ON A LARK.  Spring is in full force as robins, geese, meadowlarks and ducks of all kinds are making their presence known. Warm and windy conditions will dominate the weekend, so watch that fire index and get out early and late to match the moon times and the lower wind speeds. Featured Photo: Pretty Bird. …

DON’T BE DECEIVED! Despite the approaching summer-like temperatures, fish are making their spring moves around the state and both pike and walleyes are undertaking their truncated seasonal runs in the region right now on flows from the Red River to Lake Ashtabula to the Missouri River system.  Reports are that the hot weather is spurring…

By Nick Simonson While controlled burns and even natural fires can serve a purpose in regenerating habitat this time of year, unintended blazes sparked by careless use of fire can cause unwanted damage to property and potentially threaten the lives of both wildlife and people.  Knowing how to properly manage a campfire, being aware of…

FUNK DAT! Like fashion, fishing lures tend to go in a circle.  We remember when bucktail spinners were en vogue for pike and muskies, followed closely by marabou options.  Then big sparkly synthetic flashabou options became all the rage.  Now we’re back to where we started with natural materials being the things muskies haven’t seen…

RUN!  It’s outside running season (finally – goodbye treadmill!) and as you know we like to sneak in a little outdoor exercise from time to time on the Edge.  Whether it’s hiking, biking or running, spring is one of the best times to hit the pavement or the trail and take in the returning birds,…

JACKED UP. After a little overnight rain, things warm up again during the week.  Speaking of heating up, the spring fishing is getting hot and getting on those pre-spawn walleyes is becoming a fast reality as reports of big fish are coming in from all over the Missouri River system already.  Get out there and…

MOP UP MONDAY.  Time to wash down the landscape with a quick shot of rain tonight and help spur that field habitat for a new generation of wildlife.  We’ll see anywhere from a quarter to a half-inch of rain in the overnight to help clean up the last of the snow and remove all the…

SUPER SUNDAY. The warmest day yet of this short spring is a perfect one for fishing, shooting sports, a quick run or a long bike ride.  Take advantage of the great opportunity to get back outdoors!  We go potpourri in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: A tom turkey struts atop a hill near Washburn as…

SPRING IS HERE!  Welcome to the weekend – and a gorgeous one at that!  After suffering through seven weeks of sub-average temperatures, things are aligning for a great couple of days (maybe weeks?) outside.  So turn those honey-dos into honey-dones, and get out there as we take a closer look at what’s ahead in today’s…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. I drove by a bald eagle nest the other day, and then another and another. It wasn’t my intention as it was actually a route I drive on a pretty regular basis. I’ve known about all three of these nests for a number of years, and there is only about…

WARMING UP.  Temperatures continue their climb into more seasonal conditions, and animal activity, including that of area turkey populations is increasing with the onset of the first warm stretch of spring.  We talk about those groups and more in today’s Three Things.   Featured Photo: A trio of turkeys explore a field edge along Highway…

NDG&F Press Release Hunter success during last fall’s pronghorn hunting season was 75 percent, according to statistics provided by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Game and Fish issued 410 licenses (255 lottery and 155 gratis), and 366 hunters took 275 pronghorn, consisting of 264 bucks, 10 does and one fawn. Each hunter spent…

By Nick Simonson I’ve never been a slow guy.  Slow on the uptake maybe, but never one to just sit around and wait for things to come, or fish to bite, or birds to appear.  I’ve been a walker, talker, doer type with more natural (and thanks to coffee, unnatural) energy than I can manage…

STABILIZING.  The near-term forecast has high temperatures near or above average (about 57 degrees) for the next four days, so get out and enjoy it.  As rivers and streams open up, opportunities for early season fishing will expand. We talk about those high-percentage areas on flowing water in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:  Off the…

Ducks Unlimited Press Release The House Committee on Agriculture is expected to consider the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R.2), more commonly referred to as the Farm Bill, on Wednesday, April 18. After hosting listening sessions throughout the country this summer, the committee markup will represent the first legislative step in the lengthy process…

FEATHER WEATHER.  One more shot of snow heads off to the east before things get on a warming trend.  Use today to take final stock of those flies, lures and other tackle items before spring finally does its thing and expect melting (and the related bite) to start in earnest by the weekend.  In today’s…

ONE MORE SHOT. Snow tonight and into tomorrow should be (fingers really crossed this time) the last round of snow the state experiences for a while.  The two-to-three inches will go quickly as temps begin a steady climb into the weekend, with conditions threatening the sixty-degree mark on Sunday!  With that positive thought, we talk…

FLOCKS!  Snow geese have made their way north, and while much of South Dakota found itself under a blanket of snow, open terrain in the Peace Garden State which was spared the brunt of last week’s storm, is inviting to these migrants. We talk about their movements and more in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:…

By Nick Simonson By this point in the season, the reels have been oiled, the rods cleaned and paired with their line holding partners and new tackle stocked up and readied for the start of open water fishing.  While the wait extends with the delayed warm up, its not uncommon to find antsy anglers at…

SPRING PLANTING. Looking ahead to the arrival of summer (since we’re just skipping spring this year), there’s much to do in the way of planting.  Gardens, food plots, and of course, trees.  When planting the latter for wildlife there’s three types of food-bearing trees and shrubs to talk about in today’s Three Things. (Featured Photo:…

WADE TO GO. As we continue the daily slog toward something resembling springtime (maybe 50s next weekend?!) many of those first casts will be taken by wading anglers.  We share our wading tips in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: From streams to rivers, waders provide a means of accessing breaks and deeper water where spring…

By Nick Simonson With spring on hold, there’s plenty of time to think about what comes when the snow melts.  Of course, the fishing will be fast and furious, but after the solid spring bite and those big fish will come a season of making a difference.  In order to preserve these great opportunities for…

AW, FEATHERS! While we’re sure you have stronger language for tonight’s snow, this is a family-friendly website. But speaking of feathers, we talk through a trio of popular products that make jigs, wet flies, streamers and other creations flow and look all the more natural in today’s Three Things. (Featured Photo: Saddle Hackle Feathers are…

ROD READY.  Now’s the time to look over that collection of fishing rods and be certain each one is ready for spring deployment.  Get the proper leverage on fish this season with tips in today’s Three Things.   Featured Photo:  Have Rod, Will Travel.  The strength to control a running fish comes from a good…

OUT OF LINE.  If it wasn’t for the fact we’re still five degrees below normal for this time of year, today and its warm temperatures would be considered an outlier for what we’ve been under recently.  We talk about temps, drag and a great leader knot in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:  Lady slippers bloom along…

By Nick Simonson Beyond a few cold stretches, the winter of 2017-18 was looking good for North Dakota’s upland game populations, including ringneck pheasants.  That is until March showed up, roaring in like a lion and leaving a season’s worth of snow on the landscape in a matter of weeks.  With cooler-than-average temperatures, the extension…

EDGING OUT.  Hopefully you did your digging and are ready for a bit of spring once again.  Temps peak in the upper 40s before another storm is predicted to make a dumping of snow one more (last?, seriously, can this be the LAST?!) time. (Featured Photo: Brightly colored shrimp flies pull double duty for trips…