Monthly Archives: March 2023

2023 Elk, Moose, Bighorn Sheep Applications Online

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Elk, moose and bighorn sheep applications are available online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. The deadline for applying is March 29.

A total of 603 elk licenses are available to hunters this fall, an increase of 40 from last year.

Licenses in units E1E and E1W increased due to a stable to increasing elk population. Licenses in elk units E2, E3, E4 and E6 remain the same as in 2022. 

A total of 257 moose licenses are available, a decrease of 147 from last year. 

Licenses in units M6 and M8 remain the same as the moose population appears to be stable with good hunter success in these units. Licenses in M5 increased slightly due to a stable population and several consecutive years with all hunters successful in this unit. Licenses in M9, M10 and M11 are reduced due to an observed decrease in the population from winter aerial surveys, a decrease in hunter success and a winter tick outbreak the previous spring that impacted the population in these areas. Moose units M4 and M1C will remain closed due to a continued downward population trend in the northeastern part of the state. 

A bighorn sheep hunting season is tentatively scheduled for 2023, depending on the sheep population. The status of the bighorn sheep season will be determined Sept. 1, after summer population surveys are completed. 

Bighorn sheep applicants must apply for a license at the same time as moose and elk, but not for a specific unit. Once total licenses are determined for each unit in late summer, the bighorn lottery will be held and successful applicants contacted to select a hunting unit.

Because the bighorn sheep application fee is not refundable as per state law, if a bighorn season is not held, applicants would not receive a refund.

Elk, moose and bighorn sheep lottery licenses are issued as once-in-a-lifetime licenses in North Dakota. Hunters who have received a license through the lottery in the past are not eligible to apply for that species again.

#NDGF Game and Fish Volunteers Recognized

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Volunteer instructors for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department were recently recognized at the annual banquet in Bismarck.Gary Knotts, Fargo, was recognized as Hunter Education Instructor of the Year and Heather Retzer, Wahpeton, was named Volunteer of the Year. Minot instructors Jon Hughes, Justin Hughes and Harold Capaci were recognized as Team of the Year.Thirty-year service awards were presented to Richard Bahm, Mandan; James Borkowski, Bottineau; Myron Brager, Finley; Joseph Haas, Lidgerwood; Robert Haglund, Minot; Doyle Roeder, Bismarck; Dale Veselka, Tower City; Curtis Walen, Carrington; and Merle Weatherly, Jamestown.Recognized for 25 years of service were Burns Bailey, Moffit; Mark Berg, Nortonville; Matthew Evans, Stanley; William Gauslow, Wahpeton; Larry Leier, Hague; Mike Marquette, Cogswell; Bradley Moser, Medina; Scott Sigette, Devils Lake; Melisa Toepke-Peterson, Fargo; Beverly Turbiville, Dickinson; and Leonard Wysocki Jr., Grafton.Honored for 20 years of service were Janice Bishop, Kathryn; Doug Hintzman, Kulm; Justin Houghton, Steele; Peggy Knotts, Fargo; Joe Lautenschlager, Berthold; Jeffrey Lemer, Anamoose; Robert Miller, Oakes; Mark Pfeifer, Lidgerwood; and Scott Wagner, Casselton.Fifteen-year service awards were presented to Roger Decker, Belfield; Michael Feener, Fargo; Mike Graue, Devils Lake; Terry Huwe, Menoken; Casey Martin, Bismarck; Michael Myers, Dickinson; Timothy Nelson, Harvey; John Paulson, Bismarck; Randy Schock, Bismarck; Penny Slagle, Williston; and Joe Tuchscherer, Rugby.Ten-year active instructors recognized were Lena Bohm, Mohall; Kaya Engen, Bismarck; Jose Figueroa-Diaz, Fargo; David Hammond, Abercrombie; Clint Johnson, Carrington; Nicholas Krump, Grand Forks; Jason Sauer, Glen Ullin; Kristofer Schmidt, Velva; and Eric Viall, Ray.Recognized for five years of service were Charles Betts, Minot; James Decker, Bismarck; Michael Deville, New Town; Seth Engelstad, Walhalla; Bernard Ficek, Bismarck; Clarence Gilstad, Ashley; Michael Goroski, Wahpeton; Michael Hamling, Hankinson; Katrina Haugen, Minto; Wayne Henderson, Edgeley; Isaac Hendrickson, Agate; Nathan Hill, Wahpeton; Jesse Kalberer, Bismarck; Jeanette Kieper, Bismarck; Trevor Larsen, Bowdon; Howdy Lawlar, Watford City; Bruce Leiseth, Jamestown; Arlyce Malarkey, Bismarck; Michael Malarkey, Bismarck; Brian Miller, Heaton; Jeremy Mohl, Williston; Dustin Newman, Watford City; Albert Olson, Bismarck; Frank Rohloff, Grand Forks; Scott Rupert, Des Lacs; Ethan Shulind, Grand Forks; Danielle Siverhus-Dinger, Oakes; Timothy Smith, Burlington; and Lori Wertz, Fargo. Two-year active instructors recognized were Arvid Anderson, Pick City; Brayden Barnhart, Dickinson; Nicholas Berry, Waterloo, Iowa; Baron Blanchard, Bismarck; Nat Bornsen, Larimore; Dan Brown, Williston; Penny Brown, Williston; Larry Derr, Glenburn; Myron Gunderson, Medina; Phillip Hatcher, Valley City; Jesse Herman, Gwinner; Karna Johnson, Fargo; Jimmy Jones, Williston; Amanda Korynta, Fargo; Matthew Liebel, Williston; Kaia Mahrer, Rutland; Adam Miller, Bismarck; Cedric Monson, Bismarck; Rob Owens, Hillsboro; Kalob Poitra, Belcourt; Scott Redding, Burlington; Michael Schirado, Linton; Rachel Spear, Drake; Heather Stabler, Watford City; Barbara Tessier, Belfield; Chris Tischaefer, Butte; Jessica Ware, Kenmare; and Jeff Winslow, Williston.

#NDGF Nonresident Any-Deer Bow Licenses

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The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will have 862 any-deer bow licenses available to nonresidents in 2023.

Applicants can apply online beginning March 15 on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. The deadline to apply is April 15. 

Up to five hunters can apply together as a party. A lottery will be held if more applications are received than licenses available. A total of 1,836 people applied in 2022. 

The number of nonresident any-deer bow licenses available is 15% of the previous year’s mule deer gun license allocation.

NDGF Grant Supports High School Trap League

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Local clubs or communities interested in receiving a grant to support a high school trap shooting team must have the application in before April 1. Existing teams that have received a grant in the past are not eligible.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department offers a grant of up to $1,000, with funds designed to purchase gear such as eye and hearing protection, vests, shell bags and magnetic barrel rests.

Interested applicants can print out the high school trap league grant application online at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.

For more information, contact Game and Fish education section leader Marty Egeland at 328-6612, or email megeland@nd.gov.

#NDGF CWD Test Results

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With most chronic wasting disease testing completed, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department reported 24 deer from the 2022 hunting season tested positive.

Eight deer were from hunting unit 3F2; eight from unit 3A1; two from unit 4B; and one from units 3B1 and 3E2. Single positive deer were also found in four new units – 3A3, 3E1, 3F1 and 4F – where the disease had not been previously detected.

Wildlife division chief Casey Anderson said the department is encouraged the number of cases was on par with results from the 2021 hunting season when 26 cases were found.

“While we certainly wish the number was zero, this stable trend is a good thing and supports our current management approach,” he said.

CWD is a fatal disease of deer, moose and elk that remains on the landscape and can cause long-term population impacts as infection rates climb. The 2022 results come while the state legislature considers a bill that would strip the Game and Fish Department’s ability to restrict baiting as a means to combat CWD.

“Baiting restrictions are one of only a few tools the department has to try to slow down how fast CWD spreads,” said Dr. Charlie Bahnson, wildlife veterinarian. “Artificially concentrating deer from August through November puts more animals in contact with each other and each other’s bodily fluids. That’s a lot of unnecessary risk that’s hard to justify in areas where CWD has been detected.”

CWD forces Game and Fish to make tough decisions that leave some folks unhappy, Anderson said.

“That said, the department is charged with protecting the health of the deer herd for current and future use,” he said. “It’d be irresponsible of us to ignore the serious threat CWD poses, and we hope to have every tool available to do our job. Unfortunately, with CWD, we don’t get a redo.”

Confirmed cases included 22 hunter harvested mule deer; one harvested white-tailed deer; and one mule deer hit by a vehicle. The estimated infection rates among mule deer were 4.9% in unit 3F2 and 9.8% in unit 3A1. Only 4.4% of hunters submitted heads for testing in units where the department focused its surveillance efforts.

Game and Fish will use its 2022 surveillance data to guide its CWD management strategy moving forward. More information about CWD can be found by visiting the department’s website, gf.nd.gov.

2023 ND Deadline to Remove Fish Houses

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Anglers are reminded unoccupied fish houses must be removed from all waters beginning March 15.

Fish houses may be used after March 15 if they are removed daily, when not occupied.

In addition, anglers are encouraged to look around and clean up the site if any trash is found left behind.

Game and Fish Offers Wildlife Food Plot Seed

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The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will again offer free seed for the upcoming growing season to landowners interested in planting wildlife food plots for pheasants.

Rather than a traditional corn or sunflower food plot, this seed mix provides increased plant diversity, including flowering plants from spring through fall, which will attract insects, the major diet component of pheasant chicks. Additionally, the mix will provide needed cover during spring and summer, as well as a winter food source. Other wildlife species will also benefit from this mix.

Department private land section leader Kevin Kading said most Game and Fish food plots are part of the department’s Private Land Open To Sportsmen program.

“This food plot campaign does not require a PLOTS contract, but we are asking participating landowners to allow reasonable public access, which could mean simply providing access permission to hunters from time to time, putting up ‘Ask Before You Enter’ signs around the area, or not posting the surrounding land,” Kading said. “Landowners participating in this promotion cannot charge a fee for hunting.”

The department will provide enough seed to cover up to a maximum 5-acre planting at no cost to the landowner.

Landowners interested in receiving the food plot seed must sign up online by April 1. Seed will be available in April at Game and Fish offices in Bismarck, Jamestown, Devils Lake, Harvey, Dickinson, Williston and Riverdale.

Game and Fish private land biologists can provide technical assistance on food plot location and site preparation.

Landowners interested in additional financial incentives may be considered for the PLOTS program as well. More information is available by contacting a private land biologist at any Game and Fish office in the state, or email ndgf@nd.gov.