Youth Pheasant Weekend Oct. 1-2
North Dakota’s two-day youth pheasant season is Oct. 1-2. Legally licensed residents and nonresidents ages 15 and younger may hunt roosters statewide.
Resident youth hunters, regardless of age, must possess a fishing, hunting and furbearer certificate and general game and habitat license. Nonresident youth hunters from states that provide a reciprocal licensing agreement for North Dakota residents qualify for North Dakota resident licenses. Otherwise, nonresident youth hunters must purchase a nonresident small game license.
Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Youth ages 12 and older need to have passed a certified hunter education course. The daily bag limit and all other regulations for the regular pheasant season apply.
An adult at least 18 years of age must accompany the youth hunter in the field. The adult may not carry a firearm.
See the 2016 North Dakota Small Game Hunting Guide for additional information.
Youth Waterfowl Trailer Available
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department and Ducks Unlimited co-sponsor a trailer full of waterfowl hunting gear that is available to families with young hunters.
Purchased by the Game and Fish Department’s Encouraging Tomorrow’s Hunters grant program, the trailer is designed for families who don’t have the appropriate gear for their young hunters to hunt waterfowl. The equipment is donated by Avery Outdoors.
Use of the trailer is free, and it is equipped with goose and duck decoys for field hunting, and two bags of floating duck decoys and marsh seats for hunting a wetland.
For more information, or to reserve equipment, contact the Ducks Unlimited office in Bismarck at 701-355-3500.
Waterfowl Hunters Reminded of ANS Regulations
Waterfowl hunters are reminded to do their part in preventing the spread of aquatic nuisance species into or within North Dakota.
Waterfowl hunters must remove plants and plant fragments from decoys, strings and anchors; remove plants seeds and plant fragments from waders and other equipment before leaving hunting areas; remove all water from decoys, boats, motors, trailers and other watercraft; and remove all aquatic plants from boats and trailers before leaving a marsh or lake. In addition, hunters are encouraged to brush their hunting dogs free of mud and seeds.
Cattails and bulrushes may be transported as camouflage on boats. All other aquatic vegetation must be cleaned from boats prior to transportation into or within North Dakota.
In addition, drain plugs on boats must remain pulled when the boat is in transit away from a water body.
More ANS information, including regulations, is available by visiting the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov.
Governor Proclaims Sept. 24 Hunting and Fishing Day
Gov. Jack Dalrymple has signed a proclamation establishing Sept. 24 as Hunting and Fishing Day in North Dakota.
The proclamation references the state’s hunting and fishing traditions, and how hunters and anglers help generate revenue and support conservation through license fees and direct spending.
The Hunting and Fishing Day proclamation is published on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.
North Dakota’s Hunting and Fishing Day coincides with National Hunting and Fishing Day, an event held for more than 40 years to highlight the role hunters and anglers play in supporting conservation and scientific wildlife management.
Remaining Fall Turkey Licenses Available Sept. 27
The 2016 fall wild turkey lottery has been held and more than 850 licenses remain in seven units. Unsuccessful applicants who applied online will have a refund issued directly to their credit card.
Beginning Sept. 27, all remaining licenses will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Hunters are allowed a maximum of 15 licenses for the fall season.
Resident and nonresident hunters will be able to apply online, or print out an application to mail, at the Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. Paper applications will also be available at license vendors.
The fall turkey season runs from Oct. 8 – Jan. 8, 2017.
Licenses remain for the following units: Unit 03, Benson and Ramsey counties and a portion of Pierce County, 15 licenses; Unit 13, Dunn County, 185; Unit 25, McHenry County and portions of Pierce and Ward counties, 338; Unit 30, a portion of Morton County, 165; Unit 31, Mountrail County, 23; Unit 45, Stark County, 50; and Unit 51, Burke County and portions of Renville, Bottineau and Ward counties, 93.
