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Outdoors

Dakota Prairie Grasslands sets fire restrictions

BISMARCK – The USDA Forest Service Dakota Prairie Grasslands issued a Fire Restrictions Order for all National Forest System lands within Billings, Golden Valley, McHenry, McKenzie and Slope counties. Unless otherwise noted, these restrictions are in effect until the end of the year. The order outlines prohibited “condition-based” activities for the Little Missouri National Grassland, Denbigh Experimental Forest and Souris Purchase Unit on a county-by-county basis when the given county has implemented a burn ban/restriction and is identified as having a “Very High” or ...

Bismarck office temporarily closed to public access

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s main office in Bismarck will close to public access the week of Oct. 9 to complete a construction project that started in early August. The pond and nature walk on the outdoor wildlife learning site adjacent to the main office will remain closed to fishing and other activities. Licensing staff will be able to provide assistance for hunters and anglers by calling 328-6300. Hunting and fishing licenses, and watercraft registrations can be purchased online by visiting the Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov.

2024 OUTDOORS calendars available

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is taking orders for its North Dakota OUTDOORS calendar, the source for all hunting season and application dates for 2024. Along with color photographs of North Dakota’s wildlife and outstanding scenery, it also includes sunrise-sunset times and moon phases. Calendars must be ordered online by visiting the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. The calendar is the North Dakota OUTDOORS magazine’s December issue, so current subscribers will automatically receive it in the mail.

Hunters need to be aware of PLOTS regulations

Hunting small game, waterfowl, furbearers or big game by nonresidents is prohibited by state law on Private Land Open To Sportsmen acreage and state wildlife management areas from Oct. 7-13, the first seven days of the pheasant season. However, nonresidents can hunt on PLOTS land they own during that week. In addition, leaving equipment on PLOTS overnight, such as tree stands, blinds, decoys, firearms, archery equipment, or trail cameras, is not allowed without written permission from the landowner. Permission from the landowner is always required for motorized vehicle access on ...

Fall mule deer survey begins

The state Game and Fish Department’s annual fall aerial mule deer survey is set to begin early to mid-October in western North Dakota. Weather permitting, the survey takes about two weeks to complete. During the survey period, people could notice low-flying small airplanes over some parts of the badlands. Game and Fish biologists have completed aerial surveys of the same 24 badlands study areas since the 1950s. The survey is used to collect mule deer population data for monitoring demographic trends, such as buck-to-doe and fawn-to-doe ratios.

Fall cleanup events eligible for Earth Day patch

Fall cleanup events at schools or in the community are eligible for the 2023 Earth Day patch. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has for years encouraged students to design Earth Day patches to bring greater awareness to the environment in the state and elsewhere. Yet, like Earth Day, which began in 1970 and kicked-started the environmental movement, the concern for outdoor places isn’t simply a once-a-year-thing, but ongoing. Understanding this, the Game and Fish Department has initiated Earth Day, every day to promote continual awareness about the environment. Groups ...