North Dakota’s pronghorn hunters are reminded the gun season opens Sept. 30 at noon Central Time, and continues through Oct. 16.
Hunters with a valid license can use legal firearms or bow equipment, and must stay in the assigned unit.
The 2016 pronghorn hunting season is open in units 1A, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A and 4C.
Have you seen this week’s North Dakota Outdoors video?
The 2016/2017 Private Land Open To Sportsmen guide is now available. This guide helps hunters to find private lands where hunting is allowed, along with public hunting areas like state wildlife management areas. Learn more about the guide and about the Private Lands program in this week’s webcast, with private lands section supervisor Kevin Kading.
The 49,000 deer gun licenses that were allocated by proclamation for the 2016 hunting season have all been issued, according to Randy Meissner, licensing manager for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
Meissner said according to state law, the number of deer gun licenses issued, including those licenses issued as gratis, cannot exceed the number of licenses authorized by the governor’s proclamation.
The deer gun season opens Friday, Nov. 4 at noon central time.
Archery licenses can still be purchased through the end of the bow season on Jan. 8.
North Dakota’s pronghorn hunters are reminded the gun season opens Sept. 30 at noon Central Time, and continues through Oct. 16.
Hunters with a valid license can use legal firearms or bow equipment, and must stay in the assigned unit.
The 2016 pronghorn hunting season is open in units 1A, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A and 4C.
Motorists are reminded to watch for deer along roadways this time of year because juvenile animals are dispersing from their home ranges.
October through early December is the peak period for deer-vehicle accidents. Motorists are advised to slow down and exercise caution after dark to reduce the likelihood of encounters with deer along roadways. Most deer-vehicle accidents occur primarily at dawn and dusk when deer are most often moving around.
Motorists should be aware of warning signs signaling deer are in the area. When you see one deer cross the road, look for a second or third deer to follow. Also, pay attention on roadways posted with Deer Crossing Area caution signs.
Deer-vehicle accidents are at times unavoidable. If an accident does happen, motorists are reminded that a law passed by the 2013 state legislature eliminates the need for the driver involved in an accident to notify law enforcement authorities, if only the vehicle is damaged. Deer-vehicle accidents that involve personal injury or other property damage still must be reported.
In addition, a permit is still required to take parts or the whole carcass of a road-killed deer. Permits are free and available from game wardens and local law enforcement offices.
A few precautions can minimize chances of injury or property damage in a deer-vehicle crash.
Waterfowlers hunting from boats are encouraged to wear properly-fitted life jackets while on the water.
Hunting jackets with life jackets already built in are light and comfortable to wear. In addition, wearing a life jacket will not only keep the overboard hunter afloat, but also slow the loss of critical body heat caused by exposure to cold water.
Capsizing and falling overboard from small boats are the most common types of fatal boating accidents for hunters.
Eight people have drowned in state waters since 1998 while hunting from a boat, and none were wearing life jackets.
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual fall wetland survey indicates good but variable wetland conditions for duck hunting throughout the state.
Migratory game bird biologist Andy Dinges said the northeast region has the highest number of wetlands holding water, while the south central and southeast have also seen improvement from last year’s fall wetland conditions. However, the northwest and north central regions of the state will have the fewest wetlands available for duck hunting opportunities since fall 2012.
“In general, wetland conditions are best in northeast, but other regions in the state have average to slightly below average fall wetland conditions,” Dinges said.
Dinges said this year’s moisture conditions began with fairly dry conditions in May, but were aided by steady precipitation throughout much of the state during mid-summer.
“Drying conditions in some regions should provide good loafing areas for waterfowl and cranes along wetlands, but can make hunting difficult in some cases if there is wide mud margin around wetlands,” Dinges added.
The quality of waterfowl hunting in North Dakota is largely determined by weather conditions and patterns. Dinges said strong reproduction for ducks in breeding areas both in and outside of North Dakota this year makes for good fall hunting potential.
“Hunters should always scout because of ever changing conditions and distribution of waterfowl,” Dinges said, “and should also be cautious driving off-trail to avoid soft spots, and while encountering areas of tall vegetation that could be a fire hazard.”
The fall wetland survey is conducted mid-September, just prior to the waterfowl hunting season, to provide an assessment of conditions duck hunters can expect.
Have you seen this week’s North Dakota Outdoors Online video?
This week North Dakota Game and Fish previews the 2016 waterfowl season in its online webcast with migratory game bird management supervisor Mike Szymanski.
You can watch the video right here: or https://gf.nd.gov/ndo-webcast
Find out more on waterfowl and other hunting at the Game and Fish Department website hunting tab right here or here: https://gf.nd.gov/hunting
More videos are available right here or http://gf.nd.gov/video
Gov. Jack Dalrymple has signed a proclamation establishing Sept. 24 as Hunting and Fishing Day in North Dakota.
The proclamation references the state’s hunting and fishing traditions, and how hunters and anglers help generate revenue and support conservation through license fees and direct spending.
The Hunting and Fishing Day proclamation is published on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.
North Dakota’s Hunting and Fishing Day coincides with National Hunting and Fishing Day, an event held for more than 40 years to highlight the role hunters and anglers play in supporting conservation and scientific wildlife management.
The 2016 fall wild turkey lottery has been held and more than 850 licenses remain in seven units. Unsuccessful applicants who applied online will have a refund issued directly to their credit card.
Beginning Sept. 27, all remaining licenses will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Hunters are allowed a maximum of 15 licenses for the fall season.
Resident and nonresident hunters will be able to apply online, or print out an application to mail, at the Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. Paper applications will also be available at license vendors.
The fall turkey season runs from Oct. 8 – Jan. 8, 2017.
Licenses remain for the following units: Unit 03, Benson and Ramsey counties and a portion of Pierce County, 15 licenses; Unit 13, Dunn County, 185; Unit 25, McHenry County and portions of Pierce and Ward counties, 338; Unit 30, a portion of Morton County, 165; Unit 31, Mountrail County, 23; Unit 45, Stark County, 50; and Unit 51, Burke County and portions of Renville, Bottineau and Ward counties, 93.