Tag Archives: 2023

Taking car of your hunting dog this fall

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By Doug Leier

 When it comes to seeing, hearing and understanding the issues hunters encounter firsthand, North Dakota Game and Fish Department game wardens are reliable sources for issues such as hunter safety. Their guidance provide hunters with points of emphasis to keep themselves and other hunters safe.

 The same goes for one of the most obvious companions of the hunter. The hunting dog.

Game warden Josh Hedstrom knows a lot about both hunter safety and recently shared key points to keep in mind when hunting with dogs.

  • ●     Before heading out, make sure your canine is current on vaccinations and tick control treatment. If available, take a course on canine first aid.
  • Familiarize yourself with signs of hyperthermia (heat stroke) – excessive panting, drooling, trouble breathing, disorientation, vomiting, bright red tongue, or increased heart rate. At the first sign of heat stroke, remember to lower your dog’s body temperature gradually. Get your dog to shade and use cool water to lower its body temp. Give it cool water to drink slowly so it does not vomit.
  • If your dog is bitten by a snake, try to keep it calm. It is important to prevent an elevated heart rate, so you will need to carry the dog instead of letting it walk. Try to keep the wound below heart level. Keep in mind when a dog is hurt their behavior can be unpredictable. Carry Benadryl and know in advance the correct dosage for your dog’s size. Do not apply a tourniquet or cut the wound. Do not apply ice or any topical medications. Get your canine partner to a vet immediately.
  • If your dog sustains a cut and is bleeding, apply pressure to stop the bleeding and check for debris that may be stuck in the wound. Minor cuts may only require washing out and bandaging the wound; however, deep cuts or punctures should be checked out by a veterinarian.
  • Another unfortunate but common occurrence is being sprayed by a skunk. First, rinse your canine’s eyes with cool water. Give it a bath as soon as possible to remove the oil from the coat. There are numerous recipes online to get rid of the skunk smell, but I recommend talking to the veterinarian in your area to be sure it’s safe for your dog.
  • Probably one of the toughest things to watch your dog go through is a run-in with a porcupine. Try to keep your canine from rubbing the affected area against anything. Get your dog into the vet. They will be able to better assess the number and location of quills and whether some have broken off. If quills are around the eye, that could cause serious damage. Quills near the mouth can be difficult to locate and remove. If you are comfortable attempting to remove the quills, keep your dog relaxed as possible by speaking softly. Firmly grasp a quill near the base with a flat pliers and quickly pull out in a straight line. Clean wounds with disinfectant or antiseptic.
  • Before you head for home, check your dog for any cuts, wounds, thorns or ticks. Check the eyes for scratches. Observe for any unusual behavior – limping, whimpering, unusual aggression. These could be signs of a sprain or broken bone.
  • Best practice is to be prepared …not just with your gear. Always have a first aid kit with you because you never know what could happen. Many first aid kits are available online. Do your research and talk to your vet.

Doug Leier: 2023 NDGF Six Bighorn Sheep Licenses

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The North Dakota Game and Fish Department allocated six bighorn sheep licenses for the 2023 hunting season, one more than last year.

One license was issued in unit B1, one in B3, two in B4 and one in B5. In addition, one license, as authorized under North Dakota Century Code, was auctioned in May by the Midwest Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation, from which all proceeds are used to enhance bighorn sheep management in North Dakota.

A record 20,290 applicants applied for bighorn sheep. Successful applicants have been notified.

Prospective hunters were required to apply for a bighorn license earlier this year on the bighorn sheep, moose and elk application.

Doug Leier: Youth, Military Waterfowl Weekend

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Introduce a youngster to duck hunting during North Dakota’s two-day youth waterfowl weekend Sept. 16-17. In addition, the special veteran and active military personnel waterfowl season is set for the same weekend.

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

Legally licensed resident and nonresident youth waterfowl hunters 15 and younger, and veterans and members of the Armed Forces on active duty, including members of the National Guard and Reserves on active duty (other than for training), may hunt ducks, geese, coots and mergansers statewide.

The daily bag limit and species restrictions are the same as for regular duck and goose seasons. However, the additional two blue-winged teal allowed during the first 16 days of the regular season are not allowed during this weekend.

Resident and qualifying nonresident youth waterfowl hunters must possess a general game and habitat license. 

Veterans and members of the Armed Forces must possess a resident hunting license, which includes a general game and habitat license and a small game license. 

Hunters 16 and older must also possess a federal waterfowl stamp, and youth 12 and older need to have passed a certified hunter education course.

In addition, all hunters must be Harvest Information Program certified. Hunters who do not HIP certify when they buy a North Dakota license can add it by visiting the state Game and Fish Department website at gf.nd.gov. 

2023 North Dakota Fall Turkey Deadline

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North Dakota’s fall turkey application deadline is Sept. 6.

Fall turkey hunters, including gratis applicants, can submit an online application through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov.

Only North Dakota residents are eligible to apply. Nonresidents can apply for remaining fall turkey licenses following the first lottery.

2023 North Dakota #Deer Archery Season Opens

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North Dakota’s deer bow season opens Sept. 1 at noon and continues through Jan. 7, 2024.

Bowhunters can buy a license online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov, or at vendors linked to the department’s online licensing system. 

Hunters should plan accordingly and allow for time to receive their tag in the mail, as the tag will arrive by postal mail and not over the counter while the customer waits. This applies while purchasing a bow license at a license vendor, or at the Game and Fish Department’s main office in Bismarck. The bow tag will be mailed the next business day after the license is purchased.

All archery hunters must have a bow tag in possession before hunting.

Hunters should refer to the 2023 deer hunting guide for season information and regulations. 

Chronic Wasting Disease Proclamation

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Big game hunters should note the 2023 chronic wasting disease proclamation for baiting and transportation requirements for deer, elk and moose as a precaution against the spread of chronic wasting disease.

Noteworthy items include:

  • Whole carcasses of animals harvested in North Dakota can remain in the deer unit, or may now be transported anywhere in the state. However, carcass waste must be disposed of via landfill or waste management provider. This does not apply to heads dropped at CWD collection sites or lymph nodes submitted for CWD surveillance. Taxidermists and game processors can also accept intact carcasses of animals harvested within North Dakota but assume responsibility for disposal.
  • A new management strategy that allows baiting restrictions to be removed in a unit if the number of adult deer equivalent to at least 10% of the gun licenses allocated in the unit are tested for CWD within a year, and all the results are negative. If the sampling goal is not met or CWD is confirmed in the unit, the baiting restriction will remain.
  • No new units have been added to the baiting restriction list for 2023-24. Due to the timing of finalizing the proclamation, a one-year pause was placed on adding new units. Units 2K1 and 3B2 are scheduled to be added to the restriction list in 2024 due to a positive CWD detection during the 2022 hunting season within 25 miles in an adjacent unit. They will not be added if the 10% goal is reached this year and all CWD test results are negative.
  • Hunters are prohibited from transporting into North Dakota the whole carcass or parts, except the lower-risk portions, of deer, elk, moose or other members of the cervid family harvested outside of North Dakota.

State Game and Fish Department officials will conduct surveillance of the state by region on a four-year rotation. This year, the CWD surveillance effort will consist of deer gun units in southeastern North Dakota. Outside of this area, hunters can still have their animal tested by taking it to a Game and Fish district office, any deer head collection site (primarily located in the surveillance area) or using a mail-in self-sampling kit. A unit outside the annual surveillance zone is still eligible to have a baiting restriction removed if the sampling goal is met, or can be added as a restricted unit if a positive is found.

Doug Leier: RAP Auction Slated

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Confiscated hunting, fishing and trapping equipment will be sold Aug. 19 at the North Dakota Wildlife Federation’s Report All Poachers auction in Bismarck. The auction is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Schaumberg Arena.

Doors open at 10 a.m. Items include more than 60 firearms, fishing equipment, bows, spotlights and tree stands.

More information, including a comprehensive list of items for auction, is available by visiting the wildlife federation’s website at northdakotawildlife.org.

Proceeds from the auction fund the RAP program. The RAP line, 701-328-9921, offers monetary rewards for information that leads to conviction of fish and wildlife law violators. The RAP line is available 24 hours a day, and callers can remain anonymous.

Doug Leier: 202 North Dakota Early Canada Goose Dates Announced

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North Dakota’s early Canada goose season dates are set, with bag limits and licensing requirements the same as last year.

Opening day is Aug. 15 in all three zones. Closing dates are Sept. 7 in the Missouri River zone; Sept. 15 in the western zone; and Sept. 22 in the eastern zone.

Early Canada goose limits are 15 daily and 45 in possession.

Limits and shooting hours are different from the regular season, while the zone boundaries remain the same. Shooting hours for early Canada goose are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Residents need a $5 early Canada goose license and a general game and habitat license. Also, residents 16 and older need a small game license. Nonresidents need only a $50 early Canada goose license, and the license is valid statewide without counting against the 14-day regular season license. Licenses can be purchased online by visiting the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov.

Harvest Information Program certification is required and beginning Sept. 1 a federal duck stamp for hunters 16 and older is needed. Those who HIP registered to hunt the spring light goose conservation order in North Dakota do not have to register with HIP again, as it is required in each state only once per year.

Waterfowl rest areas, closed to hunting during the regular season, are open during the early season. Most land in these rest areas is private, so hunters may need permission to access them.

Hunting of Canada geese in August and early September is intended to reduce local Canada goose numbers, which remain high. Game and Fish is attempting to provide additional hunting opportunities to increase pressure on locally breeding Canada geese.

Pronghorn Hunting Season Set, Apply Online

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North Dakota’s 2023 pronghorn hunting season is set, with 420 licenses available in eight units.

Bruce Stillings, big game management supervisor for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, said license numbers are down significantly from last year, when the department allocated 1,970 licenses in 17 units.

“A limited season with a very conservative harvest strategy will be held to provide hunter opportunity while encouraging population growth,” Stillings said.

Hunting units 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4C, 5A and 7A will be open in 2023. The remaining hunting units will be closed due to low population levels not able to support a harvest at this time.

The July aerial survey indicated the overall pronghorn population is down 40% from last year. The fawn-to-doe ratio of 43 fawns per 100 does was the second lowest on record since 1950. The buck-to-doe ratio of 30 bucks per 100 does remains stable and at population objective, Stillings said.

“Significant snowfall fell in early November and winter conditions persisted into April, putting extreme stress on pronghorn,” he said. “Losses due to malnutrition were significant based on results from our aerial survey. Fawns and older adults are age classes impacted the most during extreme winter conditions.”

Currently, Stillings mentioned, habitat conditions are excellent following above normal winter and summer moisture, which provides ample resources for pronghorn.

“Future population recovery will be dependent on upcoming winter conditions and fawning success in 2024,” he added. “Pronghorn fawn production was the second lowest on record following one of the most extreme winters on record.”

Each unit will once again have a season that is split into an early bow-only portion, and a later gun/bow season.

The bow-only portion of the season is Sept. 1 (noon) – Sept. 24. Anyone who draws a license can hunt pronghorn with a bow in the unit printed on the license. 

From Oct. 6 (noon) – Oct. 22, hunters who still have a valid license can use legal firearms or archery equipment, and again must stay in the assigned unit.

Only North Dakota residents are eligible to apply for a pronghorn license. Hunters who have accumulated bonus points and choose not to apply this year will not lose their points, but will not earn a point for next year. However, hunters who do not want a license in 2023 have the option to purchase a bonus point on the application. 

Applicants can apply online at the Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov.

The pronghorn license fee is $30 for ages 16 and older, and $10 for under age 16. Applicants for a pronghorn lottery license must be at least 12 years of age on or before Dec. 31. The application deadline is Aug. 9.

North Dakota Deer Application Deadline June 7

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The deadline for submitting applications for the 2023 deer gun season is June 7.

Applicants for regular deer gun, gratis, youth and muzzleloader can apply online through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website at gf.nd.gov.

A general game and habitat license is required when applying. If the applicant has not already purchased one for the 2023-24 season, the license will be added to their cart at checkout. The applicant has the option of having the general game and habitat license refunded if their deer license is not drawn in the lottery.  

Gratis applications received on or before the regular deer gun lottery application deadline will qualify for an any-legal-deer license. As per state law, gratis applications received after the deadline will be processed based on licenses remaining after the lottery. Generally, only antlerless licenses remain.