Deer Hunting Points
November 18, 2009 by admin
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 [...]
Deer Management
November 5, 2009 by admin
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 [...]
Sportsmen Against Hunger
November 2, 2009 by admin
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 [...]
Go Green with Mallards
October 20, 2009 by admin
By Doug Leier
The next time you find yourself kicking cans in the shop, killing time at the gas station or coffee shop with the crew, I ask you to raise a question about favorite ducks.
No doubt the wood duck would garner a share of votes, and the pintail has subtle grace and definition–that pointed tail [...]
Staying HIP
April 2, 2009 by admin
By Doug Leier
For almost a decade, migratory bird hunters have had to get HIP. No, not the “hip,” that loosely means “aware” or “fashionable” according the Webster’s Dictionary, but HIP, as in registered with the Harvest Information Program.
What is HIP?
HIP is a survey method developed by states and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) [...]
The Duck Stamp
April 2, 2009 by admin
By Doug Leier
Even if you’re not a duck hunter, I think you’ll appreciate what thousands of duck hunters across the prairie are doing this fall. It’s about as simple a task as you can make it, and much of the time they don’t get enough credit for how they’ve contributed to the good of the [...]
The Value of Temporary Wetlands
March 30, 2009 by admin
By Doug Leier
A recent rainy spell has rekindled somewhat the time-worn debate over the value of wetlands, small ones in particular.
North Dakota has hunreds of thousands of these small, shallow wetlands. They’re often called temporary wetlands because they typically only hold water for a few weeks after spring snow melt, or after heavy summer rains [...]
The Mysterious Coot
March 29, 2009 by admin
By Doug Leier
Have you ever thought about hunting coots?
To be honest, most hunters never even consider bagging one and bringing it home, even though they are readily available on many North Dakota waters and regulations allow a daily limit of 15 and a possession limit of 30.
But this season, I might think differently when I’m [...]
Survey Says
March 25, 2009 by admin
By Doug Leier
With the final shots of North Dakota’s bird hunting seasons behind us as of the close of turkey hunting on Jan. 11, we’re actually only weeks away from the opening of the 2009 spring snow goose conservation season on Feb. 21. Beyond that, the spring turkey season is only a couple of months [...]
August Goose Hunting
March 25, 2009 by admin
By Doug Leier
Non hunters and hunters who don’t target Canada geese may be a bit take off guard when learning those hunters they’ve seen and heard are out taking part in the early Canada goose season in North Dakota–for good reason.
In 1988 the US Fish and Wildlife Service annual spring waterfowl survey indicated about 18,000 [...]
The Canada Goose
March 25, 2009 by admin
By Doug Leier
I don’t think of myself as a veteran hunter. But when I put pen to paper and add up the years, I realize it’s been nearly 25 of them since I took hunter education in LaMoure in 1984.
During that time, I’ve already experienced some significant changes in our hunting landscape.
In the mid-1980s deer [...]
Hunter’s Choice Waterfowl Regulations
March 24, 2009 by admin
By Doug Leier
About 15 years ago I attended my first Game and Fish Department advisory board meeting. I was a fisheries and wildlife management student at North Dakota State University, and had a goal of one day working in the natural resource field. I decided it might be a positive learning experience to attend this [...]
Hook and Bobber Hunting
March 24, 2009 by admin
By Doug Leier
I’ve come up with a new phrase describing how I hunt. Maybe it’s not mine originally, but it effectively describes what I’ve been doing for most of my life. Itxs called hook-and-bobber hunting.
My intent is not to degrade how I hunt, or offend anglers who have no desire to use the latest fishing [...]
Why Party Hunting is Illegal for Deer Hunting
February 19, 2009 by admin
By Doug Leier
Party hunting is not legal in North Dakota. And I’m glad.
Legally, each individual hunter must take only his or her own daily limit, or fill his or her own deer tag.
The same concept also applies to fishing. There is no legal distinction between shooting someone else’s deer, and catching an extra fish to [...]
