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. Biologists can determine if birds are male or female, age ratios, survival, nesting success, hatch dates and overall production, all of which is vital to helping manage N...

North Dakota's fall turkey application deadline is Sept. 2. Fall turkey hunters, including gratis applicants, can submit an online application through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department's website, gf.nd.gov. Only North Dakota residents are eligible to apply. Nonresidents can apply for remaining fall turkey licen...

By Doug Leier The Report All Poachers call I received when I was a game warden was from an elderly lady who watched a young man intentionally run over a couple of squirrels. Doesn't sound like a big poaching crime but I'll never forget how angry she was. This "poacher" swerved to run over one squirrel, then c...

Minnesota waterfowl seasons are around the corner, and hunters have a wide variety of opportunities to look forward to in 2026, with seasons starting Saturday, Sept. 5. Early teal season runs Saturday, Sept. 5 through Wednesday, Sept. 9, with shooting hours from sunrise to sunset. "Hunters should review the regula...

CO John Slatinski IV (Ray) reports bear hunters continue to prepare for opening day with baiting activities as the excitement of fall begins. Wild rice has provided a promising harvest opportunity this season if you are able to beat the waterfowl to your favorite location. With the help of a Koochiching County deputy, ...

By Doug Leier With fall fast approaching, North Dakota's hunting seasons have already opened. The 2026 season officially kicked off Aug. 15 with the early Canada goose management season. Depending on the hunting zone, the first closure is Sept. 7 in the Missouri River zone, followed by Sept. 15 in the western zone and ...

Firearm and muzzleloader hunters who want to harvest antlerless deer in a deer permit area that is designated as antlerless permit lottery must purchase their license by Thursday, Sept. 10. Hunters who purchase their license (mndnr.gov/buyalicense) by Sept. 10 are automatically entered into the lottery for the DPA they...

Weekly CO report District 1 - Baudette area Last updated: 2026-08-24 CO Nick Bruesewitz (Karlstad) spent the week checking bear baits in the woods. Enforcement action was taken for bait materials that are not readily biodegradable and for abandoned property on a WMA. CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent the week working ...

Through popular annual attractions, exhibits, activities and presentations, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' building and surrounding grounds at the Minnesota State Fair (Aug. 27 to Sept. 7) provide a unique opportunity for fairgoers to experience and learn about nature. "People often tell me that th...

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has scheduled two public auctions for confiscated fishing, hunting and trapping equipment. The auctions, which will be held online Aug. 31 and Sept. 28, include equipment that was confiscated following serious game and fish violations. Following are additional key dates: A ...

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department reminds anglers to review state regulations and safety guidelines to protect fish populations during the late-summer fishing season. Anglers intending to release a fish after catching must do so immediately after unhooking the fish. The only exception to this rule is the minima...

If you've spent any time driving the backroads of North Dakota over the last few decades, you know the sight well - inverted yellow triangles indicating a Private Land Open To Sportsmen tract. What started as a visionary idea to bridge the gap between private landowners and public hunters has grown into a modern-day fo...

Collared bears provide important data to inform management decisions The Minnesota bear hunting season opens Tuesday, Sept. 1, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is asking hunters to avoid shooting marked research bears. These bears have large, colorful ear tags and wear radio collars. Researchers with t...

Weekly CO report District 1 - Baudette area Last updated: 2026-08-17 CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked angles on Lake of the Woods and monitored bear-baiting activity. A complaint was received about early baits being established. Anglers were found in possession of over their limit of walleyes, using too many lines, posse...

North Dakota's deer bow season opens Sept. 4 at noon and continues through Jan. 3, 2027. Nonresident hunters should note that they may only hunt on private land, excluding Private Land Open To Sportsmen, during the first 9 ½ days of the deer bow season. They may begin hunting public land and PLOTS on Sept. 14. B...

The fall turkey season is set with 3,700 licenses available to hunters, 610 fewer than last year. License numbers in 13 of 21 hunting units are recommended to be reduced this fall, the remaining hunting units will have the same number of licenses as in 2025. The special flock reduction bow season will close on Jan. 3, ...

North Dakota law requires all waterfowl hunters, regardless of age, to have a state-issued waterfowl habitat restoration electronic stamp in possession while afield. Waterfowl include ducks, geese, swans, mergansers and coots. In addition, a federal duck stamp is required for waterfowl hunters 16 and older beginning Se...

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department's Private Land Open To Sportsmen maps for 2026 are available online at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. This year features about 925,000 PLOTS acres. Because PLOTS tracts can be added or removed from the program throughout the year, hunters are encouraged to use the Game a...

By Doug Leier On a beautiful morning at the Cass County Soil Conservation District Office south of Mapleton, I watched them all come together. Literally. Richard Fordyce, USDA under secretary, Sen. John Hoeven, Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Jeb Williams, Game and Fish director, and a few dozen others. Some set out at 4 a.m. to...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program recently awarded $2.1 million dollars to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' Walk-In Access Program to increase public access to private lands for wildlife-based recreation. The US...