With the possible exception of a first driver’s license, few people spin a nostalgic tale about buying a license “back in the day.”

In fact, I struggle trying to come up with any story associated renewal of my North Dakota driver’s license. Same goes for my fishing license, except perhaps buying a trout stamp when they were required, pasting it to the back of my hunting and fishing certificate, then heading off to Moon Lake where trout were abundant and sometimes large.

Nowadays, a lot of anglers and hunters are bypassing the rather unremarkable stops for licenses at bait shops, sporting goods outlets or convenience stores and purchasing their licenses in even less memorable fashion at the home or office computer.

Since April 1 marks the new licensing season for angling, general game, habitat, small game and furbearer licenses, it’s a good time to promote the benefits of buying online at the Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov.

It’s been nearly 10 years since Game and Fish first offered license sales over its website. While I had always enjoyed a sort of nostalgic connection with the annual ritual of filling out the paper form, the reality is that a couple of times I had to struggle to find a license vendor conveniently located on the way to the water. Who hasn’t found themselves on a bright spring day when the stars align and an afternoon opens up for that first outing, but you spend more time looking to buy the license than actually fishing.

A few years ago one of those day’s materialized, not just for me, but for my wife and kids as well. While my wife was organizing the snacks, hats and jackets, I sat down at the computer and bought our fishing licenses in a matter of minutes, printed them off, and we were out the door and on our way.

Shopping online for licenses doesn’t prevent me from stopping at gas stations, hardware stores and sporting goods retailers. While for several years now I have purchased my licenses at the Game and Fish website, I still need bait and bobbers, a soda and my pork rinds. It’s just that having a license in my pocket already when I head out the door for that first trip of the year, means I don’t have to spend any time searching for a license vendor if one is not located on the direct route to my fishing destination.

These days, I should also note that some places that sell paper licenses also provide electronic licensing. It just takes an Internet connection and a printer. In fact, any business that has a computer is a potential license vendor.

In addition to convenience, the choice to purchase license online has a practical side. If you wash, lose or misplace the old yellow fishing license, you have to apply for a duplicate, which costs a few dollars, in addition to the few days it takes to get a new license back in your hands.

Now, if I lose my license I just go back online and print another one. Some people I know print several to start with, so they have a license in their tackle box, vehicle and wallet.

Do I miss some of the connections to fishing routines of the past? Sure, but given the choices available now, I’ll trade those for the convenience modern technology allows. And I’d venture to guess that anyone who switches to buying licenses or filling out applications online will never want to go back to the paper way.

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

The “Dog Days” of winter for some begin in December and aren’t officially over until the last drift of snow disappears from the shelterbelt.

I know, Dog Days is generally a summer term referring to a lingering hot and humid period in August, but it also seems appropriate for a long stretch of midwinter weather that just doesn’t’ want to break for the positive.

This time of year, anglers, hunters and anyone else who enjoys the outdoors usually has on eye on the calendar for the next transition. We wait for change and find excuses around every corner. It’s too cold to fish, there’s too much snow – trust me I know from personal experience it’s pretty simple to decide to stay home.

If weather and reports of slow fishing drag you down, however, don’t despair. I’ve got some advice for helping to fight through the Dog Days no matter the time of  year. Part of the equation is reducing the stress – read simplifying – your time outdoors regardless of the activity.

My go-to guy is fellow North Dakota Game and Fish Department outreach biologist Greg Gullickson, Minot. He’s the only friend on my list who’s gigged flounder in Texas and hooked and cooked ling from North Dakota’s Lake Sakakawea. So when I need a few pointers for midwinter ice fishing, I know who to call.

“For me, part of enjoying fishing is at times you need to get back to the basics and not make it harder than it is,” Gullickson says.

Which is good advice for fishing any time of year. “There are thousands of versions of the equipment needed to be an ice angler,” Gullickson says. “The nice thing about ice fishing, and especially this time of year, is you can set out on foot with bare bones equipment and still enjoy it. Now don’t get me wrong. I am a gadget man, but still remember when my ice gear consisted of a five-gallon pail filled with homemade poles made from broken summer rods, and sticks with line wrapped around them. For me, at times I get more enoyment with less, even when then bite is slow.”

As Gullickson explains, it all comes down to supplying the basic needs to ice fish. You need to be able to make a hole in the ice (auger), pole (rods or tip-ups), lures (hooks, weights and bobbers), bait (minnows, smelt, wax worms) and if you desire, some sort of shelter.

And in a winter such as the past two, snow shoes, cross-country skis, and and all-terrain vehicle or snowmobile can reduce the potential for spending your day shoveling and not fishing. The point is, at times reducing the level of potential problems like getting stuck can increase the enjoyment.

Another way to reduce potential preparation time or equipment needs is to look for ready-made holes that are a sign of recent fishing activity and possible success.

“An easy way to make a hole is to ‘magpie,’ or find an old hole that someone had been using and chip it open with a metal bar,” Gullickson recommended.

Think of neighboring ice anglers who spend considerable time to get all their electronics set up and situated prior to dropping a line. With these tips and a little experimenting, you too can get into ice fishing the old fashioned way. And that’s not a bad thing at all.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking the latest and greatest in gear and equipment. The key is to not let a lack of gear and gadgets keep you from trying a little ice fishing, even if it’s the hook-and-bobber type.

If you approach winter outdoor activity with the right attitude and reasonable expectations, the Dog Days of winter don’t stand a chance at getting you down.

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

In the early 1980s trapping fox, coyotes, badgers, muskrat and a bonus mink did more than just pay for gas. Fur prices were strong and fox outnumbered coyotes to the point where a coyote pelt brought a nice reward, and the intense hunting and trapping effort helped keep numbers in check as well.

ND predator hunting is growing in popularity and for good reason, there's a lot of coyotes around

My dad was one of those guys who jumped in his old blue Ford and ran a trap line every night after work. I often tagged along, as I never knew what the 20 or so traps would hold. A coyote was a prize, a raccoon showed up once in awhile, and the occasional skunk was a necessary evil, but it was all part of the trap line.

And that was part of the draw – similar to just about any hunting or fishing outing for that matter – you just never knew what might lie around the next bend.

I can count on one hand, maybe two, the number of trappers I know who are keeping the heritage alive. But where trapping with the dedication required for checking a trapline daily has fallen off, a lot of it because of a depressed fur market and high price for gas, I know many others who have joined the ranks of predator hunters. Whether it’s with calls, or by spotting and stalking, predator hunting has become much more popular than it once was.

Part of that has to do with opportunity, as coyote numbers are higher than they were 30 years ago, and their primary range has expanded. While the state’s coyote population has grown, the fox population is smaller, partly because of the presence of mange, and partly because coyotes don’t like fox and force them out of their territories.

With the rising popularity of predator hunting in North Dakota, there are also a few reminders, ethical and legal, that need to be considered in the realm of enhancing landowner-hunter relations.

I’d venture that many landowners would welcome coyote or fox hunters who ask permission for walking or snowshoeing access. As with all types of hunting, however, there’s no guarantee.

Don’t forget that with the excessive early snow and drifts around the rural areas, some posted signs are snowed in and it’s better to seek out permission in most cases, rather than assuming land is not posted.

While I’m on the subject of “posted” signs, I’ve taken a few calls from landowners asking for a reminder that “no trespassing” isn’t exclusive to hunting. “No trespassing” is all-inclusive, on foot, snowmobile, ATV or other form of transportation. No matter what the activity, if land is posted the landowner wants people to ask before the enter.
When it comes to furbearer hunting and snowmobiles, it’s illegal to chase and harass wildlife. Anyone who witnesses such activity should report it immediately.

One last legal reminder for predator hunting – the use of spotlights, the same as for viewing big game at night. While night hunting for predators is legal during the winter, you must be on foot, and you can’t use a spotlight. So, use the spotlight for finding calves or lost pets, and when you set out to call fox and coyotes at night, leave the light at home or and bring the snowshoes along.

While my participation as a predator hunting isn’t on the same level as many other active coyote or fox caller, I still enjoy strapping on the snowshoes and hiking across the in pursuit of fox, coyotes … or rabbits. You never know what you might find when you spend the day on the other side of the window.

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

More than 40 years ago the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, in an effort to create structure for fish and create artificial habitat within Heart Butte Dam (Lake Tschida) in Grant County, sunk some old car bodies into the reservoir.

As you might expect, the practice of using car bodies for building fish habitat was short-lived, but the need for creating habitat in some waters did not go away. Eventually, discarded Christmas trees became a more natural and available element for adding to lakes that needed additional spawning and escape structure.

Building fish habitat can produce healthier fish to enjoy again and again.

Over a couple of decades numerous North Dakota lakes including Elsie, Spiritwood, Williams and Moon in the southeastern part of the state, and even larger reservoirs such as Audubon, Lake Ashtabula, Pipestem and Jamestown Reservoirs, got artificial reefs in an effort to boost fisheries production during a time of prevalent drought. Since then, as the state recovered from drought starting in the mid-1990s and numerous new lakes were created from flooded wetlands, use of artificial reefs has been scaled back.

Construction of these projects is time-consuming for Game and Fish staff and local wildlife and fishing club members who volunteered thousands of hours for reef projects at their local lakes.

Research on those projects showed the effort was generally worthwhile but results were often short-term. Many artificial habitat reefs enhanced fishing and/or natural reproduction of sport and forage fish, as well as provided cover for 10 or more years. Depending on the lake, however, artificial reefs may not provide any benefits, and they are not a quick fix in lakes where benefits would occur.

And, experiences over the last 10 years emphasize that natural fish habitat – a combination of water and plants, bottom structure and depth – is more productive than artificially placed  habitat. However, some bodies of water have little structure, and adding artificial habitat may be the only way to enhance a fishery in the long term.

Periodically I get questions about the old Game and Fish tree reef program, and thought it might be beneficial to looking at the issue from a couple of different angles.

Artificial reefs can attract fish and therefore increase angling success in areas where fishing is poor, even though fish populations are healthy.

Tree reefs can provide spawning habitat or escape cover, not only for game fish like perch and crappie, but also for forage fish like fathead minnows.

Artificial reefs are ideal projects to involve local anglers or wildlife club members in an effort designed to yield local benefits and/or ownership.

We caught many crappies over beds of Christmas trees in the wintertime, great stucture for crappies

And here’s a few other considerations:

Artificial reefs are labor intensive and benefits are not always predictable.

If artificial habitats are placed in lakes where they are not needed, they could increase fish production to the point of overpopulation for some species.

If water levels recede in lakes where artificial reefs exist, exposing the trees or tires, the material is unsightly. Reef-tops could also become boating hazards.

If a reef works in one area, public perception is that it will work in all areas. People may assemble and install reefs without Department approval if they think it will help their lake, or they may,with good intentions, leave Christmas trees on a lake on their own.
Citizens who construct reefs on their own, or leave trees on frozen lakes (where the tree will wind up on shore after the ice goes out) could be subject to a littering violation. These situations are easily avoided by involving a local fisheries biologist in any prospective reef project.

Like many of you, I’d enjoy more fish and bigger fish. But the reality of establishing habitat is similar to that of stocking of fish — it’s not as simple as dumping fish or trees into a lake and hoping for the best.

We’re better served to assess the potential of each individual fishery and apply the best possible recipe for maintaining and enhancing its potential.

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

Most hunters and anglers remember their first deer, goose or big fish, but it’s the little things that happen in pursuit of game and fish that also help keep people interested in the long term.

Think about it. I’d bet most readers would have a favorite story to share about getting stuck on the way to a hunting spot, some strange animal showing up in an unexpected area, or something else that has little to do with fish or game, like the time I was deer hunting with my dad and we found a weather balloon, or when I caught a 40-inch pike on a fishing setup so primitive that Tom Sawyer wouldn’t have used it.

My coworker Greg Gullickson, the Game and Fish Department’s outreach biologist for the Minot area, and I were discussing this after he returned from a recent conference relating to recruitment and retention of hunters. While we both remembered our first deer, so many other memories beyond those initial “firsts” are woven into the time people spend outdoors, and are a big part of why they keep coming back.

Many programs designed to develop interest among young hunters and anglers are more or less directed at “firsts.” Things like specific youth hunts or special licenses for waterfowl, pheasants, deer or turkey create outdoors opportunities for those firsts to happen. These opportunities are complemented by other Game and Fish Department efforts such as hunter education courses, National Archery in the Schools and kids’ fishing programs, plus youth outdoor activities put on by local wildlife clubs and other groups.

The bottom line is, the more times a kid, or an adult, heads outdoors, the greater the chance one of those random events that go in the memory bank might occur. These intangibles are difficult to explain, because they are totally unpredictable and they can happen to anyone, young or old, who walks out the door in the morning and gives luck a chance to happen on a lake or in a field.

With that in mind, on the first weekend of deer season in 2009, I went … fishing. After working on deer, deer and more deer-related issues for a couple of days before that, a balmy, 55-degree Saturday provided a perfect setting for my first ever opening weekend of deer season fishing excursion. Never in my 38 years had I wet a line on the opening weekend, so I decided to make a memory.

And you know what? I did. And I learned something in the process. I learned that you can’t buy nightcrawlers and leeches just anywhere in early November because they are out of season. I also learned that people wearing blaze orange while they are buying bait get asked a lot of questions.

Eventually I planted myself along the banks of the river, wearing my blaze orange so any nearby deer hunter could see where I was sitting. I didn’t get so much as a nibble, probably because I had to use smelt instead of the preferred crawlers or leeches.

While my fishing success that day was forgettable, I will always remember that warm November sun on my face while I was fishing instead of deer hunting. I never thought twice about my choice to fish instead of hunt deer. I was just fortunate to have options.

Our challenge in 2010, by ourselves and with friends, relatives and children, is to head out the door as much as possible, and give new memories a chance to happen.
Leier is a biologist with the Game and Fish Department. He can be reached by email: dleier@nd.gov

One of my biggest outdoors pet peeves is trash. Empty cans along the river bank or discarded chip bags floating near the dock, even if it’s just one, seem to steal away the peaceful serenity that draws most of us outdoors.

The shorelines of Devils Lake are a prime example of how many slob fishermen their are and how bad it can get after they don't pick up their own trash.

Maybe to a fault, I carry extra trash bags along to make sure I leave an area cleaner than I found it. I guess it’s a hope that maybe my outdoors house-cleaning will save others from experiencing similar disgust. Actually, if everyone else was equally as disappointed with those outdoors litter bugs, we’d not have a problem.

My kids don’t have a choice when we find litter and trash as we spend time fishing and hunting. We pick it up, even if it’s not ours. If we’re seen leaving an area I don’t want the next person blame us, even if we didn’t make the mess. So rather than risk the accusation, we pick it up.

And it’s not just during the summer months either. It’s anytime, because what’s bad in summer can be even worse in winter.
In summer, bags float away and cans drift into cattails or over to another shore. The litter gets caught in trees, and dust and dirt over time camouflage the refuse.

Winter provides its own unique situation. Whether ice fishing, predator calling, cross-country skiing or just enjoying a brisk winter walk across the tundra, the white snowy canvas is indeed a special experience. Littered with fish guts or cigarette butts, however, the fluffy white backdrop makes the trash look even worse in my eyes.

Since we’re into the heart of ice fishing, it’s a good time to ask winter anglers to make sure to clean up the ice after fishing, and respect private property rights when traveling to and from a favorite fishery. It doesn’t happen very often, but it shouldn’t happen at all. Not only is on-ice litter unsightly, but it is also illegal to leave fish behind on the ice. According to the fishing proclamation, when a fish is caught, anglers must either immediately release the fish back into the water unharmed, or reduce them to their daily possession.

“It has also become common practice for some anglers to fillet fish on the ice,” said Robert Timian, chief warden for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. “If you are going to do this, don’t leave the entrails and sides of filleted fish on the ice. Clean up after yourself. Put the carcass in a trash bag and properly dispose of it when you get home.”
Beyond the litter aspect, on lakes with size restrictions for certain fish, filleting those species on the ice is not allowed.

Another issue that sometimes surfaces in the winter is people sometimes driving out into private land to get around blocked section lines or other public access roads to reach a lake shore. When access roads are not passable because of snow, travelers cannot just navigate through a field in order to circumvent the blocked roadway without first talking to the landowner. While you want find a route onto the ice, others may follow and create an unwanted trail. It’s just not the neighborly thing to do.

“Private property rights are the same year-around,” Timian said. “Regardless of the time of year, if there is not a drivable trail, you should talk to the landowner; if the land is signed no trespassing, you need to seek permission.”

The bottom line is, courtesy and responsibility don’t take the winter off. It’s our job to leave places a little better than we found them no matter what time of year.

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

The driving theme for the past year outdoors is weather. In fact, any time we’re discussing fishing, hunting and outdoor recreation it’s a safe bet that weather is like flour in a recipe – one of the main ingredients.

I’m sure few would argue if I said that weather is a dominating variable every year, and while I hope 2010 isn’t as dramatic, even “normal” weather would be the driving theme if it involves weather in moderation as compared to the extreme natural events from 2009. Drifts of snow came early in November of 2008 in much of the state, and continued with frequency and intensity through mid-winter and even into early spring.

Such is life in North Dakota, where even in a sandbag line during the Red River’s swelling flood, a fellow volunteer asked me how the pheasants were making it through this winter.

And we learned through spring crow counts, summer brood surveys and fall hunting that the weather did thin the pheasant, grouse and partridge numbers, though we still had a decent fall pheasant population.

But what’s bad for the grouse, so to speak, was good for the gander and other waterfowl. Ducks and geese fluctuate with the water, and recharged prairie potholes transcended into strong duck and goose production.

In the fall those filled-up sloughs spread out hunters, and while mid-October cold and snow moved some local teal out, duck hunters were still smiling over the wetland conditions and a fall migration that was about as methodical as I can remember. In only a few years do areas outside the open Missouri River hold waterfowl late into November, but this year huntable numbers of ducks and geese were still loitering around southern counties of central North Dakota over the Thanksgiving weekend.

In terms of big game, the deer herd in regions such as central North Dakota suffered during the harsh winter, leading to a reduced number of deer licenses available. A late start for spring planting and field work was followed by a cool early summer, which slowed crop development.

In October, snow and rain delayed harvest and even well into November hunters saw more standing corn and sunflowers than most would desire. It will be March before the final success rates for deer hunters are tallied, but it’s interesting to note that in 2008, with another late row crop harvest and opening weeked rain, snow and cold, deer hunter success statewide was still around 70 percent.

As a hunter and biologist it’s always interesting to see how the final success rate plays out. At times I even doubt my own realization that over time, regardless of weather, field conditions and crop harvest, North Dakota deer hunters put in the time and effort to fill their deer tag.

And finally, in recapping the year winter I never spend enough time discussing the fishing, but in short order the Missouri River, Lake Sakakawea, Oahe, Devils Lake and most North Dakota fisheries also benefited from the influx of water. But by the end of May, let’s just say that most of us had had enough.

Here’s to 2010 and a wish for normal … if it exists.

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

I’ll precede my annual glance over the shoulder – one last look at the past year’s outdoor topics and issues – with a short holiday guide to the outdoors. What I offer are mid-winter outdoors opportunities, for the hunter, angler or even a parent looking for a vacation diversion or snowy excuse to spend more time on the other side of the window.

Early in the year you can only wonder, how cold will this winter be?

First off, I’ll always advise readers to consciously examine time and expectations before making any plans. This is even more important if we’re bringing a youngster outdoors. Safe for all, and warm for the kids aren’t debatable.

While a decent perch bite or spotting a fox off in the distance can warm a body with adrenaline for a short time, if the fish stop biting and the fingers and toes are wet and cold, the young angler may not answer “yes” with enthusiasm the next time an arctic outdoor adventure is offered.

So dress accordingly and plan for cold fingers. Pack an extra pair of socks at a minimum, though a better plan is two of everything, from mittens and hat to snacks. For the half-pint sized outdoors partner, a favorite toy makes the trip home a little less traumatic if a nap is missed or a case of homesickness sets in.

The bottom line is, think twice and allocate ample time to put everything together even for the briefest foray. I’m serious, when it comes to youngsters, you’re almost better off choosing not to go if you haven’t put a little thought into the trip.

Looking out the window, there’s no doubt October and even November are mere memories, but pheasant and upland game, along with deer bow seasons continue through Jan. 3. While the fresh fields of fall are frozen and snow covered, the potential for memories are still plentiful. One added bonus is the reduced pressure, as many hunters have turned to ice fishing and others simply wrap up their hunting with the close of deer rifle season.

You may find skittish birds, but few hunts can provide a more pleasurable experience than the sights and sounds of bursting roosters and jumpy jackrabbits enhanced by the echo of the cold.

There’s a tug at the core of a hunter to brave the cold, wind, and snow to push through cattails on a late season rooster hunt. As you can guess from my description, I’ve been there first hand, and like the draw of many other hunts, each is unique and provides an opportunity to personalize it your own way.

And it’s not just about grouse, pheasants and deer. Cottontail rabbits and squirrels aren’t’ quite the burly combination of roosters and bucks, but they make it up in abundance and availability. Young and old alike might find a nice winter option in the woods and brush, and the best part is that sampling these often overlooked game species only requires a small slice of time out of the holiday rat race.

Speaking of overlooked, check out the Game and Fish Department’s website at gf.nd.gov and click on “Fishing,” and you’ll find a host of resources for winter fishing, from stocking reports and contour maps to directions to fishing waters not named Sakakawea or Devils Lake. We all know how cramped late December is, and if you haven’t looked lately, you might find a recently stocked water that is producing fishing opportunities close to home.

And if it’s a family outing, bring along a sled and even some ice skates. If the fish don’t cooperate you’ll find other options, it’s just a matter of getting out and enjoying it.

Since the late 1990s a number of North Dakota lakes have lost their fisheries because of declining water levels. Now, after near-record snows last winter and abundant rain this summer and fall, many of them are “topped off” again and have the potential to support fish.

This is part of the natural cycle of the prairies and we don’t know whether next year will keep adding to the potential, or take water off with heat waves that evaporate the potential before it ever really gets started.

Salmon being re-stocked into Lake Sakakawea

Last spring, North Dakota Game and Fish Department biologists jump-started many of these recharged lakes with stocked fish. But not all of them are ready. Several months from now they’ll get another look when the ice goes off, to determine if it’s yet worth the investment of time and money to try to rebuild the fishery.

In the meantime, Game and Fish biologists are concerned about the potential for well-meaning anglers to try to speed up the process by illegally dumping in a few fish on their own.

Living in North Dakota my entire life, I’ve been involved in a conversation or two when the fish are biting–almost jumping into the bucket– when someone suggests ”why not take some fish from here, bring them with and just dump them into that slough and see what happens?”

It would be easy enough for me to simply state that such a practice is illegal – kind of like a parent saying ”because I said so,” when questioned as to why one child can’t put their sister’s dolly in the microwave.

But I’d like explain a little more. Good-willed fish stockers need to understand the hazards of “bucket biology” and the examples can be downright scary. Who would like to be the first person to accidentally put carp into Devils Lake, transport spiny water fleas into the Missouri River System, or introduce a zebra mussel into North Dakota?

While some anglers might say what’s the harm with dropping a few perch or walleye into a new waterway, I ask, where do you draw the line? In my college fisheries courses, I proudly earned a “C” in classes identifying minnow-sized fish. As an angler I would rarther put my trust in the biologists who pushed the “A” category when determining what lakes should hold fish and what needs to be stocked.

Fisheries Division Chief Greg Power explains this phenomenon is nothing new, either. ”In the early 1990s we were trying to increase public awareness about the problems of illegal baitfish. We had invested resources and money in eradicating rough fish in many lakes and at the same time stressed the need to understand the differences in baitfish. and it helped.

“Years later I do think the collective efforts are working. However, the problem has evolved away from illegal bait or rough fish and toward game fish. In some cases, even though the introduction was illegal, we can make the best of it and live with it, but most of the time it has caused us some real problems, compromising a fishery.”

I know of countless requests in the past by anglers to have a favorite fishing hole stocked, and our fisheries biologists respond with integrity. They will look into the potential, but we also need to understand that not every lake or slough is capable of becoming a strong fishery.

Water quaity issues, habitat, forage availability and other issues will be taken into account, and if criteria are met, the Department has a strong history of working with local fishing enthusiasts and groups to determine how fishing and area waters can better meet the expectations and needs of anglers.

Even then, some stocked fisheries take off and thrive for a few years, only to face a future drought that dries up water and the fishery. It’s the cycle of nature and in the coming year we’ll find out if 2009 was just a temporary blip on the upside, or the start of another positive trend.

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

Growing up as a kid in the 1980s, across the prairie from Williston to LaMoure and Valley City, December was a time of transition in our house. After the close of regular deer rifle season, the collection of my Dad’s gear in the “ready” position shifted from primarily hunting, to a mix of hunting and ice fishing equipment, and then as the ice thickened the shotguns were cleaned and put away as ice fishing took center stage.

Late season pheasant hunting is great with the snow and low pressure

I could tell by the boots when he was ready to focus his attention on the early ice bite, but over the course of years the pheasant hunting gear seemed to stay in position a little further into December.

I’m not real certain how many hunters pursue pheasants in December, but I suspect the number has increased along with the pheasant population over the last couple of decades. Even on optimal December days the conditions are more taxing than on a nice October walk across the prairie.

And yet, for many hunters a chase for skittish roosters directly into below-zero wind-chills is still preferable to staying at home.

The total December pheasant take is not nearly as significant as that of October. In fact, the combined harvest of November and December is still well below that of October, even though the number of days open for hunting in October is less than a third of the entire pheasant season.

Just how much the December harvest contributes to the overall total probably depends a lot on the weather. Which makes me wonder. Can difficult weather that keeps even the die-hards indoors mean the difference between a good year and one that is not up to expectations?

I can’t help but ponder last fall’s pheasant harvest, which dipped below the modern day high of more than 900,000 birds in 2007, to less than 800,000. Many a hunter assumed the 2008 pheasant take might be similar or even higher than 2007, given preseason bird numbers. But I also recall the awful weather and hunting conditions from early November last year, basically until the end of the season.

This year brings a different set of circumstances. Bird numbers are down, but we’ve had excellent pheasant hunting weather during November. Predictions for December are for milder conditions than last year. While Game and Fish doesn’t keep a statistic for hunting effort and bird harvest in November and December, it would be interesting to know how this year will compare to last year.

All this is just a reminder that there are other factors besides bird numbers that contribute to total harvest for a season. While last year’s total might have been slightly lower due to disagreeable hunting conditions in December, the decline of more than 100,000 birds from 2007 is mostly attributable to something else.

On the other hand, perhaps 2009’s pheasant harvest will somewhat exceed expectations because hunters took more trips because the weather was nice, at least compared to a year ago.

Even with a mild November, we are still in a transition time and as you begin moving from hunting into ice fishing and spearing, or predator hunting, don’t forget the remaining open seasons. And when holiday discussions circle around last season’s pheasant hunting, summer fishing or duck migration, remember that there’s always more than one factor to consider while you’re constructing the big picture.

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