Inspect boats, docks, lifts before buying, selling

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department urges people to check boats, trailers, docks, lifts and all other water-related equipment for aquatic nuisance species before buying or selling. During summer, there is an elevated risk of having ANS, like zebra mussels, attached to submerged equipment.

North Dakota requires all docks, lifts and related equipment to be dried and left out of the water for at least 21 days before being placed in another water.

Ben Holen, Game and Fish Department ANS coordinator, said “While often overlooked, docks and lifts are one of the highest risk vectors for starting new zebra mussel infestations. Following the 21-day out-of-water rule is critical to preventing the spread of mussels to cabin lakes in North Dakota.”

Protecting our waters is everyone’s responsibility. Remember to follow all North Dakota regulations:

Remove aquatic vegetation before leaving the water access and do not import into North Dakota.

Drain all water before leaving the water access.

Remove drain plugs and devices that hold back water and leave open and out during transport.

Do not import aquatic bait into the state. For Class I ANS Infested waters, aquatic bait cannot be transported away from the water during the open-water months. At all other waters, bait must be transported in a container that holds 5 gallons or less. It is illegal to dump unused bait on shore or into the lake.

Sharp-tailed grouse counts

Each spring, North Dakota Game and Fish Department staff count the number of male sharp-tailed grouse, greater prairie chickens and greater sage grouse dancing on leks, while also tallying the number of male ruffed grouse drumming in suitable aspen habitats.

These surveys serve as relative indices of spring breeding populations.

“The sharp-tailed grouse counts were mixed across the state this spring, which resulted in an unchanged statewide count compared to 2025,” said Jesse Kolar, department upland game management supervisor.

This result was better than expected following poor reproduction and decreases in adult sharptail densities in last summer’s roadside surveys and the 24% decrease in hunter harvest last fall.

“Thus, we expected to see very poor numbers for lek counts this spring, but we suspect that our mild winter led to minimal mortality and helped minimize losses after the cool and wet summer of 2025,” Kolar said.

By district, observers saw 4.9 males per square mile in the southwest, down 8% from 2025; 5 males per square mile in the prairie potholes, up 2%; and 2.9 males per square mile in the drift prairie, up 10% from last year. The only remaining survey block in the Red River Valley is Grand Forks County, which is not a primary region for sharptails but was up 9% from last year.

Ruffed grouse survey results indicated an uptick in drums heard in the Turtle Mountains (+40%) and a decrease in the Pembina Hills (-15%) compared to 2025.

“In contiguous forest habitats, ruffed grouse numbers usually rise and fall in cycles, but because habitat in North Dakota is isolated and fragmented, we have not seen these peaks, but the population has been increasing slightly since 2019,” Kolar said.

Small greater prairie chicken populations remain in Grand Forks County and the Sheyenne National Grasslands but overall, North Dakota no longer holds enough suitable, intact tallgrass prairie to support a huntable population.

Only one male and one female sage grouse were observed in 2026. Both sage grouse and greater prairie chicken hunting seasons will remain closed.

Overall, the long-term outlook for our native prairie grouse remains a concern due to grassland conversion, fragmentation and woody encroachment on prairies.

Deer lottery held, licenses Remain

North Dakota’s deer gun lottery has been held. More than 72,000 individuals applied for a deer gun lottery license, in addition to over 12,000 gratis applicants. The 2026 deer gun proclamation allowed for 39,100 deer gun season licenses.

More than 1,200 licenses remain. Only resident applicants who were unsuccessful in the lottery can apply online for remaining licenses with a deadline of July 15.

Licenses will be mailed to successful applicants in early August. For units with remaining deer gun licenses see the NDGF website.