By Nick Simonson When it comes to the late season for pheasant hunters – the start of which is unofficially marked by the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, and this year’s timely first significant snow event in the region – it is sometimes difficult to figure out how birds have been impacted by the sudden change in…

By Doug Leier When most hunters think about prime time for pheasants, grouse or whitetails in North Dakota, early November usually comes to mind. Those crisp mornings, full stands of cover, and fields humming with activity. But there’s a quiet opening near the season’s back end – late November into early December – that’s too…

By Nick Simonson While water levels are slightly off from normal, the fisheries throughout southeastern North Dakota are in excellent shape heading into the winter of 2025-26.  With abundant options for perch and walleyes, along with some well-known waters now producing fantastic bluegill and crappie fishing, the region is primed for hard water with a…

By Mike Peluso What a month it has been!  After grinding it out through September and for half of October, these past 30 plus days have been something special when it comes to fishing walleyes on the Missouri River in Bismarck!  When I hear people say: “we must have caught a hundred,” for the most…

By Nick Simonson As we set foot into the stretch of private land the welcoming owner offered up to us on the abnormally warm November afternoon – nearly 60 degrees as we started our trek with two hours before sunset – it wasn’t long until I could hear the squish-squash of each of my lab…

By Nick Simonson While the numbers of mule deer are down in North Dakota, with the western third of the state representing the edge of the species’ northeastern boundary, the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) has been hard at work to help improve habitat conditions and increase access for hunters in the Peace Garden State over…

By Nick Simonson In the first quarter mile of our walk into the grassy tree claim that my dog and I like to frequent when a weekday morning opens up in our schedule, he had put three roosters in the air in front of me, the bookends presenting very makeable shots and the middle bird…

NDG&F Release The North Dakota Game and Fish Department (NDG&F) is monitoring sick and dead birds across the state in response to increasing reports from the public. Dr. Logan Weyand, Department wildlife veterinarian, said Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is likely the cause and has been confirmed through testing this fall.  Understandably, most of the…

By Doug Leier When someone tells me they shot a limit of pheasants, reeled in a 15-pound northern pike or missed the biggest buck they ever saw, I can’t help but picture my own moments – past hunts, good and not so good. It’s only natural. A reference point forms from my own outdoor success…

By Mike Peluso The fall walleye bite is definitely going strong on the Missouri River near Bismarck right now.  I spent a lot of time and effort on the river in September and October looking for a steady bite, even though I know from my past experience that deer openers are typically the benchmark for…

By Nick Simonson The final weekend of the firearms deer season is often referred to as “Desperation Weekend” as hunters who’ve held out for that trophy buck they’ve been watching on trail camera all summer or perhaps just imagining in their minds this fall, get antsy as the paper tag in their pocket weighs them…

By Nick Simonson It’s deer season, and that means along with time on the stand, tenderloins on the grill and racks on the wall, as a result of your hunt you can also get more great materials on your fly desk to work with.  Saving a sampling of deer hide from your quarry is a…

By Doug Leier No deer is worth risking your life or someone else’s. Each year, firearm incidents can be prevented by following a few essential safety rules. First and foremost, always treat every firearm as if it’s loaded. Never point a gun at anything you do not intend to shoot. Muzzle control is one of…

By Nick Simonson Based on surveys and analysis conducted by the National Deer Association (NDA), more mature deer are being harvested by hunters than in the last century’s worth of seasons. Coming from a compilation of data analyzed and assembled by the NDA in its annual Deer Report from various wildlife agencies throughout the country,…

By Mike Peluso The fall walleye fishing has really changed in the past couple of weeks on the Missouri River near Bismarck.  We are seeing a push of fish moving up from Lake Oahe.  Along with this push there are even a few unicorns that have shown themselves.  The fish are extremely healthy looking even…

By Nick Simonson So many of the lessons and learnings and sayings we have in and take from the outdoors translate over to life in ways both metaphoric and tangible.  “Don’t step on what you can step over,” means that unstable log you’re thinking about balancing a footstep on as you proceed on your way…

By Nick Simonson North Dakota’s deer herds are in a rebuilding phase as they come off two easy winters in 2023 and 2024 which have worked to their benefit.  Habitat however remains the larger concern on the landscape of the Peace Garden State and will likely drive how rapidly that population recovery happens following a…

By Doug Leier North Dakota’s first 2025 deer season opened on Aug. 29 at noon and runs through Jan. 4, 2026. For many hunters the “real deer season” is the gun/rifle season which runs from Nov. 7 Nov. 23.This year 42,300 licenses were available to hunters, down 7,800 from last year. In addition, muzzleloader licenses…

By Nick Simonson The firearms deer season brings with it renewed demands of hunters in the field.  From the physically challenging hikes in the badlands with a coveted mule deer tag in the back pocket, to time spent on stand in the eastern farmland reaches of North Dakota waiting out a rut-crazed buck, hunts this…

By Mike Peluso The fall walleye fishing is improving slowly but surely out here on the Missouri River and Lake Oahe just south of Bismarck. The migrating fish coming out of Oahe are slowly trickling up the river right now; not in huge numbers, but they are definitely moving.  I think we are almost on…

By Nick Simonson The firearms deer opener brings with it the hope of affixing a tag to the ear of a doe or the antler of a buck after a successful hunt. Doing so, however, goes far beyond the simple act which signifies the end of one’s season in the field. Such a moment is…

NDG&F Release North Dakota’s early Canada goose season dates are set, with bag limits and licensing requirements the same as last year. Opening day is Aug. 15 in all three zones. Closing dates are Sept. 7 in the Missouri River zone; Sept. 15 in the western zone; and Sept. 22 in the eastern zone. Early…

By Doug Leier In my job, I try to consume as much outdoors media as possible. You’ve got your favorites and so do I. I’ll acknowledge my bias with North Dakota OUTDOORS, the Game and Fish Department’s official magazine. Many wrongly assume there’s some dark web communication within the Game and Fish Department. Like most…