Say Anything Blog

Kind of interesting how the August 15 goose opener really took people’s attention away from fishing. But realistically this is a great time to get out to some of those other spots. If your bored with hitting the same spot every weekend, check out the Game and Fish Dept. website, click on fishing and check out some stocking reports, lakes lists and countour maps. You might be surprised that just down the road is a slough or pond that’s been stocked a few years ago. It’s what makes fishing so much fun, trying out some of the other waters of NoDak.

Here’s a long but worthwhile read on what people with windmills in their back yard think about them.

But what this brawny 48-year-old farmer’s son hates most about the windmills is that his father, who owns much of the property, signed a deal with the wind company to allow seven turbines on Yancey land.

“I was sold out by my own father,” he sputters.

Funding the outdoors, like just about everything else these day’s, is a huge concern. I’ll be honest I haven’t given this issue in Minnesota as much times as I could. I try to stay abreast, but even struggle to keep everything straight in North Dakota. Alas, here’s a nice piece by Brad Dokken from the today’s Grand Forks Herald.

Minnesota voters Nov. 4 will decide whether to dedicate three-eighths of 1 percent of the state’s sales tax for clean water, fish and wildlife habitat, parks and trails and the arts.
If voters pass the so-called “dedicated funding” measure, the sales tax hike would generate about $300 million annually during the next 25 years, which is the period the amendment covers.

So far so good for the 2008 Early Canada goose season. I was emailed my first goose pix by 10AM and accounts from NW of Bismarck to Richland County were of decent amount of hunters and obviously plentiful birds. Couple of note were that the birds were grouping up into huntable numbers more and more through the week, making for some decent flocks over 100s. And as hot as August ‘could’ be this wasn’t to bad on the edges with 60s in the early AM.

This morning the early Canada goose season opens up with reports of wet conditions in some areas, harvest running through others and for the most part good local goose numbers. Also the third deer lottery has been held, which means we’re into the first come, first served portion of remaining deer tags will be coming soon. There’s still units with turkey tags left if you’d like to add one into your fall hunt or add on if you already have a fall turkey license. All done at http://www.gf.nd.gov. Good luck and enjoy the weekend...outdoors.

NDSU football has a catchy slogan/marketing campaing with a deep, out of space voice asking...."where will you be?” for the Bison games....and I ask as we count down the hours until the 2008 early Canada goose season kickoff....WHERE WILL YOU BE?  in the field? on the sidelines?

The North Dakota Cooperative Fur Harvester Education program is sponsoring fur harvester education classes in Bismarck for anyone interested in trapping or hunting furbearers.

The free 16-hour course is set for Aug. 19 (5:30-9:30 p.m.), 21 (5:30-9:30 p.m.) and 23 (8 a.m.-4 p.m.) at the Game and Fish Department in Bismarck.

For more information contact Jeff Long, Department education coordinator, at 701-328-6322.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will continue to test wild birds for early detection of highly pathogenic strains of avian influenza.

A total of 300 samples from live birds will be taken in conjunction with duck banding efforts in August and September, and 500 samples from hunter-harvested ducks will be collected in September and October. Geese will not be tested because they aren’t known carriers of the virus.

Hunters may be asked by a Game and Fish Department employee if their ducks can be sampled. Sampling only takes a few minutes and does not damage birds.

In addition, Department biologists will conduct morbidity and mortality surveillance of any unusual bird die-offs or illnesses through October.

Avian influenza testing efforts began nationwide in 2006, and all samples for the highly pathogenic H5N1 subtype have tested negative.

As early Canada goose season opens Aug. 15, and with dove, sandhill crane and regular waterfowl seasons soon to follow, migratory game bird hunters are reminded to register with the Harvest Information Program prior to hunting in North Dakota this fall.

HIP certification is required for all migratory bird hunters, regardless of age, before hunting ducks, geese, swans, mergansers, coots, cranes, snipe, doves or woodcock.

Hunters who purchase a license through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Bismarck office, website (gf.nd.gov), or instant licensing telephone number (800-406-6409) can easily get HIP certified.

Otherwise, hunters must call 888-634-4798, or log on to the Game and Fish website, and record the HIP number on their fishing, hunting and furbearer certificate.

Those who registered to hunt the spring light goose season in North Dakota do not have to register with HIP again, as it is required only once per year. However, hunters must HIP register in each state for which they are licensed before hunting migratory game birds.

The reality of our modern life style is we each have our own views of what the Endangered Species Act is and should be. But reality is that the ESA has a firm definition, but a broad range of implementation and impacts…can reach globaly.

For me personally the ESA is related to birds like the California Condor and the Spotted Owl of the Northwest. The nations symbol of the bald eagle is probably the most trans-appealing endangered species of our time. Truth many would be surprised at the number of Endangered Species. The data base lists nearly 2,000 from toads to snails, grizzly bears and butter fly’s.

full post at http://www.outdoornewsguy.com

A 64-pound blue catfish caught in the Choctawhatchee River is the largest ever reported in Florida, a biologist confirmed this week.

The record belongs to James Mitchell, 64, a longtime Washington County fisherman whose age matches the fish’s weight.

full story here

outdoornewsguy.com

A man driving a Porsche pulled in behind him and approached him carrying a baseball bat. The man was yelling about the student’s driving.

The student pulled a Glock 23 pistol from his glove box and got out of his car, the report stated.

I got a press release the other day from Cougar Fund expressing opposition as to North Dakota increasing the quota on mountain lions.

HELENA - A Townsend man said he had “a little excitement to start the morning” when a mountain lion launched itself through a closed window at his home and tore apart a room in his basement.

Scott Vine, a 45-year-old ranch worker, said the female adolescent cat set off an alarm on his property at about 6:30 a.m. Thursday.

“My dogs started raising hell,” said Vine, whose wife and two stepchildren, ages 14 and 20, were also home at the time. “I looked out the window and there was a lion.”

full story here in the Missoulain

http://www.outdoornewsguy.com