Say Anything Blog

Monday marked the opening of the 7th North Dakota spearing season in our state. Remember not every lake in North Dakota is legal to spear. Check the Game and Fish Department website and you’ll find a list of open lakes. You don’t need a special license, but for the sake of surveying the spearing success you are required to register on the website. When looking at the popularity of spearing, around 800-1100 people register and spear in North Dakota. That’s right, it’s not as popular as you’d be lead to believe by some who are concerned with the lack of a spear and release opportunity. I’ve speared and will tell you the biggest pike I’ve ever had as by hook and line. Most of my pike speared are pretty small--like 5 pound range. I’ll bring some more interesting stats in coming days.

seeing how picky jess is that ice fishing labels should discuss ice and not open water, here’s the correct video.Doug Leier joins Michelle Turnberg on The Valley Today for a discussion on ice safety. Special guest appearance by Matt Granite as ice spike demonstrator extraordinaire

Yesterday I spoke to the Kiwanis club in Valley City and have to say I enjoy all public speaking opportunities and each one is different. One subtle difference in a service club compared to the usual wildlife clubs and fishing groups is the cross section of people. Lawyers that don’t hunt, a sheriff that loves to fish, some recent new area residents from other area’s etc. The state of the outdoors was the topic and things are good...and we can’t deny. In 1983 we had around 55k deer tags available and in 1997 we shot around 200k pheasants. Now we have 149k tags and will shoot around 800k pheasants. But the big question is will it last? I think we all know how a nasty winter can change the landscape, combined with losing hundreds of thousands of acres of CRP--there’s no guarantee. So we need to appreciate what we have right now.

The http://outdoornewsguy.com Doug Leier on The Valley Today with Michelle Turnberg discussing ice safety with special guest Matt Granite

Wednesday Dec 3
There’s been some confusion on the use of remaining deer tags for the black powder season which is open through December 14 in North Dakota. The nuts and bolts of it are basically, if you have a 3rd,4th tag stamped concurrent season tag, those are eligible to be used during the blackpowder season and remaining archery season in the unit which is described, so if you had a 1st lottery buck or doe tag that does not have the stamp concurrent on it, those tags are now invalid. Always a bit of confusion so just hoping to clear up some questions out there. Enjoy---

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department reminds hunters of which unfilled deer licenses can be used during the muzzleloader season.

Hunters with a lottery muzzleloader license can hunt white-tailed deer statewide. In addition, only those unfilled second, third or other concurrent season any-antlerless, antlerless whitetail, or antlerless mule deer licenses are still valid, but only in the unit to which the license is assigned. Hunters with these licenses must use a muzzleloader and hunt only the species printed on the license.

The muzzleloader season opened at noon Nov. 28 and continues through Dec. 14.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program has scheduled one-day winter workshops Jan. 17 at Crooked Lake in McLean County, and Feb. 20, 21 and 22 at Lake Metigoshe State Park, Bottineau.

The Crooked Lake class is geared toward ice fishing and darkhouse spearfishing. All equipment will be provided.

Lake Metigoshe offers a variety of classes. A class on dog sledding is available all three days with a limit of six participants per session (this class fills very fast). Snowshoeing and tracking, and winter ecology and cross-country skiing are available Feb. 21 and 22, with each class limited to 12-15 students.

Women interested in the workshops should register immediately due to limited space available. The cost is $60 for dog sledding and $50 for the other classes. Take a class on two days and the fee is $90. Preregistration with payment is required. Equipment and snacks will be provided.

Information and registration forms can be obtained by contacting Nancy Boldt, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, 100 N. Bismarck Expressway, Bismarck, ND 58501-5095; 701-328-6312; or email ndgf@nd.gov.

Registration forms are also available on the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov, by accessing the education/outreach tab.

Welcome to December! Yes we have some decent ice out there, people have taken some shots when I urge caution on the ice. I’m not saying stay off the ice. Heck I’ve heard some decent ice reports for going on over two weeks now. I am suggesting caution as there is more thin ice than thick this time of year. If you are venturing onto a reservoir, any body of water with some movement or current check every few feet. Springs and currents make for varying ice conditions. You need 3-4 inches of solid, clear ice for one person. 6 inches of an ATV or snow machine. We’ve got time and let’s hope for some good freezing temps to firm things up.

Welcome to December! Yes we have some decent ice out there, people have taken some shots when I urge caution on the ice. I’m not saying stay off the ice. Heck I’ve heard some decent ice reports for going on over two weeks now. I am suggesting caution as there is more thin ice than thick this time of year. If you are venturing onto a reservoir, any body of water with some movement or current check every few feet. Springs and currents make for varying ice conditions. You need 3-4 inches of solid, clear ice for one person. 6 inches of an ATV or snow machine. We’ve got time and let’s hope for some good freezing temps to firm things up.

There is a long list of Democrats vying to take the helm of both agencies. The two leading contenders for EPA administrator are Mary Nichols, a favorite of Boxer’s who chairs the California Air Resources Board, and Lisa Jackson, who is in the midst of switching from heading New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection to serving as chief of staff to New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine. Other possible nominees include Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen McGinty; Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles; former Sierra Club president and environmental activist Lisa Renstrom; and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a Pace University law professor and chairman of the Waterkeeper Alliance, another advocacy group.

The list for Interior is almost as long. Two House Democrats, Raul Grijalva (Ariz.) and Mike Thompson (Calif.) are contenders, but Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, former Oregon governor John Kitzhaber, National Trust for Historic Preservation President Richard Moe, as well as three former Interior officials—David Hayes, John Leshy and Clark at Defenders of Wildlife—have all been mentioned.

full story from Arizona Sun

I’ve been reading Tony Bender’s ‘That’s Life’ for the better part of a decade, and this week is another example of why--



A mother was ahead of them at the till with three kids, ages 2 to maybe 8 years old. The youngest rode in the shopping cart. The oldest had his arm in a sling and glasses sliding goofily off his nose. The mother stood there with a handful of cash, as the items were rung up. When the total was announced she was stunned for a moment. Then she stammered, “I… I’m sorry. I don’t have enough.”

I guess she was having a bad day.



full column from Wishek Star

Friday’s on the Joel Heitkamp show wrap up with John Hiatt and the outdoors. You can listen live at http://www.kfgo.com and podcasts are at http://www.outdoorslive.podcastpeople.com. And don’t forget to tune in at 4:35 on AM 550 Bismarck, AM 910 KCJB Minot and AM 790 KFGO Fargo.

This week Randy Kreil stepped up as I was busy hanging Christmas lights....

biologist Doug Leier joins Michelle Turnberg on The Valley Today discussing the rising popularity of black powder hunting.

This weekend on Outdoors Live Deputy Director Roger Rostvet wades into the issue of ethics in hunting and we’ll bring you the Game and Fish Department disease biologist Dan Grove with his rundown on Chronic Wasting Disease and the Departments ongoing surveillance.in North Dakota.  All this and more from 4-5PM and again Sunday morning at 7AM.

Listen live on AM 790 http://www.kfgo.com
http://www.outdoornewsguy.com
podcast at http://www.outdoorslive.podcastpeople.com