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Outdoors

Guide and outfitter exam scheduled

The next guide and outfitter written examination is Saturday, Aug. 17, at 1 p.m. at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department office in Bismarck. Preregistration is required no later than Friday, Aug. 9, by calling the department’s enforcement office. 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 ...

Survey indicates decline in breeding duck numbers

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 77th annual spring breeding duck survey conducted in May showed an index of about 2.9 million birds, down from 3.4 million last year. The 2024 breeding duck index was the 30th highest on record and stands at 17% above the long-term (1948-2023) average, according to Mike Szymanski, department migratory game bird supervisor. Szymanski said the decline in breeding duck numbers has a lot to do with the loss of CRP and perennial grasses on the landscape used for nesting cover by ducks. “There should be a pretty good nesting effort by ducks ...

Boat ND course required

North Dakota state law requires youth ages 12-15 who want to operate a boat or personal watercraft by themselves with at least a 10-horsepower motor must pass the state’s boating basics course. The course is available for home-study by contacting the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Two commercial providers also offer the course online. The course covers legal requirements, navigation rules, getting underway, accidents and special topics such as weather, rules of the road, laws, life saving and first aid.

New ND state park adds weight to Great Outdoors Month message

June is Great Outdoors Month, and the messaging about embracing outdoor activities is often associated with national park sites. But industry voices say state sites shouldn't be overlooked for their drawing power. North Dakota recently broke ground on transforming the Pembina Gorge Recreation ...

Minot native to compete in Iditarod 2025

WASILLA, Alaska – When Sydnie Bahl talks about the Iditarod, she doesn’t talk only about herself. She speaks about her dogs and the 1,000-mile “last great race on earth” that they compete in as a team together. A 2007 graduate of Des Lacs-Burlington High School, Bahl moved to Alaska ...

Minot man protects ND outdoors

Navy veteran Kenneth Bitz has a passion for protecting the beauty of the outdoors for future generations. “It gives you a great appreciation for the outdoors when you spend 300 days a year underwater for several years in a row,” said Bitz, who was assigned to submarines during his service ...