The North Dakota Game and Fish Department annually provides its best estimate for opening dates to help hunters prepare for hunting seasons. Dates become official when approved by governor's proclamation. Tentative opening dates for 2025 include: Spring Turkey April 12 Deer and Pronghorn Bow, Mountain Lion Aug. 29 Dove...

North Dakota's free ice fishing weekend is Dec. 28-29. Resident anglers may fish those two days without a license. Residents 15 and younger do not need a fishing license at any time of year. All other winter fishing regulations apply. The weekend provides a great opportunity to try fishing for the first time or take ...

Landowners, hunters, lawmakers, wildlife managers and others gathered in mid-December in Bismarck to discuss the importance of wildlife habitat on the landscape and providing access to hunters across the state. Approximately 200 people attended the North Dakota Game and Fish Department's Habitat and Hunting Access Summ...

To encourage greater participation in ice fishing, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department is again running the Take Someone New Ice Fishing Challenge from Dec. 16 - Mar. 31, 2025. Invite somebody new along who has never been ice fishing and log your story here for a chance to a win a fish house donated by Runnings. ...

By Doug Leier Have you ever been darkhouse spearfishing for pike? It's relatively new compared to most outdoor recreation, having started a mere 25 years ago, but for those who have taken the opportunity it's hard to compare. I remember the first time I went spearfishing at Spiritwood Lake. Sitting still in a darkhouse...

Winter Solstice Walk River Keepers is coordinating a Winter Solstice Walk to bring some light and cheer to the longest night of the year (December 21). The trail at M.B. Johnson Park in Moorhead will be lit at 5:30 p.m. and glow until 8 p.m. This is a special way to experience the beauty of a riverfront park in Decembe...

Any fish house left unoccupied on North Dakota waters must be made of materials that allow it to float. In addition, fish houses do not require a license. Other fish house regulations include: Occupied structures do not require identification. However, any unoccupied fish house must have an equipment registration numbe...

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has issued its annual ice safety warning for lakes with winter aeration systems. The updated list of aerated lakes and more information is available on the DNR website (mndnr.gov/eco/lakeaeration). "We urge people to use caution anytime they venture onto ice," DNR...

District 1 - Baudette area Last updated: 2024-12-16 CO Ben Huener (Roseau) monitored trapping activity throughout the week and attended investigations training at Camp Ripley. A trespass call was taken, firearms evidence was returned from the deer season, and a dead owl was collected. CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent...

Individuals required to possess a valid fishing license (age 16 and older) to darkhouse spearfish must first register online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. Darkhouse spearing is allowed for all anglers with a valid fishing license and for youth under age 16. Northern pike and nongame f...

North Dakota's river otter trapping season is closed. The statewide season's predetermined harvest limit of 25 has been reached. Only North Dakota residents were eligible to participate, with a season limit of one otter per trapper.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing protection for one of the nation's most beloved species -- the monarch butterfly -- and is encouraging the public to be part of its recovery. The Service is seeking public input on a proposal to list the species as threatened with species-specific protections and flexibil...

By Doug Leier As North Dakota's cherished deer gun hunting season opens and closes in November, thousands of hunters end their hunting activities within the regular season's 16.5 days. While the majority of pheasant hunters point toward late October and early November as their preferred time frame for chasing roosters,...

Weekly CO report Featured Update CO Tony Elwell (Cloquet) worked on cases from the firearms deer season, monitored muzzleloader-hunting activity, and conducted equipment maintenance this week. Recent warm weather and rain have deteriorated ice conditions. Ice that looked good a few days ago may be unsafe now. Please us...

The new plan will guide future recreation opportunities, resource management and interpretation at the park The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is initiating updates to the Buffalo River State Park management plan to guide future development and operations. The new management plan will set the direction for t...

By Doug Leier First ice is synonymous around these parts with anxious anglers taking inadvisable risks to curb their appetite for ice fishing. Is it the fish? Is it the ice? Is it the dark, still, cold, hard water peace and solitude? I'm not advocating but acknowledging the balance between risk and reward. But I'm not ...

District 1 - Baudette area CO Ben Huener (Roseau) continued field training with COC Calli Oberg. This week they spent time patrolling for the muzzleloader season. Violations this week included: hunting without a license, not wearing blaze orange, no blaze orange on a ground blind on public property, operating on a clos...

Report bear den locations in Brainerd, Duluth areas The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is asking hunters and other recreationists spending time outdoors this fall to report the locations of occupied bear dens they encounter in and around the Brainerd and Duluth areas. Bear researchers with the DNR and Univer...

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invites people interested in wildlife and outdoor skills to check out the winter program schedule for the Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship webinar series. After a break from weekly webinars the first week of December, they return on Wednesday, Dec. 11, when Michael ...

Nonprofit organizations eligible to receive big game hunting licenses in 2025 must have the application submitted to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department no later than Jan. 1. North Dakota state law provides direction for the Game and Fish director to allocate big game hunting licenses to eligible organizations. U...