping by the end of the month to see some walleye action on the Missouri River, but for now I will stick with the DL and Sak…

By John Bradley North Dakota in the fall can be a hunter’s paradise. With opportunities for mule and white-tailed deer, sharptailed grouse and pheasant, waterfowl and turkey, North Dakota historically has provided something for every type of hunter. People travel from around the world to hunt in North Dakota for our bountiful wildlife, hospitality, and…