NDGNF April Weekly Newsletter

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Jon Hanson Hired as Hunter Education Coordinator

Lisbon native Jon Hanson has been hired as hunter education coordinator for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department following the retirement of Jim Carter.

Hanson has been living in Bismarck the past 23 years working full-time for the Army National Guard. His first day with the Department was April 1.

“Jon brings a high level of management, organization and communication skills to the Department,” said Chris Grondahl, outreach supervisor for the department. “He is looking forward to being part of the organization and working with our outstanding group of hunter education volunteers.”

Approximately 650 volunteer instructors certify more than 5,000 students each year in gun safety.

Whooping Crane Sightings Should be Documented

Whooping cranes, one of North America’s most endangered birds, have started their spring migration and will be making their way through North Dakota. Anyone seeing these rare birds is asked to report sightings so the birds can be tracked.

Whooping cranes stand about five feet tall and have a wingspan of about seven feet. They are white with black wing tips, which are visible only when the wings are outspread. In flight they extend their long necks straight forward, while their long, slender legs extend out behind the tail. Whooping cranes typically migrate singly, or in groups of 2-3 birds, and may be associated with sandhill cranes.

Anyone sighting whoopers should not disturb them, but record the date, time, location, and the birds' activity. Observers should also look closely for and report colored bands which may occur on one or both legs. Young whooping cranes were marked during 1975-1988 with colored leg bands to help determine their identity.

Whooping crane sightings should be reported to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office at 701-387-4397, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department's main office in Bismarck at 701-328-6300, or to local game wardens around the state. Reports help biologists locate important whooping crane habitat areas, monitor marked birds, determine survival and population numbers, and identify times and migration routes.

Baitfish Regulations Deserve a Look

Anglers are reminded to check the baitfish regulations in the new 2008-10 North Dakota Fishing Guide.

Spottail shiners are no longer considered a legal live baitfish. Fathead minnows, creek chubs and sticklebacks are the only legal live baitfish that can be used in most North Dakota waters. In addition, white suckers can be used in the Red River. There are also 20 state waters where it is illegal to use any live baitfish.

Bait buckets, or any container used to hold bait, must be free of aquatic vegetation and baitfish held in a bait bucket may not be released into any North Dakota waters. Furthermore, neither water nor aquatic bait can be in livewells when entering the state.

All legal live aquatic organisms used by anglers – including fathead minnows, salamanders, frogs, crayfish and leeches – must be purchased or trapped in North Dakota. They cannot be imported into the state. The purpose of this regulation is to provide better control against unintentional introduction of aquatic nuisance species.

Using game fish or parts of game fish as bait is illegal, except for perch eyes, and trout and salmon eggs.

The North Dakota Fishing Guide is available at license vendors, or online at the state Game and Fish Department HSOforum, gf.nd.gov.

Hunting Guide and Outfitter Test Set for May 10

The next guide and outfitter written examination is Saturday, May 10 at 1 p.m. at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department office in Bismarck. The test is given periodically to anyone interested in becoming a hunting guide or outfitter in the state.

In addition to passing a written exam, qualifications for becoming a guide include a background check for criminal and game and fish violations; certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and standard first aid; and employment by or contract with a licensed hunting outfitter.

Hunting outfitter eligibility requirements include the guide qualifications, as well as an individual must have held a hunting guide license for two years; and must have proof of liability insurance.

Interested individuals are required to preregister by calling the Game and Fish Department’s enforcement office at 328-6604.

Districts 3 and 7 Advisory Board Meetings Set

Outdoor enthusiasts in districts 3 and 7 are invited to attend this spring’s North Dakota Game and Fish Department advisory board meeting in their area.

Anglers, hunters, trappers and landowners in Benson, Cavalier, Eddy, Ramsey, Rolette and Towner counties are invited to attend the District 3 meeting April 21 at 7 p.m. in the Heritage Room at Lake Region State College in Devils Lake. The meeting is hosted by the Lake Region Anglers. For more information contact Clark Williams at 662-5008. District advisor is Tracy Gardner, Devils Lake.

Citizens in Burleigh, Emmons, Grant, Kidder, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan and Sioux counties are invited to attend the District 7 meeting April 22 at 7 p.m. at the Memorial Hall in Wilton. The meeting is hosted by the Wilton Gun Club/Sportsmens Bar. For more information contact Frank Kartch, district advisor in Bismarck, at 222-4544.

Advisory board meetings, held twice each year in each of the eight districts, provide citizens with the opportunity to discuss fish and wildlife issues and ask questions of district advisors and game and fish personnel.

A complete listing of the eight advisory board meetings is found on the Game and Fish Department’s HSOforum, gf.nd.gov.

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April is Prone to Wildfires

North Dakota Game and Fish Department officials are reminding outdoor enthusiasts to be cognizant of dry conditions this spring.

Nearly half of all wildfires in a year occur in April, due to dead vegetation and high winds that occur this time of year. Greg Link, assistant wildlife chief for the state Game and Fish Department, said because of variable weather patterns and increased outdoor human activity, North Dakota experiences a distinct spring fire season every year prior to green-up.

“North Dakotans look forward to getting outside after a long winter to enjoy spring activities,” Link said. “It is a good idea to carry a cell phone and alert local authorities immediately if something happens.”

It is important to pay attention to the daily rangeland fire danger index, and to follow the appropriate measures when planning camping or other outdoor activities. The daily fire danger index is issued by the National Weather Service to alert the public to conditions that may be conducive to accidental fires. The index can change from day to day depending on temperature, wind and precipitation forecasts. If the index reaches the VERY HIGH or EXTREME category, people should refrain from burning outdoors.

The rangeland fire danger index is available through the NWS Internet site at http://www.crh.noaa.gov/data/BIS/RFDBIS, the Game and Fish Department’s HSOforum, gf.nd.gov., or the local county sheriff’s office.

In addition, several counties in western North Dakota have established burning bans. The Game and Fish Department is also prohibiting campfires on its Oahe Wildlife Management Area south of Bismarck and Mandan.

Paddlefish Snagging Season Opens May 1

North Dakota’s paddlefish snagging season opens May 1 and is scheduled to continue through the end of the month. However, the season has closed early the last four seasons.

If the harvest season closes early, snag-and-release will still be allowed for those with a current, unused paddlefish tag for up to seven days immediately following the harvest closure, but not to extend beyond May 31.

Legal snagging hours are from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. One tag per snagger will be issued. The use or possession of a gaff within one half mile in either direction of the Highway 200 bridge on the Yellowstone River is illegal at any time during the snagging season. Mandatory harvest (no snag-and-release) is required Wednesday through Sunday. On Mondays and Tuesdays snag-and-release of all paddlefish will be required. Those planning to participate during snag-and-release-only days will need to have in their possession a current season, unused paddlefish snagging tag. Use or possession of gaffs is prohibited on Mondays and Tuesdays, and, if it occurs, during the snag-and-release extension period.

Snagging is legal in all areas of the Yellowstone River in North Dakota, and in the area of the Missouri River lying west of the U.S. Highway 85 bridge to the Montana border, excluding that portion from the pipeline crossing (river mile 1,577) downstream to the upper end of the Lewis and Clark Wildlife Management Area (river mile 1,565). If there is an extended snag-and-release period, only a limited area at the Missouri-Yellowstone river confluence will be open to this extended snagging opportunity.

Cost of a paddlefish tag is $3 for residents and $7.50 for nonresidents.

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New CRP Practice to Address Local Wildlife Needs

A new habitat practice that enrolls croplands, wetlands, existing grass or expired Conservation Reserve Program acres into CRP is available to landowners.

State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Services Agency, is a cooperative conservation effort based on locally developed conservation proposals that target species of conservation priority and their habitats.

SAFE allocates 500,000 acres nationwide, with 27,000 available to North Dakota. There are three SAFE priority focus areas within the state where land may be eligible:

· 1,000 acres allocated to the Southwest North Dakota Sagebrush Restoration SAFE project for sage grouse and other species that depend on shortgrass sagebrush prairie.

· 20,000 acres allocated to the Coteau-Drift Prairie Waterbank SAFE project in the central portion of the state, commonly known as the Missouri Coteau and Drift Prairie, for waterfowl, shorebirds and other birds.

· 6,000 acres allocated for the Eastern North Dakota Tallgrass Prairie Restoration SAFE project, which consists of two areas in the eastern edge of the state for greater prairie chickens and other grassland nesting birds.

Croplands, wetlands or existing grass within the focus areas may be enrolled in SAFE practice CP38 on a continuous basis until the 27,000 acre allocation is reached. CRP that expired Sept. 30, 2007 must be offered for enrollment by June 1, 2008.

Landowners should contact their county FSA office to determine if their land is eligible. CRP contracts can be for a period of 10-15 years. Landowners will receive annual rental payments for the term of their CRP contract, as well as cost-share assistance, and in some cases practice incentive payments and signup incentive payments from USDA.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will also provide up to 50 percent of the cost of grass seed, as well as additional incentives for landowners who allow public access on the CRP through the Department's Private Land Open To Sportsman program. Other partners, such as Ducks Unlimited and the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust, will provide incentives to landowners who perform wetland restorations on land they enroll into SAFE.

Interested landowners should contact their county FSA office or the North Dakota Game and Fish Department for more information.

Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Workshop Set Aug. 8-10

Women at least 18 years old who want to learn more about outdoor activities are encouraged to participate in the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Workshop Aug. 8-10 at Lake Metigoshe State Park, Bottineau.

Applications are now being accepted and enrollment is limited to 100 participants. The cost is $135 with an Aug. 1 registration deadline.

The workshop, sponsored by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, offers 26 different seminars, each of which lasts more than three hours.

Classes are held outdoors, and each session contains 45 minutes of lecture with the remainder dedicated to hands-on instruction. Each session has room for 12 women. Participants are limited to four sessions.

Women will learn the basics of hunting and fishing, shooting, navigation, and plants and animals. New classes offered this year include basic boating skills, field dressing big game, and tracking and trapping. Other classes include archery, wild backyards, basic birding, canoeing, fly-fishing, kayaking, plant identification and predator calling.

Participants will stay in dorms and must provide their own bedding and towels. All camp facilities are handicap accessible. Equipment will be provided unless noted in the course description.

The University of North Dakota Professional Development for Educators has approved the workshop for one continuing education college credit upon completion, submission of an essay and the fee for credit.

To receive an information brochure and enrollment form, contact Nancy Boldt, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, at 701-328-6312; [email protected]; or visit the Game and Fish HSOforum at gf.nd.gov.

Nonresident Any-Deer Bow Licenses All Issued for 2008

North Dakota’s nonresident any-deer archery licenses, good for either whitetail or mule deer, have all been issued for the 2008 bow season.

A total of 1,252 any-deer bow licenses were available for nonresidents. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department began issuing them March 1.

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 8,350 mule deer licenses in the 2007 deer gun lottery.

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Paddlefish Snaggers Reminded of Possible Burn Ban

Anglers planning on participating in the state’s paddlefish season should check with local authorities for possible burning restrictions.

Several counties in western and central North Dakota have had burn bans, and recent moisture has allowed some to rescind burn restrictions. If burn bans are in place, open burning, including campfires, is prohibited.

Even if a burn ban has been lifted, caution is advised with open fires so that a wildfire doesn’t develop.

Snagging is legal in all areas of the Yellowstone River in North Dakota, and in the area of the Missouri River lying west of the U.S. Highway 85 bridge to the Montana border, excluding that portion from the pipeline crossing (river mile 1,577) downstream to the upper end of the Lewis and Clark Wildlife Management Area (river mile 1,565).

North Dakota’s paddlefish snagging season opens May 1 and is scheduled to continue through the end of the month. However, depending on the overall harvest, an early in-season closure may occur with a 36-hour notice issued by the state Game and Fish Department.

For more information on the state’s paddlefish season, access the Game and Fish Department’s HSOforum at gf.nd.gov, or refer to the 2008-10 North Dakota Fishing Guide.

Boats Must Display Orange Decals

North Dakota boats displaying a green registration decal have an expired license, reminds Nancy Boldt, boat and water safety coordinator for the state Game and Fish Department.

The current registration, which runs from Jan. 1, 2008 through Dec. 31, 2010, is an orange decal. All boat registrations with a green decal expired Dec. 31, 2007.

Boat registrations can be renewed online at the Game and Fish Department’s HSOforum, gf.nd.gov. To renew a boat registration, access the online services link and click on “watercraft registration and renewals.”

Also, anyone buying a new or used watercraft can register online and generate a 10-day temporary permit that is valid until the registration is processed.

Renewal notices for the current three-year period were mailed in December. Boat owners who have not received a renewal notice, or have misplaced it, should contact the department at 701-328-6335.

Spring Bighorn Sheep Survey Shows Healthy Population

Western North Dakota’s bighorn sheep population is in good shape, based on observations during the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual bighorn sheep survey in March.

Brett Wiedmann, department big game biologist in Dickinson, said biologists counted 282 bighorn sheep – 93 rams, 147 ewes and 42 lambs. This year’s total represents a 9 percent increase from 2007 and 33 percent higher than the five-year average.

In addition, the north unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park was holding approximately 25 sheep.

“Following a major die-off in 1998 that decimated our population to only 130 animals, it has been our objective to once again reach and maintain a minimum of 300 bighorns in the state,” Wiedmann said. “We are very encouraged to have reached our goal this year.”

Each summer, typically in August, Game and Fish Department biologists count and classify all sheep. The following March, the spring survey is conducted for biologists to go back and recount lambs to determine lamb recruitment.

“We need to check on their health after the winter,” Wiedmann said while noting the first year is vital for survival because of predators and winter conditions. “Since last fall’s survey, lamb recruitment was 33 percent, about average for North Dakota. We also found there were about 63 rams per 100 ewes. We are in good shape.”

The population level appears to be an indication of how many apply for the opportunity to hunt bighorn sheep in the badlands. “Just look at the numbers,” Wiedmann said. “Our bighorn sheep population is larger than it has been in a number of years, and this year we had a record number of applicants (more than 10,000) that put in for the five sheep licenses. Encouragingly, we have significant number of young rams, so once they mature a bit, we also hope to reach our goal of issuing eight licenses annually.”

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Spring Sage Grouse at Record Low, NDGF Recommends Closing Season

North Dakota Game and Fish Department biologists recently completed the 2008 spring sage grouse survey, and census data revealed the number of strutting males observed was an all-time low and well below management objectives. Therefore, the Game and Fish Department will recommend closing the sage grouse hunting season in 2008.

Aaron Robinson, the department’s upland game biologist in Dickinson, said a total of 77 males were counted on 18 active strutting grounds. The record high number of male sage grouse counted on leks in the southwest was 542 birds in 1953, and the prior low mark of 111 was in 1996. In 2007, biologists counted 159 males on 19 active grounds.

The number of males counted on leks each spring has gradually declined since 2000, but this spring’s count dropped dramatically throughout North Dakota’s present sage grouse range. “The specific cause of the decline is unknown, but with wet weather conditions last spring and standing water available during late summer, West Nile virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, is suspected,” Robinson said. “Just 80 miles to the south, sage grouse equipped with radio transmitters in northwestern South Dakota were documented dying from West Nile virus at an alarming rate.”

Sage grouse are closely tied to sagebrush habitat, which is very limited in southwestern North Dakota. While grasslands and residual cover look in relatively good condition this spring in the southwest, the amount of sagebrush habitat has been slowly declining over the years. Sage grouse hunting seasons have been very restrictive the last 20 years and harvest has exceeded 50 birds only once during this time. There is no indication that hunting has caused a decline in the population.

With more normal weather conditions in the southwest this spring reducing the chance of West Nile, and with adult birds more resistant to the disease, Game and Fish Department biologists hope to see a recovery of the population.

Management of sage grouse in North Dakota has followed a specific plan developed by a diverse group of participants. The plan outlines hunting harvest objectives for the species with a recommendation that the hunting season close if the spring census indicates fewer than 100 males in the population. This spring’s count falls below those guidelines. If the 2008 hunting season is closed, it will mark the first time in nearly half a century the season has not been open.

When the spring breeding population increases above 100 males, department biologists will recommend the season reopen. “Our objective is to maintain a viable sage grouse population in the state and to provide recreational hunting when bird numbers allow,” Robinson said.

Even though sage grouse populations throughout the west are undergoing a review in status, the department manages these birds based on the best biological data available and is not influenced by the present lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the species as endangered.

Sage grouse are North Dakota’s largest native upland game bird. They are found in extreme southwestern North Dakota, primarily in Bowman and Slope counties.