What makes darkhouse spearfishing stand out from other types of fishing — especially in the winter? Is it more challenging? Absolutely. Does it bring a unique kind of success and satisfaction? No doubt about it. Fishing in winter already comes with its own set of challenges. Unlike summer, where your biggest travel issue might be […]
Late-Season Hunting: An Underrated Opportunity When most hunters think about prime time for pheasants, grouse or whitetails in North Dakota, early November usually comes to mind. Those crisp mornings, full stands of cover, and fields humming with activity. But there’s a quiet opening near the season’s back end – late November into early December – […]
No deer is worth risking your life or someone else’s. Each year, firearm incidents can be prevented by following a few essential safety rules. First and foremost, always treat every firearm as if it’s loaded. Never point a gun at anything you do not intend to shoot. Muzzle control is one of the most basic […]
North Dakota’s first 2025 deer season opened on Aug. 29 at noon and runs through Jan. 4, 2026. For many hunters, the “real deer season” is the gun/rifle season, which runs from Nov. 7 to Nov. 23. This year, 42,300 licenses were available to hunters, down 7,800 from last year. In addition, muzzleloader licenses decreased […]
Read More… from Fewer Licenses, New Questions: A Guide to North Dakota’s 2025 Deer Season
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably found yourself standing over a tailgate in November with cold fingers, a pocketknife that could use sharpening, and a few regrets. Whether it’s a whitetail buck from the Sheyenne River breaks, a Badlands muley, or prairie fawn, how we handle wild game after the shot matters just as […]
Read More… from After Hunting Success, How to Care for Wild Game
Across North Dakota and elsewhere, there are kids fishing, Take a Kid Hunting, and volunteer organizations to help keep the spirit of hunting and fishing alive. From 2011–16, we lost 2.2 million hunters nationwide amidst population increases. But don’t put on blinders and stick your head in the sand. Recruiting new hunters and anglers, retaining […]
Even if you’ve never been a hunter, you’re likely familiar with the term poaching. Poaching is theft, plain and simple. It’s the illegal taking or killing of fish and wildlife. It’s stealing from legal hunters and trampling on the public trust. It might be shooting before legal hours, fishing without a license, or shooting an […]
I’m reminded that some of the most memorable duck hunts often involve more than just decoys and camouflage. They include early mornings pushing off from shore, a dog pacing at the bow, and the quiet thrill of hunting from a boat. Hunting waterfowl from a boat is a time-honored tradition in our part of the […]
There’s been plenty of discussion in coffee shops, gas stations, online and more about the changes to this fall’s nonresident waterfowl regulations. Here’s key points addressed by Bill Haase, Game and Fish Department wildlife division chief, and John Palarski, department waterfowl biologist: 1. Statewide Nonresident Waterfowl License Removed The statewide nonresident waterfowl license has been […]
Read More… from Explaining 2025 Waterfowl Hunting Regulations
In my job, I try to consume as much outdoors media as possible. You’ve got your favorites and so do I. I’ll acknowledge my bias with North Dakota OUTDOORS, the Game and Fish Department’s official magazine. Many wrongly assume there’s some dark web communication within the Game and Fish Department. Like most business, agencies and […]
Many hunters and anglers understand the work of the Game and Fish Department—from game wardens checking hunting and fishing licenses and keeping everyone outdoors safe, to fisheries biologists stocking and surveying lakes, to wildlife biologists and land managers maintaining and enhancing habitat, assessing wildlife populations, and setting seasons. One often overlooked area in North Dakota’s […]
Read More… from Reviewing the 202 Legislative Session Impacts on North Dakota Outdoors
You don’t have to be a biologist or range scientist to see how the land use of grasslands of North Dakota has changed. Ashlyn Herron, a University of North Dakota master’s in biology student, is using technology to determine if high-quality grassland habitat restoration through the Meadowlark Initiative is successfully occurring. The Meadowlark Initiative is […]
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 […]
Read More… from Boats and Lifejackets are a Good Combination
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 “living […]
Read More… from How the Bighorn Sheep are Doing in North Dakota
I was compelled to jot down some interesting numbers that pertain to North Dakota’s outdoors as Jeb Williams, Game and Fish Department director, recently addressed the joint Senate and House Legislative Natural Resource committees. Did you know the Game and Fish Department manages 439 fishable waters which make up 851,462 acres? For comparison sakes, North […]
Revering walleye, pheasants, or bucks is about as Midwestern as loving summertime baseball, hot dogs and mom. In an honest conversation you’ll hear an underscoring appreciation for pike, meadowlarks and monarchs. Who doesn’t love the fight of a northern, the sound a meadowlark makes perched on a fence post? When a monarch is found in […]
Read More… from The future of the monarch is hanging in the balance