By Doug Leier In the spring, fisheries biologists have a small window of time to collect the northern pike and walleye eggs that are eventually stocked in North Dakota lakes as fingerlings in May and June. In the fall, those same biologists revisit many of the waters where fish are stocked to see how those…

WET WEDS.  We’ll have to deal with rain yet again with a chance for its late autumn friend – snow – tonight, as another system moves through. In the meantime we’ve got some fun reads and exciting wilderness-based movies from around the web to get you ready for a near perfect day on Thursday as…

NDG&F Press Release The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has amended the 2019 deer proclamation to allow hunters to purchase multiple licenses that are valid during any open deer season. Beginning Oct. 7 at 8 a.m. Central Time, any remaining doe licenses will be issued as a concurrent season license, which can be used during the…

LOOKING AROUND.  We slide through some very fall-like conditions in the front half of the week for the immediate area but get a good look at some relief for the weekend before checking out what’s happening with shorter seasons in Wisconsin, and troubling headlines from Georgia in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  The autumn sun…

NDG&F Dept. Release North Dakota’s two-day youth pheasant season is Oct. 5-6. Legally licensed residents and nonresidents ages 15 and younger may hunt roosters statewide. Resident youth hunters, regardless of age, must possess a fishing, hunting and furbearer certificate and general game and habitat license. Nonresident youth hunters from states that provide a reciprocal licensing…

WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS.  It’s the final day of the first of fall’s months, and it’ll feel like it with cool north winds and tapering precip, but things are getting better as the Sunday system moves out of the region.  We’ve got the news and notes to get you geared up for a good week, including…

INSIDE THINGS.  While you might have a football game on this Sunday, there’s plenty to do to wrap up summer things and get ready for more fall adventures.  We’ve got those tips to chase away the rainy day blues in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  THE WALK OF LIFE. A cautious young buck steps through…

By Nick Simonson   Conditions have set waterfowl hunters up for a successful season as a summer with plentiful rains and lush resulting vegetation have helped raise a good population of resident waterfowl throughout much of the state and sustain an increased number of huntable areas as the season gets going.  With the resident waterfowl…

GO EARLY!  Beat the rain today and get out there early as the wet part of our weekend slogs in around midday.  We’ve got the news, tips and some new frontiers for DEO in our Outdoors Roundup today. Featured Photo:  You’ve Gotta Laugh!  A deer’s velvet antler suggests and up-close-and-personal inspection of a trail camera…

By Nick Simonson   With the cooling waters of autumn, trout are on the rise in those stocked lakes which were deep enough to sustain them throughout summer. With significant warm stretches lacking in the past season, it is likely these cold-water fish survived well and opportunities for sizeable stockers are better than average this…

GET SET!  Friday will provide some outdoor opportunities and Saturday morning will allow for adventures as well, as the rain bumps back into the evening.  Take advantage because a damp, cold and windy stretch is on tap for early next week…plus a chance for everyone’s favorite white four-letter word!? Featured Photo:  Organized (kinda).  Fly tying…

By Nick Simonson   The sensations experienced and the understanding gained from a hunt or fishing trip are rewards all their own.  Whether the challenge of meeting the rising landscape or braving the heat, cold, wind, rain or snow ends with a punched tag, a missed shot, a landed fish or a lost lunker, there…

AND ROLLING!  As we bump around the downward slide to a very chilly and wet weekend, we’ve got lots to discuss including some website upgrades from the Feds, a great riparian project, and the buzzing of an alarm to get you set for major hunting openers in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  A pair of…

By Doug Leier Fresh walleye, grilled venison, a Christmas goose, these are just a few of the favorite foods that come from North Dakota’s outdoors, and not just for hunters and anglers. Most of us who enjoy dining on fish and game from the field also know a friend, neighbor or relative who may not…

FALLING FAST.  Things are taking on a fall feel after Sunday and Monday’s sun and mild temperatures.  Today moves Tuesday’s transition along toward a chilly weekend.  We’ve got that outlook, some updates on waterfowl hunting and find ourselves in the middle of two halves in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  A Lot Going On.  The…

A SHOT OF FALL.  We’re watching the cooling trend this week with the first full day of autumn under our belt.  Things get windy and chilly as we move toward a wet and cold weekend.  As we do, we take stock of the various shot sizes available to hunters for certain species of game in…

RED HOT.  A taste of warmth returns to the region and continues the drying process as warm southerlies bring highs in the mid-70s, perfect for whatever casting you’d like to get in before more fall-like conditions return later this week.  We’ve got some journal tips, meteor watches and a quick whip-finish video to keep all…

By Nick Simonson   In recent years, the upper Midwest has faced its challenges impacting the populations of upland game species such as Hungarian partridge, sharptailed grouse and ringneck pheasants.  From the drought of 2017 hitting both North Dakota and South Dakota hard, to a long, snowy winter and equally wet spring and summer for…

AIR DRIED.  Sunday will bring calm, sunny and warmer conditions to the area after a monster system moved through early yesterday morning dropping several inches of rain and bringing flash flooding to some parts of ND.  We look at what’s ahead for the week, some great past hunting and a picture-perfect opportunity in our Outdoors…

SOAKER OF A SATURDAY.  Rain will be the highlight again today, along with wind as much of the day ends up doused and gusty, particularly the afternoon – great if you’re a duck hunter kicking off the season.  We tackle that and concerning reports of bird declines throughout the continent over the last half century…

By John Bradley Although most hunters respect the land, property, and wildlife they are hunting, there are always a few bad actors who do not and in the process give all hunters a bad name. Fall is the ideal time to remind hunters and all outdoor recreationists to be good stewards of the land and…

FUNCTIONAL FRIDAY.  We’ve got all the great information to keep your gears greased and cranking through today’s rain, from good initial fisheries survey reports for young-of-the-year fish, money for duck conservation and some fun runs on the horizon in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  In the thick of it.  A pair of late-hatch pheasant chicks…

By Nick Simonson   There are only three episodes in the current season of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. Typically, PBS releases five or six installments at a time, and most seasons have at least 10 shows in an entire run. However, right now there’s only three, which for those parents like me looking for some soft-glow,…

TRAIL TALES.  While summer patterns may be breaking up – both in the weather and among local deer – trail cameras can help tell the story and continue to pattern those big bucks into and beyond the heart of the fall hunting season.  We cover three tips for the use of in-season trail cameras in…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. North Dakota’s duck season has an official beginning and end date. The last day, while officially designated on the calendar, typically falls sometime after freeze-up when most North Dakota-raised ducks and migrants from Canada have headed south. The opener, on the other hand, always has reason for anticipation. This year,…

WE’RE JACKED!  With a slight cool down from the last three days of summery sun and warm winds, it’ll be back to the field for grouse and – if the winds die off tonight – maybe a sit on stand.  We’ve got the latest words of warning and why you should wear a life jacket…

TOUCH ‘EM ALL TUESDAY.  The boys of summer will get the nod today as temps stay elevated, but we’re making the turn toward fall.  Enjoy today on the water as cooler conditions facilitate field activities starting tomorrow. We cover the bases as we check in on turkey tags, regional pheasant numbers and some “ultimate” deer…

MONDAY MOVES.  Good news around the region as most upland numbers are up – including sharptailed grouse, which we link to as part of our Outdoors Roundup along with all the great autumn adventure on public lands.  It’ll be a tale of two halves as the heat continues today and tomorrow, but things cool toward…

THE WET THAT WAS.  A soaker of a week with a system that dropped more than 2 inches of rain across much of the state on Thursday capped off a wet stretch that is impacting hunters and harvesters in the field. While our drying out continues, we cover our recent rains and those impacts in…

By Nick Simonson   In the wake of zebra mussels being discovered in Lake Ashtabula earlier this summer, and presumably residing in the outflowing Sheyenne River beneath Baldhill Dam which forms the reservoir in southeastern North Dakota, serious efforts are being undertaken by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to preserve the viability of…