By Nick Simonson   While winter and spring aren’t often associated with hunting in the upper Midwest, the months of January through May are an important time in the lives of young hunters as the bulk of hunter education courses are offered to those looking to get licensed in time for next fall’s seasons.  With…

WEEKEND SPLIT.  Saturday will make the melt happen as temps jump into the mid-forties and conditions remain calm for all of your outdoor adventures, providing a great end to February.  Sunday’s gusts will be notable as winds roar out of the northwest cooling us down some on the first of march.  We’ve got some reminders…

WONDERFUL WEEKEND.  Melting temperatures, low winds and great conditions will combine for an excellent weekend on the ice.  We’ve got a review from the NDG&F as the season starts to wane along with some antler breaks and campfire styles for everyone in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:   ON FIRE.  We talk campfire tactics today in…

By Nick Simonson   The rating on a box of shotgun shells reads 1180, 1205 or more than 1300 feet per second, the speed at which the pellets are disbursed in pursuit of a thrown clay or an incoming goose.  The bent coil at the base of a tip-up flag is precariously held in place…

BACK UP!  We climb the temperature scale once again as things warm toward a fantastic-looking weekend.  We’ve got more on the conditions and what’s happening locally, nationally and hopper-ly (not a word) in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:   Hopper patterns are a favorite fly to tie as the winter season winds down. Simonson Photo WEATHER…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept.   I didn’t need to look at the rainfall data last fall to confirm how abnormally wet much of the state was. And this winter, just looking out my window without knowing the exact numbers, it’s evident we’ve had plenty of snow in the eastern part of the state.  …

NEWS YOU CAN USE.  Things will settle down after the threat of snow sputtered out and the cold temps stayed north earlier in the week.  Meanwhile, we’ve got the updates from  around the region and some recognition right here at home in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:   GOOD LOOKING.  A doe pops her head up…

COOLING OUT.  We’ll feel the chill today following Monday’s system but things warm up quickly for your end-of-week adventures.  We’ve got a good look at what’s to come weather wise along with cooking tips and just where we get the term “riding shotgun.” Featured Photo:   Right On.  Spring is a good time to think about…

TIP TOP.  Monday’s looking snowy as a small disturbance takes most of Monday to clear central North Dakota. While you get ready for some light shoveling we’ve got the tip-up tips for the business end of your pike offerings as late ice – and faster fishing – approaches. Featured Photo:   FLAG!  Admit it, you love…

SHIFTING.  We’ll see a change in the wind leading to some accumulating snow tomorrow.  We take a look at where we’re at with the white stuff and how runoff may (or may not) affect your spring fishing and a CRP deadline drawing near in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:   Good Grass.  The nationwide CRP Signup…

By Nick Simonson   With the issuance of its 2020 Whitetail Report, the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) noted among its findings that more deer hunters than at any other time in the group’s surveys are passing on harvesting yearling bucks in favor of mature bucks that are 3.5 years old or older.  In 1989,…

SWINGIN’ SATURDAY!  Things are looking warm and melty for today as temperatures spike to 40 degrees with light winds.  We’ve got the rundown on what’s happening out there in today’s Outdoors Roundup, talking light geese, big bucks for shooting sports and a reminder to get ahead of your tackle duties. Featured Photo:  Roosters make their…

By John Bradley I grew up in Minnesota, and like North Dakota and much of the upper Midwest, the walleye is king. Many people believe it’s the all-around greatest fish that has ever been. From its head shakes after you set the hook to the ease of fileting their mild white flaky meat, the walleye…

NDG&F Release The 2020 spring wild turkey lottery has been held and individual results are available on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. The Game and Fish Department will mail the spring turkey licenses to successful applicants after they purchase a valid 2020-21 hunting license. All spring turkey hunters regardless of age…

WELCOME BACK WARMTH.   A stellar weekend is setting up with warm temps, moderate winds and good conditions for ice fishing and other outdoor activities.  We’ve got the stats on that and updates on ice and what’s on air in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:   The waning crescent rises ahead of the sun over Bismarck. Simonson…

By Nick Simonson Like most of my minor honey-dos from the end of year, going through old clothing to donate to the local thrift store ended up getting done two months into the following tax calendar; mostly due to deer hunting and some late season pheasant tromps that took up the last seven weekends before…

THE CLIMB.  Temperatures will warm today and a pre-spring feel is in the air as we stay warmish into the weekend.  We check out stats, sign-up and spring training in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  REEL DEAL.  Clean your fly lines and maybe take a few practice casts on the snowy front lawn this weekend…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept.   My job as an outreach biologist for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department is varied. One aspect I enjoy is helping out with other Game and Fish functions such as checking on fishing access areas or possible fish kills, or conducting upland or small game surveys.   One…

BOTTOMING.  Winds will fade into a calm Wednesday and the cold won’t feel so strong.  We climb back out tomorrow as things stabilize for the weekend.  In the meantime, we’re thinking spring and getting you prepared for the season’s first run of fish which may happen in just a few short weeks. Featured Photo:  Ready?…

ANOTHER DIP.  Things cool off today and tomorrow before recovering in the back half of the week.  In the meantime we’ve got updates from the G&F on 2019 violations dropping, including trespass to a recent low of 35; great photos from the US FWS and a preview of your weekend conditions in today’s Outdoors Roundup….

By Nick Simonson     With North Dakota’s legislature meeting every other year, the winter of 2020 would seem like many to be a quiet one for the state’s lawmakers, but for Senator Larry Robinson of District 24, serving Barnes, southwestern Cass and northwestern Ransom Counties since 1989, his three decades of experience dictate otherwise….

BLOG JAM.  While things cool down, we’ve got the latest from a number of conservation groups as we take a tour around the NGO sphere and look into updated items on this Monday in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  DID HE MAKE IT?  QDMA has tips on finding last season’s big bucks that made it…

WATER TALK.  It’s a great day to get on the ice again as temperatures stay decent and winds light out of the southeast.  As we venture out we also look around the state and see a tale of two watersheds as flooding concerns in the Missouri River basin are low as of now, but the…

By Nick Simonson Sometimes a fly isn’t just about fur and feathers.  With all the incredible synthetics and compounds we have available in the modern era of tackle crafting, we’ve been given the amazing ability to create something out of nothing, or to take that something and make it spectacular.  The epoxy fry is an…

SWEET SATURDAY! Perfect conditions for some time on the ice are setting up for your Saturday, so take advantage of those and the quarter moon for a bump in the bite.  We’ve also got awesome eagle news from the east, a tally of bad behavior at home, and a view to what coyotes eat in…

NDG&F Release North Dakota’s spring light goose conservation order opens Feb. 22 and continues through May 10. Residents must have a valid current season 2019-20 (valid through March 31) or 2020-21 (required April 1) combination license; or a small game, and general game and habitat license. Resident youth under age 16 only need the general game…

MAD LOVE.  We’ll be feeling the love today as temps warm up and a good weekend settles in over much of the region.  In the meantime, we’ve got news on CWD spreading along the ND/SD border, concerns over cuts to conservation in the President’s budget proposal and a last push by PF to get landowners…

By Nick Simonson   Even with the rather kind spell that mother nature has afforded us over the last few weeks with no blizzards, light winds and even some melting temperatures scattered in here and there, winter can still feel a little long.  Spending afternoons huddled over an ice hole can wear on a die-hard…

CHILLY POTPOURRI.  We’ve got some cold temps today under a Canadian high pressure dome and a variety of news on this sudden (yet thankfully short-lived) return of winter.  Check out grants available to shooting sports teams, some questionable tourney antics and what’s coming up in the forecast in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  END OF…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. My youngest and I were trekking across the frozen tundra on the edge of a recent day, when a mixture of fading sun, crisp snow, fluffy clouds and stars began to appear in the January sky. Joined by her smile, my thoughts turned to what has probably become somewhat of a nostalgic term – “this is a…