Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
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Outdoor notes: *People are asked to report any dead birds and abnormal behavior in migrating birds, especially waterfowl, shorebirds, and raptors, to the N.D. Game and Fish Dept. on their wildlife mortality reporting form, (gf.nd.gov/wildlife/diseases/mortality-report), due to a national outbreak of highly contagious avian influenza. It can also impact domestic poultry. While rarely infectious to humans, hunters or anyone handling poultry should use precautions, such as avoiding handling sick an...
In the depths of the cold channel, I felt my line slowly pull away from the bottom and gave a steady tug back on the jig below. The end of my rod bowed in a long arch as the heavy fish moved along as if it hadn't realized it had been hooked yet. The weight below was far cry from that of the 12-to-14-inch lethargic walleyes we had been dredging out of the reach upstream from us which required a 10-, 15- or even 20-count to ensure the hook was in their mouths on the cold spring day. Unlike the...
Finally! I'm back into full open water guide mode here on the Missouri River near Bismarck. Spring is kind of here, if you look outside my window today, it would be easy to argue that it's winter, but we definitely need the moisture. I have lots to talk about in this week's fishing report. So far, we have decent access to the river. Many of the ramps in the area are still useable at this time. The water is definitely low and navigation in areas is a tad tricky but overall, not terrible. One thin...
Aquatic nuisance species (ANS) have become one of the biggest concerns facing the health of recreational fisheries throughout the country and throughout North Dakota. Whether it's the spread of zebra mussels introduced from far away waters in Europe and Asia into lakes throughout the upper Midwest, including those in the Roughrider state, or the invasive silver carp which leap from the water and displace gamefish species in the James River throughout South Dakota and into North Dakota, the...
Outdoor notes: *People are asked to report any dead birds and abnormal behavior in migrating birds, especially waterfowl, shorebirds, and raptors, to the N.D. Game and Fish Dept. on their wildlife mortality reporting form, (gf.nd.gov/wildlife/diseases/mortality-report), due to a national outbreak of highly contagious avian influenza. It can also impact domestic poultry. While rarely infectious to humans, hunters or anyone handling poultry should use precautions, such as avoiding handling sick...
“It’d be a great day…if it wasn’t for the wind.” If I had a nickel for every time I heard this, I’d have enough for a season’s worth of bait, but such is spring in the upper Midwest. The jet stream yaws and the days oscillate in turn: gusts from the south, gusts from the north, gusts from the east and then a chance for chilly rain or late season snow. Then it all repeats. Even now, as I write this with bright red lips chapped by the southeasterly breezes that blew in for the first afternoon of...
Open water is here in Bismarck and it is here to stay! Ramps on the Missouri River are pushed, the ice is gone, and hopefully the walleyes will begin to filter north. I've only been out twice since returning to Bismarck after guiding on the ice all winter on Devils Lake. There are a few things to note, but the first is that the water is extremely low! This is going to make navigation and launching a tad difficult. Another important thing to remember - especially launching in the early mornings r...
It's been said the only constant in this world is change, and with the shifting of the seasons, anglers prepare to make the transition from hardwater to running water in pursuit of walleyes, pike, and other popular spring targets in North Dakota. But along with those seasonal changes come the conditions which vary across the map headed into the new season and new regulations that apply to those opportunities as well. Statewide Split The winter of 2021-22 drew a line halfway down the state,...
Outdoor notes: *Ice is never completely safe, especially with the transition to open water. Avoid areas with vegetation, moving water, pressure ridges, and springs. Check conditions as you go along on the ice and don’t move around at night. *April 1: New 2022 hunting, fishing, & trapping licenses due. *April 1: Snowmobile North Dakota trails close. *April 2: Lake Region Ducks Unlimited banquet, Devils Lake KC Hall, 5:30 p.m. *April 9: Spring turkey season opens. *April 9: Central Dakota Rocky M...
Many people are a little surprised and often enlightened when they visit with a North Dakota game warden and learn more about the people behind the badge. A hunter may not realize the time and resources spent in service training and administrative/safety requirements. Anglers know wardens are checking for over limits and license compliance, but the most citations are issued for safety violations, such as not having enough life jackets on board. Chief game warden Scott Winkelman provided some...
Spring is in the air, and if you get a whiff of it in the coming days, it likely will bear with it the scent of gunpowder. Across the country and the region, USA High School Clay Target Leagues are kicking off their spring season, bringing tens of thousands of student-athletes in grades six through twelve to the trap and skeet range as well as the five stand and sporting clays course. Thousands of those shooters will be new to the pastime of shooting sports, and undoubtedly a little nervous for...
6-24 Fishing regulations set North Dakota’s 2022-24 fishing proclamation is set, with regulations effective April 1, 2022, through March 31, 2024. New fishing licenses are required April 1. Anglers can find the 2022-24 North Dakota Fishing Guide online at the state Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov, or at Game and Fish Department offices and license vendors throughout the state. Noteworthy regulation changes include: • Increased the statewide smallmouth/largemouth bass daily limit from 3-to-5 and possession limit from 6-to-...
Falconry by definition is the hunting of wild animals in their natural state and habitat by means of a trained bird of prey. The most important word in this definition is "hunting." There are several avenues a person can take to legally acquire a bird of prey such as education or rehabilitation. But if the person isn't on the landscape giving the bird the opportunity to catch wild animals in their natural habitat, they are not practicing falconry. This distinction is important because it allows...
I’ve never been much for coincidences, believing that all things are connected, particularly those in the natural world. While luck, chance and odd occurrences do exist, everything happens for a reason. Preparing for a long weekend trip to see friends in northern California and the redwood trees near the state’s northern border, the phrase that kept running through my head, as we prepared for the air travel and drive up the coast to see the towering giants was: “better do it before they...
Outdoor notes: *Darkhouse spearing closed for the season. *Ice is never completely safe. Avoid areas with vegetation, moving water, pressure ridges, and springs. Check conditions as you go along on the ice and don’t move around at night. *Remember to keep fish caught in 25 feet and deeper; they rarely survive coming up from deep depths. *March 24: Barnes Co. Ducks Unlimited banquet, Valley City Eagles Club, 5:30 p.m. *April 1: New 2022 hunting, fishing, & trapping licenses due. *April 1: Snowmob...
It’s hard to believe that the first spring light goose conservation order in North Dakota arrived more than 20 some years ago when I was working as a game warden. Time flies. The purpose then — and remains today — is to reduce light goose (snow goose) populations during spring as the birds migrate north to their nesting grounds. While the opening of the first season was unique, I don't remember much about it. From a game warden's perspective, that's usually a good sign. Often, the most memor...
Elk, moose, bighorn sheep applications online Elk, moose and bighorn sheep applications are available online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. The deadline for applying is March 23. A total of 563 elk licenses are available to hunters this fall, an increase of 40 from last year. A total of 404 moose licenses are available, a decrease of 70 from last year. Moose units M4 and M1C will remain closed due to a continued downward population trend in the northeastern part of the state. As stated in the chronic w...
I took my hand off the electric fence for a couple days' break. I'm back down in Bismarck and the weather is showing signs of spring! I know it's going to be difficult to return to the frozen tundra after feeling a little spring. I had my hand on the fence earlier this week, and it goes back on it for 5 more days on the ice. After that I'm headed back to Bismarck permanently to get things dialed in for the open water season. What's been happening on the frozen pond of Devils Lake? It's also...
As winter slowly starts to melt into spring, hunters will take to the fields for turkey, farmers will start planting their crops, and ranchers will turn out their cattle on fresh grass. It's a cycle that happens every year and one that plays a critical role in the economy and quality of life for North Dakotans. When the three work together, we see abundant wildlife and game, strong economies, and thriving communities where future generations want to continue their family traditions. Healthy...
I put the final turn of my whip finish on the black thread of the small jig, and closely trimmed the hackle wound behind the silver-plated lead of the lure destined for a small tacklebox on my desk. It would be a gift for a close family friend; a young angler who lamented that he had yet to catch a trout in all of his fishing adventures, despite having a water not 10 miles from his house that each spring is loaded with hungry browns that by the dozens had fallen for the same pattern at my...
Outdoor notes: *Ice is never completely safe. Avoid areas with vegetation, moving water, pressure ridges, and springs. Check conditions as you go along on the ice and don’t move around at night. *Remember to keep fish caught in 25 feet and deeper; they rarely survive coming up from deep depths. *March 15: Ice houses must be removed from all state lakes and rivers but can be used if they’re removed daily. *March 23: Elk, moose, and bighorn sheep application deadline. Fishing: *Devils Lake ele...
A bag of collarless jigs presents an overwhelming array of possibilities headed into the spring fishing season, and with a simple selection of materials, it's easy for anyone to craft fish catching lures, even those of us who once believed we were all thumbs. From use on crappies and smallies to walleyes and perch, these four offerings are easy to tie, require little to no experience and will bulk up a tacklebox with jigs that get the job done all openwater season. Classic Chenille The chenille-...
In the blur of March and April when missions at the lure-crafting table and forays on the water begin to meld together, in addition to now wondering where my cheaters are (often on top of my head) I find myself flipping back and forth in the pages of my memory to locate vital tools that pull double duty in both locations. From handling the tasks at hand on the hardwood of the desk to dealing with in-the-moment upgrades and field surgery in the boat or on shore, there are tools I hate to be...
Outdoor notes: *Check icehouses with the warm spell so it’s not iced in and can be removed before the March 15 deadline. *Ice is never completely safe. Avoid areas with vegetation, moving water, pressure ridges, and springs. Check conditions as you go along on the ice and don’t move around at night. *Remember to keep fish caught in 25 feet and deeper; they rarely survive coming up from deep depths. *March 12: Spring crow season opens. *March 12: Lonetree Rocky Mtn. Elk Foundation banquet, Har...
In the dreamsicle light of dusk on the backwater bay, I led a line of young anglers out onto the snow-covered water in hopes that a few willing crappies would fill the couple of hours between our afternoon of sledding and a planned pizza dinner back at the cabin. The line, however, was longer this time as my oldest son and the three kids of two of my wife's friends joined me. Among them was my godson, Gavin, and his younger brother, Lincoln, now three years older than when I had last seen them...
