SUN’S OUT! Guns out?  Pretty close!  While we’re not quite ready for snow goose or spring trap shooting seasons, we feel a little less like winter today as bright sunshine and warmer temps creep us closer to average for this time of year.  We look at the weekend forecast and some late season ice fishing…

RUFF HOUSING.  We take some time out from winter talk to look ahead to a favorite spring woodland bird, and a fun hunt every fall – the ruffed grouse.  From how they get their colors to their tell-tale spring drumming sound to what the future holds, we cover the bases in today’s Three Things. Featured…

MONITORING MIGRANTS.  While the white stuff will reappear overnight and early this morning, those white spring birds probably won’t make their way north for a few weeks, especially if things stay cool.  We talk about snow geese and other migrating birds seen in ND and where they are now in today’s Three Things. (Featured Photo:…

Following yesterday’s front and related snow squall, we drop into the single digits for highs for the next few days and winter settles back in.  We talk more about that and other chilly topics in today’s Three Things. (Featured Photo: A snow-covered hiking trail winds through a draw along the Missouri River valley. Simonson Photo)…

By Nick Simonson While it may not feel like it, spring is just around the corner, and with the six-to-ten weeks ahead, landowners and conservationists still have time to get their planting plans in place to help aid not only upland game species like pheasants and partridge, but also benefit songbirds, watchable wildlife and pollinators. …

FISH ON? Cold comes back, and the myth that spring is just around the corner fades into the dusty corners of the mind as we feel the touch of winter’s hand once more.  Speaking of myths we tap into the annals of the internet for some of our favorite internet hoaxes and questionable legends in…

It’s the ideal day of the weekend to get on the ice as temps stay in the upper 20s and snow isn’t forecast until after midnight, but if ice fishing isn’t your thing this weekend is for the birds as well with lots of avian-themed activities available in the region, which we discuss in depth…

By Nick Simonson The art of fly tying is creating a pattern that can easily simulate, or combines the best parts of, a number of potential prey items in the wild.  With over 14,000 species of caddisflies worldwide, good general imitators combine a number of their characteristics that fish key in on.  Whether it’s the…

We’ll be at the Bismarck Sports Show this afternoon helping out with the ND Clay Target League booth, so stop by and say hi!  This afternoon and Saturday will be conducive to good ice fishing, so get out there and give it a go.  We talk about the great access this winter has allowed for…

ROLL ON.  If you don’t like the weather here, wait ten minutes, it’ll change. (Then you’ll really hate it!)  From 40 above to 4 below in 40 hours, it’ll be an interesting swing, and again when we kick up near 30 tomorrow.  With the recent chill, we check in on the mid-month WSI and where…

MELT YOUR HEART. A spike to near 40 degrees today will get things melting, providing a brief reprieve from the recent chill.  Get your fishing in today though as light snow and gusty winds take over tonight and into tomorrow, dropping temps back into the single digits with nasty wind chills once again.  Bask in…

By Nick Simonson The days of first ice are well behind us, and the late ice pre-spawn surge is still a month or so away.  In between, a bite can still be had but it might take a little more elbow grease to add a few fillets to the frying pan.  The mid-winter stretch with…

ON THE RISE.  Temperatures will climb steadily for the next 36 hours before another arctic outbreak slams us back down as has been the trend in this whipsaw of a winter.  Grab some time on the ice later today and tomorrow (with your sweetie?) before things cool off. In the in between we talk about…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. It’s been interesting to watch and learn about the movement of moose within North Dakota. In the not so distant past, moose were mostly found in the wooded Turtle Mountains or Pembina Gorge of north central and northeastern North Dakota. In the last 12 years, moose numbers have declined in…

HANG ON.  One more cold day before a mid-week warm-up takes us into the low forties for highs!  After that we bob around in the 20s and 30s before dropping into the deep freeze once more.  We go around the horn, from turkey tags to pheasant forage to the long range forecast in today’s three…

SNIPS & CLIPS.  Whether it’s on the ice or openwater, having a good cutter helps keep things moving.  Besides tying a quicker knot with a clean cut, clippers snips and scissors in a variety of models are easy to store on a lanyard or in a tacklebox and can make short work of the worst…

COLD CONTINUES.  Moderate winds will keep windchills below zero all weekend, and near -30 at night.  Bundle up or fish the afternoons for the most accommodating conditions or finish up those tackle projects with some spare indoor time.  Meanwhile, we go conservation potpourri in today’s Three Things. (Featured Photo: Tying Time. This weekend may be…

By Nick Simonson While summer, with its bounty of boisterous bugs seems a long way off, the amount of time left to get ready for all sorts of fishing adventures on the long rod is growing shorter and shorter.  Imitating some of those classic summer sights on the side of a stream or lake is…

GOOD BOY.  While the southwest corner of the state saw snow, much of the rest of North Dakota was shut out yesterday, with just a trace hitting Bismarck.  A light fresh coating made for fun outdoors for the dogs, and nuisance sweeping for the rest of us.  We talk about how to best track our…

By Nick Simonson In the modern era of fishing tackle, lures are as much designed to catch the eye of anglers as they are fish.  How else are the 95 different models of Rapala crankbaits explained (and that’s just the ones found on the company’s “best sellers” portion of its website)?  Ultraviolet paint, reflective prisms,…

PACK IT IN! Snow over the Missouri River valley and its tributaries in Montana creeps into southwestern ND, helping to build the snowpack which will fuel the flow and its reservoirs this spring.  Staring down a possible five inches south of Dickinson, and heavier snows to the west, we talk about where those water stores…

NDG&F Press Release North Dakota’s spring light goose conservation order opens Feb. 17 and continues through May 13. Residents must have a valid current season 2017-18 (valid through March 31) or 2018-19 (required April 1) combination license; or a small game, and general game and habitat license. The 2018-19 license is available for purchase beginning March 15….

SNOW IS ON THE WAY.  While that may pertain to tomorrow’s forecast, it’s only a matter of weeks before snow geese show up on the southern horizon as well.  We talk about the approaching conservation season and more in today’s Three Things. (Featured Photo: Snow geese settle into a flooded spring cornfield. Simonson Photo) DAILY…

CRUSH IT!  Around the state, ND Clay Target League teams are signing up new shooters for the spring season at local high schools.  Expecting more than 1,200 participants, the program’s state tournament has expanded to two days.  We talk about opportunities near and far to take part in today’s Three Things. (Featured Photo:  Like a…

TIES THAT BIND.  We were hoping for another overtime thriller and extra minutes last night, but glad it ended when it did. With football season over it’s time to look ahead to what the end of winter and the coming spring will bring.  Hopefully, something good you can share, which we discuss in today’s Three…

COLD AHEAD.  It’s a slow climb out of the single digits this week with a potential snowmaker Thursday into Friday.  Get out while things are stable early on and keep an eye on the radar late in the week.  We talk about the ever-increasing amount of sunlight and more in today’s Three Things. (Featured Photo:The…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. The North Dakota spring turkey license application period is open right now, and for most hunters, the process will be business as usual. For spring turkey last year, and for all other lottery licenses in 2017, just about 90 percent of prospective hunters submitted their applications online. The other 10…