Pronghorn Season Proposed with Record Number of Licenses, Applications Available July 25
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is proposing a record number of pronghorn licenses for the 2005 hunting season, according to Bruce Stillings, big game biologist for the state Game and Fish Department, Dickinson.

The statewide pronghorn population estimate has increased from 4,000 in 1998 to nearly 15,000 this year. "This dramatic rise in population is due to a series of extremely mild winters which resulted in exceptional adult and fawn survival and above average reproductive success," Stillings said.

Game and fish is proposing 5,715 pronghorn licenses, 3,205 more than last year. According to Stillings, this significant increase is primarily in doe/fawn licenses, and is intended to reduce pronghorn numbers to unit management objectives.

The previous record high was in 1993 when 4,810 licenses were allocated. " North Dakota's pronghorn population has recovered nicely from the 1997 winter die-off when 75 percent of the state's herd was lost due to winter mortality," Stillings said.

A noteworthy change from last year is the proposal to combine hunting units 4A and 4B into one unit designated as Unit 4A. "After discussions with local landowners, hunters and the district game warden," Stillings said, "it was determined that two separate units in such a relatively small geographic area provided little benefit and created confusion for hunters due to the somewhat indistinct boundary separating the two units."

Because of this change and the increase in licenses, Stillings noted, hunting Unit 4A will feature a split season to spread out hunting pressure over the full season. "After consulting with several local landowners and the district game warden it was determined that a split season would reduce hunter crowding and help ensure the desired harvest of animals," he said.

A boundary change is also being proposed for Unit 9C, which has been expanded eastward to the Missouri River. Pronghorn numbers east of N.D. Highway 31 in Morton and Oliver counties are slowly expanding, Stillings said, therefore providing additional hunting opportunities in this area is appropriate.

Prospective hunters are encouraged to apply online, or print out an application to mail, at the game and fish website, discovernd.com/gnf. Regular license fees apply and no service charge is added.

Applications will also be available July 25 from game and fish offices, county auditors and license vendors, or by calling 800-406-6409. A service fee is added for license applications made over the phone.

Deadline for submitting applications is Wednesday, Aug. 10. Mailed applications must be postmarked before midnight. Hand-delivered applications are due at the department's Bismarck office by 5 p.m. Applications should be mailed early because some post offices use the following day's postmark if received after office hours.

Only North Dakota residents are eligible for pronghorn gun licenses. Archery season is open to residents and nonresidents. Gun season dates are Sept. 30 (noon) - Oct. 16. Pronghorn bow season runs Sept. 2 (noon) - Oct. 9.

Leftover Deer Applications Available
Nearly 64,000 antlerless deer gun licenses are still available in North Dakota after the state Game and Fish Department recently completed its lottery drawing.

Unsuccessful applicants in the first drawing will be mailed a blue application form with an Aug. 3 deadline. Hunters who have not yet applied, or who want to apply for a second, third or fourth license, have to submit a third lottery ivory-colored application by Aug. 10.

The 2005 deer hunting proclamation allows hunters to purchase an unrestricted number of additional antlerless licenses in specific units as long as licenses are available. After the third lottery application procedure, any remaining licenses will be issued on a first come, first serve basis for hunters who want more than four deer gun licenses.

Hunters can use additional doe licenses during the archery season with a bow; the deer gun season with a bow, rifle, or muzzle-loader; or during the muzzle-loader season with a muzzle-loader. These licenses must be used for antlerless deer only, and hunters must stay in the unit to which the license is assigned.

Interested hunters can print out an application, or submit a lottery application online at the game and fish website, discovernd.com/gnf. Applications are also available from North Dakota Game and Fish offices, county auditors and license vendors.

Mailed applications must be postmarked by midnight of the respective deadline. Residents and nonresidents are eligible to apply in the third lottery. The leftover license fee for nonresident hunters is $55. The regular deer gun season starts at noon Nov. 4 and runs through Nov. 20.

The lottery drawing for persons who have not yet received a 2005 deer gun license will take place prior to the lottery for hunters seeking additional licenses.

Deer Gun Licenses Remaining

(B = Any Antlerless    D = Antlerless Whitetail    F = Antlerless Mule Deer)  

Record Number of Walleye Fingerlings Stocked in State Waters 072005
Several years down the road, North Dakota anglers should benefit from a record number of walleye fingerlings produced at Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery this spring.

The hatchery, near Riverdale, produced 9.8 million walleye fingerlings in 2005, breaking the bench mark set in 1991, according to Jerry Weigel, North Dakota Game and Fish Department fisheries production and development section leader. The average number of walleye fingerlings produced in a year is typically 4-6 million, which is directly related to statewide need.

The record total was driven by a higher than normal request of 7 million fingerlings. "With limited natural reproduction in recent years there was a need to stock Lake Sakakawea, Devils Lake and several additional large waters," Weigel said. "Water conditions going into the spring were not the best, and most of these larger waters had conservative requests. With all the rain we had, timing of the surplus production could not have been better."

Weigel said even given the small size of the typical fingerling - about 1-2 inches - more than 6,000 pounds of walleye fingerlings were produced. "It's a great year for walleye, and the receiving waters could not have been in better condition," he said, noting weather conditions were generally overcast and rainy, making water temperatures favorable for the young fish. "Most lakes had rising cooler water, or were in a newly flooded condition ... it was perfect."

Altogether, 78 lakes and rivers were stocked in North Dakota, Weigel said, covering every corner of the state. "The fish quality was fantastic during the entire two-and-a-half weeks of shipping," he said, "plus it was rare to come to a lake where drivers did not have to go through rising water to get to a dock.

"We have set the stage for a phenomenal walleye year," Weigel continued. "We will know more this fall when our crews follow up to check on survival rate of the stocked fish and determine the amount of natural reproduction."

Game and Fish Department's 75 Year Anniversary - Part 3: The Future
Weather conditions, habitat and wise management decisions have all played an important role in shaping North Dakota's current outdoor resources. As the third of a three-part series highlighting the North Dakota Game and Fish Department's 75 th anniversary, this installment highlights some key issues that will be critical to maintaining the state's current fish and wildlife populations.

Maintaining and preserving habitat is the single most important issue fish and wildlife managers will have to contend with in the near future, according to Dean Hildebrand, game and fish director. Other areas of immediate concern, Hildebrand mentioned, are to increase - or at least maintain - the current number of hunters and anglers, leasing of land by commercial and private interests, and the potential threat of disease.

"There are some challenges that will have to be confronted and overcome," Hildebrand said. "And it all starts with habitat. If we lose habitat, fish and wildlife populations will suffer, and the number of people hunting and fishing will decline."

Of immediate concern is the next farm program, Hildebrand said. "It is important for us to work with Congress to make sure the agricultural program meets the needs of farmers, landowners and wildlife," he said.

By 2010 some 3.4 million acres enrolled in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Program are scheduled to expire in North Dakota, and 1.7 million acres are set to expire in 2007. "We are entering a critical time for CRP," Hildebrand said.

As 2007 approaches, many producers will be looking for options on lands set to expire from CRP. There is concern that many producers may return the expired CRP to cropland, Hildebrand said. "It has been estimated in North Dakota that 79 percent of all lands expiring from CRP in 2007 may be returned to cropland," he added. "It is important that producers have an opportunity to re-enroll in CRP."

USDA-Farm Service Agency has recently finished review of more than 5,000 comments received in response to a fall 2004 comment period. As USDA moves forward in addressing this issue, Hildebrand mentioned the North Dakota Game and Fish Department and other state agencies will provide consistent collaboration with USDA to ensure this important program continues to fulfill its wildlife goals and maintain its successful reputation.

As wildlife officials are paying special attention to the farm program, fishery managers are concerned with aquatic nuisance species and the impact they have on state waters. ANS are exotic plants and animals that can do great damage to fishery and other aquatic resources by overwhelming native and desirable species. "We have to stay abreast of this issue, because we cannot let this get away from us," Hildebrand said.

Prevention of ANS is now officially structured, Hildebrand noted, as state agencies and private groups worked together to develop a state management plan that was approved by Gov. John Hoeven, and state lawmakers passed a law that allows for stern penalties for anyone who contributes to the spread of ANS.

Leasing of lands by commercial and private interest groups is an issue that is not going to go away, Hildebrand warned, and it is important for game and fish to work with landowners and provide them with options so they can make a good living from agriculture, so they are less likely to lease their land to commercial interests.

"Our Private Land Open To Sportsmen program is an example of how we are working with landowners to keep their land open to hunters," Hildebrand said.

"It is important to work with these interests, and correctly manage the guides and outfitters, so it doesn't eliminate the rank and file resident hunters and anglers," Hildebrand continued. "Lands bought or leased by urban residents and nonresidents for their own gain are more likely to keep hunters off that land, than are landowners who are living and working on that land. I am a strong advocate for residents. They live here 365 days a year and support our communities, and I don't want to see us lose resident numbers."

The threat of plant and wildlife disease is something that can significantly change the landscape of North Dakota, and Hildebrand said the department is continuing efforts to minimize disease problems.

For example, Hildebrand says game and fish officials have learned a lot from the chronic wasting disease issue, and he believes that is something we now have a handle on. "It (CWD) is something we didn't know much about a few years ago, but we learned from other states, have put a plan in place, and now feel confident in our abilities to monitor CWD, and if it is ever found in North Dakota, we are prepared to act," he said.

"And who knows where technology is going to take us," Hildebrand continued. "Just look at the advancements made in the last 25 years alone, and the same thing will happen in the next 25. This causes me to be concerned about fair chase, we don't want science to get ahead of the resource."

Hildebrand looks toward the next 75 years with a degree of concern, most notably with maintaining the current number of resident hunters and anglers. "If we make it difficult for them to hunt or fish they will gravitate to other activities," Hildebrand said. "Our young folks are finding the computer, jet skis and all terrain vehicles attractive and entertaining. If we don't capture an interest in hunting and fishing early on for our young people, we will lose them."

The need for aggressive recruitment is urgent, Hildebrand mentioned, because he says if we lose our recruitment in state there will be more pressure from outside. "We must do our part to gain their interest, but so much depends on our weather and our habitat base," he added. "We can't do much about Mother Nature, but we really must do everything we can to conserve, protect and enhance our habitat for future generations.

"Our future will be bright," Hildebrand continued, "if we have adequate water of good quality, and farm programs with conservation provisions that meet the needs of landowners, hunters and anglers."

Prairie Chicken Applications Due Aug. 10
North Dakota will hold a prairie chicken hunting season in October, and regulations for the 2005 season will be similar to last year when the state held its first prairie chicken season in more than half a half-century.

The prairie grouse hunting season - good for either sharp-tailed grouse or prairie chickens - will be held Oct. 8-16 in two hunting units, one in Grand Forks County (north unit) and the other in southeastern North Dakota (south unit). Fifty licenses will be awarded to resident hunters in each unit, the same as 2004.

Applications for the 2005 season must be in the mail and postmarked no later than Aug. 10. To apply for the prairie grouse season, hunters need to send a postcard containing their name, address, phone number and choice of hunting unit (north or south) to Prairie Chicken Application, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, 100 N. Bismarck Expressway, Bismarck, N.D. 58501.

Only one application per postcard and one application per hunter is permitted. Successful applicants will be notified through the mail.

Last year, North Dakota held its first prairie chicken season since 1945. The season limit was two prairie grouse, and altogether 51 prairie chickens - 39 from the north unit and 12 from the south unit - and 30 sharptails were taken during the nine-day season.

The department received 531 applications in 2004 - 250 for the north unit, 249 for the south unit, and 32 did not specify a unit.