Say Anything Blog

North Dakota’s fall turkey season is set and prospective hunters can apply online, or print out an application to mail, at the state Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov.


The fall wild turkey season extends from Oct. 11 through Jan. 11, 2009. A total of 8,700 wild turkey licenses are available, an increase of 675 from last year. In addition, up to 1,300 licenses may be used in specific hunting units if turkey reproduction is exceptionally good this spring.


“At this point it is too early to tell what the numbers of young birds will look like,” said Stan Kohn, upland game management supervisor. “If reproduction is good, these licenses in reserve will be available on a first come, first served basis after the lottery and before Oct. 1.”


An experimental turkey hunting season is established within the city of Bismarck to help control a growing population of birds in residential areas. A maximum of 25 licenses will be distributed on a first come, first served basis to individuals who are licensed to bow hunt deer within the city. These licenses will be available at the Game and Fish Department in Bismarck once a person has a valid city archery permit.



hope to see a successful urban archery turkey hunt take place as hunters are the #1 choice for effective and efficient urban wildlife managment.



Hunting units 21 (Hettinger and Adams counties) and 53 (Divide and Williams counties) will remain closed to fall turkey hunting in 2008 because of a decline in turkey numbers.


Lottery applications will be available by June 16 from Game and Fish Department offices, county auditors and license vendors. Gratis applications are available only at Game and Fish and county auditor offices.


Applications are also accepted at the department’s toll-free licensing line, 800-406-6409. A service fee is added for license applications made over the phone.


Applications for the fall season must be postmarked no later than July 2. Only North Dakota residents are eligible to apply in the first lottery. Nonresidents can apply for fall turkey licenses that are still available following the first lottery.

here’s a cross post from http://www.outdoornewsguy.com

As part of a Special Operations Division investigation, Game Commission officers purchased feathers from Rohrdanza from a red-shouldered hawk, crow, blackbird, Canada goose, gull, blue jay, barred owl, turkey vulture, and wild turkey. Penalties for nine of the charges of illegally selling and possessing wildlife parts range from $75 to $200 for each count, and penalties for the one charge of unlawful selling and possessing of parts a protected bird range from $100 to $300.

full post here on www.outdoornewsguy.com

I’m a fan of the caffeine craze. Life is to short to be spent in bed and taking naps. I’ve grown to spend my mornings with depth charges, afternoons with Vault Zero. In between a little jolt gum and now…

Extreme VOJO energy mints. Not your regular mint. They look like an old tic-tac but kick it into 2008 with caffeine, b-vitamins and taurine. My day just become a little more productive.

Let’s be honest with the millions of hunters and anglers, lead occurrence from pencils to paint has been around for decades. Elevated blood lead levels are concerning but we owe it to hunters to identify the real origination before going beyond suggestions and moving into requirements.

Here’s a link this past Friday podcast from the Joel Heitkamp show. You can click this link to listen if you missed.

But don’t forget to listen each Friday at 4:35 on.......

550 KFYR,

AM 790 KFGO,

and AM 910 KCJB.

subscribe on itunes

it can also be found at myspace
or
facebook

this week fisheries division chief Greg Power joins us for a discussion on special fish management regulations on AM 790 KFGO Fargo. Podcast at outdoorslive

This weekend in North Dakota is free fishing weekend. Which got me thinking...with a license being $11 for a resident or part of the 32$ sportsmens license. Really the license is about the cheapest part of the outing.

$11 get’s you about three gallons of gas. $11 gets you a six pack of..Vault Zero and a bag of pork rinds.

$11 gets you a burger/fries/soda at Ground Round…

wow...and for $11 you can fish the entire year....

Go fish--

With the huge meeting taking place in Minnesota and wrap up of lead/blood testing in North Dakota I asked myself last evening. How often have I bitten split shot to put on my fishing line? The answer. About everytime I go fishing.

so.

even if there are elevated levels of lead in blood, the next question is did it come from lead in venison?

North Dakota’s first round deer lottery application deadline is tonight at 11:59 PM. apply online at http://www.gf.nd.gov.

North Dakota anglers are reminded they can fish for free June 7-8.

That is the weekend North Dakota residents may fish without a license, except for paddlefish. All other fishing regulations apply.

Refer to the 2008-10 North Dakota Fishing Guide for season information.

f you figure on average around 12 weekends for the summer, and the past Saturday and Sunday here with little wind, few clouds, bountiful sun....NO skeeters (yet?) and this could go down as one of the top 5 weekends of the summer. Heck maybe top 2? Easily the best so far...maybe that’s because I got the kids out fishing?

For years I’ve been frustrated paying for a haircut every two weeks. I know...it’s part of life. But keeping short hair required me to have it cut about every two weeks. I tried it myself, but looked like a mangy fox. My wife detested cutting my hair or my sons for that matter.

Last week I ordered the remington short cut. The hook is that it is not just a regular straight shear. No, the seller, is that it’s curved for my cranium (not for blockheads). And to my surprise..it works...just like the video on the website. It took about 2 times...but man...in this age of rising prices between my son and I together the $40 investment just saved us $34/month…

check out the site and the video…

In North Dakota 1/4 fish. So when I’m standing in line at the gas station there’s a good chance I can talk fishing. We have a common bond which is why I love ND.

Despite North Dakota’s low water levels and ongoing drought concerns, fishing license statistics again show positive results.

In 2007, residents and nonresidents purchased more than 170,000 North Dakota fishing licenses, and including children, about 200,000 people fished state waters. More than one in four residents ages 16 or older bought a fishing license. The number of nonresidents coming to North Dakota dropped slightly, but remains relatively strong with Devils Lake the most popular destination.

“Fishing continues to be popular for many North Dakotans, and the number of anglers coming to fish from out-of-state remains strong,” said Greg Power, state Game and Fish Department fisheries division chief.

The three large fisheries in North Dakota – Lake Sakakawea, Devils Lake and Missouri River/Lake Oahe – continue to lead the state in terms of participation, effort and fish harvest. On average, approximately 825,000 walleye are harvested annually from these three water bodies combined.

Despite the importance of the big fisheries, numerous smaller lakes and rivers also play a large role in fishing. North Dakota’s 270 small lakes, reservoirs and rivers account for nearly 50 percent of all fishing effort. “These fisheries are very important locally,” Power said. “In most cases, first time anglers are introduced to a smaller lake in their back yard and not the large fisheries. With good fishing opportunities scattered throughout the state, anglers shouldn’t have to travel far from home to find walleye, northern pike, large and smallmouth bass, catfish, trout or panfish.”

License sales have held at a high level since rebounding in the mid-1990s. Power attributes this to a decade of decent water levels across most of the state, some very good years of fish reproduction, and a strong stocking program.

However, of major concern is the growing affect the drought has as it spreads slowly eastward across the state. “With the exception of the extreme southeastern portion of the state, most lakes and reservoirs throughout North Dakota could use more water, and in some cases a lot of water,” Power said. “This is especially evident in the western third and south central portions of the state.”

Statewide, in the past few years at least 30 water bodies have lost their fisheries due to extremely low lake levels. In addition, even some of the larger systems, including Lakes Sakakawea, Oahe and Darling, have been impacted.

“Water is an absolute in supporting fishing opportunities, and though weather patterns will dictate when the impacts of the drought will subside, all efforts to conserve water are essential,” Power said.

Looking for outdoor news updates from beyond North Dakota. Try Outdoornewsguy.com

we wear seatbelts out of habit. what about life jackets?

Each year, about 700 people nationwide die in boating-related accidents.

• Nearly 70 percent are caused by drowning, and eight of 10 victims were not wearing a life jacket.

• Also, eight of 10 victims were using boats less than 20 feet in length.