The main event of WFW is the one-of-a-kind fishing tournament. Two-person teams will have their choice of fishing through the ice on the Missouri River/Lake Oahe, fishing at certain public stock dams,fishing from shore or fishing from a boat in open water on Lake Sharpe. Tournament coordinator Jason Gilk said that’s because central South Dakota offers a variety of winter fishing.

“We want to showcase the variety of winter fishing opportunities,” Gilk said. “Lake Oahe offers great ice fishing; Lake Sharpe below the power house has open water; and the Fort Pierre National Grasslands have some of the best public stock dam fishing around. This event allows the teams to choose where and how they want to fish for the tournament.”

That also means anglers can choose what kind of fish they want to go after during WFW. Gilk said the tournament committee expects to see walleye, northern, bass, crappie, bluegill and perch at the tournament weigh-in.

To date, nearly two dozen sponsors have contributed more than $50,000 in cash or prizes for the event. “Many of the local businesses we approached were excited about this unique winter event,” said Gilk. “We are extremely grateful for their support because without them, the bait bucket is empty.” He stated the major sponsor for WFW, Lynn’s Dakotamart, is contributing a big number of prizes, ranging from ice fishing equipment to outdoor clothing and gear.

And don’t think you have to weigh in a lot of fish to win great prizes, either. Gilk pointed out that every person who enters the WFW event is automatically entered into the WFW prize drawings, regardless of whether or not any fish are weighed in by the angler. “That’s a cool feature of the WFW,” said Gilk. “You could get skunked and not catch a single fish yet still go home with a really nice prize.” He said the prize list includes four-wheel ATV’s, ice augers, ice shacks, underwater cameras, fish locaters and clothing along with lots of other outdoor gear.

There is a $100 entry fee per team with the field capped at 300 teams. Registration information and online entry forms will be available starting September 1, 2010. The tournament website will be www.pierrewfw.com and will provide information about the event, including online registration.

The first-ever WFW event will also feature vendor displays at the Ramkota Hotel in Pierre. Gilk noted the tournament committee is also hoping to offer some informational fishing seminars as part of the weekend schedule. “The WFW will be a great way for a lot of people to bust the mid-winter blues,” he said. “There will be display booths set up at the Ramkota, products for sale and hopefully some fishing tips. We want to make this a fun, family event for years to come.”

Go to Pierre, SD Winter Fishing Weekend for more information

WFW MAJOR SPONSOR
Lynn’s Dakotamart

WFW SPONSORS
Petersen Motors PryntComm Dakota Motorsports
BestWestern Ramkota Hotel Capital Motors The Lodge
Running’s Farm & Fleet Shel’s Quick Stop Eagle Sales
Prairie Heritage Homes BankWest BPro Inc.
Dakota Radio Group Riverfront Broadcasting Acme Spray Foam
Down’s Marina Spring Creek Resort/Marina Jerome Beverage Inc.
Soccer Athlete Arneson Taxidermy

CONTACTS:
Lois Ries
PierreArea Chamber of Commerce
(605) 224-7361

Jason Gilk
Tournament Coordinator

I stood at the edge of the dock and sighed as Sunday’s gusty south wind whipped through the pages in my mental calendar. Next weekend is Labor Day with family up north; the next, dove hunting; the one after that, grouse opener, and then bow hunting. Every weekend was filled with events, and none of them would bring me back to the murmur of Sucker Creek gently rippling its way into the waters of Big Detroit Lake. My fishing season on the South Shore – and for the most part, the open water portion of the year – was over. As I replayed the weekend in my mind, I sighed just a little bit harder, saddened that summer was nearly over, but more so because of the way it ended.

But I guess that should have been expected, considering it closed much they way it opened. If you remember my April column where I relayed losing the biggest steelhead I had ever laid eyes on, then you know where this one is going as well. Due to a twist of fate and the turn of a battle-worn lake-run rainbow trout, the openwater season got off to a memorable and curse-filled start when the fish rolled over in submission, changing the angle just enough to send the hook in its mouth flying through the air. It subsequently bolted for the center of the stream and my steelhead dreams were dashed on the rocks of the Baptism River.

Friday night brought a similar situation to boatside on the waters of Big Detroit, as a crew of four of us jammed in my buddy’s boat to cover some water and troll magnum flashabou spinners for muskies. Tracing the weedlines around the bluff, we focused on transitions where my brother had marked the resident big fish that had followed his offerings in the area.
“Get ‘em up,” my buddy Holmes instructed, recognizing that he had brought the boat too far up the line; “lots of tall weeds here” he continued as he watched the sonar and cranked on the steering wheel to turn the boat back off the edge.
Our lines slackened as we raised our rods and the strong rhythmic pulse of the size twelve blades faded to a faint tap on the other end. I figured I was destined for salad city, but I hoped against hope for the outside chance that the shift in direction and speed might trigger a bite.

All summer at the lake I had a hearty helping of that same hope with my morning coffee, eggs and sausage and had yet to connect with a muskie. Unlike the year before when I had two in the boat before mid-June. But for the first time this season chasing muskies, my hope paid off. The lure missed the weeds and found the mouth of something big. My rod bounced twice in my hands and I hauled back on it and let out a howl.
“FISH ON,” I bellered, as the two rods beside me instantaneously went up and my brother and my other friend, Marty, cranked their weed-covered spinners in.

The next five minutes were a blur between the shine of headlamps and the blackness of night, adding to the sensory overload of something big thrashing fifty feet behind the boat. My drag would screech and stop and the rod would quake violently with the headshakes of the fish on the other end. I worked the leviathan toward the boat and instructed my brother to get ready to net the fish after what I expected to be its final major run. Laying eyes on it for the first time, my brother issued a report.

“Mid-forties for sure, probably bigger,” he advised.
My heart raced and my knees began to rattle as I caught a glimpse of the fish’s silver silhouette in the flickering of lamplight. It’ mouth was open and its gill plates were menacingly flared just outside of net range. I kept tension on the line and let her hold for just a moment. It was the biggest fish I had ever had on but I tried not to think about that as I prepared for the final surge.

“One last run, then we’ll get her,” I said in anticipation of a final rod-wrenching charge.

But the fish didn’t run. Instead, I felt the wild thrash of the muskie. With each shake coming in slow motion: lefffft…riiiight…lefffft…riiiight…lefffft. And then, there was nothing. No bent rod, no thunderous shake, no splashing, no silver lamplight – just the blackness of the water behind the boat.

I put my hand up to my face as the jingling metal of the spinner shot through the air and clanked against the side of the boat. I instinctively turned away. The flash of my buddy’s camera went off, temporarily blinding me and capturing the last “action shot” of the memorable battle. Blinking hard, I wanted to let loose a chain of vulgarities so strong it would bring every fish to the surface, but all I could muster was “aw shoot.”

I tried to remain strong for my buddies, quickly relaying that it was just the first night. I started talking about other chances and getting redemption over the weekend. But redemption did come, at least not for me. My brother boated his fifth muskie of the summer the next day; a fat 45-incher. Even Holmes caught a five-pounder at high noon on Saturday. But all my subsequent casts and trolling efforts came up empty and left with the weekend’s only goose egg; a late season bookend to match my earlier blunder.

For good measure, I sighed one last time, acknowledged the unofficial end of summer and bid farewell to one of my favorite places. I grabbed my rods and my tackle box leaning next to the old oak tree by the boat house and packed them in my truck for the drive home. As I pulled out of the cabin driveway, I stuck a wad of gum on the weekend’s pages so they couldn’t be turned back to by even the strongest wind and I flipped my mental calendar forward to the first weekend in September, welcoming fall and what is sure to be a successful start to a new season…in our outdoors.

It comes as no surprise that when August begins losing to September, for many North Dakota residents hunting starts to win out over fishing in the competition for free-time activities.

But I’d also suggest, if you’ve bagged plenty of days pounding the North Dakota prairie, without experiencing the thrill of fall fishing, you might be missing out on one of North Dakota’s best kept secrets. Not that anglers don’t know about the potential that fall fishing offers. It’s just that when hunting geese, grouse, ducks and then pheasants becomes an option, people who fish and hunt must make choices.

Those who do make time for fall fishing benefit from that array of choices because of reduced competition and congestion. Boats that once share a landing with you are sitting in garages and driveways, while other anglers have abandoned their favorite shoreline hangouts to chase pheasants, ducks and geese.

In the summer we often associate fishing congestion with a hot bite. In the fall just because the banks are empty doesn’t mean you won’t find a hungry walleye, pike or bass waiting to bend the rod a bit.

Greg Power, North Dakota Game and Fish Department fisheries division chief, explains some fish behavior to better help anglers searching for a fresh fish dinner, and provide some insight as to why your late summer fishing may have been a bit slower than you’d prefer. “Typically, fishing does slow up in August because warm water temperatures cause species such as northern pike and trout to become lethargic and somewhat stressed and show little interest in feeding,” Power says.

But as fall arrives, the weather cools, water cools and conditions change. “The fish respond by going into fall feeding mode,” Power continued. “Northern pike, for example, become much more active in fall in pursuit of forage, and become accessible to shore anglers again. Various species of fish that hatched in spring are now big enough to interest pike and walleye in an easy meal.”

When you sit down and pencil out the seasons and priorities this fall, I completely understand why hunting often trumps fishing. But even when a hunting trip takes top priority, it’s still relatively easy to allow for a possible fishing diversion.

Fishing rods, reels and bait are more portable and effective than ever. A collapsible pole along with a small box of artificial bait takes up very little space in a vehicle, but can add another level of enjoyment to a hunting trip if an opportunity for a few casts presents itself.

Even if nothing is biting, absorbing a simmering fall sun while in a boat or sitting on the bank of a favorite fishing hole is an excellent way to steal some more time outdoors before winter changes the landscape. After all, its fall and your outside!

Leier is a biologist with the Game and Fish Department. He can be reached by email: dleier@nd.gov

While in the throes of a hotly contested battle with the seat section of a new 15-foot ladder stand, I took a break from what is now becoming a late summer ritual to get a drink of water and my bearings while looking over the assembly manual. It wasn’t the antler fever-inducing periodical I had been perusing earlier, but I knew it was even more important that I get all the details down cold during assembly and installation on my tree of choice in the river bottom south of town.

A good majority of hunting magazines and TV shows stress the little things like stand placement, wind direction and scent control for a successful hunt, but rarely do they focus on safety as being the key element in determining success in the field. Because whether you come home with a filled tag, or just a good afternoon away from it all, all safe hunts should be considered successful outings. If you find yourself in a treestand this fall, there are some safety reminders to recall as you prepare your perch and climb into the canopy for the upcoming deer seasons.

As you prepare to place your stand in the woods or in the shelterbelt overlooking your favorite field, don’t forget to evaluate your chosen tree. Inspect it closely to see that it fits your stand needs. Most stands have a minimum diameter tree that they can be used with – generally 9 inches or more across – so be sure to meet or exceed that base dimension. Examine the tree to be assured of its health. If you’re placing a stand in late summer, the tree should still have a good canopy of leaves, be free of obvious blight or fungus, not have any significant structural damage, such as broken main limbs, and be as vertical as possible with little or no lean. Once you’ve found a safe tree, you can install your stand.
Be familiar with your stand and the special requirements it may warrant for safe and effective use. You should have assembled and installed the stand yourself and have first hand knowledge of it, with a solid understanding of its safety manual requirements. Whether it’s an all-in-one ladder stand, a climber or a hang-on model with ladder sticks leading up to it, make sure that every nut and bolt is in place before hauling it out to the ideal spot or toting it into the field to find the perfect ambush point. When placing the stand, follow the instructions for installation and use. Secure the stand tight to the tree, checking all tie-downs, ratchet straps and locks which stabilize it. With climber stands, inspect cables and test locking pins to assure a safe ascent and return to ground level when the hunt is done.

Don’t use stands you are not familiar with and don’t climb into wooden stands you may happen upon while in the field. Unless you assembled it, don’t get into it! If you do have a permanent stand made of wood on your property, go over it periodically looking for wind damage, rot, or other structural compromise resulting from exposure to the elements or a growing tree and make the necessary repairs or replacement.

Each type of stand brings with it a unique set of requirements for safe use, but they all have one safety element in common and that is the use of a fall arrest system to prevent a life-threatening tumble from the tree-tops. Nationwide, nearly 47,000 hunters were injured in falls from treestands from 2000-2007, according to a study done at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, based on data obtained and tracked by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The injuries tracked ran the gamut from bruises and broken bones to paralysis and death. In nearly all instances reported, the hunter failed to use a safety harness and fall arrest system, despite the fact that most commercial tree stands include such a two-part system in the package.

Make a harness and a fall arrest system as much a part of the experience as your bow or firearm this autumn. At the beginning of each outing, inspect the fabric, stitching and fit of your harness before climbing into your stand. Whether it’s a basic ladder stand, or a stadium version with rails, a fall-arrest system is still required to help provide for a safe hunt. Even with a harness, have a plan in place as to how to regain the stand if you fall out and are suspended in the air. If you happen to fall while using your harness, discard it and the lanyard in favor of a new one.

The use of a harness is not without its issues, as it is only a temporary fix to a dangerous situation. Prolonged suspension may result in internal trauma caused by pressure to the groin and the pooling of blood in the lower extremities which results in a phenomenon called suspension trauma. This trauma may lead to shock, unconsciousness and death. Have a way to prevent this trauma at hand in the form of harness leggings, or screw-in tree steps to put your feet in and keep your legs loose and the pressure off until help arrives.

Should you need assistance while on stand, have a cellular phone in an easily-accessible pocket in your hunting clothes. Let someone at your home, or at the property owner’s house know exactly where you are for that hunt with a hunting information sheet, so that they can find you in an emergency, or contact you as needed. Being prepared for the worst case scenario is the best assurance that it doesn’t happen, or that when it does, you have more than one way out.
Tree stand hunting presents unique safety concerns for hunters employing these elevated ambush points. Knowing how to check them off as you prepare for the hunt in the pre-season and before each outing will ensure success, regardless of whether you climb down to track a deer, or just follow your own tracks back to camp, ready to enjoy the next day afield…in our outdoors.

Whether we like it or not, it’s part of human nature to take for granted things that become part of our lives or benefit us over the long term. The only way we can truly appreciate the value of what we have, is to have less of it.

In the outdoor world, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program is a fitting example, and wildlife agencies and conservation organizations have tried to relay that message for years. In fact, just by reading the acronym CRP, it’s likely that some readers have probably lost a bit of interest, and would rather read a fall hunting preview or learn about some management issue the North Dakota Game and Fish Department is trying to address.

We have heard about the value of CRP to wildlife and related outdoor activities for years, perhaps to the point that some people tune out the message. Now, however, the message is a little different. A new general sign-up, the first in several years, is in progress. Instead of talking about all the land that will come out of the program, we can talk about the potential for new enrollments.

The Conservation Reserve Program originated in the mid-1980s, and it didn’t take hunters long to begin seeing the benefits, first with pheasants and deer, and eventually waterfowl. In addition, about a decade later the Game and Fish Department began piggy-backing a walk-in hunting access program – Private Land Open to Sportsmen or PLOTS – to CRP acres.

Like free pop refills at a fast-food restaurant, CRP and PLOTS became an annual expectation, though wildlife managers could see challenging times ahead when contracts would start expiring in 2007 and beyond.

On top of that, a few years ago commodity prices shot up, prompting increased land rental rates that in many areas outpaced CRP payments for landowners. Since 2007 North Dakota has lost just under a million acres of CRP. Now, the state has a chance to get some of that back, either in terms of contract extensions or new enrollments.

Which brings me to the current sign-up open through Aug. 27. The great thing about CRP is that it is voluntary. Landowners can choose whether to participate, based on the potential to improve their bottom line over time. Even then, acceptance into the program is not a given, as each tract is evaluated and ranked on its environmental benefits. Offering land for enrollment is more like a first step than an expected result.

Landowners who have an interest in learning more about the current CRP sign-up have an array of technical support available from local USDA staff to Game and Fish private lands biologists, Pheasants Forever farm bill biologists and Ducks Unlimited conservation program biologists.

In 2007 the prairie of North Dakota had 3.4 million acres of CRP. It’s tough to imagine, given current economic factors, surpassing 3 million acres again. However, if landowner interest is high and CRP rental rates are competitive cash rent and commodity prices, the state could at least realize some modest gains instead of continued losses.

It’s been four years since the last CRP open enrollment, and no one knows when or if there will be a next time. The current positive development is one that could shape our expectations for years to come. Now’s the time to keep the conversation going and make sure that everyone who might have an interest in the sign-up is aware of the possibilities.

I’ll take the sure thing before I’ll take the risk. Give me a savings account with two percent over anything on Wall Street these days. I play poker like that too, which might be why I’m not very good at it, and I rarely bet on sports, even when I know the Gators will crush Vanderbilt. And while I might not get rich quick, win a golden bracelet, or parlay a correct pick-em, I am a fan of certainty, and one thing is firm both in my mind and on the paper calendar on the wall – fall is on its way.

So while I wait for the waffling of Brett Favre to come to one end or another (or maybe he goes all Roger Clemens on us and plays the last half of the season for $16 million?) I know that when it does, the first hunting seasons of the year will already be under way, starting with one of my favorites. And while the targets might not be the biggest in the bunch, you can bet that dove hunting is one of the best ways to kick off autumn.
I can still remember the first dove hunt I went on with my dad. We walked out to the middle of a farmer’s horse pasture and sat on the earthen hill of excavated dirt and overlooked the waterhole our perch once occupied. As the sun set, gray-winged mourning doves swooped in from all directions. My dad fired his shotgun several times that night, and I watched as most of his targets bobbed and weaved themselves out of harm’s way. By the end of the night, dad had three little birds in his game vest, and we cooked them in a frying pan when we got home, sharing the tiny spoils of our night afield.

My next dove hunt didn’t happen until I was 23, after I had graduated from college, and that summer’s Hunter’s Education course along with nearly all of the twelve-year-olds in Barnes County. But it wasn’t long before I was patrolling stock ponds, sitting on treelines and swatting mosquitoes in the evening air as the dipping and diving doves made their way across the horizon that fall.
From there I was hooked on these little birds, and the earliest of the hunting seasons. Since that first year, I’ve honed my shot, scouted fields and I am now prepared for yet another season in pursuit of doves – a simple pleasure that all hunters should pursue, but very few in these northern climates do, in comparison to grouse or pheasants. But doves provide a unique challenge on the wing and a tasty reward for a successful shot.
Mourning doves inhabit the entire length of the upper Midwest and are huntable from as far north as the Canadian border for at least part of their federally set season (September 1 to October 30) they can be found flying and flocking around small grain fields, shelterbelts and water sources. Most of the time though, these migratory birds are clear of the region before their season ends.
Because of their transient nature, hunters who pursue them are required to relay their hunting data to the Harvest Information Program (HIP) to provide researchers with the information from each year’s hunt and harvest. Beyond getting a HIP number, dove hunters need only a small game license in most states, and a little bit of pre-season scouting.

Mourning doves, as alluded to earlier, are drawn to small watering holes, grain fields and safe roosting areas like shelterbelts. Finding where the birds fly each evening can provide hunters easy direction to an exciting hunt all in an hour or two after work. From that point, one can set up a small chair, don a camo shirt and hat, and prepare for an evening of hunting – or at least shooting.
Generally size 7.5 or 8 shot is used in the pursuit of these small upland birds, as more shot in a shell makes for a better chance at hitting these birds with vital areas about the size of a ping-pong ball. Having a dog on hand to retrieve also adds to the hunt and limits lost birds, as their gray plumage blends well with dry grasses and other plants. What also helps up the success rate is a little practice prior to the hunt. Shoot a few rounds of clays to be ready for these small targets before the season, and maybe warm up at the range before an evening hunt on the weekend.

The meat from each bird only amounts to two tiny breast fillets, but there’s a good opportunity to take a few birds on each outing. The internet abounds with hundreds of delicious recipes for their full flavored meat. My personal favorite is a dove popper recipe, consisting of two breast fillets sandwiching a piece of pepper jack cheese and a jalapeno slice. Wrap the ingredients in bacon for moisture and flavor, and hold it all together with a toothpick. Place a dozen or so on a tinfoil-covered grill and cook on medium-low. It’s a perfect appetizer for what’s to come this season!
If you are a longtime hunter, or just starting out, dove hunting is tough to pass up when you’ve endured enough of August’s heat and can’t stand any more of FavreWatch2010. It’s a guaranteed good time, and kicks off September in surefire style. Plan a few nights afield this fall for our smallest game bird and rest assured that the season is just around the corner…in our outdoors.

As a child growing up in northwestern North Dakota, seafood was a special treat, to the point that even fish sticks were considered a pretty rare dinner at home..

Thirty-five years ago “fresh” North Dakota seafood came frozen in a box and was usually deep fried. One of my fondest memories of dining out was the occasional trip to the bowling alley in Williston and eating “shrimpos.”

It seems that fish in some North Dakota waters have the same appetite for shrimp, though they are fortunate to have a ready supply every day instead of only on special occasions. Freshwater shrimp are a key part of the aquatic food chain wherever they exist, feeding both large and small fish to a point where they may not show an interest in angler offerings because they aren’t hungry.

North Dakota is home to three freshwater shrimp species, gammarus, hyalella and
mysis. The latter is an introduced species stocked in Lake Sakakawea in the early 1970s to add to the forage base. This species never really took off, and if any remain in the reservoir they are not abundant.

While the gammarus in Devils Lake garner much of the freshwater shrimp attention in the state, the smaller hyalella are found in more waters. Both, for certain, are important links in the forage base in those fisheries in which they are found.

Out of all North Dakota waters, Devils Lake is best recognized as home to these half-inch, nearly translucent creatures also known as gammarus, scuds or sideswimmers, which describes the way they propel themselves through the water.

It’s well-known that perch, walleye and pike in Devils Lake are healthy, in fact, that’s probably an understatement. Some anglers may argue that the actual catching of fish on Devils Lake may not rival the health of the fishery, but perhaps that’s to be expected considering the abundance of shrimp and other natural food sources along with a high water volume

In fact, a case of “fish biting on bare hooks” is often a sign of an unhealthy fishery, with
hungry fish because of a lack of naturally occurring forage. Think of a trout pond at a sportshow and you’ll better understand the comparison.

Fisheries biologists monitoring Devils Lake game fish say the scud population is high on the list of reasons why the fish of Devils Lake are so healthy. Yellow perch, walleye and other species have little trouble finding and filling their stomachs with freshwater shrimp. While this hearty forage base is competition for the best angler, at the same time the long term viability of the fishery would be difficult to sustain without it.

But what do the shrimp need to survive? Freshwater shrimp are known to feed on
all kinds of things. Often these tiny creatures browse on microscopic plants,
animals, algae and other organic debris. Shrimp are at the front of the food chain. If a fish dies, freshwater shrimp are right there to turn the decaying flesh into energy that other fish will consume.

The recipe to create and maintain a healthy fishery is intriguing even to a
biologist. Every facet is important.

So the next time you hear an angler at a fish cleaning station discussing a belly full of shrimp, it just might be the fish … and not the angler.

Leier is a biologist with the Game and Fish Department. He can be reached by
email: dleier@nd.gov

With the Vikings into training camp, regardless of who plays quarterback for the Purple this fall, most experts agree it should be a good season. The same goes for North Dakota’s primary gamebird species this fall.

That said, there’s no guarantee and we really won’t know until hunters or football players take the field. But my response when asked about hunting prospects is “so far so good.” Here’s a look at some biological data that helps support my early assessment.

Pheasants
North Dakota’s spring pheasant crowing count survey revealed a 6 percent decrease statewide compared to last year, according to Stan Kohn, upland game management supervisor for the state Game and Fish Department.

The number of crows heard in the northwest was down 16 percent from 2009, while counts in the southwest and southeast were relatively unchanged from last year. In the northeast where there are fewer birds, the counts decreased 10 percent.

“This past winter did not appear to have a role in the lower crowing counts,” Kohn said. “It is probably the result of a lower number of adult birds surviving the winter of 2008-09, coupled with poor production in spring 2009 because of cool, wet weather at the time of the hatch, resulting in chick mortality and fewer young entering the population last fall.”

Kohn said the good news from this spring is the quality of cover will benefit birds and broods of all upland species. “Pheasants are finding nesting and brooding cover in fair quantity and great quality,” he added. “Native, warm season plants are doing extremely well and one would anticipate a good number of insects and eventually grasshoppers to become available with this type of habitat component.”

While the crowing count survey provides good trend data on roosters, Kohn said it does not assess adult hen population. “Hens are the segment of the population that determines the fall population,” he said. “In spring 2009, field personnel noted the low number of hens with roosters (1-2 hens per rooster) indicating the hen population might be smaller than usual. This spring there were no such observations reported.”

The spring crowing count does not measure population density, but is an indicator of the spring rooster population based on a trend of number of crows heard. Biologists won’t complete brood surveys until early September, and those will provide an indicator of the summer’s pheasant production

Ducks
Waterfowl in North Dakota appear in very good shape as the spring breeding duck survey index of more than 4.5 million birds was up 12 percent from last year and 107 percent above the long-term average (1948-2009). For historical comparison, the 2010 index is the third highest on record.

All species, except for wigeon increased from last year. Pintails were up 10 percent and were at the highest level since 1970. Mallards were up 12 percent and were the fourth highest on record.

Spring waterfowl surveyors also count breeding resident giant Canada geese, and that index came in at the second highest on record.

In addition to good water conditions in North Dakota, reports indicate that much of the duck factory in South Dakota and Montana was in good shape, but Saskatchewan and Manitoba were on the dry side at the time of spring migration.

One final note as Conservation Reserve Program acreage in North Dakota continues to decline. Since the beginning of 2007, North Dakota has lost more than 700,000 CRP acres, and projections for the next two years indicate up to another 1.7 million acres could be converted to cropland.

So while the here and now would probably fit into an “OK” category, concern about the future continues to mount as the grassland habitat base shrinks.

Leier is a biologist with the Game and Fish Department. He can be reached by email: dleier@nd.gov

It’s a jungle out there. Every man for himself. Greed is good. These mantras aptly describe the competitive drive in the world around us; natural laws that even mankind hasn’t rid from our collective psyche after millennia of becoming civilized. Whether it is in big business or the food web, one thing is for sure, the strong survive. And the strongest keep on surviving by beating out all other competitors and taking advantage of the weak.

The same is true below the water’s surface, where the game hasn’t changed since the first finned creature appeared on the scene eons ago. Big fish eat little fish. Those big fish also protect their territory and food supply with sometimes reckless abandon, chasing off any competition that might threaten their survival. But when things get heated, like when fish have the late-season feedbag on, the next biggest fish may be right behind to snag just the tiniest bit of food left behind by that aggressive alpha-fish.

So it is not unusual, particularly when angling for smallmouth bass in late summer and fall, to encounter other fish rising up toward the boat after a hooked schoolmate, waiting in the water below to see what’s happening and if there is food involved. This follow-up phenomenon appears to occur when there is a notable disturbance coming from a nearby fish. The ones that hone in on the hubbub hope to get a portion of what the more aggressive fish has been eating, or join in the feeding frenzy.

What’s more, some species are known to regurgitate recent meals in moments of stress, with the surprise of a fishing hook triggering this natural response. A number of times I have set the hook into a smallie and brought it to the boat; only to be stunned by the ejection of a still-snapping crayfish from the bronzeback’s mouth. Occasionally, other bass brought in by the commotion have gobbled that crayfish up before it drifted out of sight, robbing its previous owner of precious protein. In the competitive setting of the natural world, a slightly-used meal is better than no meal at all.
Whether it is for the chance to join in on a school of minnows, or for a bite of a previously-owned entrée, it is not uncommon to see other bass follow a hooked fish around. This natural reaction provides anglers with a chance to increase the excitement in their boat.

As a hooked fish is being reeled in, keep your eye on the area around it for followers. When one is spotted, you or your co-angler (depending on who has the fish on) can pitch a jig or tube in the vicinity of the action in an attempt to get the following fish to bite. Have a medium action spinning combo in an easily accessible place rigged with a jig and twister combo or a three-inch bass tube set on the cork handle or in the rod’s hook holder. By keeping the lure secured near the reel, it can be quickly freed and cast out to following fish.

Keep in mind that the window provided to target these followers may be small, and you’ll have to mind the other angler’s line (and a hooked fish) when casting at them. If you’re the angler with the first fish, try not to overplay it in an effort to draw more bass in, but work with your co-angler efficiently to take advantage of the natural draw a hooked fish generates. Recognize that the followers are often smaller fish, but when you stumble upon an area of summer-fattened smallmouth in your lake, those followers could be four-pounders, making the frantic operations worth your while.
This summer, take advantage of the rule of nature that spurs on feeding fish, and seize the opportunity that following fish present. After you’ve turned an aggressive follower into a fish on the line, I’m sure you’ll find yourself in agreement with another old adage – that more is definitely better…in our outdoors.

While it won’t become official until the annual small game hunting proclamation is finalized later this month, it’s a certainty that North Dakota will not have a sage grouse season again this fall. This will mark the third year in a row that the state has not had an open season on sage grouse, after more than 40 years of limited hunting that started in the mid-1960s.

Sage grouse are the largest of North Dakota’s three native grouse species, and are found only in the extreme southwestern part of the state, where big sage once covered the landscape. These birds were never all that numerous because North Dakota marked the northeastern edge of their range, but over the past 50 years since the State Game and Fish Department first conducted spring surveys, the population has declined by more than 80 percent.

Much of that decline is attributed to big sage habitat conversion and fragmentation, while in recent years Game and Fish biologists suspect that the West Nile virus has taken an additional toll on adult birds.

This year the spring count of male sage grouse on leks was at its lowest level since the survey began in the 1950s. Aaron Robinson, Game and Fish Department upland game bird biologist, said a record low 66 males were counted on 15 active strutting grounds. Last year, 69 males were counted on 17 active leks in the southwest. “A big increase in the population was not expected due to last year’s wet spring, including the snowfall we received in June 2009,” Robinson said.

The number of males counted on leks each spring has gradually declined since 2000 when the tally was 283 birds. In 2008, spring counts dropped dramatically throughout North Dakota’s sage grouse range, falling from 159 to 77.

If there is a bit of good news in the lower number for 2010, it’s that the total was only three less than 2009. “One thing is clear,” Robinson said, “we have not taken another big hit by West Nile which hopefully indicates some resistance.”

Management of sage grouse in North Dakota has followed a specific plan which outlines hunting harvest objectives. There is no indication that hunting has had a role in the sage grouse population decline. Without managed hunting the past two years, the numbers still went down, and for several years prior to that the annual harvest was less than two dozen birds.

Even so, the Game and Fish Department plan recommends closing the hunting season if the spring census indicates fewer than 100 males. Wildlife division Chief Randy Kreil explains, “There is hope that hunters will again be able to hunt the arid, gorgeous country for a bird that is so startling on the wing because of its size. “The goal would be to conserve and recover the habitat base so the sage grouse population would expand to the point that our limited hunting seasons could be revived,”

It’s important to note the role of hunting in conservation. Money generated through license fees and excise taxes provides biologists with the resources to monitor sage grouse and sagebrush habitat. Game and Fish and other agencies are working with cooperating landowners on a few new programs designed to conserve or reestablish sagebrush.

Changes likely won’t occur overnight, and there is no expectation that the state’s sage grouse population will eventually rebound to match historic highs. The primary objective is gradual improvement that will keep sage grouse from landing on the endangered species list, and ultimately return them to the list of birds that form the basis for the state’s fall upland game hunting seasons.

Leier is a biologist with the Game and Fish Department. He can be reached by email: dleier@nd.gov