By Nick Simonson   For many, the Independence Day holiday weekend represents a great time to get on the water.  Whether it’s cruising in the warmth of the afternoon or anchoring up and watching the fireworks display reflecting off the surface of a favorite lake in the evening, the water goes hand-in-hand with the mid-summer…

OBSERVED.  Welcome to your three day weekend (hopefully) and a warm one is setting up at that!  We’ve got news on non-fireworks sky shows, a boat conversion and the drought as it stood before this week’s rains. Featured Photo:  GLASSY. The sun rises over calm southern shore waters on Big Detroit Lake in Minnesota. Simonson…

By Nick Simonson   Growing up in the upper Midwest taught me to relish the warmth of summer.  Sometimes those stretches of 90-degree days spanned just a week or two in August.  Other summers, the warmth seemed to highlight the entire 12 weeks we were out of school. In between backyard kickball games, neighborhood-wide all-day…

By Doug Leier,  NDG&F Dept. Pretty much everyone who hunts and fishes in North Dakota knows they have to buy a license first, and most of those people understand that license dollars go to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.   What is less understood, despite decades of promotion by state and federal agencies…

THREE DAY EVE.  We’re just a few short hours away from a three day weekend and the air will be charged with warm, unsettled conditions along with fireworks.  We eye up where we’re sitting for your best fishing hours along with Featured Photo:  SUMMER KING. A pumpkinseed takes a prince nymph. Simonson Photo. WEATHER (Bismarck…

OVER THE HUMP.  In your holiday-shortened week, we’ve made it to the middle after a stormy and rainy Tuesday which may have broken the drought which was settling into the western half of the state.  While the impact of some gully-washing storms is yet to be seen on young pheasants, deer and other wildlife, the…

NDG&F Dept. Release North Dakota’s spring pheasant population index is up 15% from the same time last year, according to the state Game and Fish Department’s 2020 spring crowing count survey. R.J. Gross, upland game management biologist, said the number of roosters heard crowing this spring was up statewide, with increases ranging from 1% to…

GOOD NEWS TUES!  Pheasant crowing counts are up, starting your week off with some great outdoor news.  In addition to that, we’ve got more on Operation Dry Water for a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July on area lakes and rivers, a local start to a national TV program and a good looking forecast headed…

WHAT’S HATCHING?  As summer hits full swing, we’re eying up what fish are eating.  From insects, to minnows to young-of-the-year panfish, it’s important to know forage for lure and bait selection. More on how big hatches – like mayflies – impact angling in our Outdoors Roundup below along with habitat news and ANS awareness. Featured…

DOG DAYS.  The warmth of summer settles in early as temperatures spike into the mid-to-upper 90s the next couple of days.  We celebrate the new-found season and catch up on events and information for pheasants, deer and camping across America in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  On the Move.  A hen leads her brood of…

By Nick Simonson   Gaudy.  Ugly.  Fish-Catching.  These terms for one of the foremost smallmouth flies may seem divergent, but they all hit the spot for the Tequeely, a combination of kindergarten art project and scrapped experimental woolly bugger borne from a night of drunk tying along with a little bit of rubber thrown in…

NUKE IT!  We’ll feel the heat today as Ma Nature rolls in with some nineties into the start of next week.  As you enjoy some sun and fun this weekend, we’ve got updates on awesome happenings, including the Big Buck Book gaining steam, Summer Shootout registration for high school clay target shooters and more on…

NDG&F Release North Dakota’s deer gun lottery has been held and individual results are available online at the state Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. Chief of administrative services Kim Kary said moving to an online lottery has resulted in reducing the time between the application deadline and the lottery run date. “It’s a major benefit…

TAG TEAM!  The results of the 2020 Firearms Deer Lottery have been posted at gf.nd.gov, making late June feel more like late December in terms of gifts!  Here’s hoping you pulled you tag or are able to get one of the more than 6,000 remaining in the state.  We’ve got more on that and a…

NOW WE’RE TALKING SUMMER!  Things get warm again as we check out the plan for this season’s food plots, look into the excitement of pollinator week and address some upcoming changes for WMAs in ND for the holiday stretch.  That’s all in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  CRUNCHY.  A doe chews on a tender corn…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. No matter the outdoor activity, there’s always a safety checklist, and I’ll never lose sight of the importance of keeping everyone safe from start to finish. These safety reminders aren’t just for the other boaters or anglers. They are for all of us. One of the struggles in preaching about…

LOCKED IN.  We’re hitting our summer stride in North Dakota as temperatures warm throughout the next few days and calmer conditions are settling in over the region.  We’ve got more on that plus the pronghorn count firing up in the next week along with a planned state shoot getting the go-ahead, with some social distancing…

By Nick Simonson   As agencies sample the waters throughout the upper Midwest this summer, the reports they generate show that not only is the government in action for the betterment of the angling public, but it is also helping to provide vital clues which assist anglers in their efforts after the fish that can…

SO SMOOTH.  The water will be flat before you today and tomorrow as unusually calm conditions for the spring we’ve had settle into the start of summer.  We’ve got updates from the NDG&F on keeping things clean, a reminder to get ready to buy your duck stamp and big funding news from RMEF in today’s…

STRAIGHTEN OUT.  Things take a bit of a turn for the better from previous forecasts as temperatures rise slightly and things calm down some headed into our mid-week warmup. We’ve got news on a PLOTS promotion, infrastructure for fish and wildlife and a notable shift in daylight which starts today in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured…

CALM & CLOUDY Clouds roll in today, but it will be calmer to celebrate time with dad on the water or at the range.  We cover photography, get cranky and take a look at what’s to come in our Outdoors Roundup for this father’s day. Featured Photo:  For All the Dads.  Happy father’s day! Simonson…

By John Bradley   While most of us have been more tuned in to big game hunting applications this spring or hitting the water for walleye, the recent stay-at-home order gave me a chance to organize some gear, too.   Picking my way through a year of fishing and hunting equipment, my thoughts swirled around…

FIRST!  It’s the first day of summer, as the solstice hits at 4:43pm today.  We celebrate the year’s astronomical midpoint and the height of daylight with a Double Edge Day for your morning and evening fishing trips.  Along with that we check out habitat with the NDG&F, get in-depth on the seasonal midpoint and check…

By Nick Simonson   I’m a firm believer that a quick trip to the water is better than no trip at all.  One jaunt in the uplands, even in the middle of the afternoon well ahead of the witching hour, can still produce plenty of excitement. Even a short sit on stand in the fall…

CONTINUED COOL.  Temperatures stall out in the 70s for the weekend before our young summer reverts to a more spring-like feel come next week.  We’ve got our eyes on what’s ahead, including a huge win for parks, public places and wildlife with the GAOA passing the Senate and an annual photo contest from the NDG&F…

COOL IT.  A shift in the winds and the weather won’t let highs get much above 70 today with some strong northwesterlies blowing in a bit of a chill. We’ve got the reads to get you to the warmer weekend with boat launch guidance, some balance for summer deer scouting and how to find the…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept.   This spring the COVID pandemic shut down businesses, shifted working conditions and locations and created new challenges for all.   That was certainly evident within the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s fisheries division, which after lengthy consideration and spur-of-the-moment innovation, moved ahead with, and successfully completed, spring fish…

NO WIND WEDNESDAY.  Things calm down after Tuesday’s blast furnace of heat and wind as we hit our midweek stride.  We’ve got some awesome news on waterfowl populations in ND, a push to keep non-motorized trails quiet, and a reminder to sign up for soil and habitat health programs with Pheasants Forever, all in today’s…

IT’S A TRAP! Our one somewhat calm day for the week has passed, as wind and warmth surge back into the region before things tail off toward the weekend.  While the wind can provide some challenges for trap shooters, there are some good basic tips to remember as you prepare to make dust, which we…

ANNNND…STOP!  Winds taper today, allowing time on the water and a little less grit in your teeth when walking the dog. We’ve got information on how light affects bass in their feeding forays, an update on the ND CTL and build the anticipation for deer season with a look back in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured…