Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
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Swan Hunt Applications Hunters interested in applying for a 2021 swan license can submit an online application through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website at gf.nd.gov. North Dakota residents and nonresidents are eligible to apply. The resident swan license is $10, while the nonresident fee is $30. The deadline for applying is Aug. 11. The statewide tundra swan hunting season opens Oct. 2. A total of 2,200 licenses are available. Successful applicants will receive a tag to take one swan during the season. Since swans are classif...
Despite last year showcasing one of the worst outbreaks of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) – a midge-borne illness that impacts primarily whitetailed deer, but did infect and kill mule deer, a few pronghorn and even an elk in southwestern North Dakota late last summer and fall – the region's deer herds remain relatively stable headed into the fall hunting seasons according to North Dakota Game & Fish Department (NDG&F) Big Game Supervisor Bruce Stillings. "The populations are generally loo...
Early last fall, as I rolled up over the hill with my buddy behind me, closing out the two-truck caravan in our grouse hunt, I was a bit dismayed to see the stretch of public-access grass from yellow sign to yellow sign completely hayed. While it wasn’t a big blow to our day, as we each had a couple sharpies in our bags, it did come as a bit of a surprise. We walked a small swale, which had been spared the baler, but put up no more birds as the onset of early afternoon heat ended our late S...
Outdoor notes: *N.D. Dept. of Environmental Quality blue-green algae reports: Advisories – Alkali, Antelope, Buffalo, Buffalo Lodge, Coal Mine, and Frettim lakes, South Hoffer, and Jamestown and Pipestem reservoirs. *Do not release any fish caught from water 25 feet and deeper because their swim bladder likely won’t allow them to survive when coming up from deep water. *Watchable Wildlife photo contest underway with Oct. 1 deadline. Contact N.D. Game and Fish Dept. conservation biologist, Pat...
Food waste is a hot topic, with an effort to raise awareness of the changing mindset from allowing food to rot, spoil, or in some cases, even just taking more than you need or will eat. For many here in the Midwest, it’s hard to understand a heritage dating back to our ancestors of using every part of a butchered pig. “Everything, but the squeal,” as my dad’s generation would say. In a similar message, there’s a sign at some North Dakota fishing destinations, reminding anglers of the value of...
With a mild winter, dry spring and a warm summer, whitetail deer populations in southeastern North Dakota are doing well. More than that, according to Jason Smith, Big Game Biologist with the North Dakota Game & Fish Department (NDG&F) office in Jamestown, the relatively easy conditions have also helped improve the age structure of the region's deer. "With the lack of a real winter and obviously mild spring conditions the deer population is holding its own," Smith comments in relation to the...
The continued drought and dry conditions have lowered flows from western North Dakota to eastern Minnesota during this long, hot summer. Since early spring, I've walked the shores of a number of rivers and streams and driven over hundreds of others in my travels and their conditions have at times made my jaw drop. I can never remember seeing no water flowing into the Sheyenne River from the Baldhill Dam, but that was exactly the case as I visited my home flow in April. It was a portent of...
The haze of a hundred wildfires dimmed the light of the mid-July sun overhead, on the afternoon fishing trip, as I drifted along the breaks of a favorite rocky lake. The orb’s all-day orange glow made me uncomfortable as the effects of yet another heatwave crashing on the west drifted slowly across the plains, like the foam at the edge of a breaker trying to extend its reach up the beach. I looked to overcome the uneasiness in the places I usually encountered the smallmouth bass on the clear w...
Outdoor notes: *Dept. of Environmental Quality blue-green algae reports: Lakes with advisories include Alkali, Antelope, Buffalo, Buffalo Lodge, Coal Mine, Frettim, and Spiritwood lakes, Jamestown and Pipestem reservoirs, and South Hoffer. *July 28: First-come, first-served deer licenses available. Go to the N.D. Game and Fish Dept. website, (gf.nd.gov) for details. *Aug. 4: Pronghorn applications due. *Aug. 4: Wild Outdoor Women workshop registration opens, noon (closes Aug. 25). Contact Lake...
Every other year in North Dakota, elected officials gather at the state capital to propose, review, debate, and ultimately vote on legislation that will set the course for the state and its citizens. Some of these bills are also related to how the North Dakota Game and Fish Department delivers services to its customers, which is partly why we closely track bills and provide input or testimony as needed or appropriate. Because state law often dictates how we conduct business at the Game and Fish...
Devils Lake Kids Fishing Camp Aug. 8-12 The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is a co-sponsor for the annual Kids Fishing Camp at Devils Lake on Aug. 8-12. Hosted by the Devils Lake Park Board at Lakewood Bible Camp, the camp is open to all youngsters ages 8 to13-years-old. Game and Fish volunteers from the Lure ‘em for Life fish club will provide classroom instruction and boats to help campers enjoy a week of learning about fishing, and all the other activities that come with a summer camp. Some of the educational sessions featured i...
These past two weeks have been packed for me, I had two open days from work and guiding, spending them on the water at lake with family. It felt kind of weird with no fishing rod in hand. I've had everything from muskies, catfish, walleye and bass trips in the last 12 days with the majority of them good and a couple of grind-it-out days but overall, fishing has been great in north central North Dakota. The main one that everyone wants to know about is Sakakawea, and now is the time to be out...
Warming midsummer water temperatures have the majority of muskies transitioning from open water basins to weed covered structure in Minnesota's west central lakes country. All our local lakes have water temperatures in the upper 70s or low 80s pushing the open water baitfish deeper and out of the muskies' reach. This puts new, uneducated fish that haven't seen many baits since last fall up on structure. This is great news to anyone who wants to cast. Big Detroit Lake has a good casting bite on...
A big part of my job is encouraging folks to participate in outdoor recreation, particularly hunting. Whether that's hunting for the first time, continuing the enjoyment of time spent afield, or diving back into a hobby left forgotten, my job is rewarding in so many ways. Something I enjoy the heck out of is watching someone hunt for the first time. When watching a beginner it's clear to see the muscle memory flaunted by a hunting veteran has not yet been earned. However, the excitement to be...
Outdoor notes: *N.D. Dept. of Environmental Quality blue-green algae advisories for Jamestown Reservoir and Antelope, Buffalo, and Coal Mine lakes. *Do not release any fish caught from water 25 feet and deeper because their swim bladder likely won’t allow them to survive when coming up from deep water. *Watchable Wildlife photo contest underway with Oct. 1 deadline. Contact N.D. Game and Fish Dept. conservation biologist, Patrick Isakson, [email protected]) for details. *Check local fire r...
It was 20 years ago this summer that I took a job in between college and law school as a part-time reporter for my hometown newspaper, the Valley City Times-Record. In fact, it's a publication for which I still proudly write today, and I am happy and sometimes amazed that they've kept me on this long and through so many moves. Between reporting on developing technology in the community, looking over the police blotter, and covering the occasional Legion baseball game that summer, I was also...
We have had some changes in weather here in North Dakota and a cold front that also brought in much needed moisture. So, what did this do to the fishing this week? Except for a few slower moments, walleye angling has remained good to excellent! Lake Sakakawea remains strong with lots of fish in the 16 to 19-inch range being caught. These fish in my mind are the perfect fish: fun to catch and even better to eat. I tend to try and steer my clients into releasing those prime reproducers in that 20...
It was a long trip to Lake Hartwell near Anderson, S.C. for brothers Brandon and Logan Bullinger of Century High School in Bismarck, N.D., but the time and effort put in competitively fishing bass in the Student Angler Federation's High School Fishing league (highschoolfishing.org) and a North Dakota state title earned them a berth in the event held from June 30 to July 3 on the 56,000 acre impoundment. While Brandon, a graduating senior, and Logan, just completing his sophomore year, came up on...
The rising sun heated the morning air like a fuse on the fireworks launched the night before, and as it came up over the slightly rippled waters of the northern lake on Independence Day, the fishing exploded in the same fashion. Along the inside turns of the reed beds, under the mats of lily pads, and off the small rocky points of the water, the smallmouth and largemouth bass took to my tubes with reckless abandon, and by nine o'clock I had brought a dozen or so up to the boat that were 15...
From the end of spring goose and turkey seasons until the mid-August early Canada goose opener, North Dakotans find themselves in a stretch of about three months with no gamebird season open. While some hunters take to shooting activities such as sporting clays or honing their archery skills, there's an option for "shooting" North Dakota's outdoors with anything from an old flip phone or modern smartphone, to a high-grade professional camera. Photographing the outdoors is always in season and...
Outdoor notes: *July 14: Leftover deer gun license application deadline. Go to the N.D. Game and Fish Dept. website, (gf.nd.gov) for details and application. *N.D. Dept. of Environmental Quality blue-green algae advisories for Jamestown Reservoir and Antelope, Buffalo, and Coal Mine lakes. *Do not release any fish caught from water 25 feet and deeper, because their swim bladder likely won’t allow them to survive when coming up from deep water. *Watchable Wildlife photo contest underway with O...
The fishing right now is just as hot as the temperatures! Some things have changed a little, and some things have stayed the same. Lake Sakakawea is unreal right now! Tons of fish are being caught in that 15 to 18-inch range, and some really nice sized fish are mixed in. I am still seeing fish being caught up shallow, with the right conditions, but overall, I'd say the average depth of most fish getting caught is in 10 to 22 feet. For my boat, it has been bottom bouncers and a plain hook, with...
The first thing I look at when inspecting a young angler's reel is the type of line coming off of the spool. Over the holiday, I had the opportunity to connect with my wife's cousin's kids and introduce them to my style of bass fishing. While we had angled together a number of times in the past, it was never specifically for bass and would allow me the chance to explain the finer points to a 13- and 9-year old who were getting the feel for various niches of fishing. In looking over their reels,...
There are many options when it comes to catching crappies, most involving a small minnow. Whether under a slip float or on a jig, live bait is king when summer slabs are feeding, but on some lakes, baitfish are prohibited, and in many cases, light tackle anglers enjoy the challenge of fishing crappies without it. With today's selection of plastics, however, not having live bait or not being able to use it provides a chance to explore various plastic bodies from classic options to newer models...
I can’t help it. My mindset has already shifted toward hunting, despite only being one week removed from the summer solstice, the July 4 holiday not here yet, and there being nearly three full months of the summer season remaining. It happens every year about this time. I know it shouldn’t, but it does, and like the dinner bell for Pavlov’s dog, the signs that trigger thoughts of fall are everywhere. The first batch of pheasant chicks skitter with all the haste their tiny legs, below their...
