Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Sorted by date Results 626 - 650 of 1018
As the leaves turn their yellow, gold, red and brown, another change in color signals the shift toward fall. In the morning, along any given gravel road, should the conditions be just right and a recently- harvested field be available in pheasant country, it's easy to see the transition in the bird population as the newest crop of roosters begins to ditch the buff hues shared with their young-of-the-year sisters, and instead don the bronzes, golds, reds and maroons of adulthood. It is a sign,...
Hunters often keep their eyes and ears open this time of year for reports on the fall flight forecast of ducks from North Dakota (up 9% from 2019) and late summer pheasant brood counts (better than last year). Lost in this glimpse of what the 2020 fall hunting seasons might hold is a staggering number that is so closely tied to North Dakota's prairie landscape that harbors, at times, an untold number of waterfowl and upland game birds. According to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, the We...
Outdoor notes: *Sept. 22: Eastern early Canada goose season closes. *Sept. 26: Woodcock season opens. *Sept. 26: Regular resident waterfowl season opens. *N.D. Dept. of Environmental Quality issued blue-green algae advisories for Coal Mine, Wood, Dry, South Golden, Stump, and Buffalo lakes, and Devils Lake with warnings for Antelope Lake. Tournaments: *Sept. 26: Devils Lake, Spirit Lake Casino; Lake Sakakawea, Fort Stevenson State Park. *Sept. 27: Lake Audubon, cabin site. Fishing: *Devils Lake...
The eastern bank of clouds meant that my friends on the far side of the state likely would not see much hunting action as my dog and I traversed the gravel roads south and west of town away from the shadow of the frontal boundary. The sun slowly climbed over the gray bank and dawn was delayed by the extended horizon, but we would be spared the downpours that cancelled their grouse openers. Here and there on the blacktop and dirt, stretches of dampness marked those places where light rains had...
North Dakota’s roadside surveys conducted in late July and August indicate pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse and gray partridge numbers are up from last year. State Game and Fish Department upland game biologist RJ Gross said results of the annual upland late summer counts brought some good news. “We had good residual cover to start the year, and good weather for nesting and brood-rearing,” he said. “There were some areas that experienced abnormally dry periods throughout the summer, but nesting appeared to be successful.” Total pheasants...
Reports throughout southwestern North Dakota of dead and dying whitetail deer discovered on the landscape - but particularly related to drainages and low water areas - are likely the result of an increase in a viral infection particular to the animals. Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) is a virus carried by biting midges, which at this time in the season are predominantly found around sloughs, stock ponds and other damp areas. EHD causes dehydration and a fever, which may result in sick deer...
Ethics refers to the study of how to determine the right or moral way to act when faced with everyday human predicaments. Hunting ethics are a set of moral standards that help us, as hunters, to make the right choice when we out on a hunt. I usually explain it as doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. Not everyone agrees on what doing the right thing means exactly, but for most situations adhering to the following set of general ethical hunting guidelines helps ensure that you are...
While there’s plenty of chatter about bowhunting, chasing upland game and planning for waterfowl and pheasant openers, there’s a few topics that don’t specifically pertain to any specific hunting season or activity. For instance. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Private Land Open To Sportsmen Guide for 2020 is available online at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. In addition, the free printed PLOTS Guide, which is not available to mail, can be found at most license vendors and oth...
Outdoor notes: *Watch wetlands and lakes for blue-green algae when hunting this fall and keep dogs out of any discolored and tainted water. *Sept. 15: Western early Canada goose season closes. *Sept. 19: Sandhill crane season opens. *Sept. 19 - 20: Youth, veteran/military waterfowl season. *Sept. 22: Eastern early Canada goose season closes. *Sept. 26: Woodcock season opens. *Sept. 26: Regular resident waterfowl season opens. *N.D. Dept. of Environmental Quality issued blue-green algae...
Hunters can help in the effort to manage upland game birds in North Dakota by collecting feathers from harvested birds and sending in wing envelopes. Birds included in the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s upland game wing survey, which has been in practice for decades, are ring-necked pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse, Hungarian partridge, turkeys and ruffed grouse. Collecting enough pheasant samples is typically never a problem, but securing enough sharptail and partridge feathers can be. Game and Fish biologists will take as many sharptai...
The day after I tagged my deer last season was warm, but windy, and there was no snow on the ground. It was more like a September scene than one from November. With temperatures in the mid-50s and gusty breezes at 25 miles per hour, I watched the hillside grasses bend as the northwest gales curled around the sunny side of the hill my lab Ole and I walked on during our final day of vacation which was set aside for big game, but now took on a new purpose after a punched tag. Not a hundred yards...
With the completion of summer roadside surveys by the North Dakota Game & Fish Department, there's plenty of good news for much of the state when it comes to upland game bird populations, with notable rebounds of pheasants in the western half of the state driving an overall increase in their numbers. With a mild winter and better habitat carrying over from last autumn, when wet conditions helped spring stands of nesting and rearing grass get established quickly, pheasants reaped the benefits....
Few events in the outdoors are more startling than a flushing covey of Hungarian partridge or sharptailed grouse. With the opener within reach and early season birds prone to group rises, finding yourself in a situation where a flock of birds rushes skyward can leave even the best wingshooter surprised and send errant shots into what seems like a ball of easy targets where at least one should drop. Avoiding the dreaded flock shot and focusing in on one or two birds can help convert those...
Outdoor notes: *Sept. 7: Missouri River early Canada goose season closes. *Sept. 12: Grouse, partridges, tree squirrel, and snipe seasons open. *Sept. 15: Western early Canada Goose season closes. *Sept. 19: Sandhill crane season opens. *Sept. 19 - 20: Youth, veteran/military waterfowl season. *N.D. Dept. of Environmental Quality issued blue-green algae advisories for Coal Mine, Buffalo, and Wood lakes and Devils Lake with warnings for Stump, Antelope and South Golden lakes. *Do not release any...
As hunting seasons and other fall outdoor activities get underway, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department reminds hunters, anglers and other enthusiasts to be aware of the daily fire danger index. Recent high daytime temperatures, combined with typical dry, late-summer ground conditions, has caused an elevated fire danger index in some counties that will influence outdoor activities. Hunters are urged to keep up with the daily rural fire danger index, issued by the National Weather Service, to alert the public to conditions that may be...
North Dakota’s hunting seasons for grouse and partridge will open Saturday, Sept. 12. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Sharptails, ruffed grouse and Hungarian partridge each have a daily limit of three and a possession limit of 12. All hunters, regardless of age, must have a general game and habitat license. In addition, hunters age 16 and older need a small game license. Hunters are urged to keep up with the daily rural fire danger index, issued by the National Weather Service, to alert the public to conditions that m...
Big game hunters are reminded of requirements for transporting deer, elk and moose carcasses and carcass parts into and within North Dakota, as a precaution against the possible spread of chronic wasting disease. Hunters are prohibited from transporting into or within North Dakota the whole carcass of deer, elk, moose or other members of the cervid family from states and provinces with documented occurrences of CWD in wild populations, or in captive cervids. In addition, hunters harvesting a white-tailed deer or mule deer from deer hunting...
As a youngster, I was fond of “Choose Your Own Adventure” books. More often than not, I’d cheat and just read each page and then figure my way back through the story to slay the dragon, escape from the alien prison camp, or ultimately get the best result possible in its pages. Similarly, when visiting a restaurant now as an adult, I also enjoy making my way through those special menus that often include mixing-and-matching an appetizer, main course, side items and dessert all for one ridic...
With ruffed grouse numbers still near their cyclical high this fall, opportunities to chase the thundering wing beats of this popular game bird abound from the aspen stands of northeastern Minnesota to the forests of the Rainy River drainage, to the Turtle Mountains and Pembina Gorge areas of northern North Dakota. If you're just starting out after ruffies or are looking to get back on the trail after autumns spent chasing other upland birds, what follows are some tips that will help you in your...
Covid-19 changed the complexion of my summer and that of many other folks, but what it failed to affect, save for the occasional cancelation of a fishing derby or walleye tournament I may have participated in or covered, was the summer angling efforts across the map. In fact, many state agencies around the country are reporting a solid spike in angling license sales in 2020 due to the current situation. Outside of those few social aspects that a weekend fishing event brings to the pastime, most...
I’ve never been fond of heights. Despite being marketed (and statistically confirmed) as the safest way to travel, airplanes have always made me uneasy. Even the top of the Ferris wheel in the Fargo Scheels makes my stomach drop a little bit when my son and I reach the apex on the slow-moving trip to the second story. With lightning striking and rendering a trusted deer stand inoperable, what with its melted bolts and connection points, charred footpad from the point of impact and twisted l...
Dove hunting season is truly the initial sign of fall. Federally set to start on the first of September this year, as it has most every year in the past, the chance to take mourning doves begins in an autumn month and kicks off as the calendar page turns. Well ahead of most other upland game species, with grouse opening about two weeks down the road and pheasant hunting still six weeks away, doves provide uplanders with opportunities to get out in the field and shake the rust off in pursuit of...
South Dakota and North Dakota have some of the nation’s earliest-opening archery deer seasons. With the Rushmore State’s bow opener on Sept. 1 and the Peace Garden State’s season kicking off at noon on Sept. 4, hunters across the northern great plains have the very unique opportunity of harvesting a whitetail or mule deer buck in velvet, while most other states open their archery opportunities a week or so after most of the material has been shed by autumn deer. While a number of factors have...
Outdoor notes: *Sept. 1: Dove season opens. *Sept. 2: Fall turkey applications due. *Sept. 4: Mountain lion and archery deer seasons open. *Sept. 7: Missouri River early Canada goose season closes. *N.D. Dept. of Environmental Quality blue-green algae warning for Stump, South Golden, and Antelope lakes and advisories for Buffalo and Coal Mine Lake. *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 d...
I grew up listening to Casey Kasem’s Weekly Top 40 music countdown. It was a different era where musical success wasn’t measured by downloads and clicks. Even to this day I can’t say I really understood how his Top 40 was compiled, but I was hip to the long-distance dedications. Listeners (maybe thousands?) would write the show and Kasem would read one on-air and the dedication was granted. How he picked the song and when to play it was seemingly sort of science-based on geography and popularity...
