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Outdoors

Deer archery season opens

North Dakota’s deer bow season opens Friday, Aug. 29, at noon and continues through Jan. 4. Bowhunters can buy a license online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department or at vendors linked to the department’s online licensing system. Hunters should plan accordingly and allow for time to receive their tag in the mail, as the tag will arrive by postal mail and not over the counter while the customer waits. This applies while purchasing a bow license at a license vendor, or at the Game and Fish Department. The bow tag will be mailed the next business day after the license is ...

Waterfowl habitat stamp, federal duck stamp requirements

A new North Dakota law requires all waterfowl hunters, regardless of age, to have a state-issued waterfowl habitat restoration stamp in possession while afield this fall. Waterfowl include ducks, geese, swans, mergansers and coots. Senate bill 2216 requires every resident and nonresident waterfowl hunter to purchase an electronic waterfowl habitat restoration stamp for $5. Money generated from e-stamp sales is earmarked for the Waterfowl Habitat Improvement Fund, which is aimed at improving and restoring waterfowl habitat and supporting youth hunting programs. In addition, a federal ...

North Dakota Outdoors: Pheasant hunting season looks promising

As September settles in and we inch closer to fall, some hunters have enjoyed August goose hunting, the opening of archery deer and dove hunting. For anxious October pheasant hunters in North Dakota, the early signs are promising. Each spring, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department ...

North Dakota Outdoors: Explaining differences in survey numbers

When you hear terms like wildlife survey, census, or index, it might sound like three ways to say the same thing, but there are key differences, especially in how we at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department manage wildlife. Surveys use scientific sampling to estimate populations. Our ...

North Dakota Outdoors: Biology behind catch-and-release fishing

No one will argue the intent of catch-and-release fishing. To enjoy the thrill of landing a fish and then successfully releasing it to live another day and possibly providing an opportunity for the next angler. While the intentions are noble, there’s much more to consider for the full ...

Early Canada goose dates announced

North Dakota’s early Canada goose season dates are set, with bag limits and licensing requirements the same as last year. Opening day is Aug. 15 in all three zones. Closing dates are Sept. 7 in the Missouri River zone; Sept. 15 in the western zone; and Sept. 22 in the eastern zone. Early Canada goose limits are 15 daily and 45 in possession. Limits and shooting hours are different from the regular season, while the zone boundaries remain the same. Shooting hours for early Canada goose are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Residents need a $10 early Canada goose license ...