Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
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The Gotcha is another simple shrimp imitator for saltwater species that has become a secret weapon for slab crappies up north. With its shimmering krystal flash tail, gummy ribbing and flowy wing of fur and flash, the Gotcha can claim a top spot in any panfish box when spring arrives and to be without a selection of them from sizes six to two is to be without a compact, flashy offering that drives specks wild. Craft a few dozen up in the off season to be ready when the spawn hits in just a...
I’ve often wondered if people would be more concerned if the increasing reports of Chronic Wasting Disease in North Dakota made the jump from a limited population of mule and whitetail deer into more uncommon species like the resident moose and elk in the state, as has occurred in Montana. It seems likely that more anglers would take notice if sedimentation, or worse, toxic chemicals from a trickle upstream ended up affecting the fishing on their favorite flow or at its end in the Gulf of M...
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. *Feb. 6: Fargo Ducks Unlimited banquet, Speedway Event Center, West Fargo, 5:30 p.m. Tournaments: *Feb. 2: Larimore Dam. *Feb. 8: Lake Ashtabula; Frettim; Lake, Lake Sakakawea, Pick City. Fishing: *Devils Lake elevation, Jan. 21: 1,449.02 feet above mean sea level (MSL). *Stump Lake elevation: 1,448.91 MSL. *Lake Sakakawea elevation:...
January in the upper Midwest is the sportsman's most challenging month. Major hunting seasons have ended, the flash of fins from early ice begins to slow down as the winter doldrums set in, and typically the temperatures are the lowest of the year and the conditions are the most challenging. Add in a foot or two of snow and mobility on the landscape or the lake can even become a deterrent to getting out there and enjoying winter hunting and fishing opportunities. While the days may seem to drag...
Now is the time to start thinking about hunter education, not next fall. If you’re planning to hunt out of state, check if you may need certification. If you have a child, friend or relative who will need a hunter education certificate in order to purchase a North Dakota hunting license in 2020, now is the time to make sure that gets taken care off. In North Dakota, hunter education classes are taught by several hundred volunteer instructors, a great group always looking for new members (yes, t...
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. Tournaments: *Jan. 25 - 26: Devils Lake, 6-Mile Bay. Fishing: *Devils Lake elevation, Jan. 13: 1,448.94 feet above mean sea level (MSL). *Stump Lake elevation: 1,448.84 MSL. *Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,839.02 MSL; 24,800 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases. *N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: No rep...
Give or take, it’s about 250 days until upland seasons open again. It’s really 253, but at this stage in the beginning of the long wait until that semi-warm, dew-covered morning in mid-September brings the first chuckling grouse flushing from some CRP along an alfalfa field, rounding down is the best thing to do for my psyche. The false hope and excitement generated in my lab by the toting of a cased shotgun into the house and down to the basement mirrors my own that these days will pass qui...
Winter Anglers Reminded to Clean Up Ice The North Dakota Game and Fish Department reminds winter anglers to clean up the ice after fishing. This not only applies to trash, but fish as well. It is not only unsightly, but it is illegal to leave fish, including minnows used for bait, behind on the ice. According to state fishing regulations, when a fish is caught, anglers must either immediately release the fish back into the water unharmed, or reduce them to their daily possession. It is common practice for some anglers to fillet fish on the...
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. Fishing: *Devils Lake elevation, Jan. 7: 1,448.95 feet above mean sea level (MSL). *Stump Lake elevation: 1,448.88 MSL. *Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,839.08 MSL; 22,600 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases. *N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: Devils Lake somewhat slow with a few perch taken deep....
On the slope to the farmstead and the western horizon, the reason for the lack of flushing pheasants became clear. A golden wall stood at the end of the snow-filled drain where the mostly frozen creek flowed down to the small impoundment where my lab Ole and I started our final walk of the hunting season. Between clumps of grass and the occasional field rock revealed by the recent mild weather, three-toed tracks darted in and out of the snow covering the iced-over trickle. Some prints were...
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. *Use caution with dogs when hunting around frozen wetlands for cuts from ice, breaking through, etc. *Jan. 5: Archery deer, pheasant, turkey, sharp-tailed grouse, ruffed grouse and partridge seasons close. Fishing: *Devils Lake elevation, Dec. 23: 1,448.88 feet above mean sea level (MSL). *Stump Lake elevation: 1,448.8 MSL. *Lake...
Individuals interested in taking a hunter education class in 2020 are reminded to register early, as most classes are held the first few months of the calendar year. Interested students must click on the education link at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. Classes are listed by city and can also be sorted by start date. Classes will be added throughout the year as they become finalized. To register for a class, click on “enroll” next to the specific class, and follow the simple instructions. Personal information is...
The calendar features outstanding color photographs of North Dakota wildlife and scenery, and includes season opening and application deadline dates, sunrise-sunset times and moon phases. Calendars are available on the Game and Fish website and via mail order. Send $3 for each, plus $1 postage, to: Calendar, North Dakota Game & Fish Department, 100 N. Bismarck Expressway, Bismarck, ND 5850. The calendar is the North Dakota OUTDOORS magazine’s December issue, so current subscribers should have a...
North Dakota Game and Fish Department fisheries personnel recently added waters to the list of available contour maps on the Game and Fish website. Jerry Weigel, fisheries production and development section leader, said maps of existing waters have been reprocessed to improve detail and quality. “We have access to more tools and options to create a better map then we did back in the early 2000s when most contour mapping occurred,” Weigel said. Contour maps recently added or improved are: Fox Lake, Barnes County; Bowman-Haley Dam, Bowman Count...
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. *Use caution with dogs when hunting around frozen wetlands for cuts from ice, breaking through, etc. *Jan. 5: Archery deer, pheasant, turkey, sharp-tailed grouse, ruffed grouse and partridge seasons close. Fishing: *Devils Lake elevation, Dec. 23: 1,448.88 feet above mean sea level (MSL). *Stump Lake elevation: 1,448.8 MSL. *Lake...
To help North Dakota hunters prepare for hunting seasons in 2020, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department annually provides its best estimate for opening dates for the coming year. Dates become official when approved by governor’s proclamation. Tentative opening dates for 2020 include: • Spring Turkey: April 11 • Dove: Sept. 1 • Bow Deer, Pronghorn: Sept. 4 • Mountain Lion: Sept. 4 • Sharptail, Hun, Ruffed Grouse, Squirrel: Sept. 12 • Youth Deer: Sept. 18 • Youth Waterfowl: Sept. 19 • Early Resident Waterfowl: Sept. 26 • Pronghorn Gun: Oc...
The rooster rose from the drain’s snow-filled cattails near my feet and curled out in front of me, banking against the northwest gusts that spurred the addition of new layers which my scattergun snagged on as I attempted to raise it to my shoulder. The slick thumb pad of my second pair of gloves slid across the safety and up the stock as I struggled to get the shotgun in place between my chest and shoulder. I pushed again on the safety and it coldly clanked into the firing position as I found a...
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. *Use caution with dogs when hunting around frozen wetlands for cuts from ice, breaking through, etc. *Dec. 27: Missouri River Canada goose zone closes. *Dec. 28: Devils Lake Christmas Bird Count. Meet at Cedar Inn Restaurant, 7:30 a.m. *Dec. 29: High Plains duck, merganser, and coot season closes. *Dec. 29: Light goose and tundra swan...
Free Ice Fishing Weekend North Dakota’s free ice fishing weekend is Dec. 28-29. Resident anglers may fish or spear that weekend without a license. All other ice fishing regulations apply. Those interested in darkhouse spearfishing, however, must register with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department prior to participating. Registration is available by visiting the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. Legal fish are northern pike and nongame species. Mountain Lion Late Season Closes in Zone 1, Conditional Season to Open Mountain lion hunting durin...
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. *Use caution with dogs when hunting around frozen wetlands for cuts from ice, breaking through, etc. *Dec. 15: Muzzleloader deer season closes. *Dec. 16: Eastern Canada goose zone closes. *Dec. 17: Jamestown Christmas Bird Count. *Dec. 20: Valley City Christmas Bird Count. *Dec. 21: Western Canada goose zone closes. Fishing: *Devils...
Introducing Dakota Edge Outdoors You asked, and we listened! In a recent survey, readers indicated that they would like to see more Outdoors content in our newspaper. Introducing Nick Simonson of Dakota Edge Outdoors. Simonson is an avid multi-species angler, hunter and outdoors journalist who has been writing about his experiences and developments in the outdoors for over 19 years. A native of Valley City, N.D., after a decade in Minnesota, he now resides in Bismarck with his wife Angie and son...
Lake Metigoshe State Park is hosting the Winter Wild Outdoor Women (WOW) Event Feb. 21-23, 2020. This event is for women over the age of 16 who are looking to learn or refine skills associated with a variety of North Dakota’s outdoor recreational activities. WOW provides opportunities for participants interested in outdoor recreation to gather with other enthusiasts, try new activities and equipment, acquire basic skills, and gain the confidence to enjoy the outdoors safely. Registration opens Dec. 11, 2019, at noon via www.ticketleap.com a...
North Dakota anglers are encouraged to refer to the 2018-20 North Dakota Fishing Guide or the state Game and Fish Department’s website for winter fishing regulations. In addition, anglers can visit the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov, for an extensive list of fishing questions and answers. Some winter fishing regulations include: A maximum of four poles is legal for ice fishing. Tip-ups are legal, and each tip-up is considered a single pole. Mechanical devices that set the hook are legal; however, the use of any device that automatically r...
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department and North Dakota Department of Agriculture are once again opening the Coyote Catalog, a statewide effort designed to connect coyote hunters and trappers with landowners who are dealing with coyotes in their areas. Last winter, more than 20 landowners participated in the Coyote Catalog, along with 400 hunters and trappers. Landowners can sign up on the Department of Agriculture website at https://www.nd.gov/ndda/livestock-development-division/coyote-catalog. County and contact information is required....
Lights are as much a part of the holiday season as “A Christmas Carol,” reindeer games, family meals, presents and Santa Claus. We wrap our houses and trees with them and on Christmas Eve, Santa even zeroes in on those lights to leave gifts. It’s a tradition with origins deeper than gift-giving and it involves cheering up long, dark winters in Scandinavia, to which many North Dakotans trace their heritage. Some cities there have extensive lighting that lasts months. These traditions continue throughout North Dakota at places such as Chmielewski...
