SUNDAY MAGIC.  Make it happen today as mixed skies and south winds warm things up to 70 degrees.  We’ve got updates on access to ND’s lakes and rivers along with fishing pier conditions from the NDG&F, increasing daylight and a pretty good looking week ahead in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  Color/BW. A rainbow trout…

By Nick Simonson   Spring is the time of the year that many die-hard anglers have in the back of their mind as the opportunity to catch the biggest fish of the season and possibly their lives.  Regardless of whether they’re on the tail end of the pike bite through the ice or the first…

SPLIT SATURDAY.  We’re working through a little morning rain and getting setup for a good weekend.  In the meantime we catch up with organizations across the nation to see what’s happening in conservation, preservation and protection of wildlife and wild places in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  WAITING ON GREEN.  Grass is starting to grow…

By Nick Simonson   Wedged into the narrow corner under the removable jumpseat in the big boat which had just come out of storage this weekend, I struggled to aim my headlamp and balance the beam from my phone light at the connectors on top of the battery terminals, the snap of electric sulfur and…

WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND!  Things will cloud up and some moisture is in the mix tonight and tomorrow but it won’t be a wash out. Sunday is looking great for time outdoors or on the water. We catch up with state, national and world conservation updates in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  A MIX. There’s…

WHAT’S NEW?  Besides the moon, which will help with your fishing exploits here at the end of the week, there’s lots of news from around the region including stopped spawning efforts in South Dakota, grizzly bear interactions in Montana and some tips to keep trespasssers at bay from QDMA.  All of that is part of…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept.   My first North Dakota bear observation was in the Turtle Mountains north of Dunseith, in an area where it likely would not surprise you to see a black bear. The first eagle I witnessed in the wild was years ago in Logan County, at a time when you’d stop…

PICK UP MAN.  Make today about gathering garbage, cleaning up your neighborhood and helping make things better for people and wildlife – because it’s the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day.  We cover that, NASP numbers and some big awards for conservation efforts in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  KEEP IT CLEAN.  A clean flowing stream…

PLAY HOOKY.  Literally.  As in bait your hook and get out of whatever you’re supposed to be in today, because it is going to be nice.  We’re talking “best day of the year” thus far. We’ve got more on the fantastic forecast below, plus some great funding news from the NDG&F, non-lead options from NWF…

MONDAY MOVING.  The wind will pick up again today bringing gusts of 40 mph or more to the region. We check in on big pike, a unique deer hunting option and a sure sign that spring is here to stay in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  VERDANT. While we’re a month or so off from…

SUPERB SUNDAY.  Winds build throughout the day, but it won’t be as gusty as yesterday as temperatures climb into the mid-50s to finish out your weekend.  We’ve got updates on an upcoming PLOTS survey, movements of a small upland bird and what the week ahead has in store in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  SPRING…

By Nick Simonson   The continuous fishing season in North Dakota and South Dakota coupled with warming weather and rumors of a hot bite in any given location can bring anglers out in droves, particularly in those combat fishing areas along spawning creeks and channels from Devils Lake to the Missouri River basin to smaller…

BUILDING SOMETHING.  On the other side of the weekend lies the spring week you’ve been waiting for! In addition to the build up toward a beautiful stretch, we cover all the excitement of the final NDG&F fishing preview, the approaching Earth Day celebration and a look at the winter that was in our Outdoors Roundup…

By John Bradley, NDWF Executive Director   When the alarm went off, I had already been awake for 15 minutes.  I easily popped out of my bed in the back of my 4Runner and started layering up. I was off hiking with my pack and shotgun slung on my shoulder in a matter of minutes. …

BRING THE WARMTH! We get out of the trough and start moving up the slope with temperatures headed into the 50s on southwest breezes to get your spring fishing back on track. Things should feel more springy again in the coming week or so as well.  We cover that forecast, updates on NDG&F meetings an…

By Nick Simonson   Seeing a fish come in behind a lure is one of the most exciting moments in angling.   When the water is clear and the shadow of a pike or muskie becomes a distinctive, magnified image of what I’d imagine Leviathan looked like in legend, few things in the outdoors get the…

BOOSTED.  We’re stealing spring back from Ol’ Man Winter with a continuous climb toward a warmer weekend.  We’ve got more on what to expect for your end-of-week outdoor activities plus fisheries news from the NDG&F and more on the expanded access to Federal Lands coming in 2020 from the US FWS in our Outdoors Roundup….

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept.   Most Vikings and Twins fans can remember how their last season ended. In general, each team lost in the playoffs, but you’d probably have to stop and think about the details, such a which team the Vikings beat in the first round of the playoffs (Saints), and which team…

AGENCY UPDATE.  In this chilly stretch that feels more like February than mid-April, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes – particularly with regular spring updates and those not-so-normal ones coming out.  We’ve got an eagle watch from NDG&F, a surprising stocking decision by the MN DNR and a slew of updates from the…

SNOWED OUT.  After the scattering of snow across much of the state for one last jab from Ol’ Man Winter, we slowly make our way up and out of the chill zone.  Northerly winds prevail until Friday when a warm-up comes our way. In the meantime we’ve got bear watch, fish finder history and a…

BACK TO IT.  It’s Monday again and we’ve got a slog through some cold weather but good news is on the horizon, despite a dusting of snow on the ground.  In the meantime we take a stab at vulnerable state records, the growing regional trend of out-of-state closures for hunters and anglers and a look…

By Nick Simonson   Spring walleyes – especially those river fish that offer up some of the season’s first opportunities as ice takes its time peeling off area lakes – are a predictable lot insofar as the locations they use when staging for the spawn.  In those holes and riffles below obstructions, shallows or mating…

COLD BOILED EGGS.  It’ll be a challenging Easter egg hunt today as conditions stay cold and winds stay high. In today’s Outdoors Roundup got simple and inexpensive adds for better angling, hunting and exploring – all of which could probably fit in one of those plastic eggs for your favorite outdoors aficionado! Featured Photo:  FAMILY…

STRONG SHIFT.  A chilly weekend sets in on the region as winds kick up from the north overnight and don’t really let up for the next four days or so. To get you through this stretch we’ve got a big game update from the NDG&F Dept., a cool fundraiser from PF and  in our Outdoors…

By Nick Simonson   While crappies aren’t known for adrenaline-inducing strikes or heart-pounding battles, they’re often some of the earliest angling excitement in spring as they stage to spawn and hang on the edge of shallow northern bays and other areas where they’ll beget the next generation of slabs.  While an EKG might not register…

GOOD FRIDAY, INDEED.  Our bright spot, like an Easter egg tucked into a tuft of brown spring grass, will be today as temps jump back up into the mid-50s before things cool off for the weekend. Featured Photo:   Expect to see more pollinators like this painted lady roadside with a breakthrough via the FWS.  Simonson…

NDG&F Release North Dakota’s moose and elk lotteries have been held, and individual results are available by visiting My Account at the state Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. A total of 16,935 applications were received for bighorn sheep, 21,069 for elk and 24,027 for moose. While in My Account, successful applicants must pay for a moose…

By Nick Simonson   A colleague of mine, reacting to the recent and sudden halt to everything economic, expressed concern about business and the state of the world in general. The advertising dollars dried up almost instantaneously in the front half of the month. Doors were closed and shops were dark as if it was…

GUSTS GOING.  Winds will start out strong but fade during the day, opening things up for a great Friday.  We’ve got news on tourney cancellations, expansion of hunting and fishing opportunities on federal lands and a really old doe in today’s Outdoors Roundup. 77u Featured Photo:  CRUSHED.  Our spring season is on hold like that…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept.   Every year, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service put out a call this time of year for people to report sightings of whooping cranes as they make their way from Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas to Wood Buffalo National Park in…