A Look Back on 2014
January 2, 2015 by VerticalScope
Filed under Featured, Other Fishing, Other Hunting, Valley Outdoors

By Doug Leier It’s that time of year again when a lot of us take a look back at the past 365 days. For me it’s an enjoyable exercise as I can sift through my weekly columns to see how the year unfolded from an outdoors perspective. And it’s nice to have that printed record […]
Don’t Forget to Participate in the 2014 Upland Game Wing Survey
September 10, 2014 by VerticalScope
Filed under Featured, Other Hunting, Pheasant Hunting, Valley Outdoors

By Doug Leier As a life-long resident of North Dakota, I take pride in knowing that hunters contribute more to our outdoor heritage than just license dollars. Something as simple as voluntarily reporting violations goes a long way to assist game wardens in doing their jobs, and many poachers are caught each year because hunters […]
2014 Hunting Season Officially Opens in North Dakota
August 27, 2014 by VerticalScope
Filed under Featured, Goose Hunting, Other Hunting, Valley Outdoors

By Doug Leier The first official hunting season of 2014 has been open since Aug. 9 when the fall crow season began. While I’d venture to guess that very few people gathered the evening before to strategize for the crow opener in the same way they will for waterfowl (residents Sept. 27) pheasant (Oct. 11) […]
2014 PLOTS Guide Now Available Online
August 21, 2014 by VerticalScope
Filed under Featured, Other Hunting, Valley Outdoors

By Doug Leier The much anticipated annual North Dakota Private Land Open To Sportsmen or PLOTS Guide is now available. The printed version likely won’t hit the usual outlets such as license vendors, county auditor offices and Game and Fish Department offices until the first week of September, but the online version has already generated a flurry of activity. In just the first day after […]
Fall Proghorn Season is On in North Dakota
July 24, 2014 by VerticalScope
Filed under Featured, Other Hunting, Valley Outdoors

by Doug Leier I cross-reference many outdoor signature dates with kids and sports. For whatever reason, my mind keeps sports milestones less convoluted than birthdays and anniversaries. So believe me when I tell you, the last time North Dakota hunters were offered a chance to draw a pronghorn license, my beloved Minnesota Twins were still in the Metrodome, and they made the […]
2014 Sage Grouse Hunting Season Called Off
July 16, 2014 by VerticalScope
Filed under Featured, Other Hunting, Valley Outdoors

By Doug Leier North Dakota won’t have a sage grouse hunting season in 2014. That news probably doesn’t surprise anyone who pays attention to the state’s outdoor world. Sage grouse are North Dakota’s largest native upland game bird, found only in the extreme southwestern part of the state, primarily in Bowman and Slope counties. There […]