By Nick Simonson   On the heels of a fast fall bite, trout in lakes and ponds can provide quick action under the ice as well, and a variety of tactics will add a good deal of color to any ice fishing adventure where these fish are found.  Whether stocked or naturally occurring, and where…

By Nick Simonson With paper top hats donned and party blowers buzzing at this point in the season, it’s easy to encapsulate life into a year, or as the nine rolls over to a zero this New Year’s Eve, an entire decade.  It’s easy to shrug off this compartmentalization process until a person stops and…

FLAKE OUT.   Snow will descend on the state today, with a cutoff for this weekend’s event likely running from Bismarck to Minot where totals will depend on how the low pressure moves through the region.  Stretches of the eastern portion of North Dakota will see more than a foot of snow as a swinging jet…

FAST FRIDAY.  It seems to come quicker with the holiday in the middle of the week, but you’ve made it to Friday once again! We’ve got a look at the weekend and what’s brewing to the east of us and whether or not it’ll impact your hunting and fishing along with free fishing and a…

ICE TIPS.  Today may be the only day you want to take back during your holiday stretch as a wintry mix of snow, sleet and ice slink over the region. The power of the new moon may help combat the shift in systems, but there’s no return on the gifts we provide in the form…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept.   At fist glance, it might not appear that sign vandalism and North Dakota’s outdoors would have much in common. But on closer inspection, the connections are obvious.   The North Dakota Game and Fish Department, in its October 2019 issue of North Dakota Outdoors magazine, took a hard look…

YULE LOVE IT!  Celebrate the season with friends and family, and maybe even some time in the field or on the ice today as calm and temperate conditions fill your stocking.  We cover state and national news and find that all is calm and bright for the foreseeable future forecast in this holiday Outdoors Roundup….

PUT OUT THE COOKIES.  Or the deer jerky!  While all will be calm and bright when Santa Claus comes tonight, we’ve got a few early gifts coming your way in the form of sonar tips in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  LIT UP.  The red and green of a Vexilar over a school of crappies…

By Nick Simonson Penned on an overnight shift on Christmas Eve 2004 while working at a small hotel just off main street in my hometown, “Twas the Night Before First Ice” combines my love of ice fishing and the holiday season!  The annual publication – now in its 15th year – brings both seasons together;…

XMAS EVE, EVE.  A day away from the big mid-week holiday and the best gift is the stable conditions setting up for Christmas travel and time in the field or on the ice.  We check out some info from our favorite NGOs in the wild world as we head into the holiday homestretch as part…

By Nick Simonson   Part of my business is cataloging my adventures in a way that entertains and educates my fellow hunters and anglers, and if you’ve experienced either in the course of their publication, I count you among my dozen and dozen of loyal readers.  Whether it’s the story of what went right, what…

REGIONAL WRAPPING.  As you’re wrapping presents, we’re getting the news on what’s happening in the surrounding region and take a quick look ahead at your holiday week hunting and fishing forecast in North Dakota as part of today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  FROSTY.  Hoarfrost from thick morning fog covers trees and bushes along a fenceline…

By John Bradley, NDWF Executive Director   As I close out my hunting season, the 2019 calendar year, and I suppose the decade, I find myself looking back at the history of conservation in the United States along with how far we have come and where we need to head. It’s easy to take for…

SULTRY SOLSTICE. Temps will top 40 degrees on this, the first day of winter, giving you ample opportunity to kick off your holiday season hunts or time on the ice with good conditions.  We cover that, and the battle against ANS along with a talk with the NDG&F’s head honcho in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured…

By Nick Simonson   The rooster rose from the drain’s snow-filled cattails near my feet and curled out in front of me, banking against the northwest gusts that spurred the addition of new layers which my scattergun snagged on as I attempted to raise it to my shoulder.  The slick thumb pad of my second…

FANTASTIC FRIDAY.  A great weekend is setting up for anything outdoors whether you’re hunting, ice fishing or just enjoying the December thaw. Calm conditions will dominate the next couple of days along with some nice temperatures in the 30s and maybe even a brush with 40.  We cover that and more in today’s Outdoors Roundup….

OF OPEN WATER & ICE. We cover news for your soft water angling and boating next summer, while we run through the memory books and lay out a strategy for hard water hole hopping in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  A BIG GRID.  Punching a bunch of holes – ice tourney style – will help…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. Some North Dakota anglers got an early start to ice fishing this season, and there’s still a lot of winter hard-water fishing opportunities to come.   To provide a general overview of what to expect, here’s some excerpts from a recent interview with North Dakota Game and Fish Department fisheries…

LOOKING FINE.  The weather is shaping up for the start of the holiday season as temperatures climb to near freezing today and things will feel warm after our brief dip into the sub-zeros last weekend.  We cover the good forecast ahead, some awesome bead head patterns and some free fishing coming up for ND in…

‘ROUND THE REGION. While we await Wednesday’s welcome warm up, there’s a ton going on in the outdoors world.  We go around the region to check out what’s happening from the front lines of public involvement in Minnesota to increased CWD concerns in South Dakota and map out the rest of our upland seasons right…

A CASE OF THE MONDAYS.  So, a super chilly weekend might have kept you indoors, but here’s hoping you were able to get out when you could.  We’re ticking off the final days of hunting seasons and looking at some better ice forming after our cold snap and checking in on seasons and secrets for…

WRATH IN REVIEW.  We check out the chill of winter thus far as the region – along with much of the northern U.S. – finds itself off to a severe start in terms of seasonal weather.  In addition, we take a peak at what’s to come and the standard bearers for axe throwing, just in…

By Nick Simonson While we focus a lot on nymphs and big bulky pheasant-tail based patterns for turning trout, panfish and other frequent targets on the fly rod, sometimes more subtle wet flies are the ticket to success.  Take for example the Pheasant Cruncher wet fly. It’s thin, versatile, customizable and can go from drab…

How many ‘Rs’ in BRRRR?.  Cold conditions take hold today as temperatures struggle to reach zero.  Light winds will make temps tolerable and should help ice up those final open areas of water.  We’ve got more on winter activities in ND, along with shifts in the sky in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  PLAYING COY. …

By Nick Simonson   With the announcement of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) sign-up by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), beginning on Dec. 9 and running through Feb. 28, 2020, conservation groups, environmentalists, sportsmen and operators reacted with great excitement as approximately seven million acres will be available under the program’s complex…

ONE WARM ONE.  Today will be nice, particularly in the morning, as temperatures reach their peak following an overnight warm-up.  Winds will be calm until mid-day when a cold front sweeps in and brings tomorrow’s chill. We cover that, highlight the successes of NAWCA and look at a super veterans’ hunting program in our Outdoors…

By Nick Simonson   Another ice season is upon us, and with the shift to hardwater comes not only the annual tradition of getting out there after walleyes, pike and panfish but also the review of some of the latest innovations in what has become one of fishing’s fastest growing markets.  While things have certainly…

CLIMBING OUT.  Temperatures will rise throughout Thursday only to be bumped back on Friday as northwest winds rush in to cool off your weekend.  In the meantime, we’ve got all the news and exciting updates to get you through your day from coyotes to crafting tackle in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  So Fly.  Check…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept.   The badlands of western North Dakota are one of the unique regions for North Dakota outdoors, and a focal point for State Game and Fish Department research and studies.   “It’s just a remarkable place for both critters and people,” said Jeb Williams, Game and Fish wildlife division chief….

HUMP DAY.  Make it through today and things start to warm up toward the weekend.  Don’t get too comfortable as another cold bump comes on Saturday.  We check out the ice today and reports from a North Dakota insider with the US FWS in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  First Dog.  DEO celebrates the life…