The next guide and outfitter written examination is Aug. 16 at 1 p.m. at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department office in Bismarck. Preregistration is required no later than Aug. 8 by calling the Department's enforcement office at 701-328-6604. In addition to passing a written exam, qualifications for becoming a gui...

Pierre, S.D.(SDGFP)-Summer is officially here in South Dakota, and boat ramps across the state are filling with boats looking to beat the summer heat. This means as more boats hit the water, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) reminds boaters to always remember to Clean, Drain, and Dry their boats to slow the sprea...

North Dakota's deer gun lottery has been held and more than 2,900 licenses remain. Only resident applicants who were unsuccessful in the lottery can apply for remaining licenses. Successful applicants will have their payment processed, with licenses mailed in early August. More than 70,000 individuals applied for a dee...

District 1 - Baudette area Last updated: 2025-06-24 CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked anglers across Lake of the Woods during the week. Multiple overlimits were encountered, as well as anglers using extra lines and possessing illegal length walleyes. Boats were stopped after sunset without navigation lights and minor boat...

By Doug Leier Summer means folks across North Dakota are flocking to lakes and rivers with fishing poles in hand, coolers packed, and boats in tow. It's a seasonal rhythm as familiar as the flick of a fishing line or the call of a meadowlark across the prairie. But amid all the excitement, there's one item that too oft...

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department's annual aerial pronghorn survey will begin June 28 and is scheduled to be completed within two weeks. During the survey period, small airplanes will sometimes fly low over parts of western North Dakota. The survey determines pronghorn abundance, herd demographics and fawn prod...

Join us for our July Monthly Volunteer Series: Storm Drain Marking in West Fargo! Date: Thursday, July 10 Time: 5:30 - 7:30 pm Volunteers are needed to help us mark storm drains with markers that say, "No Dumping, Drains to River" and hand out door hangers to nearby residents. This outreach and education help...

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department's 78th annual spring breeding duck survey conducted in May showed an index of about 2.66 million birds, down from 2.9 million in 2024 and 3.4 million in 2023. The 2025 breeding duck index was the 33rd highest on record and exceeded the long-term (1948-2024) average by 7%, accor...

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has added eight counties to a deer feeding and attractant ban to reduce the risk of chronic wasting disease spread, after CWD was detected in wild deer in new areas of the state last year. "The feeding and attractant ban is one tool to reduce unnatural congregating of ...

By Doug Leier I'm comfortable considering myself "old." I remember when North Dakota had a closed fishing season, I bought my fishing license at a gas station, with a trout stamp, and signed my name on the side so as not to mark the stamp's beautiful artwork. With that I reference the point of view of Greg Po...

Weekly CO report District 1 - Baudette area Last updated: 2025-06-16 CO Ben Huener (Roseau) took calls of bears visiting dumpsters and generally being too close for comfort. He helped to haze the bears. Anglers were checked on Lake of the Woods and the Roseau River. Area ATV activity was also monitored. Violations of a...

Jeb Williams, Game and Fish Department director, announced the appointment of Casey Anderson to the agency's deputy director position. Anderson has been with the Department for 24 years, seven years as assistant wildlife division chief, and for the last four years he led the wildlife division as chief. He replaces Scot...

License applications now open Hunters have through Thursday, July 3, to apply for one of four elk licenses offered this year by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. "We are reducing opportunities for elk harvest this year to make sure Minnesota's elk populations continue to thrive. The number of permits ...

By Doug Leier Without fail, when I think about bighorn sheep in North Dakota, big game biologist Brett Weidmann pops into my head. For good reason. Brett is the Game and Fish Department's bighorn guru and has forgotten more about bighorn sheep than I'll ever know. Brett is one of those guys I like to say is "livin...

Weekly CO report District 1 - Baudette area Last updated: 2025-06-09 CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked anglers on the Roseau River and Lake of the Woods. Multiple nuisance-bear-related complaints were taken. Enforcement contacts were made for anglers without licenses and anglers using too many lines. Minor ATV violations ...

North Dakota state law requires youth ages 12-15 who want to operate a boat or personal watercraft by themselves with at least a 10-horsepower motor must pass the state's boating basics course. The course is available for home-study by contacting the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Two commercial providers also ...

The deadline for submitting applications for the 2025 deer gun season is June 4. Applicants for regular deer gun, gratis, youth and muzzleloader can apply online through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department's website at gf.nd.gov. Those who didn't apply last year will lose accrued points by not applying or purchas...

2024 Pheasant Season Harvest Highest in Over a Decade Pierre, S.D. - The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) today announced the 2024 pheasant season harvest numbers. Over 1.3 million roosters were harvested across the 2024 season, which is the highest harvest in 13 years. An additional 380,000 pheasants were also ...

By Doug Leier You've heard for years about aquatic nuisance species but what are they? The zebra mussel is likely the most famous. Or infamous. Let's get back to the basics and review some of the most important information on ANS and zebra mussels What Are Aquatic Nuisance Species? Aquatic nuisance species - nonnative ...

At the turn of the 20th century, there were only 300,000 white tail deer in North America, down from an estimated 30 million on the eve of colonization. Decades of hunting, habitat destruction and particularly hunting young deer dropped the population to a dangerously low level. The species' continued survival is only ...