SWEET SUMMER! Today’s conditions feel like the first day of summer, with highs in the mid 80s and almost no wind. We’ve got a nice weekend shaping up for your fishing efforts with just a slight chance of rain on Saturday.  We talk solstice and more in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Cock of the…

NDG&F Press Release The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 71st annual spring breeding duck survey conducted in May showed an index of 2.8 million birds, down 5 percent from last year. Migratory game bird supervisor Mike Szymanski said even though the index is below 3 million for the second consecutive year, it still stands 16…

WHAT A WEEK! Things are looking more like summer for the solstice tomorrow as calm conditions take hold over the next couple of days and a stable pattern sets up. While we’ll have some clouds in the forecast, chances of rain are minimal.  We check out where we stand as we approach the official start…

TALE OF THE TAPE.  There are a number of tape-based tools that sportsmen can easily pack into their tackleboxes and field bags, and we address those items and some quick emergency situations they can remedy in the outdoors. Featured Photo: That’s a wrap! Beyond covering wires, electrician’s tape is great at securing reels to rods,…

JUST SMASHING!  It was an exciting weekend with so much shooting action in between the weathermakers that it was almost tough to keep up.  But after two days of the ND State High School Clay Target League State Tournament, we’ve got the tabs on totals and top shooters in today’s Three Things.   Featured Photo:…

By Nick Simonson While unhooking my second pike of the morning, the two-pound fish slipped quickly out of my wet hand and back into the water with a splash.  All that was left as evidence that I had even caught it was a chewed-up plastic tail and a small coating of slime ringing my hand…

ON TARGET.  We’re live at the Shooting Park in Horace, for Day 1 of the ND State High School Clay Target League State Tourney in Horace, ND bringing you all of the action in what is sure to be a wild weekend of weather challenging even the greatest shots.  Stay posted to DEO for updates…

By Nick SImonson An emerging area of cover that provides a haven for largemouth bass from the start of summer all the way up to the season’s end is a shallow bay or shelf with a mud bottom capable of sustaining a stand of lily pads.  Frequently associated with a population of frogs lounging about…

SHOULDER UP!  The shooting sports season comes to its big conclusion in Horace this weekend as the North Dakota State High School Clay Target League (ND CTL) hosts the State Championship on Saturday and Sunday.  You too can take aim at better scores this season, whether it’s trap, skeet or sporting clays, we tell you…

PEEK-A-BOO.  You should be seeing bucks in velvet on your trail camera and, if you’re lucky, in person.  Along with growing antlers, it’s common to start seeing growing fawns trailing their mothers as we get into summer.  We talk about that and more, in today’s Three Things.   Featured Photo. I See You.  A young…

LACE ‘EM UP.  We know you’re thinking about hunting season, because so are we!  We’ve got some tips to help you get ready for whatever it is you pursue this fall in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Broke in. A pair of well-worn upland boots awaits a return to the field. Simonson Photo.   DAILY…

NDG&F Dept. Press Release Drought conditions, and not as many hunters in the field last fall meant fewer pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse and Hungarian partridge in the bag, according to statistics compiled by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Last year, more than 58,300 pheasant hunters (down 24 percent) harvested 309,400 roosters (down 38 percent),…

SUSPECT. One of these things is not like the other.  Which one is different? Can you tell? Those of us in the Sesame Street generation get it and can pick out the decoy from a mile away.  We go from silly to excited for the approaching trap tourney and talk more about that in today’s…

SPECIALTY TOOLS.  Having the right gear for the right kind of fishing makes everything easier.  Whether tangling with toothy critters like pike and muskies, or something smaller like trout and panfish, being able to remove hooks quickly and kindly is key to preserving the resource. Featured Photo: Tools of the Trade.  A hook cutter and…

WARM & RUMBLY.  Today’s warm temps and strong southerly winds will spark a line of thunderstorms this evening capable of dropping over 1.5 inches of rain.  We’ll keep an eye on that and the new Farm Bill offered up by the Senate in today’s Three Things and rumble through the 1,000-page document. Featured Photo: Geese…

By Nick Simonson When you put different upland game birds together on the same hook shank, you’re guaranteed to catch fish.  Hungarian partridge (a/k/a gray partridge, but not to be confused with ruffed grouse, which are colloquially referred to as “partridge” in some areas) are oftentimes an accompaniment to the ringneck pheasant in the game…

HOT HOT HOT! Warm temperatures settle in for the weekend and today’s calm conditions will make for a perfect near-summer day on the water. Tomorrow’s gusts will keep you on the south side of the lake, but temperatures spike to nearly 100 degrees, and those conditions will help fuel evening thunderstorms that will chase most…

By Nick Simonson In early summer, it lurks on the edges of meadows, right next to that perfect deer stand site.  It hides among the grasses along the trail which traces a favorite river or stream.  Its red stems and green leaves surround the perfect backwater pond.  It is poison ivy, and for the unaware…

THE ARTIST. Lure making and fly tying is half art and half science, we share our thoughts on that and go around the horn in today’s Three Things talking sprinting and sunshine Featured Photo: A sunnie falls for a beadhead pheasant prince. Simonson Photo.   DAILY CONDITIONS: WEATHER (Bismarck Forecast): Today: Fri 6/8 – Cloudy to…

TENTED UP.  Today will be another nice one to be outdoors, and the weekend is looking good too after tonight’s splash of rain.  The next shot of water isn’t expected until your travels home on Sunday evening, so take in the mid-to-upper-eighties and enjoy!  We talk a non-camping insect and more in today’s Three Things….

  UPCOMING.  When waters rise, get dingy and change from heavy rains, be ready to take advantage of fish on the feed.  We share those tips in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: A pair of geese mill around a dock complex as a feeder creek pumps fresh rainwater into a lake. Simonson Photo. DAILY CONDITIONS:…

LAST CALL.  Don’t forget to get your ND Firearms deer lottery application in as the deadline is tomorrow.  We cover that and getting ready to scout things out for the upcoming season in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Rise Up.  The sun comes up over Big Detroit Lake, Minn. Simonson Photo DAILY CONDITIONS: WEATHER (Bismarck…

SETTLE IN.  Warm weather will help move fish back into their summer establishments as they begin setting up post-spawn patterns.  Key in on baitfish moving as well and on food sources developing in the shallows.  We talk about baitfish and more in today’s Three Things.   Featured Photo: Money in the Bank.  Minnows rest comfortably…

WHAT A WARMUP! Coming off yesterday’s chill and wind, things settle down today and get warm into next week, with every day touching 80 or better.  Some minor chances of evening thunder are floating around, but nothing looks like a wash out, making for a great fishing week. We talk about that and more, in…

WORST BEHIND US. Today will be cool and windy following some monster stormlines that brought tornadic activity from Watford City to just west of Bismarck. We look at the weather that was and how to salvage a good fishing weekend in today’s Three Things.   Featured Photo: Uneasy.  A wary turkey casts a backward glance…

METEO-LOGIC. Welcome to the meteorological start of summer! We kick things off wet and rumbly as storms roll through the area, following some rough weather last night as well.  With an inch of rain or more for our region, we should continue to see ground conditions green up and stave off the specter of last…