By Nick Simonson Dragging my jig over the subtle pull of the shifting river bottom, I felt a dead weight sensation and lifted the rod tip to see the slight bend confirm what my cold and glove-covered hands could barely detect.  I completed the raise with all due haste and the point of the hook…

By Doug Leier The 2020 closing of the paddlefish take season (a limited catch and release was offered) was one of the few outdoors cancellations I recall over the past year. Game and Fish fisheries chief Greg Power said safety of snaggers, caviar processors and data collection staff were a major concern.   “Paddlefish snaggers concentrate in…

NDG&F Release A total of 58,146 North Dakota deer hunters took approximately 39,322 deer during the 2020 deer gun hunting season, according to a post-season survey conducted by the state Game and Fish Department. Game and Fish made available 68,650 deer gun licenses last year. Overall hunter success was 68%, with each hunter spending an…

By Mike Peluso Busy is an understatement right now for Mike Peluso Outdoors and Guide Service. Being a full-time guide, even if I do get an off day, I’m out scouting to make sure I stay on top of changes which can occur quickly, and lots of things are beginning to change on the Missouri…

DEO Release Dakota Edge Outdoors is proud to announce a partnership with renowned fishing guide Mike Peluso, beginning April 19. Peluso will be providing weekly updates on some of the state’s best walleye fishing and the tactics that are working from the Missouri River to Lake Sakakawea to Devils Lake, with timely reports on these…

By John Bradley Each year sportsmen and sportswomen look forward with anticipation to hunting season.  Even in spring we wait with hope for the email from Game and Fish Department notifying that we were drawn for one of the “big three:” once in a lifetime tags for moose, elk, and bighorn sheep.  Later we hope…

By Nick Simonson Hunting and fishing license sales by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department (NDG&F) increased by more than 10 percent across the board in the most recent licensing year of Apr. 1 2020 to Mar. 31 2021.  With the addition of approximately 5,000 firearms deer tags and about 800 spring turkey tags,…

By Nick Simonson I can’t tell you what I was reaching for in the boat when I set my rod down.  Likely, in the chill of the start to an otherwise perfect Saturday, it was the blue coffee tumbler I had borrowed from my mom when meeting my brother and a buddy for a drift…

By Doug Leier With boat fishing season picking up and recreational boating just around the corner, we need to again focus on the role anglers and boaters play in reducing the impact of zebra mussels and other invasive species.  Ben Holen, North Dakota Game and Fish Department aquatic nuisance species coordinator, answers some common ANS questions.  Q: What can water recreationists…

NDG&F Dept. Release A 16-pound, 6-ounce walleye caught March 13 by Dickinson angler Jared Shypkoski is the new state record, according to North Dakota Game and Fish Department personnel. Shypkoski reeled in the 33-inch fish in the Eckroth Bottoms area of upper Lake Oahe. The previous record of 15 pounds, 13 ounces was taken in…

By Nick Simonson As spring turkey hunting season kicks off across North Dakota, the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) is looking through its Save the Habitat, Save the Hunt program to continue advancing its missions of improving habitat for the birds in the state, putting more hunters on the landscape and increasing their access to…

By Nick Simonson Coming over the rise and down the gravel road to the boat launch, the early morning sun reflected off the sprawling lake, which was only slightly dappled by a light and variable breeze.  It was the first time I had arrived at the water this season where a chop wasn’t already rolling…

By Doug Leier The challenges of the past year have impacted all jobs and North Dakota game wardens were no different.   In a similar way to how virtual conferences and online shopping were suddenly more popular than ever due to the reduced contact and concentration, so too was time outdoors. Fresh air and wide-open spaces…

By Nick Simonson There’s a curlytailed grub that’s getting tougher and tougher to find, to the point where I have to order it directly from the manufacturer’s site to ensure I have enough for the season.  While it comes in standard white and yellow, two must-have colors for my spring fishing, along both sides of…

By Nick Simonson The past week has been my busiest in the outdoors, as it has been for the last eight years.  There’s been more to get done than loading up for pheasant opener at the farm.  The checklist is far longer than the one leading up to the start of firearms deer season.  Fishing,…

By Doug Leier Understanding how the Game and Fish Department’s lottery and bonus point system works can help license applicants make better decisions based on their expectations.    First, it’s a matter of understanding the lottery system. Terminology is key when you think of a bonus point versus the misnomer of a preference point. There is no preference. Just…

By Nick Simonson With an increase of nearly 800 tags over last season, North Dakota’s turkey hunters are getting set for a spring hunt which may be one of the best in recent memory, which is especially amazing considering a near all-time high for turkey hunters last spring, and the second-highest harvest of turkeys ever…

By John Bradley North Dakota’s Outdoor Heritage Fund (OHF) may be the best conservation tool in the state, yet if you stopped any hunter or angler at your favorite outdoor store, they would probably give you a blank stare if you asked them what the Outdoor Heritage Fund does.  It’s understandable as projects are not…

By Nick Simonson As anglers, we proudly display our passions on our sleeves, quite literally.  Sweatshirts emblazoned with Rapala, Vexilar, Huk and Humminbird logos are as standard issue amongst our ranks as camouflage is within the armed forces. Whether it’s due to brand loyalty or just some clothing picked up with a purchase or as…

By Doug Leier  If you drew a spring turkey license and haven’t received the tag in the mail yet, it could be because you haven’t purchased a new general game and habitat license or combination license for the 2021 hunting seasons.   The general game and habitat license is required for pretty much all hunting of game species…

By Nick Simonson North Dakota offers some incredible spring fishing, with its year-round season and limited pressure compared to neighboring states.  With those opportunities come the chances for a trophy fish, and a lot of fun angling when the action is fast.  If you’re looking to plan a trip, consider some of these stops around…

By Nick Simonson With this weekend’s news of the North Dakota state walleye record falling, and the conditions aligning for early angling opportunities, it is a picture-perfect time to catch some huge spring fish.  If you plan to take some photos of your angling success this spring or any time during the openwater season, here…

By Doug Leier One of the nationwide hunting and fishing agency priorities is referred to as R3. Recruiting new participants; retaining the current; and reactivating past hunters and anglers who have fallen away from outdoor recreation. Cayla Bendel is the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s R3 coordinator. She joins a growing list of conservation…

By Nick Simonson For Jared Shypkoski of Dickinson, his spring walleye adventures were already off to a great start after catching a personal best 31-inch fish on a trip to the Columbia River two weeks ago.  However, he broke his personal walleye record and potentially that of North Dakota – pending review by the state’s…

By Nick Simonson With spring seemingly on fast forward and any precipitation or runoff on pause, concerns for a successful spawning effort are growing on many of North Dakota’s lakes and rivers where the natural phenomenon occurs and helps sustain populations of popular species like pike, perch, and walleyes.  However, the state’s stocking program is…

By Nick Simonson I questioned the wind and the chill blowing in the mist rising off the wavy surface of the small powerplant lake, a place I frequent this time of year to cure cabin fever, prepare things for openwater, and chase the largemouth bass and crappies that are two months ahead of their brothers…

By Doug Leier Information and education are important components of the fight against chronic wasting disease, or CWD as it is often abbreviated. Ironically, shortening the identifier doesn’t give credence to the concern posed for deer species, big game biologists and wildlife managers. The Game and Fish Department website is home to details about CWD…

By Nick Simonson In the formative years of my upland experience, CRP was at its peak, grouse, partridge and pheasants were plentiful and there was an area of PLOTS, WPAs and WMAs just up the hill from my backdoor that provided a young hunter and his dog everything they could want in a walk.  A…

By Nick Simonson Early spring-like conditions have many fans of the outdoors thinking about returning flocks of snow geese, Canada geese, mallards and other waterfowl flying into the area as a sure sign that the season has come ahead of schedule.  As the limited snow recedes and things begin to warm up, some concerns about…

By Nick Simonson When it comes to marketing, a good lure needs a good name.  No angler is going to buy lures called The Skunk, Zippo, or The Blanker.  Lures must have two essentials to catch the attention of anglers.  First they must catch fish, and second they must have a moniker to remember, that…