Thanksgiving Time

Over the years I’ve tried to make this column somewhat seasonal, writing about fishing in the spring and hunting in the fall, and following the latest conservation issues and outdoor topics.
Since this column will come out around Thanksgiving, that’s the theme for the week. I’m thankful and feel blessed with the opportunity to interact with [...]

I’m Thankful For the Outdoors

Our Outdoors: I’m Thankful
By Nick Simonson
I’m thankful for Gunnar,
And his powerful nose.
As he sniffs out the pheasants,
From harvested rows.
I’m thankful for trap shoots,
In June and July.
That cut down on fall misses,
So I don’t wonder why.
I’m thankful for crappies,
Dressed in black and green.
And bluegill and white bass,
And yellow perch in between.
I’m thankful for harvests,
That turn [...]

Deer Hunting Points

By Doug Leier
More than 30 years ago, when the North Dakota Game and Fish Department began managing deer in smaller units and issuing a specific number of buck or doe licenses – for example, 38,000 total licenses in 1980 – some “want to be” potential deer hunters actually had to stay home.
Fortunately, that is not [...]

The Bye Week

By Nick Simonson
My guess is whomever was in charge of setting up the 2009 NFL schedule was a deer hunter and a Minnesota Vikings fan. What other alignment of the stars could explain last week’s bye for the Favre n’ Harvin show falling precisely on the opening weekend of deer firearms season in the [...]

Artificial Ice Fishing Baits – Coming Alive

Clever ice anglers are successfully combining traditional live bait tactics with artificial approaches
By Jeff Gustafson
Times are a changin’. Used to be when we went ice fishing, our presentation always included a jig tipped with some type of minnow or hunk of meat, no matter what species of fish we were targeting. As the fishing tackle [...]

Spring Steelhead Fishing

By Nick Simonson
As my offering drifted around in the pool eddy, I hoped that my brother would see a fish caught – if not by me, then by another angler, or maybe himself – and he would experience the finned allure of the north shore of Lake Superior beyond the lichen-covered bluffs and pine-shaded streams [...]

Live Bait Rig Fishing

Walleye fishing icons Gary Roach and Doc Samson won’t be giving up live bait anytime soon
By Ted Pilgrim
Livebait is back, baby. You better believe it. Despite the buzz about plastics, the reality is, walleyes eat live bait. Period. In the end, all artificial lures lack two potent, inimitable ingredients: organic random movement and instinctive flight [...]

Deer Management

My guess is that most deer hunters don’t tire of the “Turdy Point Buck” tune on the radio until the backside of deer season. For a change, though, I’d sure enjoy listening to a refrain about hunting doe in North Dakota.
Then again, doe hunting doesn’t quite get the credit it deserves. In fact, when stories [...]

Taxidermy Tips

By Nick Simonson
At a near run, you step over the crest of the small hill to the other side that leads down to the oak bottom and wonder where the deer bounded after it left your sight. With the scent of gunpowder fading, you follow the sign in the brown leaves and dry grass [...]

Sportsmen Against Hunger

By Doug Leier
Good news for North Dakota deer hunters this year is that the Sportsmen Against Hunger venison donation program is back in full operation
Last year, the program only accepted deer donated by bowhunters, because of concerns over the possibility of lead particles from bullets remaining in processed venison.
In North Dakota, the program works like [...]

THE HUNT FOR AMERICA’S BEST TRUCK IS OVER

Silverado is America’s best truck for many reasons. To start, Silverado XFE offers an EPA estimated 21 MPG highway. No competitor has better fuel economy. Not Ford, not Toyota.1 And if you’re looking for the best 4X4 fuel economy, look no further- no competitor offers better available 4X4 fuel economy.2 Silverado comes with another powerful [...]

Not the Same Old Safety

By Nick Simonson
Year after year, the approach of the deer firearms opener causes something to stir in the souls of outdoorsmen. Tags are placed in secure spot, the final preparation of shooting lanes occurs in the woods and walking hunters map out their favorite draws, ravines and creekbottoms for opening day. With all [...]