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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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

Daily Edge for Sun. July 30

WHAT’S THE SKINNY? Fishing any river, stream or creek this time of year – when waters are clear and low – requires tact and knowing when fish are feeding, whether it’s bass, trout or walleye. Use shoreline cover and shadows, and a little bit of camouflage to hide from wary eyes in the water. Learn…

Daily Edge for Sat. July 29

WHO TURNED OUT THE LIGHTS? You won’t have to worry about it this weekend as mostly sunny conditions will prevail, warming your fishing trips into the upper 80s and low 90s across the Peace Garden State, but in about three weeks, it’ll be a different story as we look forward to a solar eclipse which…

Hot Bite Continues as Sakakawea Drawdown Begins

By Nick Simonson Following a heavier than normal snowpack this winter in the mountains which feed the Missouri River system, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) will begin a late-summer drawdown of Lake Sakakawea, which will drop the elevation of the reservoir from a forecasted height of 1,846.3 feet at the end of July…

Daily Edge for Fri. July 28

WEIGHTY MATTERS. You won’t be held down by the weather much today, as a slight chance of rain fades by noon or so. On top of that, you’ll know just what weights to use to get your bait in the strike zone and lift a few more fish to the surface in today’s Three Things….

Bluegill Opportunities Expand in ND

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. Ask an angler with his friends or co-workers within earshot what his three favorite North Dakota fishing targets and you’ll likely hear walleye, walleye and walleye. But bluegill? Likely not in the first casts of most campfire conversations. But maybe they should be. “I think it’s safe to say, in terms…

Daily Edge for Thu. July 27

IN MOURNING. Despite the rough news about pheasants, now is the time to start scouting out your favorite dove hunting spots, as the earliest of upland seasons opens in just over a month, and dry conditions favor these small but exciting birds. Key in on locations discussed in today’s Three Things for more success! Oh,…

Our Outdoors: It’s Not What You Think

By Nick Simonson Recently I wrote a column on that moment when you set the hook into something big. You just get that feeling; that sense of knowing that the fish on the end of the line from the moment it’s connected is a big one. During a recent return for walleyes on Lake Sakakawea…

Dakota Uplander: Drought Takes Its Toll on SW ND Pheasants

By Nick Simonson As drought conditions continue to grip the heart of North Dakota’s pheasant region, agents of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, employees of Pheasants Forever and area hunters report that the dry weather has been having a negative impact on the number of young birds they have been seeing. “Anecdotally, I’ve…

50 Pheasant Flies: Zebra Nymph

By Nick Simonson The Zebra Nymph is a heavy-metal pattern that trout and panfish can’t resist. With alternating wire strands for the body and pheasant tail fibers for the tail and legs, it’s a perfect combination of flash and finesse. MATERIALS Hook: Curved Nymph 12-18 Thread: 6/0 Black Head: Black Nickel Bead Tail: 8 PT…

Daily Edge for Wed. July 26

HEY MIKE, WHAT DAY IS IT? We’re halfway home to a busy summer weekend – fishing, shooting, preseason scouting – whatever you have on tap, it’s looking like a good one! In the meantime, bone up on some popular furbearers in North Dakota in today’s Three Things. (Featured Photo: A coyote pauses for a quick…

Daily Edge for Tue. July 25

DINNERTIME! We’re feeling July, but not overly hot as a couple average-type summer days settle in for the middle of the week Midsummer is the start of the feeding season, and while young-of-the-year perch and panfish make up a portion of many predators’ summertime buffet, a trio of other forage species of note come to…

Devils Lake Kids Fishing Camp is Aug. 6-11

NDG&F Press Release Hosted by the Devils Lake Park Board at Lakewood Bible Camp, the Devils Lake Kids Fishing Camp is open to all youngsters ages 8-13 years old. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is a co-sponsor for the 14th annual Kids Fishing Camp at Devils Lake Aug. 6-11. Game and Fish volunteers…

Daily Edge for Mon. July 24

BACK TO IT. Monday returns with heat and wind, and we’re already thinking about next weekend. There’s lots to do across the Peace Garden State, but no matter what you’re after on the water, there’s a lot of tournament action to be had and seen. Check it all out in today’s Three Things. (Featured Photo:…

Daily Edge for Sun. July 23

PERFECT SUNDAY! Weather, moon and sun times align for a perfect end to the last major moonphase of the month. You’re going to want to stretch out your weekend fishing and capitalize on a hot bite today. Whether fishing or hunting, knowing the conditions of your target location is important. Part of today’s Three Things…

Bendel Tapped for N.D. Women in Conservation Coordinator Role

Pheasants Forever Press Release Pheasants Forever is thrilled to announce Cayla Bendel as the organization’s new Women in Conservation Coordinator for the state of North Dakota. The position will focus exclusively on outreach, education and technical assistance to agricultural producers, landowners and volunteers with an emphasis on accelerating conservation engagement amongst women. Working collaboratively with…

Daily Edge for Sat. July 22

JOIN UP! Sun and moonrise coincide on this major moon phase weekend (new moon). Lock in some great fishing as this is the last weekend of the summer where a major moon phase falls on one of your freebie days off. Also, three great conservation groups deserve your attention – join up and work to…

Daily Edge for Fri. July 21

GRASS IS GROWING! Will there be enough of it for fall though, as N.D. CRP acres have fallen to around 1 million, from a high of around 3 million 10 years ago. Recent rain should help restore some green to the dry landscape of the Peace Garden State, and from far away, a fish attack…

With Sturgeon Comeback, Eyes Turn to Angling

Our Outdoors: Here & Gone

Upland Predictors & Prognostications

Our Outdoors: Favors Returned

Sunglasses Season