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Daily Edge for Tue. Aug. 29

IT’S LIKE A HEATWAVE! Summer is making its comeback as August-like temps return. We jump above average with highs in the upper 80s today and light winds. Don’t be fooled though, autumn is still on its way, and hunting seasons will open shortly. We’ve got the scoop on last minute dove prep, some swan news…

50 Pheasant Flies: Krystal SHWAPF

By Nick Simonson If you’re looking for a fly that totally catches fish, is completely customizable, and best of all is easy to tie, look no further than Al Campbell’s Swept Hackle Wing All Purpose Fly – or “SHWAPF” for short. This two-material pattern can be tied with just about any feather or hair for…

Daily Edge for Mon. Aug. 28

STILL SUMMER! At least for a little bit longer, conditions will revert to those normal August dog days, heat, humidity and warmer evenings. Unfortunately, the year’s first crop of widespread mosquitoes have emerged after recent rains in areas that were gripped by the drought. Ah well, take the good with the bad I guess –…

PLOTS Guide Now Available

NDG&F Dept. Press Release The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Private Land Open To Sportsmen Guide for 2017 is now available online at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. In addition, PLOTS guides are available at most vendors throughout the state. The guide will feature about 737,000 PLOTS acres. Because the guide is printed in mid-August,…

Daily Edge for Sun. Aug. 27

30,000 FOOT VIEW. The bulk of late Friday and Saturday’s rain slipped south of the state line, and a few small spatters yesterday kept the dust down in Bismarck, but most moisture fell east. A big warm up is on the way, making up for a cooler-than-average August to this point. Will temps moderate before…

Daily Edge for Sat. Aug. 26

BACK IN TIME. Rain chances move out overnight, and clouds subside to mostly sunny by mid-day. A perfect 80 on the thermometer with light winds will provide an ideal summer Saturday. It’ll feel like déjà vu as Sunday appears to be a carbon copy temp wise, perhaps with more sun! We grab our rods and…

Youth Outdoors Festival is Aug. 31 in Minot

NDG&F Press Release The North Dakota Game and Fish Department, local wildlife clubs and other sponsors will usher youngsters into fall during the annual Youth Outdoor Festival in Minot. The event is Thursday, Aug. 31 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Game and Fish Conservation and Outdoors Skills Park on the grounds of the…

The Quest for Velvet

By Nick Simonson With the turn of the calendar into September, hunters wake from their summer dreams of those giant bucks in the pictures on their trail cameras appearing in front of their stand and prepare to make those visions a reality. For many, the early season brings with it the challenge and the chance…

Daily Edge for Fri. Aug. 25

HIT AND MISS. There’s a spotty chance of showers this afternoon. Good for areas climbing their way out of the drought. We address that topic, its impact on upland birds and how you can help habitat in Today’s Three Things! (Featured Photo: A rooster pheasant makes its way between grassy stands north of Bismarck. Simonson…

Dove Season Opens Sept. 1

NDG&F Press Release North Dakota’s dove season opens statewide Sept. 1, and hunters are reminded to register with the Harvest Information Program prior to hunting. The daily limit is 15 and possession limit is 45. Shooting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset. The season is open through Nov. 29. All dove hunters must possess a…

Our Outdoors: A Summer Disappearing Act

By Nick Simonson “Hey Nick, what are we going to catch,” asked Rylyn, the oldest son of my wife’s cousin, as we made our way out to the dock. “Ninety-nine percent bluegills,” I replied as his brother Radlee and father Chase made their way behind us, trailed closely by my son AJ. Unsealing the red…

Daily Edge for Thu. Aug. 24

GETTING IT LIT! Dry, but slightly cooler air dominates the near-term forecast, until a weathermaker moves in for Friday afternoon and into early Saturday, but the weekend looks salvageable as we get closer to the unofficial end of summer. We talk salmon – and the sweet and savory succulence that goes with it – in…

Deer Archery Season Opens Sept. 1

NDG&F Press Release North Dakota’s deer archery season opens Friday, Sept. 1 at noon, and bowhunters are reminded that deer bow licenses and accompanying tags are only available through electronic purchase. Bowhunters can buy a license online at the state Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov; by calling 800-406-6409; or at vendors linked to the Game and Fish Department’s…

Salmon Season Expected to be Excellent

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. Count me among the thousands of North Dakota anglers who enjoy knowing that if we want to experience the thrill of catching a hard-fighting chinook salmon, we can do it without leaving the state. If that experience is on your “bucket list” as it is on mine, the next several…

Daily Edge for Wed. Aug. 23

CAST AWAY! There’s still time to get your fishing in, but hunting seasons are on the horizon. We’re talkin’ turkey today, as the NDG&F opens up the fall turkey season application process online. Featured Photo: A trio of anglers cast on the calm morning waters. Simonson Photo DAILY CONDITIONS: WEATHER (Bismarck Forecast): Today: Wed 8/23…

Waterfowlers Reminded to Get HIP, Stamp

NDG&F Press Release Harvest Information Program registration for all migratory game bird hunters, regardless of age, and a federal duck stamp for waterfowl hunters age 16 and older, are required beginning Sept. 1. Migratory game birds include ducks, geese, swans, mergansers, coots, cranes, snipe, doves and woodcock. Waterfowl includes ducks, geese, swans, mergansers and coots. Hunters…

Daily Edge for Tue. Aug. 22

LOONY TUNES. The air this weekend in lakes country was adrift with the final summer calls of the common loon. The birds are grouping up for their trip south which usually takes place around Labor Day weekend. Luckily we have some summer-like weather creeping back into our forecast, as things warm up tomorrow. We get…

Pronghorn Lottery Complete

NDG&F Press Release North Dakota’s pronghorn lottery has been held and individual results are available online at the state Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. A total of 410 licenses were available in units 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A and 4C. More than 8,700 applications, including 155 gratis, were received. All licenses were issued. Unsuccessful applicants who submitted their…

Daily Edge for Mon. Aug. 21

NIP & TUCK. It’s going to be close, but the clouds that settled in overnight will be making their way out of the region – hopefully just in time for today’s big solar eclipse. It’s a fun mix of items in today’s Three Things, so check it out and plan your day accordingly. (Featured Photo:…

Daily Edge for Sun. Aug. 20

CHILL OUT. It’ll be a nice Sunday, but cooler than what you enjoyed yesterday. When you get home from the lake, you can get your gear ready for hunting seasons which open in just under two weeks. We address those and give you some final tips to get ready for doves, deer and partridge/grouse openers…

Fit for Fall, Part 2 – Big Game, Bigger Prep

By Nick Simonson As fall progresses, hunters’ eyes will shift west over the plains and into the badlands of both North and South Dakota for a shot at a monster mule deer, or for some, a trip of a lifetime hunting elk in rugged, mountainous places like Montana or Colorado. With the change in topography…

Daily Edge for Sat. Aug. 19

SUMMER’S BACK! Soak in this steamy Saturday before things slip south on a cool front later in the day, leading into a mid-70s Sunday. Grab an innertube and your five weight fly rod and we all float on, as we talk buoyancy in today’s Three Things. (Featured Photo: This bluegill engulfed a foam beetle on…

ND Businessman Helps Hunters Find Their TRAX

By Nick Simonson Drawing on nearly two decades of technology experience and a love of the outdoors, Korey Kirschenmann, owner of Kirsch’s Outdoor Products in Fargo, has created a tool for hunters, anglers and outdoors enthusiasts which keeps them on the right track to enjoying their favorite pastimes. However, it wasn’t the commercial viability of…

Daily Edge for Fri. Aug. 18

STOP BEING CRANKY…and get cranking! It’s Friday afterall, and things are warming back up for the downward slide out of August, so a crankbait bite just might be in order for the next couple of weeks. We’re looking forward to a warm start to the weekend, with a slight dip on Saturday. DAILY CONDITIONS: WEATHER…

State, Standing Rock Reach Elk Accord

NDG&F Press Release Gov. Doug Burgum and Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Dave Archambault II have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that directs state and tribal authorities on regulating an elk hunting season within the Standing Rock Reservation. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department and Standing Rock Game, Fish and Wildlife Department developed the MOU…

The Advent of August Hunting

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. Growing up in the Midwest, I always thought August was more about fishing, baseball and the last stretch of summer vacation, rather than a prelude to fall accompanied by football, school and hunting, but times have changed and the transition to fall now seems to start in August rather than…

Our Outdoors: Summer Holiday

By Nick Simonson My favorite holiday comes in mid-August. No, not National S’mores Day or International Beer Day (close runners up though), but that day, after the hustle-and-bustle of summer activity gives way to a warm, lazy Sunday afternoon when I can unwrap my favorite late-summer present – the memory card in my trail camera….

Daily Edge for Thu. Aug. 17

NO THUNDER THURSDAY. A great stretch of weather is setting up behind Tuesday’s storm system which has moved well east of North Dakota. Use these days to get back on the water and find fish that are starting to think fall – and feedbag! In today’s Three Things we talk about going big for big…

Daily Edge for Wed. Aug. 16

HUMPDAY REBOUND! Things start looking up weather-wise as the system that soaked us Tuesday fades eastward. The drying out begins, and a return to more summerlike temps comes in the back half of the week and into the weekend. While you’re getting your kids signed up for school in the coming days – check out…

Missouri River CTL Sign-Up is Aug. 22 & 29

MR CTL Press Release Registration for the fall season of the Missouri River Clay Target League (MR CTL) for all Bismarck-Mandan area students in grades 6-12 with Firearms Safety Certificates (or CTL SAFE Program completion which can be completed after registration) will open on Tue. Aug. 22 and run through Fri. Sept. 1. Sign up…

The Legends of Late Season

The Swing of Things

Our Outdoors: Man Without a Knife

ND Deer Gun Tags Reduced to 10-Year Low

Making Partridge Pop