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…

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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…

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Daily Edge for Tue. Aug. 15

WET FOR WATERFOWL.  Early Goose Season kicks off today, and the weather will make you feel like you’re one of the flock as rain dominates the forecast.  We talk more about geese in today’s Three Things.  Welcome to hunting season 2017! (Featured Photo: Early Canada Goose Season opens today and runs to the start of…

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2016 Upland Harvest Tallied

NDG&F Dept. Release The harvest of pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse and Hungarian partridge last year in North Dakota was down from 2015, according to statistics compiled by the State Game and Fish Department. Last year, more than 76,600 pheasant hunters (down 10 percent) harvested 501,100 roosters (down 15 percent), compared to 85,500 hunters and 590,700 roosters…

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Daily Edge for Mon. Aug. 14

FEELS LIKE MONDAY.  Warm, calm, nearly perfect?  Sounds like Monday in the latest weather swing. Get out early or late for the best bites as last quarter gives us a bump.  We break down trail cam terminology in today’s Three Things so you can get the most out of your eyes in the field as…

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Daily Edge for Sun. Aug. 13

UP AND DOWN AGAIN.  We’re still waiting to warm back up, it’s one step forward and one step back, as unstable weather rules the recent pattern.  With the flip-flopping, angling isn’t as consistent as the warm stretches in June and July were, as a result, we’ve got some flashy tips for your offerings in today’s…

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Daily Edge for Sat. Aug. 12

FOLLOW THE ARROW.  Pressure is dropping and winds are shifting to the east, so it’s not  a surprise that today will boast a bit of rain.  In the meantime, we’re catching up on all things arrow-related in today’s Three Things. (Featured Photo: On Target!  Putting a few arrows in your favorite foam target is a…

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PLOTS Q&A

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. The State Game and Fish Department recently posted the 2017 version of the North Dakota Private Land Open to Sportsmen or PLOTS guide to its website. In addition to the updated maps showing PLOTS acres and other public lands available for hunting this year, the guide also has a question-and-answer…

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Daily Edge for Fri. Aug. 11

FANTASTIC FRIDAY…FINALLY!  Take advantage of today and play a little hooky, as fishing should be fantastic leading into the system which will wash out your Saturday (sorry!).  In the meantime we’re talking grass – yeah…that kind of grass – along with some other conservation options in today’s Three Things. (Featured Photo: A rooster pheasant looks…

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Daily Edge for Thu. Aug. 10

ROLLING ON.  Today straightens up as the afternoon settles in and tomorrow is a good one as well.  Despite being a few degrees below normal, both should be perfect for honing your post-frontal fishing skills as the low pressure system meanders east. In the meantime, we’ve got some challenges for you in today’s Three Things….

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50 Pheasant Flies: Pheasant Leech

By Nick Simonson The pheasant leech is a great pattern that utilizes those tiny underfeathers which rest beneath the more prominent rump feathers to make up a super-soft body.  Combined with a pheasant marabou tail and collar, this fly is a perfect “on-the-menu” pattern for late summer, as leeches are prevalent and tough to turn…

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Daily Edge for Wed. Aug. 9

LAYING LOW.  It might be a good day to stay inside and get that hunting gear ready for the season as rain with a few bumps along the way will be the call for the day.  We countdown sunlight and talk numbers in today’s Three Things. (Featured Photo: A camera shy rooster pheasant ducks and…

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Duck Brood Numbers Off Slightly

NDG&F Press Release State Game and Fish Department biologists expect a fall duck flight from North Dakota that is down 8 percent from last year, based on observations from the annual mid-July waterfowl production survey. This year’s brood index came in at 3.68 broods per square mile, down 5 percent from last year. The statewide…

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Daily Edge for Tue. Aug. 8

FULL UP!  August’s full moon is in the books – the next one you see will be after the start of a number of hunting seasons, dove, deer archery and goose management, and a shift in the fishing season.  Strange how time flies like that.  In the meantime load up on info in today’s Three…

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Waterfowl Regulations Set

NDG&F Press Release North Dakota’s 2017 waterfowl season is set, with the season framework similar to last year. Noteworthy changes include the daily limit on pintails is reduced from two to one, and the west boundary of the Missouri River Canada Goose Zone, north of N.D. Highway 200, is extended to N.D. Highway 8. Opening…

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Daily Edge for Mon. Aug. 7

SAY WHAT?  It sure looks like a great full-moon Monday.  If you felt cheated by the rain this weekend, you have it on our authority to stay home from work today.  File it in the Peter Gibbons folder!  In the meantime, it’s time to dig into some favorite outdoors sayings in today’s Three Things. (Featured…

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Daily Edge for Sun. Aug. 6

WIGGLE AND FLASH!  We live in a golden age of lure making.  There are a lot of great materials available to fly tiers and lure makers, and in Today’s Three Things, we have just a few suggestions for making some dynamite offerings for whatever you pursue under the growing full moon! (Featured Photo: The krystal…

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Fit for Fall, Part 1 – Train to Your Game

By Nick Simonson Upland hunting provides a good level of challenge for hunters who are not used to trekking over uneven ground and putting in miles after their favorite pursuits.  Whether it’s pheasants, sharptails or partridge, covering distance and working through various habitat types in North Dakota presents a physical challenge each fall which may…

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Daily Edge for Sat. Aug. 5

STAND UP!  While rain is in the forecast this weekend across the Peace Garden State, it won’t be a washout entirely.  In fact, if you get out in the early half of today, you can move your deer stand into place, clear shooting lanes, adjust your camera and sneak out, all in time to have…

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G&F History

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. My years of experience and work as a biologist and former game warden usually give me a head start when I get questions on a variety of topics, but when I don’t know the answer, my first stop is the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website at gf.nd.gov. Recently…

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Daily Edge for Fri. Aug. 4

GOOD MORNING!  Welcome to the (almost) weekend.  Though you might want to start yours early as today will be your best bet for some time on the water, and certainly it will be the driest day of the stretch as rain rolls in again tomorrow.  In the meantime, get out, take a look around and…

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Rise of the Mechanicals

By Nick Simonson With North Dakota’s archery season fast approaching, many hunters are preparing their bows and related equipment for the Sept. 1 opener.  While most hunters have a set of gear they’re happy with – from their bow and quiver to their sight and stabilizer – one variable that is always on the minds…

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Our Outdoors: The Things I’ve Forgotten

By Nick Simonson The dark wood of our living room floor is the color of coffee, making it easy to disguise my spills when the replacement pot I bought this spring leaks a few drops down there on my first pour of the day.  But since getting Ole, my new yellow lab puppy to replace…

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Daily Edge for Thu. Aug. 3

AFTER THE RAIN. Birds and broods were out in full force following the rains which swept over the state, dropping anywhere from .25 to 1 inch.  Under clearing skies and light winds, the evening provided a chance to catch up with wildlife, but the day gave plenty of time for firearms lore, which we touch…

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Small Game, Furbearer Regulations Set

NDG&F Press Release North Dakota’s 2017 small game and furbearer regulations are set and most season structures are similar to last year. Notable changes include: — Fur harvesters will have an opportunity to take river otters, with a season limit of 15 taken by traps or cable devices. A limit of one per person is…

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Early Canada Goose Season Announced

NDG&F Press Release North Dakota’s early Canada goose season is set, and bag limits and licensing requirements are the same as last year. However, the west boundary of the Missouri River Canada Goose zone, north of N.D. Highway 200, is extended to N.D. Highway 8. The season will open Tuesday, Aug. 15 and continue through…

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Daily Edge for Wed. Aug. 2

THE SUN SETS ON SUMMER (for now).  Temperatures cool after a weathermaker settles in over the region today bringing storms and steady rain throughout the daylight hours and we get a hint of what’s to come until a weekend warm-up brings us back into the 80s.  You can use the time indoors today to get…

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Deer Lottery Complete

NDG&F Press Release North Dakota’s deer gun lottery has been held and individual results are available online at the State Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. More than 2,800 antlerless deer gun licenses remain. Only resident applicants who were unsuccessful in the first lottery can apply for remaining licenses. The first lottery application process – deer gun, muzzleloader,…

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Daily Edge for Tue. Aug. 1

COOLED OFF YET?  The second warmest month of the year for N.D. starts off with a dip below average as today’s last shot of summer will give way to rain and highs barely cracking 70 tomorrow.  The roughly 50% of N.D. hunters who didn’t get drawn might need this time to cool off, and make…

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Daily Edge for Mon. July 30

SUPER-SIZED SUMMER!  Our great stretch of summer weather continues as Monday brings more warmth and light winds.  Temps drop slightly throughout the week, but conditions are still pretty nice.  In today’s Three Things we talk additional boating safety steps beyond just wearing a life jacket. (Featured Photo: Rough Waters.  Anglers buck winds and tough weather…

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