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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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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….

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

With Sturgeon Comeback, Eyes Turn to Angling

Our Outdoors: Here & Gone

Upland Predictors & Prognostications

Our Outdoors: Favors Returned

Sunglasses Season