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News Releases

North Dakota Game and Fish Department

North Dakota Game and Fish Department

News Releases

Game Warden Exam Set for Aug. 5, 2016

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has scheduled an examination to select candidates for the position of district game warden. The test is at 10 a.m., Aug. 5, at the department's main office in Bismarck.

Applicants must register to take the exam no later than Aug. 1 by submitting an online application through the North Dakota State Job Openings website.

Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and have a bachelor’s degree at time of hire (tentative hire date is Oct. 1), have a valid driver’s license and a current North Dakota peace officer license, or be eligible to be licensed. Candidates must have excellent interpersonal skills in communications and writing, and must not have a record of any felony convictions.

District game wardens enforce game and fish laws and related regulations in an assigned district and other locations as determined by the department. Wardens normally work alone under varied conditions, at all hours of the day, night and weekends. In addition to law enforcement duties, wardens assist in the areas of public relations, education programs, and hunter and boat safety education.

Salary through training for a district game warden is $3,800 per month. Upon successful completion of training, the monthly salary ranges are $4,260 - $7,100. Wardens also receive the state benefits package, including travel allowance. Uniforms and other equipment are provided.

Spring Breeding Duck Numbers Tallied

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual spring breeding duck survey conducted in May showed an index of 3.4 million birds, down 5 percent from last year.

“The spring migration was well ahead of normal as open fields and warm temperatures allowed early migrants to pass quickly through the state,” said migratory game bird supervisor Mike Szymanski.

Survey results indicated all species, except ruddy ducks (up 19 percent) and gadwall (up 4 percent), decreased from their 2015 estimates, while shovelers remained unchanged. Mallards were down 9 percent, pintails down 17 percent and canvasbacks down 18 percent. However all species, with the exception of pintails and canvasbacks, were above the long-term average (1948-2015).

Szymanski said the number of temporary and seasonal wetlands was substantially lower than last year, with the spring water index down 50 percent.

“However, conditions coming out of May into June were much wetter than what we observed during the week of the survey,” Szymanski added. “Frequent rains have since filled many wetlands that are beneficial for breeding ducks.”

The water index is based on basins with water, and does not necessarily represent the amount of water contained in wetlands or the type of wetlands represented.

Szymanski said the July brood survey will provide a better idea of duck production and insight into expectations for this fall. “The total breeding duck index is still in the top 20 all time, so there is still a lot of potential for good production this year,” he added. “Hopefully improved wetland conditions since the May survey will carry through into increased wetland availability for duck broods.”

Watchable Wildlife Photo Contest

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual Watchable Wildlife Photo Contest is now open, and the deadline for submissions is Sept. 30.

The contest has categories for nongame and game species, as well as plants/insects. An overall winning photograph will be chosen, with the number of place winners in each category determined by the number of qualified entries.

Contest entries are limited to digital files submitted on disk or via email. Contestants are limited to no more than five entries. Photos must have been taken in North Dakota.

By submitting an entry, photographers grant permission to Game and Fish to publish winning photographs in North Dakota OUTDOORS magazine, and on the Department’s website, gf.nd.gov.

Photo disks should be sent to Watchable Wildlife Photo Contest, C/O Patrick T. Isakson, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, 100 N. Bismarck Expressway, Bismarck, ND 58501-5095.

Send emailed digital photos to photocontest@nd.gov. Photographers will need to supply the original image if needed for publication.

Photo disks will not be returned. All entries must be accompanied by the photographer’s name, address, phone number and email address if available. Other information such as photo site location and month taken are also useful.

Handle Fish with Care

North Dakota’s open water fishing season has many anglers hoping to land that elusive trophy fish. While hooking a wall-mounter is important for some anglers, others simply enjoy the thrill and return the fish back into the water.

Catch-and-release is effective only if released fish are handled carefully. The following precautions will enhance the likelihood of a released fish remaining healthy:

Fish should be caught from depths less than 30 feet.

Land the fish quickly. If possible, don’t play the fish to exhaustion while attempting to bring it in.

A needle-nose pliers or similar tool should be used to remove the hook.

When removing the hook, don’t squeeze the fish or hold it by its eye sockets, and avoid contact with the gills.

If the fish is hooked deep, cut the line close to the mouth.

If possible, hold the fish in the water while preparing it for release, including while handling it to remove the hook.

Don’t throw the fish into the water. When releasing it, place it into the water and move it slowly back and forth until it becomes acclimated.

BOW Program Announces Schedule

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program is announcing its schedule for 2016.

A new paddleboarding event is set for July 7 at Harmon Lake in Morton County. Participants will experience an evening on the water using a stand-up paddleboard. Equipment and gear is included in the $30 registration fee. Register online at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.

The annual summer workshop is Aug. 5-7 at Lake Metigoshe State Park, Bottineau. Participants may take several programs including archery, canoeing, introduction to firearms, fly-fishing, basic shotgunning, hiking, plant identification and trapping. Workshop fees of $100 cover instruction, program materials, use of equipment, all meals and lodging. Registration information is available on the Game and Fish website.

A canoe trip is scheduled Sept. 10-11 at Lake Metigoshe State Park. The two-day workshop will include instruction and significant time on the water. Workshop fees of $75 include instruction, use of equipment, meals and lodging. Prior paddling experience is recommended. Registration for this event will open in late June.

BOW workshops are designed primarily for women with an interest in learning skills associated with hunting, fishing and outdoor endeavors. Although open to anyone age 18 or older, the workshops are tailored primarily to women who have never tried these activities or who are beginners hoping to improve their skills.

More information is available by contacting Brian Schaffer at 701-328-6312.

USFWS Says Moose May Warrant Future Protection

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that a subspecies of moose found in North Dakota and three other states could warrant federal protection. The finding opens a full status review by the USFWS to determine whether moose could be listed under the Endangered Species Act. State Game and Fish Department officials emphasize the finding merely initiates a status review of moose in the Upper Midwest, and it will not affect any current state regulations in the foreseeable future.

The announcement concerns the population of the moose subspecies found only in the Midwest, including Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin in addition to North Dakota.

Jeb Williams, Game and Fish Department wildlife division chief, said the Department will be providing data to show that the state’s moose population has been doing quite well for years.

Williams mentioned if data on North Dakota's moose population had been considered in the petition's finding, it's possible the state's moose population would have been excluded from the process.

“This can be a long and confusing process, but North Dakotans need to understand that nothing will change in the interim and we believe our moose population will continue to do well,” Williams said.

Currently the state’s highest moose densities are found in the northwest, while numbers in what was once considered traditional habitat in the Turtle Mountains and Pembina Hills, remain low. Overall, the statewide population is stable to increasing.

North Dakota held its first moose hunting season in 1977 and 10 licenses were made available to hunters. The season has run uninterrupted since then.

For 2016, the Game and Fish Department allocated 202 moose licenses, up 70 from 2015.

The Department continues to monitor moose that die from causes other than hunting, to determine any effects of disease and to gain a better understanding of why they died.

In addition, a three-year moose research study is ongoing in the Kenmare area and on the Missouri River bottoms southeast of Williston. The research is focusing on annual survival, cause-specific mortality, reproduction rates, annual and season movements and home range use, as well as seasonal habitat selection.

Summer Safety on the Water

Failure to wear a personal flotation device is the main reason people lose their lives in water recreation accidents.

North Dakota law requires all children ages 10 and younger to wear a personal flotation device while in boats of less than 27 feet in length. The law also requires all personal watercraft users to wear a life jacket, as well as anyone towed on skis, tubes, boards or other similar devices.

Water users should make sure to wear life jackets that are the appropriate size, and in good condition. It is also important that children wear a PFD while swimming.

Water skiers and tubers should wear a life jacket with four nylon straps rather than one with a zipper, because straps are stronger than zippers upon impact with water. Anglers or persons paddling a canoe should opt for a PFD that is comfortable enough to wear for an entire outing.

Water skiers and tubers are reminded it takes three to ski and tube. When a person is towed on water skis or a similar device, an observer other than the operator is required on the vessel.

Swimmers should know the water’s depth as serious injuries can occur from diving into water. Large objects hidden below the water’s surface can lead to significant injury.

North Dakota boaters also are reminded that marine VHF radios are an important part of boat safety that should not be improperly used by operators. These radios are intended for boat operators who are in distress and facing an emergency situation.

Regulations to help ensure safe boating this summer are found in the 2016-18 North Dakota Fishing Guide. A more comprehensive listing is available in the North Dakota Boat and Water Safety Guide or the Boat North Dakota education book. These guides are available online at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov, by email at ndgf@nd.gov, or at a local Game and Fish Department office.