Monthly Archives: August 2021

Try Hunting Doves This Season

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Want to take someone new hunting this fall? If so, the upcoming dove season offers a great opportunity to introduce a new hunter to North Dakota’s outdoors.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has a Virtual Dove Hunting Mentor webpage with all the basics, including license requirements, regulations, gear recommendations and tips for finding a place to hunt. 

The season opens Sept.1 and continues through Nov. 29.

All dove hunters regardless of age must possess a general game and habitat license, and hunters 16 and older need a small game license.

Hunters are also reminded to register with the Harvest Information Program prior to hunting any migratory game birds, including doves. Those who already HIP registered prior to hunting the spring light goose or August management take/early September Canada goose seasons in North Dakota do not have to register with HIP again.

Federal Duck Stamp Required Sept. 1

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A federal duck stamp is required for waterfowl hunters 16 and older beginning Sept. 1. Waterfowl includes ducks, geese, swans, mergansers and coots.

This year’s 2021-22 federal duck stamp is available for electronic purchase through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov, or at license vendors registered with the department’s licensing system. Physical stamps are not available at North Dakota license vendors but can still be purchased at many U.S. Postal Service offices.

The electronic stamp is a purchase item like any other hunting or fishing license. When the purchase is completed the electronic stamp is valid immediately. “Federal Duck Stamp” will be printed on the license certificate, along with an expiration date 45 days from the date of purchase. The actual physical stamp will be sent by postal mail.

The physical stamp is processed and sent by the official duck stamp vendor in Texas, and should arrive to the individual buyer well before the expiration date printed on the electronic license. The physical stamp must remain in possession of the hunter after the 45-day electronic stamp has expired. Individuals with questions regarding the status of their physical stamp can contact the federal duck stamp vendor customer service number at 800-852-4897.

The federal duck stamp has a fee of $25. An additional $2 fee is added to cover shipping and handling costs of the physical stamp.

Fire Danger Index for Fall Outdoor Activity

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As hunting seasons and other fall activities get underway, hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts need to be aware of the daily fire danger index.

Considering this year’s prolonged drought, combined with typical dry, late-summer and early-fall ground conditions, an elevated fire danger index in most counties will likely influence outdoor activities.

Hunters are urged to keep up with the daily rural fire danger index, which is issued by the National Weather Service, to alert the public to conditions that may be conducive to the accidental starting or spread of fires.

In addition, county governments have the authority to adopt penalties for violations of county restrictions related to burning bans. These restrictions apply regardless of the daily fire danger index and remain in place until each county’s commission rescinds the ban.

Hunters should consider bringing along a shovel, fire extinguisher, extra water and heavy fabric for putting out accidental fires. However, individuals who are not trained firefighters should not attempt to fight a fire that is out of control. Instead, contact the nearest rural fire department immediately.

The fire danger index can change daily depending on temperature, wind and precipitation forecasts. If the index reaches the high, very high or extreme category, open burning is prohibited; off-road travel with a motorized vehicle is prohibited, except for people engaged in a trade, business or occupation where it is required; and smoking is restricted to inside of vehicles, hard surface areas, homes or in approved buildings.

Information on current fire danger indexes is available at NDResponse.gov.

HIP Registration Required for Migratory Bird Hunters

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Migratory bird hunters of all ages need to register with the Harvest Information Program prior to hunting ducks, geese, swans, mergansers, coots, cranes, snipe, doves and woodcock. Hunters must register in each state for which they are licensed to hunt.

Hunters can HIP certify when purchasing a license by visiting the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. In addition, hunters can call 888-634-4798.

Those who registered to hunt during the spring light goose conservation order in North Dakota do not have to register with HIP again, as it is required only once per year.

HIP registration is a cooperative program designed to determine a sample of hunters from which to measure the harvest of migratory birds for management purposes.

Concurrent Season Deer Licenses Available Aug. 18

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Hunters can purchase additional, concurrent season deer licenses Aug. 18 at 8 a.m. Central Time by visiting the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. There is no limit on the number of concurrent season licenses a hunter can purchase.

Concurrent season licenses can be used during the archery season with a bow; the deer gun season with a bow, rifle or muzzleloader; or during the muzzleloader season with a muzzleloader. However, youth under 14 (at the end of the calendar year) will be issued a concurrent season license for archery only.

Hunters with concurrent season licenses are restricted to the type of antlerless deer printed on the license and must stay in the unit to which the license is assigned.

Equipment Registration Number Used for Identification

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Hunters, trappers and anglers are reminded that an equipment registration number, or the individual’s name, address and telephone number, must be displayed on all equipment requiring identification.

In addition, a new state law requires written permission from the owner of the property, or an individual authorized by the owner, for an individual to install camera/video equipment on private property, and the equipment must be identified.

While on state wildlife management areas, identification is required on items such as ground blinds, tree stands, cameras and traps.

Identification must be attached to cable devices that are set on either private or public land, and on fish houses left unattended on the ice.

Owners can generate an equipment registration number by visiting Buy and Apply at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. One registration number will be issued that can be used on all equipment that requires identification.

The equipment registration number does not expire.

PLOTS Guide Available Online

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The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Private Land Open To Sportsmen Guide for 2021 is now available online at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. In addition, the free printed PLOTS guides will be available late August at most license vendors and other locations throughout the state.

The guide will feature nearly 800,000 PLOTS acres. Because the guide is printed in mid-August, some PLOTS tracts highlighted in the guide may have been removed from the program since the time of printing. There will also be some PLOTS tracts where the habitat and condition of the tract will have changed significantly. Conversely, Game and Fish may have added new tracts to the program after the guide went to press.

To minimize possible confusion, Game and Fish will update PLOTS map sheets weekly on its website.

The PLOTS guide features maps highlighting these walk-in areas, identified in the field by inverted triangular yellow signs, as well as other public lands.

The guides are not available to mail, so hunters will have to pick one up at a local vendor or Game and Fish offices, or print individual maps from the website.

Map Tools to Identify Land Posted Electronically

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Hunters should take note of the map tools available to identify electronically posted private land before venturing out in the field this fall.

Brian Hosek, North Dakota Game and Fish Department business operations manager, said map resources, mobile applications and printable maps can be found on the department’s website.

“We do provide a few different tools on our website, and each have different strengths, such as some require cell service while others can work offline, others offer the ability to determine who posted the land or a point of contact,” Hosek said. “And you can still pull down that print material for those who do not prefer to use these technologies.”

ArcGIS Explorer and Avenza are nationally used applications that will show content the Game and Fish Department publishes, Hosek said. In these applications, users will need to search “NDGF” to find content published by the department. The electronic posting information is included in the published Private Lands Open To Sportsmen map services. This information will appear, as well as public lands, including lands enrolled in PLOTS.

Hunters should note that electronically posted lands are identified in orange crosshatch when using these mapping tools.

OnX Hunt, another nationally used hunting application, has indicated they will include electronically posted land for the 2021 hunting season.

“OnX is an app that many hunters subscribe to and have purchased. It’s another mapping tool that offers many great features, such as collecting, sharing waypoints and the ability to work offline,” Hosek said. “Hunters have the option to redeem a free three-month subscription located in the Inbox of My Account on our website. This subscription can be redeemed at any time prior to the end of the year.”

Hosek mentioned the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov, has a wealth of information on mapping tools.

“There is a subscription piece for News and Alerts that you can sign up for to check for map updates. Then you will receive alerts of any map updates when the content is published,” he added. “This is important with the Avenza app, as it uses content downloaded to the device to work offline.”

Fall Turkey Season Set, Apply Online

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North Dakota’s fall turkey season is set with 3,825 licenses available to hunters, 40 more than last year.

Unit 21 (Hettinger and Adams counties) remains closed because of a low turkey population.

Fall turkey hunters, including gratis applicants, interested in applying for a 2020 license can submit an online application through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov.

The deadline for applying is Sept. 1.

Only North Dakota residents are eligible to apply in the first lottery. Nonresidents can apply for fall turkey licenses that are still available following the first lottery.

The fall wild turkey season runs from Oct. 9 through Jan. 2, 2022.