Tag Archives: outdoors

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. 

Doug Leier: 2023 ND Sandhill Crane Season

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North Dakota’s sandhill crane season opens Sept. 16 and runs through Nov. 12.

Limits are three daily and nine in possession in unit 1 (west of U.S. Highway 281), and two daily and six in possession in unit 2 (east of U.S. Highway 281). Shooting hours are a half-hour before sunrise to 2 p.m. each day.

Hunters are urged to use caution and identify birds to prevent shooting at endangered whooping cranes as they begin their fall migration.

In addition to other licenses required, resident hunters need a $10 crane permit, while nonresidents need a $30 permit. Hunters can buy a license online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov.

Harvest Information Program certification is required. To get HIP certified, access the Game and Fish website. 

Doug Leier: Submit Wing Envelopes

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Hunters can help in the effort to manage upland game birds in North Dakota by collecting feathers from harvested birds and sending in wing envelopes.

Birds included in the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s upland game wing survey, which has been in practice for decades, are ring-necked pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse, Hungarian partridge, turkeys and ruffed grouse.

Collecting enough pheasant samples is typically never a problem, but securing enough sharptail and partridge feathers can be.

Game and Fish biologists will take as many sharptail and partridge feathers as they can get because the more collected, the better the data. Biologists can determine if birds are male or female, age ratios, survival, nesting success, hatch dates and overall production.

What biologists learn from samples is vital to helping manage North Dakota’s upland game birds.

Instructions for submitting wing data are printed on the envelope.

Hunters interested in receiving wing envelopes should visit the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.

Doug Leier: New Upland Bird Hunting Course Available

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The North Dakota Game and Fish Department was recently a partner on a Multistate Conservation Grant project to create a comprehensive online course on how to hunt upland birds.

In this free course, five stories of different upland hunters and landscapes are featured, including North Dakota. It also covers the basics of equipment, technique, safety and more with companion video modules.

The course is available on the Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever website.

CWD Testing During Deer Bow, Elk, Moose Seasons

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With the deer bow, elk, and moose seasons opening soon, North Dakota Game and Fish Department officials remind hunters of the options for getting animals tested for chronic wasting disease.

Hunters can drop off heads at any of the following locations:

  • Bismarck – North Dakota Game and Fish Department wildlife health lab, 3001 East Main Ave.
  • Devils Lake – North Dakota Game and Fish Department district office, 7928 45th St NE.
  • Dickinson – North Dakota Game and Fish Department district office, 225 30th Ave SW.
  • Fargo – North Dakota Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, 4035 19th Ave N.
  • Grand Forks – Grand Forks County Sheriff, 5205 Gateway Dr.
  • Jamestown – North Dakota Game and Fish Department district office, 3320 E Lakeside Road.
  • Kenmare – Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge, 42000 520th St NW.
  • Lonetree – North Dakota Game and Fish Department district office, 1851 23rd Ave NE (Available only during office hours, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Friday).
  • Lamoure – Community Volunteer EMS of Lamoure, 300 4th St SE.
  • Minot – State Fairgrounds, 2005 E Burdick Expy (map).
  • Napoleon – Transportation Department, 59 Broadway St.
  • Riverdale – North Dakota Game and Fish Department district office, 406 Dakota Ave.
  • Wahpeton – Transportation Department, 7930 180th Ave SE.
  • Williston – North Dakota Game and Fish Department district office, 5303 Front St W.

Self-sampling kits are also available to hunters who wish to have their animal tested but are unable to drop the head off at a collection site. The kits allow hunters to remove the lymph nodes and ship them to the Department’s wildlife health lab for testing. A sampling kit request form can be found on the Department’s website, gf.nd.gov.

Also note, 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.

North Dakota 2023 Summer Duck Brood Numbers Jump Nearly 80%

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State Game and Fish Department migratory game bird biologists expect a fall flight of ducks similar to 1998, 2004 and 2020.

If those past seasons don’t ring a bell, the fall flight is anticipated to be about 23% above last year’s fall flight, based on observations from the annual mid-July duck production survey.

According to Mike Szymanski, migratory game bird management supervisor, the department’s 76th annual breeding duck survey conducted in May indicated the 2023 duck index was the 23rd highest on record, up 1.5% from 2022, and exceeded the 1948-2022 average index by 39%. 

“After a very dry summer and fall last year, a snowy winter helped wetland conditions rebound nicely going into breeding season. However, precipitation has been spotty across the Prairie Pothole Region of the state since spring thaw, with the southern and central areas of the Missouri Coteau receiving more consistent rainfall,” Szymanski said. “Habitat conditions in uplands and wetlands were in good shape for a majority of the breeding season. A relatively strong number of ducks present in May helped to support breeding efforts that, despite a late thaw, were not delayed to a great degree.”

The number of broods observed during the department’s July brood survey was up 79% from 2022, and 88% above the 1965-2022 average index. The average brood size was 6.5 ducklings, down 10% from 2022.

While there remains a shortage of upland nesting habitat across the state, Szymanski said overwater nesting species such as canvasbacks, redheads and ring-necked ducks all set records for number of broods observed this year, along with ruddy ducks nearly breaking their previous record.

Game and Fish biologists will conduct a separate survey in mid-September to assess wetland conditions heading into the waterfowl hunting season.  

Federal Duck Stamp Required

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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 2023-24 federal duck stamp is available for electronic purchase through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov, or 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 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 buyers 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. 

Doug Leier: PLOTS Guide Online

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The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Private Land Open To Sportsmen Guide for 2023 is now available online at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. In addition, the free printed PLOTS guides will be available in late August at most license vendors and other locations throughout the state.

The guide will feature about 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 by 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.