Notebook: North Dakota National Wild Turkey Federation chapter commits $41,000 to state projects
Oct. 7—The North Dakota State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation recently budgeted $41,000 for conservation and outreach-education projects and events in the state as part of the NWTF's Hunting Heritage Super Fund project. The state chapter's board of directors conducted a review and ranking process in awarding project funds.
"A huge thank you goes out to the volunteers and members who raise and help allocate these funds," Clayton Lenk, NWTF district biologist for Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota, said in a news release. "Their allocations tie directly to the heart of the mission, and we couldn't accomplish the great things we do without their help."
The North Dakota State Board of Directors dedicated funding to the following projects:
* Miscellaneous Hunting Heritage events and programs, $12,000.
* North Dakota Game and Fish
wild turkey research project — GPS collars, $10,000.
*
NWTF Waterways for Wildlife Initiative
, $10,000.
* North Dakota Game and Fish Department Private Lands Open to Sportsmen (PLOTS) program, $5,000.
* Red River Regional Marksmanship Center in West Fargo, range expansion, $2,500.
* Souris River Basin Longbeards, tree planting, $1,000.
* Wahpeton Trap Team, shooting simulator, $500.
Each year, the North Dakota NWTF State Chapter allocates funds for a variety of conservation work and education and outreach events, as well as other mission-related activities. Funding for these projects is provided through the NWTF Super Fund, a funding model where NWTF volunteers raise money at banquets and other types of fundraisers and then allocate a significant portion of those funds back into meaningful conservation and outreach projects the state board of directors approves. — staff report
BISMARCK — The North Dakota Game and Fish Department's annual fall aerial mule deer survey is set to begin in early to mid-October in western North Dakota, the department said. Weather permitting, the survey takes about two weeks to complete.
During the survey period, people could notice low-flying small airplanes over some parts of the Badlands.
Game and Fish biologists have completed aerial surveys of the same 24 Badlands study areas since the 1950s. The survey is used to collect mule deer population data for monitoring demographic trends, such as buck-to-doe and fawn-to-doe ratios. — staff report
BISMARCK — The North Dakota Game and Fish Department's construction project in Bismarck, which will block vehicular traffic to the entrance, closed to walk-in traffic Friday, Oct. 6, the department said. It's anticipated the building will reopen Monday, Oct. 16.
Licensing staff will be able to provide assistance for hunters and anglers by calling (701) 328-6300.
Hunting and fishing licenses, and watercraft registrations can be purchased online by visiting the Game and Fish Department's website at
.
The pond and nature walk on the outdoor wildlife learning site adjacent to the main office will remain closed to fishing and other activities. — staff report
ST. PAUL — Shakopee artist Mark Thone won the Minnesota Pheasant Stamp Contest, and artist Stephen Hamrick of Lakeville, Minnesota, won the state Turkey Stamp Contest, the Department of Natural Resources said.
Thone's acrylic painting of a pheasant was selected Thursday, Sept. 28, from seven eligible submissions. Second place was Stephen Hamrick of Lakeville, Minnesota, and third place was Mike Zillgitt of Pine Island, Minnesota. The winning artwork will be featured on the 2024 pheasant stamp.
Hamrick, who placed second in the pheasant stamp competition, won the turkey stamp contest Sept. 28 with an acrylic-on-illustration-board painting of a wild turkey. Second place was Michael Sieve of Rushford, Minnesota, and third place was Sam Larsen of Bemidji, who in August won the 2024 Minnesota Walleye Stamp Contest. Hamrick's winning artwork will be featured on the 2025 turkey stamp.
Hunters can purchase the pheasant and turkey stamps in combination with hunting licenses or as collectables.
* More info:
. — staff report
BISMARCK — The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is asking water recreationists and property owners to check for zebra mussels and other aquatic nuisance species when removing boat lifts, docks and other equipment from state waters this fall.
Water recreationists and property owners play a vital role in ANS prevention, said Ben Holen, ANS coordinator.
Zebra mussels attach to hard surfaces that are left in the water for long periods of time, first settling in tight spaces and areas that are protected from sunlight, Holen said. Equipment such as boat lifts and docks are high risk vectors for spreading ANS, especially zebra mussels.
"It makes it easier to do a thorough search when equipment is taken out of the water in fall," he said. "Pay special attention to wheel wells, right angles on frames and areas otherwise protected from sunlight. Feel for attached organisms that have small hair-like structures holding them in place. Small mussels can feel like rough sandpaper, and adults can be as large as 2 inches long."
Anyone who thinks they've found a zebra mussel should take photos, write down any relevant information, such as how many were found and where, and report it on the Game and Fish website at
, or email Holen at
. — staff report
BISMARCK — A permit is required before taking possession of a dead deer found near a road or in a field, the Game and Fish Department said. Only shed antlers can be possessed without a permit.
Permits are free and available from Game and Fish Department game wardens and local law enforcement offices.
In addition, hunters should properly dispose of dead deer. Carcass waste cannot be left on public property, including roadways, ditches or wildlife management areas.
If transported out of its respective gun unit of origin, carcass waste must be disposed of via landfill or waste management provider. This requirement does not apply to heads dropped off at chronic wasting disease collection sites, or lymph nodes submitted for CWD surveillance. — staff report
ST. PAUL — Minnesota deer hunters have multiple options for getting their deer tested for chronic wasting disease, the DNR said.
Those options include requesting a mail-in kit before hunting or utilizing kits obtained but not used last year. Hunters may participate in the partner sampling program. Hunters can also make an appointment to have their deer sampled at Minnesota DNR area wildlife offices, and contact information is available on the DNR website. Additionally, deer hunters are required to have deer age 1 or older sampled for CWD in all CWD management and surveillance zones during the opening weekend of the firearms A season, Nov. 4-5.
Hunters should also know the Deer Permit Area (DPA) number of the area they're planning to hunt before buying a license and take time to understand the CWD regulations and sampling options for that particular area. The DNR also has a DPA lookup tool on its
make a plan for deer season webpage
to help in checking if a DPA has carcass movement restrictions, or has deer feeding or attractant bans in place. — staff report
*
National Wildlife Refuge Week
begins Sunday, Oct. 8, and continues through Saturday, Oct. 14, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said. National Wildlife Refuge Week occurs annually during the second full week of October. More info:
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* The North Dakota Game and Fish Department encourages hunters, anglers and landowners who witness a fish or wildlife violation to file a report with Report All Poachers by calling RAP at (701) 328-9921.The RAP line offers rewards — from $100 to $1,000 depending on the nature and seriousness of the crime — for information leading to the conviction of fish and wildlife law violators. Reports can also go directly to game wardens or other law enforcement agencies. Callers can remain anonymous.
* The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is taking orders for its North Dakota OUTDOORS calendar, the source for all hunting season and application dates for 2024. Calendars must be ordered online at
.
* Hunting small game, waterfowl, furbearers or big game by nonresidents is prohibited by North Dakota state law on Private Land Open To Sportsmen (PLOTS) acreage and state wildlife management areas from Saturday, Oct. 7, through Friday, Oct. 13, the first seven days of the pheasant season, the Game and Fish Department said in a reminder. However, nonresidents can hunt on PLOTS land they own during that week.
* The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has initiated "Earth Day, Every Day" to promote continual awareness about the environment. Groups that engage in environmental clean-up projects, landscaping or other efforts that promote environmental awareness, will receive an Earth Day patch for all participants. Info: Sherry Niesar, Earth Day coordinator, (701) 527-3714 or by email at
. — staff reports
