CONSERVATION CUT.  Continuous CRP sign-up is on the horizon and the impact of conservation is clear beyond birds and deer, as we talk about a pollinator helping produce beer as part of today’s Outdoor Update.   Featured Photo: ROOSTER ROLL. A rooster pheasant works his way to a line of pines in the green spring…

SATURDAY SOAKER.  Today will be a washout as up to an inch of rain will fall across the region, in the meantime, plan for safe fishing with tips in our Outdoor Update. Featured Photo: Rough Water.   Wear a life jacket, stay in contact and let family or neighbors know where you’re fishing on each trip….

By Nick Simonson   The running joke every Sunday, when the more than 200 students on our six area Clay Target League teams get together, is that it’s easy to tell it is our shooting day.  This spring, conditions have been, without fail, the worst of the week on our designated afternoon at the gun…

TOO EARLY TO TALK DEER?  Never!  We delve into this year’s deer lottery in ND, check out some food plot prep tips and get the low down on big racks in our Outdoor Update as we await a soggy, windy weekend. Featured Photo:  SIDE GLANCE. A deer in velvet gets caught in profile on a…

NDG&F Dept. Release North Dakota anglers, water recreationists and anyone working in lakes or streams are reminded to follow these simple regulations to help prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species. Know the laws, as each state and province have their own rules and regulations. North Dakota regulations include: Do not import live aquatic bait. Use…

GROUNDED.  You might feel like it with the weather that’s rolling in for the weekend, so take advantage of today and what remains of our one-week sampling of spring!  We get you caught up on some fisheries and fishing knowledge in our Outdoors Update. Featured Photo:  Squirreled Away.  A groundsquirrel (a/k/a gopher) ducks behind a…

WINDY ONE!   Gusts kick up today as instability builds into the region. We cover tips for young wildlife encounters, the coming shift in the weather and a rare visitor to the states in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:  IN THE WEEDS.  A young whitetail deer peeks out from some foliage. Simonson Photo   WEATHER (Bismarck…

By Nick Simonson     On Apr. 22, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department (NDG&F) issued a press release announcing that a 16-pound 9-ounce walleye caught by Tom Volk of Lincoln, N.D. “broke a record” when he reeled in a “32 and one-half inch fish from shore along the Heart River in Mandan, besting…

CRANK IT UP!  Another nice day with light winds will give you an opportunity to get out there and get on fish.  We wander around the web for some of the worst lures, some good fly fishing targets and take stock of the sunlight we’re adding each day in our Outdoors Update. Featured Photo:  LOOP…

GET THE SHADES!  Warm, sunny and generally calm is the story this week as long-awaited temperate conditions take hold over the region. We take a look through the benefits – from letting you see what’s swimming below to avoiding a hook in the eye – of a good set of sunglasses on the water in…

By Nick Simonson   There will be an exodus of sorts as anglers head east from North Dakota for the Minnesota fishing opener this weekend.  While sportsmen have been enjoying a successful start to walleye and pike angling on the various lakes and rivers throughout the Peace Garden State, much of Minnesota remains closed until…

THE REEL WORLD.  Things improve today as yesterday’s rainy conditions (staple for the MN opener, right?) move out of the region. Beyond enjoying the next stretch of awesome weather, we’ve got tips to make your fishing better in today’s Outdoors Update with a little reel cleanup and modification. Featured Photo: STAR OF THE SHOW.  Sun…

SPRING SWING.  Signs of spring are all around us as the walleye spawn wraps up along with paddlefish snagging.  It looks like we might hit the jackpot for spring weather too, starting Sunday. We cover all those items and do our happy dance in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo: RUN IT.  A rooster pheasant makes…

By Nick Simonson   A quick scan of my inbox last Friday revealed a report from the North Dakota Game & Fish Department (NDG&F) which detailed the seasonal stocking of a number of community ponds around the state and the various species of fish – mostly trout, pike and catfish – that had been added…

FINALLY FRIDAY! Get up early and enjoy the front half of the day before winds and a chance at rain kick in later.  We’ve got all the word on what’s to come with weather, first fish recognition and how to walk the dog of a different sort in our Outdoors Update to get you set…

By Nick Simonson (Click Here for Part 1 of the article) As with all rivers, the flow, action and environment can change from day to day. The Rainy River, which drains the lake of the same name, along with dozens of tributary rivers and creeks, down an 85 mile stretch of the Minnesota-Canada border to…

WORKING OUR WAY BACK.  We get to work in the back half of the week on bringing in warmer conditions, while today we check in with some busy animals, see where we’re at halfway through the CTL season, and keep an important deadline in mind as we cover the bases in our Outdoors Update. Featured…

NDG&F Release The North Dakota Game and Fish Department tracked 40 outdoors-related bills during the 2019 legislative session, 21 of which were passed by both chambers and signed into law. The following bills take effect Aug. 1, unless the bill includes an emergency clause which indicates it is already in effect. HB 1021 – Included in the…

COOL CONTINUED.  Chilly temps will hang around for a bit longer as we move into the middle of the week. In the meantime, check out the work done by rural mail carriers and one of the nation’s premier research centers into wildlife, plants and more, right here in North Dakota as part of our Outdoors…

By Nick Simonson Panfish are the bonus catch for many spring and summer fishing trips for larger species.   The packs of perch interspersed with a trolling effort for walleyes often add a few extra fillets to the Ziploc bag at the cleaning station at the end of the day.  A herd of bull bluegills are…

WHAT’S THE BUZZ?  We look at some good and bad buzzes today as we get the final word on winterkill in some ND lakes, offer up a noisy bait for spring and summer bass, and work to get more bees making noise in today’s Outdoors Update. Featured Photo: Buzz Cut. A rooster pheasant stands on…

AND…RELEASE. Make catch and release angling easier this spring with tips from today’s Outdoors Update.  From nets that are easier on fish and their slime coats, to having the right tools, there are tactics that make the process easier on the fish…and you! Featured Photo: Landed. A largemouth bass rests in a rubber landing net….

GO BIG.  With a big chill settling in for the week, we check out some big species and some big fish tactics in our Outdoors Update. Featured Photo: Big View.  A crow gets a look at the river valley from a perch on the tip top of a pine tree. Simonson Photo   WEATHER (Bismarck…

NDG&F Release North Dakota Game and Fish Department fisheries personnel have already stocked dozens of local community fisheries with catchable trout, catfish and pike, with additional lakes still to be stocked in early- to mid-May. Approximately 10,000 11-inch rainbow trout, 600 2- to 4-pound rainbow trout, 1,200 adult catfish, 1,100 adult pike and 1,100 1-…

SPRING SHIFT.  Conditions shift to calmer and cooler as our two-day taste of spring fades away for awhile.  In today’s Outdoor update we check your fishing conditions and look back at a wrap on the session with the NDG&F Dept. Featured Photo: Play the Field.  Canada geese stroll through a cut field. Simonson Photo.  …

NDG&F Dept. Release North Dakota’s 2019 deer season is set, with 65,500 licenses available to hunters this fall, 10,350 more than last year. In total, antlered mule deer licenses increased by 450 from last year, antlerless mule deer by 700, antlered whitetail by 700, antlerless whitetail by 1,250, “any antlered” by 3,150 and “any antlerless”…

FRIDAY FUN! Warmer conditions should spur more folks outside as the week’s most stable day comes to be.  Speaking of bees, we talk in our Outdoors Update about pollinator efforts in the roughest of spaces, along with boating safety and what to watch for in local pheasant populations. Featured Photo: Going…going… Expect hen pheasants to…

By Nick Simonson   It had been five years since I had been on the Rainy River in northern Minnesota and flung the weight-swivel-circle hook combination full of crawlers in that overhead style of a surf angler, made all the less graceful by the rocking of the current and the wakes of the passing boats…

SWEET STROLL. We’re looking at some good things today, as skies clear and southerly breezes bring warmer temps to the region.  We check out mule deer numbers, ND’s bass league and a fun video of fightin’ turkeys in today’s Three Things.   Featured Photo: Young Buck.  Mule deer numbers are off slightly over last year….

CRUSH LIFE! In the outdoors, it’s a matter of mind.  Staying focused, staying positive and staying in form results in more fish, more game and more targets taken.  We talk about ways to mentally up your outdoors efforts in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Take Aim at Success. Whether it’s the pattern of mounting a…