September NDGNF Weekly Newsletter

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Some Landowners Looking for Doe Hunters

North Dakota’s 2007 deer gun season opens Nov. 9 at noon, and the state Game and Fish Department is once again hoping to match landowners who want a good harvest with antlerless-deer hunters looking for a place to hunt.

Game and Fish big game biologist Bill Jensen is currently working with a number of landowners across the state who would like to host hunters who have antlerless whitetail and mule deer licenses only. These landowners are located in hunting units 2C, 2G2, 2I, 2J2, 2K2, 3A3, 3B1, 3C, 3E2, 3F1, 4A, 4B, 4D, 4E and 4F.

Interested hunters can get their name on a list of possible participants by logging on to the Game and Fish Department’s HSOforum at gf.nd.gov and clicking on the appropriate link; or hunters can access the URL directly at http://gf.nd.gov/gnfapps/HunterContact/index.asp. Hunters who do not have Internet access can call the Bismarck Game and Fish office at 701-328-6300.

Hunters will provide their address, hunting unit(s) where they hold valid antlerless licenses, and firearms type. From this list the department will select the number of hunters landowners have agreed to host. These hunters will be sent the landowner’s name, phone number, and any information relating to the landowner’s specific situation.

Not everyone who signs up will end up with a new place to hunt, Jensen said, because not everyone’s schedule will match up with a landowner’s, and more people will likely put their name on the list than there are landowners.

“These landowners have contacted us and asked for help in reducing the deer population in their areas,” Jensen said. “We’re glad to direct some hunters to them, but we don’t want them to be overrun, either. This is the reason we have developed and set up the contact list. This is not intended as a guiding service for buck hunters. The intent of this program is to direct antlerless hunters to specific areas to reduce deer depredation problems in the future.”

Last year, Game and Fish biologists worked with about two dozen landowners, most of whom reported good success in matching up with doe hunters.

2007 Conservation PLOTS Guide Available

More than 1 million acres of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Private Land Open To Sportsmen program are open to hunters this fall and are featured in the 2007 Conservation PLOTS Guide.

PLOTS guides are free, and available at county auditor offices and license vendors in the state; by walk-in at the Game and Fish Department’s Bismarck office; and at district offices in Riverdale, Harvey (Lonetree), Williston, Dickinson, Jamestown and Devils Lake.

Interested hunters can also view the guide, and find a list of vendors where guides are available, through the Game and Fish Department’s HSOforum at gf.nd.gov.

The PLOTS guide contains maps that highlight these walk‑in areas, identified in the field by triangular yellow signs, as well as the rest of the state’s public land. The guide also includes information about PLOTS and other department programs, an upland game bird identification guide and other useful materials.

Game Warden Exam Set for Nov. 1

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has scheduled an examination to select candidates for the position of district game warden. The test is at 10 a.m., Nov. 1, at the department's main office in Bismarck.

Applicants must register to take the exam by submitting a letter of intent to chief game warden Robert Timian, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, 100 N. Bismarck Expressway, Bismarck, ND 58501‑5095. Letters of intent must be submitted before 5 p.m., Oct. 30.

Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and have a bachelor’s degree. Other requirements are a current North Dakota peace officer license, or eligibility for a license, and a valid driver’s license. Candidates must have excellent interpersonal skills in communications and writing, and must not have a record of any felony convictions.

Game wardens enforce game and fish laws and related regulations in an assigned district and other locations as determined by the department. Wardens normally work alone under varied conditions, at all hours of the day, night, and weekends. In addition to law enforcement duties, wardens assist in the areas of public relations, education programs, and hunter and boat safety education.

Game warden duties also require the ability to perform physically demanding tasks involving lifting and carrying large, heavy objects, walking and running over uneven terrain and tolerating adverse weather and other environmental conditions.

Selection procedures include an evaluation of the application, a structured oral interview, background and reference checks, and psychological and medical examinations.

The salary for beginning game wardens through training and probation is $2,400 per month. Upon completion of training and probation, the salary range is $2,992‑4,986 per month. Wardens also receive the state benefits package, including travel allowance. Uniforms and other equipment are provided.

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Sign up for Weekly Webcast Update

News release subscribers now have the option to add another North Dakota Game and Fish Department update by email.

Outdoors Online is a weekly video news broadcast available exclusively on the Game and Fish Department’s HSOforum, gf.nd.gov. The program is hosted and produced by Tom Jensen and Mike Anderson, the department’s national award-winning video team.

An email reminder alerting subscribers of the current week’s video news broadcast will be sent out each Thursday. To subscribe to the free weekly message, access the department HSOforum’s multimedia page.

Each webcast will focus on current news and issues that appeal to people who hunt, fish, trap and enjoy North Dakota’s outdoors. Each week Jensen will host a studio guest, and also keep viewers up-to-date on what they need to know to better enjoy their outdoor activities.

Conditions Right for a Good Waterfowl Season

North Dakota waterfowl hunters should find good hunting opportunities this season. However, hunters are urged to spend time scouting because water conditions typically vary from year-to-year within localized areas.

The 2007 brood index from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual mid-July survey was 72 percent above the long-term average, and the water index observed during the survey was up 49 percent from the long-term average.

Additionally, water conditions and duck production in prairie Canada were good this spring, bringing a higher potential for more young birds to move through the state this fall than in recent years, according to Mike Szymanski, migratory game bird biologist for the Game and Fish Department.

Opening day for North Dakota residents is Sept. 22 for ducks, geese, coots and mergansers. Nonresidents may begin waterfowl hunting in North Dakota Sept. 29.

While the outlook appears good, the best opportunities will most likely be found early. Hunters are reminded that 20-30 percent of the breeding population is attributed to blue-winged teal, which are early migrants. “Based on federal estimates, generally less than 10 percent of the total duck harvest in North Dakota is comprised of blue-winged teal,” Szymanski said. “Hunters who want to hunt blue-winged teal need to do so early in the season, as most have moved out of the state by early October.”

Wetland and weather conditions are important factors that affect duck availability in the fall. Generally speaking, Szymanski mentioned, wetlands in the eastern part of the state are more likely to have water this year, while wetland conditions in the northwest and central parts of the state are poorer and could be more variable.

Variable wetland conditions aren’t necessarily a bad thing, Szymanski explained, because it means they are progressing within their natural cycle. “Shallow basins generally are meant to dry up by late summer,” he said.

Snow goose and Canada goose populations remain high and large numbers will migrate through the state this fall. “However, hunters may encounter fewer juvenile snow geese, making them more difficult to hunt,” Szymanski said.

Conditions in arctic breeding areas were poor this spring and summer, Szymanski said, with many arctic researchers calling it the summer that never came. “Harsh weather conditions can drastically reduce production for arctic nesting geese,” he added. “Nonetheless, hunting opportunities for light geese will be mostly dictated by weather patterns.”

All migratory bird hunters are reminded to register with the Harvest Information Program prior to hunting. Hunters who purchase a license through the Game and Fish Department HSOforum (gf.nd.gov) or instant licensing telephone number (800-406-6409) can easily get HIP certified.

Otherwise, hunters must call 888-634-4798, or access the department’s HSOforum, and record the HIP number on their fishing, hunting and furbearer certificate. Those who registered to hunt the spring light goose season in North Dakota do not have to register with HIP again, as it is required only once per year in each state that is hunted.

Hunters should refer to the 2007 North Dakota Waterfowl Hunting Guide for season regulations including dates, bag limits and nonresident hunting zones.

Proclamation Signed as a Precaution Against Spread of CWD

The 2007 proclamation establishing guidelines for transporting deer, elk and moose carcasses and carcass parts into North Dakota is now in effect as a precaution against the possible spread of chronic wasting disease into the state. To date, CWD has not been diagnosed in North Dakota, but has been found in a growing number of locations across North America in recent years.

Hunters are not allowed to transport into North Dakota the whole carcass, or certain carcass parts, of deer, elk, moose or other members of the cervid family from areas within states and provinces with documented occurrences of CWD in wild populations, or from farmed cervid operations within states and provinces that have had farmed cervids diagnosed with CWD. Only the following portions of the carcass can be transported:

Meat that is cut and wrapped either commercially or privately.

Quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached.

Meat that has been boned out.

Hides with no heads attached.

Clean (no meat or tissue attached) skull plates with antlers attached.

Antlers with no meat or tissue attached.

Upper canine teeth, also known as buglers, whistlers or ivories.

Finished taxidermy heads.

The following game management units, equivalent wildlife management units, or counties have had free-ranging deer or elk diagnosed with CWD, and importation of harvested elk, white-tailed deer, mule deer, moose or other cervids from these areas are restricted.

Alberta – Wildlife management units 150, 151, 234.

Colorado – Game management units 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42, 45, 46, 49, 51, 52, 53, 57, 58, 59, 69, 74, 84, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 141, 142, 146, 147, 161, 171, 181, 191, 211, 214, 231, 301, 371, 391, 411, 421, 441, 461, 521, 581, 591, 691, 741, 861, 951.

· Illinois – Counties of Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, DeKalb, Ogle, LaSalle.

· Kansas – Cheyenne County.

· Nebraska – Upper Platte, Platte, Plains, Sandhills, Buffalo and Pine Ridge units, which include the counties of Cheyenne, Kimball, Sioux, Scotts Bluff, Morrill, Sheridan, Box Butte, Dawes, Banner, Cherry, Hall, Deuel, Grant, Arthur.

· New Mexico – White Sands Missile Base (GMU 19) and GMU 34.

· New York – Any deer taken within the CWD containment areas of Oneida and Madison counties.

· Saskatchewan – Wildlife management zones 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 24, 25, 29, 43, 46, 47, 50, 68 South and Fort a la Corne Wildlife Management Unit.

· South Dakota – Prairie units WRD-21A, WRD-27A, WRD-27B; and Black Hills units BHD-BH1, BHD-BD3, BHD-BD4.

· Utah – 16A, 16B, 16C, 13A, 13B, 8A, 8B, 8C, 9A, 9B, 9C, 9D.

· West Virginia – Any deer taken within the CWD containment zone of Hampshire County.

· Wisconsin – Any deer registered with a Wisconsin DNR Red Registration Tag from the area designated as the Disease Eradication Zone or Herd Reduction Zone including deer management zones 54B-CWD, 70-CWD, 70A-CWD, 70B-CWD, 70C-CWD, 70D-CWD, 70E-CWD, 70G-CWD, 71-CWD, 73B-CWD, 73E-CWD, 75A-CWD, 75B-CWD, 75C-CWD, 75D-CWD, 76-CWD, 76A-CWD, 76M-CWD, 77A-CWD, 77B-CWD, and 77C-CWD.

· Wyoming – Deer hunt areas 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 22, 30, 33, 34, 37, 41, 55, 57, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67,70, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 88, 89, 120, 127, 158, 164 or Elk hunt areas 5, 6, 7, 8, 16, 22, 125.

In addition, the following states and provinces have had farmed deer, elk, moose or other cervids diagnosed with CWD, and importation of farmed deer, elk, moose and other cervid carcasses or their parts are restricted: Alberta, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Additional areas will be added as necessary and listed on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department HSOforum, gf.nd.gov.

Because each state and province has its own set of rules and regulations, hunters should contact the state or province in which they will hunt to obtain more information.

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Here's an update on what licenses are currently available over the counter:

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Fall Turkey, Swan, Deer Licenses Remain

Interested turkey, swan and deer hunters still have time to purchase a license for the 2007 hunting seasons.

As of Sept. 24, more than 450 fall turkey licenses are available to hunters who do not already have a license, or for those who want additional licenses. Turkey licenses remain in Unit 13, Dunn County; Unit 17, portions of Billings and Golden Valley counties north of Interstate 94; and Unit 99, Mercer and Oliver counties.

The fall wild turkey season opens Oct. 13 and continues through Jan. 13, 2008. Turkey licenses are $8 for residents and $80 for nonresidents.

Hunters who do not have a swan license for the 2007 hunting season still have an opportunity to purchase one, as more than 100 are still available. Remaining swan licenses will be issued only as a first license. The fee is $5 for residents and $25 for nonresidents.

The statewide tundra swan hunting season is Sept. 29 – Dec. 9.

More than 21,000 antlerless deer licenses are available to hunters who don’t already have a license, or for those who want additional licenses. Doe licenses are still available in units 1, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F1, 2G, 2H, 2I, 2J2, 2K2, 2L, 3A2, 3A4, 3B1, 3D1, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1, 3F2, 4E and 4F.

These remaining antlerless licenses – and doe licenses that have already been issued and are printed with second, third or additional concurrent season designations – can be used during any open season: bow season with a bow; the deer gun season with a bow, rifle, or muzzleloader; or during the muzzleloader season with a muzzleloader. Hunters must stay in the unit to which the license is assigned.

In addition, the following units still have landowners who are willing to host antlerless deer hunters. Landowners are looking for antlerless mule deer hunters in units 4B, 4D, 4E and 4F; and antlerless white-tailed deer hunters in units 2K2, 3A4, 3B1, 3E2, 3F2 and 4A.

Interested hunters can get their name on a list of possible participants by accessing the North Dakota Game and Fish Department's HSOforum and clicking on the appropriate link; or hunters can access the URL directly at http://gf.nd.gov/gnfapps/HunterContact/index.asp. Hunters who do not have Internet access can call the Bismarck Game and Fish office at 701-328-6300.

The archery season is open through Jan. 6, 2008; the regular deer gun season opens at noon Nov. 9 and continues through Nov. 25; and the muzzleloader season opens at noon Nov. 30 and continues through Dec. 16. License fees are $20 for residents and $55 for nonresidents.

Resident and nonresident fall turkey, swan and deer hunters can apply online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department HSOforum, gf.nd.gov. Applications are also available by calling the department’s Bismarck office at 701-328-6300.

Youth Pheasant Weekend Oct. 6-7

North Dakota’s two-day youth pheasant season is Oct. 6-7. Legally licensed residents and nonresidents ages 15 and younger may hunt roosters statewide.

Lawmakers in 2007 allowed the Game and Fish Department to establish a pheasant hunting season for youth. The age requirement of 15 and younger was established to remain consistent with other youth hunting seasons.

Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. The daily bag limit, licensing requirements, and all other regulations for the regular pheasant season apply. Youth ages 12 and older need to have passed a certified hunter education course.

An adult at least 18 years of age must accompany the youth hunter in the field. The adult may not carry a firearm nor hunt any wildlife species.

Residents Only on PLOTS, State WMAs from Oct. 13-19

Out-of-state hunters are reminded that state law does not allow nonresidents to hunt on North Dakota Game and Fish Department owned or managed lands during the first week of the pheasant season.

Private Land Open To Sportsmen acreage and state wildlife management areas are open to hunting by resident hunters only from Oct. 13-19. Nonresidents, however, can still hunt those days on other state-owned and federal lands, or private land.

The law, passed by the 2003 state legislature, applies to all small game, waterfowl, furbearer and big game hunting on PLOTS and state wildlife management areas during the first seven days of the pheasant season. Starting Oct. 20 this year, nonresidents may hunt on PLOTS and WMAs as long as the appropriate season is open.

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NDGF Explains Use of Certified Volunteers for Elk Reduction in TRNP

North Dakota Game and Fish Department Director Terry Steinwand has sent a letter to the National Park Service explaining how his agency would like to see certified volunteers used to reduce the elk population within Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

In a letter sent Sept. 12 to NPS Director Mary Bomar, Steinwand defines a certified volunteer as someone who has passed an approved hunter education course, is legally eligible to obtain the necessary North Dakota license or permit to take or possess big game, and participates in a specialized training course designed by TRNP and North Dakota Game and Fish personnel. Once approved, a certified volunteer could receive a permit to remove an elk from the park.

Certified volunteers would remove elk by using high-powered rifles from November through February, a time that coincides with state hunting seasons outside the park, and a time when park visitation is low. Certified volunteers would remove the carcasses as per NPS policy, process the meat themselves and either keep it or donate it to a food pantry.

Once the initial elk population goal for the park is achieved, volunteers would also participate in additional removal action as needed to maintain the desired elk population.

The Game and Fish Department is adamant that the park service’s development of an Environmental Impact Statement include using certified volunteers as an alternative for reducing elk numbers within the park’s south unit.

The EIS is scheduled for public presentation in December.

Streeter Based Hunting Guide Corporation Charged

State charges have been filed in Stutsman County District Court against Coteau Prairie Waterfowl, Whitetail and Upland Bird Hunts of Streeter ND Inc, and Streeter residents Brenda Schlecht, Sheldon Schlecht and Jeff Effinger. The Stutsman County States Attorney’s Office authorized and filed a total of 176 charges in connection to the unlicensed activity of the individuals.

Included in the charges are 147 counts against the corporation, alleging that the corporation provided outfitting services without a license, and used the premises and web address of an outfitter that had been previously convicted of a criminal federal game and fish violation. Records show that Brenda Schlecht is the owner of the corporation.

Brenda Schlect, as an individual, faces two counts of outfitting without a license, and one count of holding herself out or advertising guide and outfitting services without being licensed.

Sheldon Schlecht is charged with 19 counts of outfitting without a license and four counts of holding himself out or advertising guide and outfitting services without being licensed.

Jeff Effinger is charged with two counts of guiding or outfitting without a license, and one count of holding himself out or advertising guide and outfitting services without being licensed.

Guiding or outfitting without a license is Class A misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of $2,000 fine and or a year in jail per count for the individuals, and $15,000 per count to the corporation.

In addition, Jeff Effinger is facing one count of terrorizing, a Class C felony. In January 2007 officers of the Game and Fish Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service served eight search warrants on locations in Streeter and Jamestown. Effinger is alleged to have threatened officers of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

A jury trial on the terrorizing charge is scheduled for October 10, 2007 in Jamestown. A Class C felony is punishable by a maximum fine of up to $5,000 and five years in prison. This count is also being prosecuted by the Stutsman County States Attorney’s Office.

The state charges stem from a joint federal and state investigation lasting for more than a year. While both state and federal laws regulate commercial hunting activities, only state law regulate the issuance of guiding licenses. Federal authorities continue to investigate the hunting activities of the guide service.

New Grant Program Fosters Youth Hunting, Shooting Experiences

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has developed a new grant program designed to assist private groups with efforts to encourage new hunters and shooters.

Under the new program, grants of up to $3,000 are available to qualifying wildlife, shooting, civic or fraternal organizations for events or projects that emphasize youth hunting participation or training.

“We’re looking for all kinds of ideas and approaches to get more young North Dakotans involved in hunting,” said Roger Rostvet, Game and Fish Department deputy director. “We’re hoping this program can help groups expand on things they already do, or get new initiatives off the ground.”

The 2007 state legislature included $100,000 in the Game and Fish Department’s budget to carry out a grant program to encourage youth hunting. Of that, the Department allocated $45,000 to further develop the National Archery in the Schools program, which provides equipment and training for schools that include archery within their physical education curriculum.

The remaining grant funds are available for youth-oriented projects that will occur in 2008.

Nonprofit organizations registered with the North Dakota Secretary of State’s office to provide public service are eligible to apply. The organization must have officers, a treasury account, liability coverage and private locations to conduct events.

Game and Fish grant funds are available to reimburse a variety of event expenses, including promotional printing; event memorabilia such as shirts, caps or vests; ammunition and targets, and eye and ear protection. Grants can also be used for shooting range improvement or development.

Applications for projects in 2008 must be submitted before Dec. 31, 2007. Hunting events will receive priority over shooting-only events. For more information or to receive application materials, contact Nathaniel Umphrey, Game and Fish Department outreach biologist in Bismarck, at 701-328-6332.

Duck Hunters Urged to Wear Life Jackets, Keep Boats Clean

Duck hunters hunting from a boat this fall are urged to wear a life jacket and to take a few extra minutes to make sure equipment is clean.

Capsizing and falling overboard from small boats are the most common types of fatal boating accidents for hunters, said Nancy Boldt, boat and water safety coordinator for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

“This is directly related to the lack of stability of small boats,” Boldt said. “It is important to not overload a small boat, and to make sure it is properly balanced before getting on the water.”

Trouble generally starts before the boat even leaves the shore, Boldt said, because of too many people and too much equipment in the boat. “Some hunters push the limit by having other hunters on board, and by piling in decoys, ammunition, guns and dogs,” she added. “This is a formula for disaster. The boat can easily become unbalanced.”

Wearing a life jacket not only keeps you afloat, but it allows a hunter to deal with life threatening loss of body heat caused by cold-water exposure. “And I don’t like to hear that duck hunters don’t like to wear a life jacket because they are uncomfortable and too bulky,” Boldt said. “Hunting jackets can now be bought with the life jacket as part of it, and many will only inflate if they are submerged in water. There is no excuse to not wear one.”

Duck hunters are also reminded to help prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species within or into North Dakota. Hunters are urged to clean duck boats, waders and other hunting equipment before leaving wetlands. Some simple guidelines to follow include: use terrestrial plants if possible, not exotic plants, when camouflaging a boat; and remove all aquatic plant materials from the boat, motor and trailer.

Wetland Habitats Variable in North Dakota

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual fall wetland survey indicates approximately 33 percent more wetlands available for duck hunting than last year. However, the increase is mostly due to large amounts of precipitation in the eastern one-third of the state, especially the northeast.

“Hunters will definitely need to do their homework this fall to find places to hunt, especially in the western two-thirds of the state,” said Mike Szymanski, migratory game bird biologist. “Getting out there and scouting is the best solution.”

The northeastern and extreme southeastern portions of the state had excellent winter and summer precipitation, and had more water carry over from last fall, Szymanski said.

A similar number of wetlands were counted in the central and northwestern portions of the state as last fall, but their conditions have declined, especially in the north central. “Rain in late May and early June helped sustain some breeding and brooding habitats in the central portion of the state, but it’s been dry in those areas since, causing many wetlands to dry up, or they will dry up in the near future,” Szymanski said.

Wetland habitats across the central and northwestern portions of North Dakota have been declining in recent years due to drought. Minimal runoff because of a lack of snow, and infrequent summer rains, did not replenish wetlands west of N.D. Highway 3, Szymanski said. “Drying of wetlands is all part of the natural cycle that they need to go through to remain productive,” he added. “Unfortunately, many places that people have hunted in recent years will likely be dry again.”

The wetland survey is conducted in mid-September just prior to the waterfowl hunting season to provide an assessment of conditions duck hunters can expect.