SCHOOL’S IN.  Learning about fish behavior often provides insight in how to catch them. Fish relate to one another in many ways, including aggregation, shoaling and schooling.  While the general term of “school” is applied to a group of fish, the relationships can be much more in-depth than that and we provide some insight into…

TOOLING AROUND.  We’re enjoying the warmth and checking in on our tackle, gear and of course tools at mid-ice.  We’ve got a best of the shack list for you and your on-ice adventures today as part of our Outdoors Roundup to make sure you have the gear you need on ice – and much of…

By Nick Simonson The Gotcha is another simple shrimp imitator for saltwater species that has become a secret weapon for slab crappies up north.  With its shimmering krystal flash tail, gummy ribbing and flowy wing of fur and flash, the Gotcha can claim a top spot in any panfish box when spring arrives and to…

STEELY.  With the turn of the calendar to February, we’re thinking spring and planning a trip for one of our favorite trout species that is not only challenging to hook but also to land – the steelhead.  We’ve got some info on this species to fill the front half of your weekend and set your…

By Nick Simonson   As January fades into memory and anglers eye up a faster bite as the back half of winter settles in, a number of conditions are at play which will help angling improve through the ice and provide a portent for what can be expected for spring and summer populations when waters…

HEATING UP.  A warm weekend is headed our way as we say goodbye to January and hello to the start of February.  We’ve got the scoop on a pair of melting days, the power of wetlands and some CRP info from the NDG&F in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  Wetland Wonders.  Sloughs and other wetland…

By Nick Simonson   The arrow barely hung from its tip stuck smack dab in the middle of the blue circle on the large black block ten yards out from the line on the floor which my now six-year-old son straddled in the open shoot section of the archery range. If I didn’t see it…

YOU DON’T SAY?  We check out some of our favorite field sayings in today’s Outdoors Roundup and note the importance of having a backup, a blade and a second thought when it comes to shooting as we enjoy yet another warm day headed into a nice weekend. Featured Photo:  Blade 2.  Having a spare knife,…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept.   In the January edition of North Dakota Outdoors magazine, state Game and Fish Department Director Terry Steinwand took a look at the past year and addressed some continuing challenges that remain in the year ahead.   In a way, it’s sort of a “state of the state” when it…

BIG NEWS.  We cover some big game items today including possible elk impacts resulting from a wolf reintroduction, more bighorn opportunities in South Dakota and what’s being done about declining moose populations east of the Red River.  All that and more in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  A young bull moose rests in a small…

THAW CONTINUES.  Warmer temperatures and light winds are the talk of today, making things easy on the ice for your hardwater angling adventures.  We’ve got some spring thoughts with Earth Day contests, whitetail weekends and a sign that this winter isn’t so bad after all (at least for some of us) in today’s Outdoors Roundup….

PICTURE THIS.  Things are looking pretty steady to start your week. We’ve got wild trail cam photos, no serious snow in the forecast and a look at PF’s big event as part of your Monday Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  Big Bird.  A rooster walks about in frosty grass near Bismarck.  Simonson Photo. WEATHER (Bismarck Forecast):…

By Nick Simonson   The expansion of the USA Clay Target League (USA CTL) has seemingly been as fast as the spread of a shotgun load catching the bright orange dome of a hurled clay target, and the organization’s success on many fronts has been just as smashing.  Now entering its twentieth spring season, the…

SLICK & GUSTY.  Today’s winds will rise and things may be a bit slick with frost, meltwater and some icy precip may affect travel to your favorite ice fishing destination.  We cover that, take a look ahead and talk fire in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  Handful of Candy.  Crappie-sized Crazy Charlie flies are ready…

NDG&F Release The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is offering 6,230 wild turkey licenses for the 2020 spring hunting season, 205 more than last year. Seven of the 22 hunting units have more spring licenses than in 2019, five have fewer and nine remain the same. Unit 21 (Hettinger and Adams counties) is again…

SOME SATURDAY!  A nice start to your weekend is setting up with light winds, mild temps and a shot at getting outdoors in earnest.  We take a look at today’s conditions with yesterday’s new moon helping the bite and go around the horn and nation for wildlife news and a look at conditions in our…

By Nick Simonson   While the cold might be forcing kids to bundle up on the way to school, many of those same students are finding the archery scene heating up throughout the region.  In January and February alone as part of the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP) more than two dozen shoots in…

IN A GROUP.  You’ll want to have your gear ready for this weekend as conditions are setting up for a good one with a strong moon phase, light winds and no blizzards in sight!  We take a tour of some highlights from the nation’s conservation groups in today’s Outdoors Roundup and get ready for a…

STILL, NOT BAD.  Light winds will be notable today and tomorrow and temps in the mid-20s area ideal for ice fishing, so get out there and find those fish under thicker ice and pleasant conditions.  Take a second to enjoy this recent improvement and get on the ice or in the field as we take…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Outreach Biologist While game bird and big game seasons are now closed, North Dakota hunters and trappers still have plenty of opportunities to pursue coyotes, fox and other furbearers throughout much of the winter. Stephanie Tucker, the State Game and Fish Department’s furbearer biologist, recently provided some status updates on the…

TWO IN A ROW!  Great conditions will again facilitate ice time today as light winds and melting temperatures favor the angler.  We go around the state with sights, stories and suggestions for the week, the winter and the tax year in our Outdoors Roundup! Featured Photo:  The sun sets over the snowy Missouri River valley….

WELCOME WARM-UP!  Conditions improve dramatically today and tomorrow as moderate winds and warming temperatures bubble up into the region helping to clean things up after this weekend’s chilly weather.  We’ve got the news on that, more from the BWCA and some sticky suggestions in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  HAND MADE SUNSHINE.  A stack of…

GET TREKKIN’  We go around the region for news you can use – from grabbing your hunting gear to snowmobile tips to more concerning CWD happenings in Montana.  Check all that out and more in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  ON ‘EM!  With improvements in the weather, you’ll have more opportunities to find the fish…

SETTLE. Things will be cold and calm today as we eye improvements in the weather that will facilitate more time outdoors this week.  In the meantime we’ve got waterfowl to watch and a battle for one of the region’s most pristine wild areas to cover in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  Pines & Mines.  A…

By Nick Simonson The Crazy Charlie is a simple but well-known shrimp imitator that populates the fly boxes of die-hard flats anglers pursuing bonefish, permit and other saltwater species and is usually tied sparkly, light and translucent to match those warm-water crustaceans.  For northern anglers, it does double duty in smaller sizes for crappies, white…

WIDE WEEKEND.  We’ve got a wide array of topics to get your weekend loaded with news in today’s Outdoors Roundup.  From archery competitions to ice fishing tips to what the weather is about to bring, we’ve got it all on this shivery Saturday. Featured Photo:  A hen pheasant goes for a hillside stroll through the…

NDG&F Press Release Eight deer taken during the 2019 North Dakota deer gun season tested positive for chronic wasting disease, according to Dr. Charlie Bahnson, wildlife veterinarian for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. All were antlered deer taken from areas previously known to have CWD – six from unit 3F2 and two from…

By John Bradley, NDWF Executive Director   Each year hunters and anglers wait with anticipation for North Dakota’s hunting seasons to open and the ice to clear the lakes for fishing. People from across the country dream of timing the waterfowl migration just right or hooking into a trophy walleye in one of the state’s…

ONE-DAY WEEKEND.  Today’s temps will feel balmy as we threaten the thirty-degree mark.  You’ll have some wind to deal with but even with the gusts it will feel warm on the ice.  Things make a quick about-face for Saturday and Sunday as cold air returns into early next week.  We cover Ma Nature’s mood swings,…

By Nick Simonson   January in the upper Midwest is the sportsman’s most challenging month. Major hunting seasons have ended, the flash of fins from early ice begins to slow down as the winter doldrums set in, and typically the temperatures are the lowest of the year and the conditions are the most challenging.  Add…