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Salmon Spawning Efforts Complete
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Salmon Spawning Efforts Complete

- Witnesses Asked to Report Violations

- Maps Showing School Trust Lands Available on Web

- Game and Fish Assess Mountain Lions in North Dakota

Salmon Spawning Efforts Complete

Fisheries crews have completed their annual salmon spawning operation at Lake Sakakawea, reports Dave Fryda, Missouri River System supervisor for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, Riverdale.

Nearly 500,000 eggs were collected from Sakakawea and the Garrison Dam Tailrace. "We surpassed our goal of 350,000 eggs," Fryda said. "Montana just sent us a request for 150,000 eggs, so we will be able to meet their needs."

Average size of female salmon was about 6 pounds, slightly bigger than last year. In addition, fish condition was better, and the number of eggs per female increased.

Current plans are to stock approximately 75,000 salmon in Lake Sakakawea and 50,000 in the Missouri River.

Fryda said fisheries crews won't spawn anymore fish unless South Dakota sends a request. "If they need additional eggs, we will get them more," he said.

Chinook salmon begin their spawning run in October. Since salmon cannot naturally reproduce in North Dakota, state Game and Fish Department and Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery personnel collect and fertilize eggs and transport them to the hatchery.

Once the eggs hatch, young salmon spend several months in the hatchery before being stocked in Lake Sakakawea and the Missouri River.

Witnesses Asked to Report Violations

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department encourages hunters, anglers and landowners who have witnessed a fish or wildlife violation to file a report with the Report All Poachers program.

RAP is a cooperative project between the Game and Fish Department, State Radio Communications and the North Dakota Wildlife Federation. The RAP line offers rewards - from $100 to $1,000 depending on the nature and seriousness of the crime - for information that leads to conviction of fish and wildlife law violators. Reports can also go directly to game wardens or other law enforcement agencies. Callers can remain anonymous.

Witnesses should note vehicle description, including make, color, license plate number and state issued. Description of the violator should also be considered.

In 2007, state radio has sent 161 incident reports to game wardens, with approximately 20 percent of those RAP calls. Robert Timian, chief of enforcement for the Game and Fish Department, said even though some citizens are not interested in the reward, it is still important to play a role in landing potential violators.

"A typical call received through RAP is from someone saying "˜I want to report someone shooting too many ducks', or "˜someone didn't tag a buck.' A violation of any type can be reported," Timian said.

Reporting a violation is extremely important, Timian said, because each warden covers a large district. "With a staff of 34 wardens covering the entire state we can't be everywhere," he said.

Witnesses should report a violation by calling the RAP telephone number at 800-472-2121. RAP will then contact the local game warden immediately. If the witness gives the RAP operator a phone number, the witness will be contacted right away.

Maps Showing School Trust Lands Available on Web

Maps showing aerial photographs and Global Positioning System coordinates of school trust lands are now available on the North Dakota State Land Department website at www.land.state.nd.us.

Users should click on aerial photographs of school trust lands, and then access the map search icon. "We did the maps because we are hoping that it will help the public who may want to hike or hunt on school trust lands," said Mike Brand, director of the surface management division.

Maps of school trust lands are available in two formats: color aerial photographs from 2003 with outlines of the school trust lands showing latitude and longitude of section corners, and only the outlines of the school trust lands with latitude and longitude of corners. Maps can be used either with or without a GPS unit.

The state trust lands link can also be accessed at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website at gf.nd.gov.

Game and Fish Assess Mountain Lions in North Dakota

Data collected by the state Game and Fish Department over the past several years has allowed biologists to make some observations regarding the continued presence of mountain lions in North Dakota.

Dorothy Fecske, department furbearer biologist, said DNA analysis of 17 lions sampled since 2004 indicates that mountain lions probably have been breeding in the badlands of western North Dakota for at least the past decade.

"Most of the lions were not related to each other," Fecske said. "This provides clear evidence that multiple breeding-age females likely occurred in the badlands since the late 1990s."

Also, the age and sex composition of lions taken in the badlands during the past two hunting seasons indicates the population apparently has not declined because of hunter harvest.

During the past two hunting seasons (not including 2007), no breeding-age females were taken by hunters and all animals taken appeared in good nutritional condition. "The adult breeding-age females are the most important animals to keep track of, especially for a relatively small and isolated lion population like we have in North Dakota," Fecske said.

Data also suggests the mountain lion population may be expanding into the northern Missouri River breaks, the counties bordering Lake Sakakawea and the upper reaches of the Missouri River. Four confirmed sightings have been documented in this area over the past 18 months, compared to only one confirmed sighting the previous five years. Also, the Three Affiliated Tribes reported an increase in mountain lion sightings on the Fort Berthold Reservation in 2007 than in previous years.

According to a habitat suitability map, the badlands and Missouri River breaks contain sufficient suitable habitat to support a small population of 45 to 74 resident adult animals if there were no hunting mortality. Fecske said mountain lions historically have appeared in this region of the state.

Since July, the department has continued to receive reports of lions and lion activity in North Dakota, including a road-killed male found in Hettinger County; a photo of a lion kitten estimated at 6-9 months old in Mercer County; and a litter of two 6-8-week-old kittens in Dunn County.

Also, hunters during the 2007-08 mountain lion hunting season (through Oct. 12) have harvested three lions - two in Dunn County and the other in McKenzie County. Two were sub-adult females, while the other was an adult female. Hunters can take any mountain lion other than kittens (lions with visible spots), or females accompanied by kittens.

Another note of interest is that a young male, fitted with a radio-collar last November after inadvertently getting caught in a trap in the badlands, has remained in the region. The lion has traveled over an area of 140 square miles in 11 months.

"We continue to document lion activity in North Dakota. We don't have all the answers yet, but every passing month we are learning more about the state's lion population and how to properly manage it," Fecske said.

A report summarizing mountain lions in North Dakota, including a status report prior to 2006 and information collected since, is available on the Game and Fish Department website at gf.nd.gov.

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