03-15-2004, 10:53 PM
[size 2]New regulations set for N.D. anglers
Forum staff reports
The Forum - 03/14/2004 [/size]
North Dakota’s 2004-2006 fishing proclamation has been set with new regulations effective April 1.
Notable changes for the next two years include:
Lightning Lake (McLean County) and Nygren Dam (Morton County) are closed to fishing from Nov. 1 through March 31 of each fishing year.
Ice fishing on Audubon National Wildlife Refuge begins when “ice covers the water.”
Free fishing days are June 5-6, 2004, and June 4-5, 2005.
Trout daily and possession limit is three.
White bass daily limit is established at 35 and possession limit 175.
Burbot daily limit is established at 10 and possession limit 20.
Daily and possession limit for walleye, sauger or saugeye is three for Bois de Sioux and Red rivers.
Daily and possession limit for northern pike is three for Bois de Sioux and Red rivers.
Catch-and-release-only for trout April 1 through June 30 each year on Lightning Lake (McLean County), Nygren Dam (Morton County), Moon Lake (Barnes County) and McDowell Dam (Burleigh County).
Lake Darling (Renville County) is added to the list of waters closed to bow and spear fishing.
Tioga Reservoir (Williams County), Stanley Reservoir (Mountrail County) and Diamond Lake (LaMoure County) are added to darkhouse spearfishing lake list.
Head and entrails of nongame fish classified as cut bait.
Baukol-Noonan Dam, Baukol-Noonan East Mine Pond and Baukol-Noonan Spillway Pond, all in Divide County, are removed from no-live-baitfish lakes.
Dickinson Dike (Stark County), Camel Hump Dam (Golden Valley County) and Lightning Lake (McLean County) added as no-live-baitfish lakes.
Possession of one over the limit of any protected fish species carries a $100 noncriminal fine; two or more over the limit is a Class B misdemeanor. This excludes paddlefish and muskellunge, both of which are a Class B misdemeanor with any over-limit.
Game and Fish evaluates season
Hunters had a record 2003 deer gun season, as data reveals an overall harvest of 91,900 deer, 10,400 more than in 2002, according to Jerry Gulke, data processing coordinator for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
The harvest success rate of 79.6 percent during the 2003 season was three percent higher than in 2002. The high success rate correlates with a high deer population, and second-season hunters filling their tags, Gulke said.
The department issued 32,435 second-season licenses last year and hunters harvested 24,704 deer.
A record 123,475 deer gun licenses were allocated for the 2003 season, compared to 116,925 during 2002. The average hunter spent 3.1 days afield.
Overall hunter success for whitetail bucks was 74.3 percent, and anterless whitetail success was 78.8 percent.
-- North Dakota Game and Fish
Mule deer buck success was 79.0 percent, while mule deer doe hunters had a success rate of 86.9 percent.
Youth deer season hunters had an overall success rate of 64.1 percent, with a 49.4 percent success rate during the youth-only season.
Muzzle-loader season hunters had a success rate of 52.7 percent.
Bighorn Sheep, Elk and Moose Applications Due March 17
Applications for this fall’s bighorn sheep, elk and moose hunting seasons must be in the mail and postmarked before midnight March 17, reminds Carrie Whitney, licensing supervisor for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
Prospective hunters can print out, or submit a lottery application online, at the game and fish internet website discovernd.com/gnf. Applications are also available at game and fish offices, county auditors and license vendors.
Individuals mailing applications to the department are advised to mail early because some post offices use the following day’s postmark for mail received after regular hours. The department’s online application feature will be deactivated March 17 at midnight.
North Dakota’s 2004 Nonresident Any-deer Bow Tags Have All Been Issued
North Dakota’s 2004 nonresident any-deer archery tags, good for either whitetail or mule deer, have all been issued, according to Carrie Whitney, licensing supervisor for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
A total of 783 any-deer bow tags for the 2004 bow season were available for nonresidents. The department began issuing them March 1.
The number of nonresident any-deer bow licenses available is 15 percent of the previous year’s mule deer gun license allocation. Game and fish issued 5,225 mule deer licenses in the 2003 deer gun lottery.
[signature]
Forum staff reports
The Forum - 03/14/2004 [/size]
North Dakota’s 2004-2006 fishing proclamation has been set with new regulations effective April 1.
Notable changes for the next two years include:
Lightning Lake (McLean County) and Nygren Dam (Morton County) are closed to fishing from Nov. 1 through March 31 of each fishing year.
Ice fishing on Audubon National Wildlife Refuge begins when “ice covers the water.”
Free fishing days are June 5-6, 2004, and June 4-5, 2005.
Trout daily and possession limit is three.
White bass daily limit is established at 35 and possession limit 175.
Burbot daily limit is established at 10 and possession limit 20.
Daily and possession limit for walleye, sauger or saugeye is three for Bois de Sioux and Red rivers.
Daily and possession limit for northern pike is three for Bois de Sioux and Red rivers.
Catch-and-release-only for trout April 1 through June 30 each year on Lightning Lake (McLean County), Nygren Dam (Morton County), Moon Lake (Barnes County) and McDowell Dam (Burleigh County).
Lake Darling (Renville County) is added to the list of waters closed to bow and spear fishing.
Tioga Reservoir (Williams County), Stanley Reservoir (Mountrail County) and Diamond Lake (LaMoure County) are added to darkhouse spearfishing lake list.
Head and entrails of nongame fish classified as cut bait.
Baukol-Noonan Dam, Baukol-Noonan East Mine Pond and Baukol-Noonan Spillway Pond, all in Divide County, are removed from no-live-baitfish lakes.
Dickinson Dike (Stark County), Camel Hump Dam (Golden Valley County) and Lightning Lake (McLean County) added as no-live-baitfish lakes.
Possession of one over the limit of any protected fish species carries a $100 noncriminal fine; two or more over the limit is a Class B misdemeanor. This excludes paddlefish and muskellunge, both of which are a Class B misdemeanor with any over-limit.
Game and Fish evaluates season
Hunters had a record 2003 deer gun season, as data reveals an overall harvest of 91,900 deer, 10,400 more than in 2002, according to Jerry Gulke, data processing coordinator for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
The harvest success rate of 79.6 percent during the 2003 season was three percent higher than in 2002. The high success rate correlates with a high deer population, and second-season hunters filling their tags, Gulke said.
The department issued 32,435 second-season licenses last year and hunters harvested 24,704 deer.
A record 123,475 deer gun licenses were allocated for the 2003 season, compared to 116,925 during 2002. The average hunter spent 3.1 days afield.
Overall hunter success for whitetail bucks was 74.3 percent, and anterless whitetail success was 78.8 percent.
-- North Dakota Game and Fish
Mule deer buck success was 79.0 percent, while mule deer doe hunters had a success rate of 86.9 percent.
Youth deer season hunters had an overall success rate of 64.1 percent, with a 49.4 percent success rate during the youth-only season.
Muzzle-loader season hunters had a success rate of 52.7 percent.
Bighorn Sheep, Elk and Moose Applications Due March 17
Applications for this fall’s bighorn sheep, elk and moose hunting seasons must be in the mail and postmarked before midnight March 17, reminds Carrie Whitney, licensing supervisor for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
Prospective hunters can print out, or submit a lottery application online, at the game and fish internet website discovernd.com/gnf. Applications are also available at game and fish offices, county auditors and license vendors.
Individuals mailing applications to the department are advised to mail early because some post offices use the following day’s postmark for mail received after regular hours. The department’s online application feature will be deactivated March 17 at midnight.
North Dakota’s 2004 Nonresident Any-deer Bow Tags Have All Been Issued
North Dakota’s 2004 nonresident any-deer archery tags, good for either whitetail or mule deer, have all been issued, according to Carrie Whitney, licensing supervisor for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
A total of 783 any-deer bow tags for the 2004 bow season were available for nonresidents. The department began issuing them March 1.
The number of nonresident any-deer bow licenses available is 15 percent of the previous year’s mule deer gun license allocation. Game and fish issued 5,225 mule deer licenses in the 2003 deer gun lottery.
[signature]