Fall Pronghorn Season is On Its Way

I’ve hunted pronghorn in southwestern North Dakota, and seen them in the wild in McIntosh County and Sargent counties, east of the Missouri River and well away from their population center in the state. I’ve also heard of people spotting them in Steele and Traill counties in years past, and no doubt they’ve been sighted […]

Pheasant Population Counts Up Statewide

Most hunters don’t apologize if their conversations drift to the coming fall hunting season while they are still enjoying summer fishing, camping or one of many other outdoor activities. We’re prone to keeping one eye on the bobber and another on the calendar while our imagination ponders what the fields and skies might hold this […]

Crankbaits for Summer Fish

Crankbaits are a great way to catch summer fish for several reasons. Crankbaits allow an angler to cover lots of water in a short period of time. Crankbaits appeal to most species of gamefish regardless of where you’re fishing. Crankbaits can be cast to precise areas that are holding a concentration of fish, or they […]

Looking Ahead to Fall Hunting Season

Here it is barely summer–the calendar says summer began June 21– and a lot of us are already looking ahead to what the fall hunting season might provide. While some prospects are risky to try to pin down just yet, spring weather conditions can give us some ideas about how various species have fared so […]

News and Notes for ND Hunters and Anglers

By Doug Leier Every so often I catch myself with a few pieces of news and notes that might not generate a full column, but are worthy of passing along as reminders. Here’s what I’ve got for you this week. Tracking North Dakota Legislation For starters, with the 2015 North Dakota legislative session underway, tracking  […]

A Look Ahead to 2015

By Doug Leier Looking ahead to 2015, it’s hard not to get excited, or stay excited, about the excellent fishing prospects that lie ahead for North Dakota. None of us who are anglers today have ever lived through a time when the state has had more fishing waters than it does right now. Many of […]

A Look Back on 2014

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 […]

Respect Our Outdoors – Don’t Litter!

By Doug Leier Many of my outdoors destinations tend to attract higher use than a secluded badlands nook, a Turtle Mountains hideout or even a tucked away Missouri Coteau wetland. I spend plenty of time fishing at busy public access points, and hunting public land where sometimes there might be others who have the same […]

Finding Fulfillment in the Great Outdoors

By Doug Leier Hunting conversations sometimes have a number of words that are owned and defined by the hunter and the context in which they are used. For instance, a “nice deer” or a “big buck” may not even be on the same page in the same conversation between any two hunters. Sometimes, people are […]

Catch a Bunch in the Fall

by Bob Jensen I got to fishing again this past week. My friend Mike Gottheardt and I were chasing smallmouth bass on a river in eastern Wisconsin.  We caught ’em good: Lots of smallmouth and some nice ones at that.  Nothing that would be considered a trophy, but some healthy bass that fought hard and […]

Hunting Highlights from 125 Years of Statehood

By Doug Leier As North Dakota gives pause to acknowledge its 125th anniversary of statehood, much will be made of its history, and thoughts of how the state will age into the future. And some of that history will revolve around wildlife and the outdoors, from the fur trade that attracted early explorers, to decimation […]

Make the Most of Your PLOTS Experience This Fall

By Doug Leier The popularity of North Dakota’s Private Land Open to Sportsmen program has created somewhat of an expectation for hunters. This year, the state has roughly 735,000 acres in the program and many hunters use these areas for at least some of their hunting experiences. And that’s basically the primary intention of PLOTS […]

How to Report a Game Violation

By Doug Leier With fall hunting seasons rolling out almost every week now since Labor Day weekend, I field, hear and read many discussions on rules, regulations, poaching and “what if” scenarios. Sometimes they’re as simple as what to do or who to call if you witness something suspicious, like someone shooting at ducks during […]

2014 Hunting Season Officially Opens in North Dakota

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

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 […]

Game & Fish Department Unveils New Mobile Mapping Apps

By Doug Leier I’ve tried to really determine if my wandering outdoor excursions are a genetic characteristic or just learned behavior that I enjoy. Some of my favorite trips out hunting, fishing or just exploring are nothing more than coincidence or luck. Many times, we’ll set off without even a predetermined plan of north, south, […]

North Dakota Bighorn Sheep Population Virtually Unchanged from 2013 Levels

by Doug Leier In terms of sheer hunter interest and popularity, the question of, “How’d the deer and pheasants make it through the winter?” is asked more often than, “What’s the latest on the bighorn sheep population?” It’s not because people don’t care about bighorn sheep. On the contrary, you’ll find interest from hunters and […]

Recapping the Deer Management Meetings

by Doug Leier   Most of us would already assume that April is a busy month for fisheries biologists, as ice-out brings pike spawning, then walleye spawning and initiation of all the other management work that corresponds to open water. Perhaps not so well known is that April is also a busy month for big […]

Spring Season Fishing and Hunting

by Doug Leier   I’ve always enjoyed the arrival of spring. I’ve lived in a number of towns and areas in just about every corner of North Dakota, and whether it’s Williston, Bottineau, Bismarck or West Fargo, each has its own special draw. While all of us in the Midwest are fortunate to have four […]

Spring Light Goose Season Regulations

by Doug Leier   In case you missed it at the time, when temperatures were sub-zero and the countryside was white, North Dakota’s spring light goose season opened Feb. 15 and continues through May 18. At the same time, while most people probably wouldn’t have anticipated the first sightings of light geese until later in […]

Hunting and Fishing License Fee Increases to take effect

by Doug Leier   Just about this time last year, the North Dakota legislature was working through a bill that would raise fees for many of the state’s hunting and fishing licenses. Eventually, Senate Bill 2231 passed the state senate overwhelmingly by a 39-6 vote, and the house followed suit with a vote of 77-15. […]

Hunt is on for Private Land Open to Sportsmen program

by Doug Leier   Most North Dakota hunters probably aren’t thinking much about the Private Land Open to Sportsmen (PLOTS) program right now, but late winter is a busy time for the people who are responsible for the annual PLOTS guide printed in late August each year. As a little refresher, PLOTS is a North […]

Mid-Winter Waterfowl Numbers

by Doug Leier   One of the most interesting facets of being an outreach biologist is the variety of work involved. A few weeks back I assisted with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s mid-winter waterfowl survey, as I’ve done in the past, and which biologists across the nation do each year. While the […]

Deer Management Meetings in North Dakota

by Doug Leier   For the last decade or so, North Dakota has had around 100,000 active deer hunters, plus or minus a few thousand in any given year. All of us should be interested in the upcoming series of deer management meetings the North Dakota Game and Fish Department has scheduled around the state […]

Coyote Catalog Seeks Landowner Participation

by Doug Leier   For as often as I hear people lament the electronic age we live in, there’s always a flip side. While I’ll never spend more time looking at my phone than at a bobber, I’ll also never intentionally leave the phone at home either, because it provides nearly instant emergency access and […]

Hunter Education and Certification in North Dakota

by Doug Leier Since pheasant, grouse and archery deer seasons just ended a couple of weeks ago, don’t blame hunters if they aren’t already planning for next fall. But if you have a child, friend or relative who will need a hunter education certificate in order to purchase a hunting license in 2014, now is […]

Fishing & Hunting North Dakota in 2014

by Doug Leier   Looking ahead to 2014, it’s hard not to get excited, or stay excited, about the excellent fishing prospects that lie ahead for North Dakota. None of us who are anglers today have ever lived through a time when the state has had more fishing waters than it does right now. Many […]

Wildlife Population in 2013 Review

by Doug Leier My short-term memory is sharp enough to recall that the 2013 winter lasted a little too long for my liking, and unless April cross-country skiing or snowmobiling are a draw, I’d suggest ice anglers had plenty of time from last December through March to give way to spring. But in 2013, spring […]

Habitat Maintenance and Effects on Wildlife Populations

by Doug Leier For years, North Dakota Game and Fish Department biologists have stressed the importance of habitat in maintaining healthy wildlife populations in the long term. At the recent round of Game and Fish advisory board meetings, that topic got a lot of emphasis, and brought to light many discussions on the “good old […]

Finding Hunting and Fishing Hot Spots: Technology vs. Traditional

by Doug Leier I’m pretty certain my wife and kids tire of my stories from “back in the day” or “how things used to be.” More often than not, it’s a discussion about how technology and electronic advances keep people from getting outside, or the capability to visit with new “friends” while waiting in checkout […]

New Sitka Waterfowl Gear : Turning Clothing into Gear

Sportsmen Against Hunger programme helps communities

by Doug Leier   In 2013, North Dakota has fewer deer licenses than in any year since 1983, and anyone who was lucky enough to receive a license can only have one for the deer gun season. That’s a big change from even five years ago when the state allocated more than twice as many […]

Deer Hunting Q&A – Rules and Regulations

by Doug Leier Every year the North Dakota Game and Fish Department receives questions from deer hunters who want to clarify rules and regulations. Some common questions are listed below. I can’t find my deer license. What should I do? You must obtain an application for a duplicate license from the Game and Fish Department […]

Bighorn Sheep Population & Gun Season in North Dakota

by Doug Leier Most everyone who hunts in North Dakota, whether they actually hunt deer or not, knows the opening day for deer gun season is Friday, Nov. 8. I’d also venture to guess that unless you were one of the four hunters who have a North Dakota bighorn sheep license for this fall, or […]

Game and Fish Studies across North Dakota this fall

  by Doug Leier State Game and Fish Department biologists conduct a variety of studies every year. The familiar ones are those that provide counts or indexes that factor into season setting and limits, and also set hunter and angler expectations. Sometimes, it’s fairly obvious why fish or game populations are up or down. In […]

Big Game Transport Regulations to Prevent Spread of Chronic Wasting Disease

by Doug Leier With all the archery deer hunting activity and the coming spike with deer gun season, it’s a good time to remind hunters of specific regulations on transporting deer and other big game. Keep in mind, these are specific to North Dakota and with the mobility of hunters taking the fields in other states, […]

Survey Estimates – Hunting Seasons Management

Doug Leier If you catch a conversation between hunters and hear a reference to HIP, chances are they are discussing the Harvest Information Program and not what their kids or teenage neighbors are into. HIP is a survey method developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a means to collect more reliable estimates […]

Wildlife Surveys & Fall Flight Forecasting

By Doug Leier Hunters are not much different than sports fans when it comes to looking forward to upcoming seasons and learning about expert analysis and predictions. Fall flight forecasts for waterfowl and results from upland game brood surveys will pique the interest of hunters and wildlife managers alike. Along the way, from crow and […]

Planning your hunting

There’s plenty of time to enjoy your outdoor activities. A little preparation can ensure more enjoyable time spent outdoors.

2013 Outdoor Calendar

Calendars for Outdoor Fans – 2013 Outdoor Calendar Don’t miss your date with the great outdoors. If you want to catch a great calendar gift for an outdoor enthusiast, Ucahoot has the products and promotions for you. In addition to FREE shipping on orders of $25 or more, Ucahoot offers exceptional value for the highest […]

Winter Weather Predictions

By Nick Simonson “Guys, where are we,” this initial inquiry by Dominic Monaghan’s character, Charlie, summed up the question that I and ten million other viewers tried to figure out for six seasons on the TV show Lost. The J. J. Abrams sci-fi series focused on a group of plane crash survivors marooned on a […]

Mild Fall Hunting

by Doug Leier Each year without even having to review, I can count on a few standard column topics finding their way onto my screen, like spring fishing, deer season questions and answers, and the pheasant outlook. At the end of the year I take a look back at the previous seasons and often look […]

PLOTS Guide

Doug Leier Over the past two decades the North Dakota Game and Fish Department has emphasized wildlife habitat enhancement and hunting access on private land through its Private Land Initiative. Most North Dakota hunters are familiar with the Private Land Open to Sportsmen program, which provides walking hunting access to more than a million acres […]

ND Flooding

By Doug Leier You don’t have to live in Minot, Bismarck, Jamestown, Valley City or Devils Lake to have battled through drifts of snow and waves of floods through the past several months. Like many North Dakotans I’ve spent my share of time working in and through these floods since last spring, everything from sandbagging […]

Minnesota Youth Hunting

Our Outdoors – By Nick Simonson Odds are your introduction to hunting wasn’t like mine.  Sure, I collected the tail feathers and wings from the pheasants and ducks my dad brought home from his hunts when I was too young to go into the field with him.  But with the death of the family dog on […]

Super Sport License

Our Outdoors By Nick Simonson Many times I think back fondly to reading class in sixth grade at Jefferson Elementary School. My teacher, Mr. Horner, read us a number of exciting books, many with a coming-of-age story behind them, preparing us for our adventure into Junior High the following year. Among the titles was the […]

ND Non-Game Species

By Doug Leier Biologists categorize more than 80 percent of North Dakota’s wildlife species as nongame, or those that don’t answer to the name of rooster, buck or sprig. And yet, the few species for which hunting or fishing is allowed attract the lion’s share of concerns from people who enjoy the outdoors. This winter […]

North Dakota Bald Eagles

The recovery of the bald eagle is one of the most visible conservation recovery success stories for our nation. While the plight of whooping cranes and California condors is well documented and well known, these birds have struggled to gain ground and are still rooted on the endangered species list. The bald eagle, on the […]

Some Things Don’t Change

By Nick Simonson I lifted my right foot as the slight humming noise approached from behind me. A few moments later, I lifted my left foot and hopped a step over to keep my balance. The whir, beep and buzz of the floor-cleaning robot my wife received as a Christmas present continued on as I […]

Looking Ahead

By Doug Leier Looking ahead to 2011 in the outdoors world is kind of like assessing the preseason prospects of your favorite sports team. We kind of have an idea of what to expect, but unpredictable variables like major storms, timely rains or extended dry periods – or injuries in the case of sports – […]

ND Trax for your PC

TRAX PC – The Adventure Continues! Kirsch’s Outdoor Products is announcing the immediate release of TRAX PC. This product takes the power of TRAX GPS maps and overlays the GPS sportsman map details on the satellite imagery of Google Earth. “The feedback of the TRAX maps has been amazing,” said Korey Kirschenmann, Owner of Kirsch’s […]

Hunter Safety

By Doug Leier For many of us, the transition from summer recreation to fall isn’t as gradual as we’d like. Many of my hunting friends are involved in other activities like softball and golf, and the only valid comparison between those and hunting is about the same as the comparison between fishing and hunting: they […]

20 Years Outdoors

By Doug Leier One of the consequences of having four distinct seasons is that we slot various activities during certain times of year. Spring is big for graduations and a few weddings, while in summer we cram and squeeze in vacations, long weekends and more weddings, along with family and class reunions. This year it’s […]

Youth in the Outdoors

By Doug Leier The 2009 North Dakota Legislature continued a recent nationwide trend by creating a few new opportunities designed to recruit and retain hunters. A year ago, elected representatives of North Dakota endorsed an apprentice license for hunters who haven’t taken and passed a certified hunter education course. The legislature also reduced the minimum […]

Here’s to 2010

By Doug Leier 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 […]

How Cold Will This Winter Be?

By Doug Leier 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 […]

Tracking Martens, Fishers, and Otters

By Doug Leier The list of creatures and critters I’ve never witnessed in North Dakota is much longer than I’d prefer. While I’ve watched North Dakota prairie chickens, bighorn sheep and peregrine falcons, I’ve yet to see a whooping crane or a live sage grouse, among others. But just because I’ve haven’t seen one doesn’t […]

The Fifty Pointer

As I joined the mad rush at 5 a.m. on Black Friday with my wife in the aisles of the Virginia, Minn. Target store, I caught the stare of one half-awake fellow in a camouflage hunting coat, pinned down between a cart full of pink baby clothes and a display of 42-inch plasma TVs. His […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 the […]

Respecting Diversity in Hunting

By Mike Taddy As the hot summer days begin to fade away, the increased anxiousness and irritableness of the waterfowler is the one certainty that exists in the North Dakota hunting world. Now, before you go on the defensive because you ’re a waterfowler, please take time to read this with an open mind. North […]

Pay Me to Be Outdoors

By PJ Maguire Ever since I can remember it has been a dream of mine to have my own hunting and fishing show. The dream has always been to find a way for me to hunt and fish for a living. After many discussions with other outdoorsman I know I am not the only one […]

New Life on the Prairie (2002)

By Jason Phillips  Just when it seemed like it’s over, the action on the prairie potholes continues….on perch and northern pike that is. Well it looks like old man winter decided to get the last laugh this year and brought us some of the coldest weather of the season…in March. While it is tough to […]

Hook and Bobber Hunting

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 […]

Getting Stuck

By Perry Thorvig The little town of Middle River, Minnesota has an annual goose hunting opening day celebration. They sell beer in plastic mugs that say, “If you ain’t a goose hunter, you ain’t sh*t.” That phrase reminds me of the one that my hunting partner Ken Ziegler says about being stuck. He say’s, “I […]

Fish / Hunt Swap Stories & New Friends

By Chris Hustad   It’s 2:30 a.m. on a cold, April Saturday morning. I’m sucking down coffee to make up for the lack of sleep as I pull out of Fargo. We wandered almost 2 hours from home the night before scouting, only to turn around and do it again 6 hours later. But we […]

Feeding Wildlife During Winter

By Doug Leier Nobody wants to see wildlife starve. It happens sometimes, but even in a winter such as this, not as much as most people think. Even in mild winters, Game and Fish is asked about feeding animals, and over time the response to such questions has changed. Historically, winter feeding of wildlife – […]

Flinch-Free Firing – Rifle Shooting Technique

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson An old neighbor of mine who was just as good at busting sporting clays on the skeet range as he was at busting my chops regarding my tales of fishing and hunting misadventure, asked me what my problem was when he read I didn’t get a deer on opening weekend a […]

Land Mangement for Hunting

Jeremy Elbert While the recent weather has not given any indication of spring actually becoming a reality, we all know it’s just around the corner. As snow gives way to wonderful green growth and spring gives way to summer, it’s time to start thinking about how to improve our hunting properties. If your list is […]

Leave Wildlife Alone

By Doug Leier The local game warden’s phone rings a lot this time of year. Game wardens are essentially tasked with enforcing outdoor recreation laws across the state. This includes everything from boat and water safety patrol during high traffic times on lakes and rivers, monitoring mid-winter predator hunters. What you don’t see or hear […]

A decade ago: the winter of 1996-1997

By Doug Leier The winter of 1996-1997 was a winter for the ages. It started in early November with blizzard after blizzard, snowfall after snowfall, and spread its impact across the Midwest. While it was 10 years ago, the memories remain fresh in our minds, and not many people who experienced it would want to […]

Deer Proof Landscaping

By Doug Leier One of the more frequent concerns I hear about, from nonhunters and hunters alike, is wildlife-human conflicts. Whether it’s Canada geese in crops, raccoons in gardens or deer in hay stacks, the list is endless. More often than not, those seeking a means of limiting the disturbance of wildlife on their priority […]

What Defines Success in the Field?

By Doug Leier Quality and success are two of the more difficult terms with which big game wildlife managers struggle. In fact, most every fish and wildlife manager would probably nod in agreement that defining quality and success is a fleeting task at best. That’s because hunters and anglers each have their own version of […]

Venison Sausage Recipe

By Ken Weinzierl Venison makes great sausage. Many kinds can be made. The obvious question is “What do you need to get started.” First of all, no one can take care of your venison better than you can. When you get your deer home, skin it immediately. This will cool off the carcass. I usually […]

Take Your Time with Nature

By Doug Leier This time of year my phone just about rings off the hook. People call with all kinds of questions, but the most common is not the most obvious. Where to buy a fishing license? Nope, that’s your local license vendor or online at www.discovernd.com/gnf. How to get a boat licensed? Close, but […]

Gardening Tips – Keep Deer Off Your Buffet

By Doug Leier With the warmer spring sun greening the earth, that little bit of farmer residing in almost all of us starts to come out. The real farmers are already preparing fields or putting seeds in the ground. Those of us who delight in budding cherry tomatoes at summer’s end are planning arrangements for […]

Think Before Harassing Wildlife

By Doug Leier Chasing wildlife with a motorized vehicle is unacceptable. In the outdoor world, sometimes a gray area forms the boundary between what is and isn’t ethical. But in the case of people using motorized vehicles to chase wildlife, the boundary is a thick, black, double-wide line because it’s not just unethical, it’s illegal. […]

A Look Back at ND in 2006

By Doug Leier  This week we’ll take a look back at the outdoor issues and topics that shaped North Dakota in 2006, through interviews with fisheries and wildlife division leaders for the State Game and Fish Department. It’s been an interesting year, with many positive stories to report. At the same time there are concerns […]

Surviving the Winter

By Doug Leier Humans cope with winter in a number of ways, and looking out at the wildlife world it’s interesting to compare our mechanisms with those of other creatures and critters. Take for instance what we commonly call snow birds, or those folks who spend spring, summer and fall in our midst, but choose […]

The Next Generation

By Doug Leier A few weeks back a reader sent the following comment to me. Youth hunting is one of my best memories growing up … certainly not the hunting part of it, just being out there with my dad, learning how to hunt. I remember the first deer I “shot” at. I was walking […]

Fall Hunting Predictions

By Doug Leier Football previews with prognostications and predictions for the upcoming season are starting in earnest. Based on drafts and off-season transactions, “experts” are predicting which teams will flourish or fail. While most hunting seasons are at least six weeks away, biologists and wildlife managers can also make calculated estimations as to how well […]

Hunting Accidents are No Joke

By PJ Maguire   Honestly I have wanted to write this column since the Cheney quail-hunting incident. Several things have made me delay it. One, I needed to collect my thoughts about exactly what I wanted to say. Two, I wanted the media coverage of the event to blow over. Accidents happen. I do not […]

The Future of Hunting & Fishing in North Dakota

By Doug Leier We will guarantee you a more successful pheasant hunt, and at the same time, help improve your fishing. All you have to do is read this column. I’d venture to say that introduction would generate more interest than if I simply described how to maintain healthy grasslands and protect clean water. However, […]

Wildlife and Winterkill

By Doug Leier For many people this seems like clash of two different worlds, of poor little critters struggling to find food and stay warm during long stretches of frigid temperatures and blanket on top of blanket of snow. It just so happens that those blankets of snow might actually help some native prairie wildlife […]

Steel Shot Review – Shotgun Pattern Information

Just as each waterfowler has their favorite techniques to pursue waterfowl they also have their preference of shotgun shells. The selection is generally made based of several different factors that include: manufacturer reputation, availability, cost, past experiences, etc. Although each of these may hold some validity the best way to determine which is best for […]

Cooperative North American Shotgunning Education Program (CONCEP)

By Kevin Hayer Last spring I was invited to a CONCEP nontoxic shot seminar presented by Tom Roster and hosted by the N.D Game & Fish Department. CONCEP is short for Cooperative North American Shotgunning Education Program which is an international education and research program. CONCEP is supported by multiple Game & Fish agencies including […]

The Realities of a Hunting Bounty

By Doug Leier The shear principle of wildlife management makes it a work in progress, much like any other modern process of continued evaluation and testing and trying. What was considered acceptable yesterday may fall into the realm of objectionable in short order. Such is the case with bounties. Bounties, whether for gophers, skunks, rabbits […]

North Dakota Map

Click on North Dakota Map for a larger image. North Dakota State Maps North Dakota Lake Contour Maps Extensive ND Game & Fish Map – NEW North Dakota State Wildlife Management Areas Map North Dakota PLOTS Map North Dakota Road Condition Reports North Dakota Road Construction Map North Dakota County Map Snow Line and Depth Maps MapQuest […]

Recapping 2007 in North Dakota

By Doug Leier Over the last five years or so, I’ve written many times that we are living in an era that most anyone else with an outdoors interest will remember as the good old days, at least as far as hunting goes. As I look back at the last 12 months, it seems that […]

Sunrise, Sunset

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson Most anglers are told from an early age that the best times for fishing are dawn and dusk. While these hours of varying daylight provide another transition that fish key in on, the this adage might simply be to get anglers to appreciate moments in the outdoors that many are not […]

My Favorite Things

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson Smallies on orange jigs and crappies on minnows, Waking up to the lake sitting calm out the windows, Shore lunch fillets as the hot oil sings, These are a few of my favorite things. Black striped largemouth and polka-dot gators, Fishing spring walleye in holey green waders, Being outdoors, where the […]

Hunting Starts with Google Maps

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson   One winter night, as a young boy, I sat on the couch with my dad watching college hockey. I must have been about seven- or eight-years-old at the time. During the highlights of the first intermission, my dad turned and said to me “would you like to draw a map […]

Making Your Own Luck

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson   Revolutionary baseball businessman W. Branch Rickey once stated that luck is the residue of opportunity and design. Considering his resume, the adage must be true. By looking beyond the status quo, Rickey capitalized on opportunities that others missed due to narrow-mindedness; most notably, signing Jackie Robinson and later drafting Roberto […]

Dream Job

By PJ Maguire     If you were like me, you would like to have a job that allowed you to spend the workday in the outdoors. Most of us have been told that the most successful people in this world have jobs that they love. It would be pretty sweet to find a career […]

Chasing Wildlife

By Doug Leier Survival during a typical Midwest winter is more like rolling with the punches than simply fighting the elements. Give yourself credit for acclimating and changing with the weather. Generally speaking, in North Dakota we always have – like it or not – a time to fish through the ice. In some years […]

Mountain Lions in North Dakota

By Doug Leier I can honestly say, with a straight face a decade ago I’d have never guessed mountain lions would generate as much interest and discussion in North Dakota as they currently generate. And most would agree. Which proves the foundation of science is pretty accurate in the generalization we’re always learning. We’ve never […]

How Do You Get a Job as Game Warden?

By Doug Leier One of the more common questions asked of any Game and Fish employee, whether it’s over the phone, through friends, via e-mail, or at the grocery store, is: “How do you get a job as a game warden.” I get variations of this comment frequently when the topic of my occupation comes […]

ND Fall Hunting Outlook

By Doug Leier From ducks to deer, the 2007 fall seasons should put a smile on the faces of hunters young and old. Across the board, healthy wild game populations are the byproduct of good habitat combined with a series of mild winters. Here’s some comments by North Dakota Game and Fish biologists as they […]

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