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…

WHAT DAY IS IT?  A sudden shift will put the brakes on spring for a few days as things cool off and the wind starts to blow.  We’ve got good news on the state’s bighorn sheep populations, cool kayaks and a questionable roll back in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  Black Days. A very dark…

DOUBLE UP!  Great solunar times in addition to warm temps make today a great one to get out on the first open water of the season.  We’ve got updates from the Game & Fish, Clay Target League and a cool comet in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  Getting Full.  This week’s full moon should help…

FEELING FINE.  Today and tomorrow are your best bets for outdoor activity, so break out the long rods and find some open water.  Light and variable winds today will give way to sun and westerly breezes tomorrow before things come back down.  We’ve got info on the first of the deer applications, cooking and a…

By Nick Simonson   Just after ice off on many lakes capable of holding trout is the time to pursue the big bruisers that have made it through the throngs of ice anglers over the winter and the warm waters of late summer.  While trout aren’t designed to survive in the generally warm and shallow…

UPWARD!  We climb out of our snowy set of days and should see some serious melting through Tuesday as conditions improve.  This provides yet another stretch to get out and recreate in the wild world around you. Tips from the G&F, a moving Marathon and a look at the week ahead comprise our Outdoors Roundup…

By Nick Simonson   In the crystal-clear bays after the last of the gray ice has disappeared, they lurk on the edge of visibility.  In the running creeks, channels and coulees they swarm in the relative warmth of muddy spring runoff.   They are northern pike, and at this time of year, with spring just beginning,…

FEELING BETTER.  Temperatures rise this week to melt off a fresh blanket of snow and help you get back out there, but some bleak news from the spring fishing front as paddlefish harvest season is canceled. We’ve got more on that and other hot topics in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  Spin It!  Tie up…

By Nick Simonson   In the last two weeks I have become a fulltime teacher, cook, gym instructor and referee in addition to my normal professions, which admittedly were wide and varied to begin with.  Having been something of a jack-of-all-trades and an angler of all species thus far in life has helped prepare me…

GRINDING YOUR TEETH?  Just staring out the window at the slightly late April Fool’s joke yesterday was enough to get the jaw clicking.  We cover the totals along with teeth and a fishing preview in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  A young doe pauses for a photo in front of the trail camera.  Simonson WEATHER…

THINKING BOATS.  While the weather may not be what it once was (is it ever?), we look at some ideas for making the loading and docking of boats more successful and safe in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo: ON IT. Good outings start and end with a secure watercraft. Simonson Photo. WEATHER (Bismarck Forecast): Today: Thu…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. The history of bighorn sheep in the southern badlands of North Dakota is a roller coaster tale. And unfortunately, it’s been mostly down of late. That’s how editor Ron Wilson described the situation in a feature article in the February 2020 issue of the State Game and Fish Department’s magazine,…