ND GNF Weekly Newsletter 15-Mar-06

[marine_man]

- Anglers Take Note of 2006-08 Fishing Regulations

- New Fishing Furbearer Licenses Needed April 1

- Canada Goose Depredation Assistance Available to Landowners

- Nonresident Any-Deer Bow Licenses Still Available

- Game and Fish Advisory Board Meetings Announced

Anglers Take Note of 2006-08 Fishing Regulations

North Dakota’s 2006-08 fishing proclamation has been set with new regulations effective April 1.

Notable changes for the next two years include:

Statewide daily and possession limits on yellow perch, bluegill, crappie, white bass and rock bass have been reduced to 20 and 80.

Kraft Slough (Sargent County) will be open to ice fishing only and will have a reduced daily limit of 10 and possession limit of 20 on yellow perch.

Pipestem Dam (Stutsman County) will have a reduced daily limit of 10 and possession limit of 20 on crappie.

Odland Dam (Golden Valley County) will have a reduced daily limit of 10 and possession limit of 20 on yellow perch and bluegill.

Lake Irvine (Ramsey County), Island Lake (Rolette County), Sibley Lake (Griggs County), South Eckelson (Barnes County), Stump Lake (Nelson County) and Sunday Lake (Stutsman County) have been added to the list of lakes open to darkhouse spearfishing.

Opening day to darkhouse spearfish at Spiritwood Lake (Stutsman County) has been moved back to Jan. 1.

Possession of foul-hooked fish is now illegal.

Nygren Dam (Morton County) and Velva Sportsmen’s Pond (Ward County) are removed from the list of lakes closed to winter fishing.

Moon Lake (Barnes County), McDowell Dam (Burleigh County) and Nygren Dam (Morton County) are removed from the list of catch-and-release only lakes.

Brewer Lake (Cass County), Buffalo Gap (Golden Valley County) and Clausen Springs (Barnes County) are removed from no-live-baitfish lakes.

The nonresident seven-day fishing license has been replaced by a 10-day $25 license.

New Fishing, Furbearer Licenses Needed April 1

Hunters, trappers and anglers are reminded that new fishing and furbearer licenses are required April 1, according to Carrie Whitney, licensing supervisor for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

The dates for the furbearer license coincide with fishing season. The 2006-07 licenses are effective April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007.

Anglers are also reminded this is the first year of a new two-year fishing proclamation. Refer to the 2006-08 North Dakota Fishing Guide for regulations.

Canada Goose Depredation Assistance Available to Landowners

A cooperative program involving the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will once again provide North Dakota agricultural producers with the necessary tools to tackle chronic crop depredation caused by Canada geese, according to Greg Link, assistant wildlife chief for the state Game and Fish Department.

The program has been in place each spring and summer since 2002, and provides landowners with equipment and technical assistance to ward off depredating Canada geese. Past efforts have shown Canada goose depredation control is most effective when a combination of techniques are used in concert: hunting seasons (extended Canada goose seasons and liberal bag limits), egg addling (destroying nests) and non-lethal treatment methods (propane cannons, pyrotechnics and electric fencing).

“As part of the program, special depredation permits can be issued on a last-resort basis,” Link said. “However, federal authorization requires that all treatment methods be exhausted before a permit is issued. This is the public’s wildlife resource, and this removal method has to be used with much discretion.”

Landowners experiencing crop depredation caused by Canada geese must first contact Wildlife Services so it can assess and address the situation. Wildlife Services personnel will make an on-site visit, provide consultation, and make a written recommendation.

Landowners who were issued special permits last year will receive a special permit application packet by the end of March. The special depredation permit, which is valid from April through July, allows each eligible landowner to kill up to 30 geese and destroy 15 nests.

North Dakota’s authorization from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service allows for the taking of no more than 6,000 geese and 1,000 nests, including all the eggs.

This is the fifth year special permits are available to North Dakota landowners. In 2005, 86 landowners used the special permit, taking 947 Canada geese (579 adults and 386 goslings) and destroying 141 nests under provisions provided by the permit. Canada geese were taken in 28 counties in eastern and northwestern North Dakota.

Landowners wanting more information about Canada goose depredation assistance can contact the Game and Fish Department at 328-6300.

Nonresident Any-Deer Bow Licenses Still Available

Approximately 250 any-deer bow licenses are still available to nonresidents in 2006, according to Carrie Whitney, licensing supervisor for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

The Game and Fish Department began issuing nonresident any-deer bow licenses March 1, and slightly more than 900 of the allotted 1,155 licenses for 2006 have been purchased.

Remaining licenses are issued on a first come, first served basis. Nonresidents can print out an application for mailing at the Game and Fish Department HSOforum, gf.nd.gov, or call 701-328-6300 to request an application. Only one license is allowed per hunter.

The number of nonresident any-deer bow licenses available is 15 percent of the previous year’s mule deer gun license allocation. The department issued 7,700 mule deer licenses in the 2005 deer gun lottery.

Game and Fish Advisory Board Meetings Announced

Anglers, hunters, trappers and landowners are invited to attend this spring’s North Dakota Game and Fish Department advisory board meeting in their area. These public meetings, held twice each year, provide citizens with an opportunity to discuss wildlife issues and ask questions of their district advisors and Game and Fish Department personnel.

There are eight Game and Fish Department advisors, each representing a multi-county section of the state. The governor appoints them to four-year terms to serve as a liaison between the department and public.

Any person who requires an auxiliary aid or service must notify the contact person at least five days prior to the scheduled meeting date.

District 5 – Counties: Cass, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele and Traill

Date: April 3 – 7 p.m.

Host: Cass County Wildlife Club

Location: Community Center, Casselton

Advisory board member and contact: Loran Palmer, West Fargo, 282-8479

District 4 – Counties: Grand Forks, Nelson, Pembina and Walsh

Date: April 4 – 7 p.m.

Host: Pembina County Sportsman Club

Location: Pioneer Heritage Center, Icelandic State Park

Contact: Henry Duray, 265-8196

Advisory board member: Ronald Houdek, Tolna, 262-4724

District 6 – Counties: Barnes, Dickey, Foster, Griggs, Logan, LaMoure, McIntosh, Stutsman and Wells

Date: April 5 – 7 p.m.

Host: Dakota Anglers

Location: Knights of Columbus Hall, Jamestown

Contact: Dave Chadduck, 952-6546

Advisory board member: Rita Greer, Marion, 669-2315

District 2 – Counties: Bottineau, Burke, McHenry, Mountrail, Pierce, Renville and Ward

Date: April 10 – 7 p.m.

Host: To be announced

Location: Kenmare

Contact: Arlen Gartner, 385-4488

Advisory board member: Richard Anderson, Willow City, 366-4625

District 1 – Counties: Divide, McKenzie and Williams

Date: April 11 – 7 p.m. MT

Host: Grassy Butte Volunteer Firemen

Location: Community Hall, Grassy Butte

Contact: Charles McNaney, 863-6793

Advisory board member: Merle Jost, Grassy Butte, 863-6727

District 8 – Counties: Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Hettinger, Slope and Stark

Date: April 12 – 7 p.m.

Host: Bowman-Haley Anglers

Location: City Hall, Bowman

Contact: Greg Steiner, 275-8882

Advisory board member: Wayne Gerbig, Amidon, 879-6353

District 3 – Counties: Benson, Cavalier, Eddy, Ramsey, Rolette and Towner

Date: April 17 – 7 p.m.

Host: Leeds/York Wildlife Club

Location: Leeds High School, Leeds

Contact: Rick Darling, 466-2436

Advisory board member: Tracy Gardner, Devils Lake, 662-5639

District 7 – Counties: Burleigh, Emmons, Grant, Kidder, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan and Sioux

Date: April 18 – 7 p.m.

Host: To be announced

Location: To be announced

Contact: To be announced

Advisory board member: Frank Kartch, Bismarck, 222-4544