North Dakota anglers are reminded they can fish for free June 7-8.

That is the weekend North Dakota residents may fish without a license. All other fishing regulations apply.

Refer to the 2014-16 North Dakota Fishing Guide for season information.

North Dakota Game and Fish Department fisheries biologists said despite colder-than-average winter temperatures, not many lakes experienced a fish kill.

Fisheries management section leader Scott Gangl said biologists investigated winterkills at 11 lakes so far this spring, with only a few considered significant enough to affect the quality of fishing this spring.

Lakes that appear to have suffered a significant kill include Leland Dam (McKenzie County), Island Lake (Rolette County) and the State Fair Pond (Ward County).

Fisheries personnel already restocked these lakes with hatchery raised fish, or fish transported from another lake. Gangl said while the State Fair Pond will have catchable fish this summer, fish stocked in Leland Dam and Island Lake will take 2-3 years to be of a catchable size.

Some of the lakes that experienced a minor kill were too insignificant to affect fishing.

Anglers can contact the local Game and Fish Department fisheries district offices to get more information on the status of these lakes, or to report fish kills that may not be on the list.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department reminds anglers and others taking carp and other nongame fish that a license is required, and hook-and-line, archery equipment and spears are the only legal methods of take. Snagging nongame fish is illegal.

In addition, enforcement chief Robert Timian said anglers must properly dispose of the fish. “Leaving dead fish on the shoreline or in the water is considered a littering violation,” Timian said.

Game wardens and other law enforcement officers have the authority to cite persons for this violation, Timian said, with the minimum penalty a $100 littering violation and the maximum a Class B misdemeanor which can bring up to a $1,000 fine and possible loss of fishing and hunting privileges.

Other regulations include:

• ·         Legal archery equipment is any bow to which an arrow is attached by a line and equipped with a harpoon style point or wire-barbed point.

For more information, including open areas, refer to the 2014-16 North Dakota Fishing Guide.

North Dakota deer hunters are reminded the deadline for submitting applications for the 2014 gun season is June 4. Hunters are encouraged to apply online at the State Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov.

The deadline applies to muzzleloader, regular gun, gratis and nonresident landowner, and youth antlered mule deer applications (specifically for antlered mule deer in units 3B1, 3B2, and 4A-4F).

Gratis applications received on or before the regular deer gun lottery application deadline (June 4) will be issued an any-legal-deer license. As per state law, applications received after the deadline will be issued based on licenses remaining after the lottery – generally only antlerless licenses remain.

A new state law requires residents age 18 or older to prove residency on the application by submitting a valid North Dakota driver’s license number or a North Dakota nondriver photo identification number. Applications will not be processed without this information.

The deadline for regular statewide youth deer licenses is Sept. 1.

The State Game and Fish Department is lifting the Tuesday-Wednesday camping restriction on many wildlife management areas in the western and central part of the state for the week of Memorial Day,May 26-30.

This same waiver will allow camping on those WMAs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during all state-recognized holiday weeks throughout the year, including 4^th of July week (June 30-July 4), and Labor Day (Sept. 1-5).

All other public use regulations for state wildlife management areas still apply.

This waiver applies to the following WMAs in western North Dakota and along Lake Sakakawea: North Lemmon Lake in Adams County; Bull Creek in Billings County; Alkali Creek and Spring Creek in Bowman County; Smishek Lake and Short Creek Dam in Burke County; Harris M. Baukol in Divide County; Killdeer Mountains in Dunn County; Camels Hump Lake in Golden Valley County; Indian Creek in Hettinger County; Audubon, Custer Mine, Deepwater Creek, deTrobriand, Douglas Creek and Wolf Creek in McLean County; Beaver Creek and Hille in Mercer County; Storm Creek in Morton County; Cedar Lake and Speck Davis Pond in Slope County; and McGregor Dam in Williams County.

However, regardless of the holiday, camping is still prohibited every day of the week at the following WMAs: Antelope Creek, Lewis and Clark, Big Oxbow, Ochs Point, Neu’s Point, Overlook, Sullivan and Tobacco Garden in McKenzie County; Van Hook in Mountrail County; and Hofflund and Trenton in Williams County.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program has openings for “Hike the Maah Daah Hey Trail” June 21-22.

This workshop is designed for women with previous hiking or backpacking skills, or who are in good physical condition. Participants will hike a 13-mile portion of the trail near the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Activity is strenuous due to rough terrain. The $30 fee includes group gear and transportation to and from the CCC Campground. Each participant must provide their own personal gear and meals.

BOW workshops are designed primarily for women with an interest in learning skills associated with hunting, fishing and outdoor endeavors. Although open to anyone age 18 or older, the workshops are tailored primarily to women who have never tried these activities or who are beginners hoping to improve their skills.

Women interested in attending the workshop can enroll online, or print an information brochure and enrollment form, at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. More information is available by contacting Nancy Boldt at 701-328-6312, or email ndgf@nd.gov.

Outdoor water recreationists are once again reminded to help prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic nuisance species in North Dakota.

State Game and Fish Department ANS Coordinator Fred Ryckman said there are more than 400 recreational fishing waters across the state, making it imperative for watercraft owners to obey regulations.

“It is the same message year after year, but that just shows how important it is to keep our waterways free of unwanted species,” Ryckman said. “Full public participation and compliance is critical if we want to ensure ANS is not transferred from one lake to another.”

Current law states all water must be drained from watercraft prior to leaving a water body, including livewells. This means fish, including bait, cannot be transported in a livewell containing water. However, bait buckets and/or any container of 5 gallons or less in volume can be used to transport legal live baitfish or other bait in water. All other fish species may not be held in water and/or transported in bait buckets/containers when away from a water body. Transportation of fish in or on ice is allowed.

In addition, no aquatic vegetation, or parts thereof, shall be in or on watercraft, motors, trailers and recreational equipment when out of water. Time out of the water needed to remove aquatic vegetation at the immediate water access area is allowed.

All built-in structures to boats, including livewells and bait compartments, and containers (bait buckets) used to transport legal live bait, must also be free of aquatic vegetation.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department announced today that the state’s 2014 regular paddlefish snagging season will close at 10 p.m. Central Daylight Time, Sunday, May 18, to protect the population level of the fish. However, snaggers are reminded that Sunday is a snag-and-release only day.

The 2014-16 fishing proclamation allows for the Game and Fish director to close the snagging season early if it appears more than 1,000 paddlefish will be harvested. Fisheries chief Greg Power said it’s been another successful year. “The unique thing is that half the harvest was large, presumably old females,” Power said. “Relatively high water levels perhaps contributed to the harvest of so many females.”

An additional four-day snag-and-release season will begin Monday, May 19 and run through Thursday, May 22. Paddlefish snaggers with an unused paddlefish tag can continue snagging during the additional snag-and-release season, but must release all fish immediately. Snaggers who already used their tag on a harvested paddlefish are not allowed to participate in the additional snag-and-release period.

Beginning Monday, snag-and-release is legal only in that area of the Missouri River starting on the north shore from the Confluence boat ramp then east (downstream) one-half mile, and that area of the Missouri River starting on the south shore from the Confluence with the Yellowstone River then east (downstream) one-half mile (both areas will have boundary signs).

Paddlefish snagging is allowed only from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. (CDT) during each day of the additional four-day season. The use or possession of a gaff on snag-and-release days is illegal.

Monday May 12, 2014

Children ages 12-15 who want to operate a boat or personal watercraft this summer must take the state’s boating basics course.

State law requires youngsters ages 12-15 to pass the course before they operate a boat or personal watercraft with at least a 10 horsepower motor. In addition, major insurance companies give adult boat owners who pass the course a premium discount on boat insurance.

The course is available for home-study from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Bismarck office. Two commercial providers also offer the course online, and links to those sites are found on the department’s website atgf.nd.gov.

While the home-study course is free, students will be charged a fee to take it online. The online provider charges for the course, not the Game and Fish Department. The fee stays with the online provider.

Upon completion of the online test, and providing a credit card number, students will be able to print out a temporary certification card, and within 10 days a permanent card will be mailed.

The course covers legal requirements, navigation rules, getting underway, accidents and special topics such as weather, rules of the road, laws, life saving and first aid.

For more information contact Nancy Boldt, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, by email at ndgf@nd.gov; or call (701) 328-6300.