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NDG&F May 14th Newsletter

Boat North Dakota Course
Children ages 12-15 who want to operate a boat or personal watercraft this summer must take the state’s boating basics course.
State law requires youngsters ages 12-15 to pass the course before they operate a boat or personal watercraft with at least a 10 horsepower motor. In addition, major insurance companies give adult boat owners who pass the course a premium discount on boat insurance.
The course is available for home-study from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Bismarck office. Two commercial providers also offer the course online, and links to those sites are found on the department’s website at gf.nd.gov.
While the home-study course is free, students will be charged a fee to take it online. The online provider charges for the course, not the Game and Fish Department. The fee stays with the online provider.
Upon completion of the online test, and providing a credit card number, students will be able to print out a temporary certification card, and within 10 days a permanent card will be mailed.
The course covers legal requirements, navigation rules, getting underway, accidents and special topics such as weather, rules of the road, laws, life saving and first aid.
For more information contact Nancy Boldt, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, by email at ndgf@nd.gov; or call (701) 328-6300.
 

CWD Proclamation Signed
The 2012 proclamation establishing guidelines for transporting deer, elk and moose carcasses and carcass parts into and within North Dakota is now in effect as a precaution against the possible spread of chronic wasting disease.
Dr. Dan Grove, State Game and Fish Department wildlife veterinarian, said three consecutive years of surveillance in deer hunting unit 3F2 have resulted in a total of three CWD positive animals. “The harvest locations of these animals are clustered within an area in 3F2 along major waterways and extend close to surrounding units,” Grove said. “Using a combination of data from winter surveys in 2009, 2010 and 2011, new research into the spread of CWD on the landscape conducted in Alberta and Nebraska, and a proactive approach to managing disease, it has been decided to extend the baiting ban into the deer hunting units surrounding 3F2. This ban will help curb the potential spread of CWD and artificial movement of deer via man-made causes.”
Therefore, hunting big game over bait is prohibited in deer units 3C, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1 and 3F2. Bait, in this case, includes grain, seed, mineral, salt, fruit, vegetable nut, hay or any other natural or manufactured food placed by an individual. Bait does not include agricultural practices, gardens, wildlife food plots, agricultural crops, livestock feeds, fruit or vegetables in their natural location such as apples on or under an apple tree, or unharvested food or vegetables in a garden.
In addition, hunters harvesting a big game animal this fall in North Dakota deer unit 3F2 cannot transport a carcass containing the head and spinal column outside of the unit unless it’s taken directly to a meat processor. The head can be removed from the carcass and transported outside of the unit if it is to be submitted to a State Game and Fish Department district office, CWD surveillance drop-off location or a licensed taxidermist.
If the deer is processed in the field to boned meat and the hunter wants to leave the head in the field, the head must be legally tagged and the hunter must be able to return to or give the exact location of the head if requested for verification.
Hunters are prohibited from transporting into North Dakota the whole carcass, or certain carcass parts, of deer, elk, moose or other members of the cervid family from areas within states and provinces with documented occurrences of CWD in wild populations, or from farmed cervid operations within states and provinces that have had farmed cervids diagnosed with CWD. Only the following portions of the carcass can be transported:

• Meat that is cut and wrapped either commercially or privately.

• Quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached.

• Meat that has been boned out.

• Hides with no heads attached.

• Clean (no meat or tissue attached) skull plates with antlers attached.

• Antlers with no meat or tissue attached.

• Upper canine teeth, also known as buglers, whistlers or ivories.

• Finished taxidermy heads.

The following game management units, equivalent wildlife management units, or counties have had free-ranging deer, moose or elk diagnosed with CWD, and importation of harvested elk, white-tailed deer, mule deer, moose or other cervids from these areas are restricted.

• North Dakota – Deer unit 3F2. Gutted/eviscerated carcasses being taken to a North Dakota meat processor are exempt, as are heads removed from the carcass and taken to a licensed taxidermist or provided to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department for submission for CWD surveillance purposes.

• Alberta – Wildlife management units 150, 151, 163, 234, 236, 256, 728.

• Colorado – All game management units.

• Illinois – Counties of Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, DeKalb, Ogle, LaSalle, Stephenson.

• Kansas – Counties of Cheyenne, Decatur, Rawlins, Sheridan.

• Minnesota – DPA 602.

• Nebraska – Upper Platte, Platte, Plains, Sandhills, Frenchman, Buffalo and Pine Ridge units, which include the counties of Cheyenne, Kimball, Sioux, Scotts Bluff, Morrill, Sheridan, Box Butte, Dawes, Banner, Cherry, Hall, Garden, Keith, Red Willow, Deuel, Grant, Arthur.

• New Mexico – White Sands Missile Base (GMU 19), GMU 28, GMU 34.

• New York – Any deer taken within the CWD containment areas of Oneida and Madison counties.

• Saskatchewan – All wildlife management units.

• South Dakota – Prairie units WRD-21A, WRD-27A, WRD-27B; Black Hills units BHD-BH1, BHD-BD3, BHD-BD4.

• Utah – 16A, 16B, 16C, 13A, 13B, 8A, 8B, 8C, 9A, 9B, 9C, 9D.

• Virginia – Frederick County.

• West Virginia – Hampshire County.

• Wisconsin – Any deer registered with a Wisconsin DNR Red Registration Tag from the area designated as the Disease Eradication Zone or Herd Reduction Zone including deer management zones 54B-CWD, 70-CWD, 70A-CWD, 70B-CWD, 70C-CWD, 70D-CWD, 70E-CWD, 70F-CWD, 70G-CWD, 71-CWD, 73B-CWD, 73E-CWD, 75A-CWD, 75B-CWD, 75C-CWD, 75D-CWD, 76-CWD, 76A-CWD, 76M-CWD, 77A-CWD, 77B-CWD, 77C-CWD, Washburn County.

• Wyoming – All deer and elk units.

In addition, the following states and provinces have had farmed deer, elk, moose or other cervids diagnosed with CWD, and importation of farmed deer, elk, moose and other cervid carcasses or their parts are restricted: Alberta, Colorado, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Additional areas will be added as necessary and listed on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov.
Because each state and province has its own set of rules and regulations, hunters should contact the state or province in which they will hunt to obtain more information.
Hunters with questions can contact the North Dakota Game and Fish Department at (701) 328-6300, or email ndgf@nd.gov.

 

Keith Domke Receives Hunter Safety Educator of the Year

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Picture on left "Keith Domke"

Center picture "Wayne Beyer & Keith Domke"

Picture on Right "Richard McCabe on left, Keith Domke center and Don Baasch on right

Keith Domke of Jamestown received the North Dakota Wildlife Federation’s Hunter Safety Educator of the Year award during its 76th annual convention, Jan. 28-29 in Bismarck. He was nominated by Stutsman County Wildlife Federation, Jamestown.
Keith has been involved with the Hunter Education and Safety program for 23 years, serving as a certified gun and bow instructor and an active director for the North Dakota Hunter Education Association.
Keith is active in assisting other instructors with youth hunts and range shooting events. He has trained hunting dogs, using them to add another dimension for the youth he takes on hunts.
Keith's volunteerism began in the Eagle Scout program and continues today. He serves as a scout leader, lends assistance to the local 4H program, and has served as a civic leader in Jamestown.
“Keith Domke has been a mentor to youth and adults alike, introducing them to hunting and sport shooting,” says Rodney O’Clair, President, NDHEA. “He is the type of individual every community wants. Any community with a person like this is a lucky one.”

Another 3F2 Mule Deer Tests Positive for CWD
A mule deer taken from unit 3F2 during opening weekend of the deer gun season has tested positive for chronic wasting disease.
Dr. Dan Grove, North Dakota Game and Fish Department wildlife veterinarian, said a hunter shot a doe in western Grant County and submitted the head for testing as part of the hunter-harvested surveillance program. Testing was performed at Michigan State University. As of Tuesday, Nov. 22, Game and Fish was awaiting verification of initial tests results from a lab at Iowa State University.
“According to the hunter, the animal looked healthy,” Grove said. “It showed no visible signs of having any health issues.”
This is the third deer to test positive for CWD, and all three were from taken from unit 3F2 in southwestern North Dakota. The first two were during the 2009 and 2010 deer gun seasons. All three were within 15 miles of each other.
“The latest positive emphasizes the importance of continued monitoring along with current and expanding CWD restrictions in and around this unit,” Grove said.
The hunter-harvested surveillance program annually collects samples taken from hunter-harvested deer in specific regions of the state. In addition to unit 3F2, samples during the 2011 deer gun season were collected from units in the central third of the state.
CWD affects the nervous system of members of the deer family and is always fatal. Scientists have found no evidence that CWD can be transmitted naturally to humans or livestock.

Spring Turkey Season Set, Online Apps Available
The state Game and Fish Department is offering 5,795 wild turkey licenses for the spring hunting season, a decrease of 925 from last year. The decrease is a result of additional winter mortality the last three years and poor production during spring 2011.
Ten of the 22 hunting units have fewer spring licenses than in 2011, while 11 remain the same. Unit 21 (most of Hettinger and Adams counties) is again closed in 2012 due to lack of turkeys in the unit.
Successful spring turkey applicants must purchase a 2012-13 hunting license, as last year’s 2011-12 licenses expire March 31. In addition to the spring turkey license, hunters must have a fishing, hunting and furbearer certificate, and a general game and habitat license. Also, hunters ages 16 and older must possess a small game license, or combination license.
First-time spring turkey hunters ages 15 or younger are eligible to receive one spring license valid for the regular hunting season in a specific unit. To be eligible, the youth hunter must be 15 or younger on opening day of spring turkey season, and have never received a spring turkey license in North Dakota.
Spring turkey applicants can apply online at the Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. Applications can also be submitted by calling (800) 406-6409.
Application forms will also be available by Feb. 1 at most license vendors, county auditors and Game and Fish offices. The deadline for applying is Feb. 15. Online or phone applications must be logged before midnight that day.
Spring turkey licenses are available only to North Dakota residents. The spring turkey season opens April 14 and continues through May 20.
 

North Dakota Part of Sage Grouse Conservation Plan

While southwestern North Dakota is on the edge of the sage grouse’s native range, the state still has an important role in improving long-term prospects for this large upland bird.
North Dakota Lieutenant Governor Drew Wrigley, along with North Dakota Game and Fish Department Director Terry Steinwand, attended a meeting in Cheyenne, Wyo., last week to participate in discussions about a region-wide comprehensive sage grouse plan.
“North Dakota will continue to do its part to protect the sage grouse population and to avoid the need for endangered species status and the accompanying land-use restrictions,” Wrigley said.
Because of a long-term population decline throughout their native range, in 2010 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considered listing sage grouse under the Endangered Species Act. The service determined that listing was warranted, but other species had a higher priority for federal recovery efforts. The service is scheduled to revisit sage grouse listing in 2015.
“Sage grouse have had a rough time the past decade or more, not just here, but in all the Western states where they exist,” Steinwand said. “While we’re on the periphery of their range and we don’t have a lot of these birds in North Dakota, we need to be part of the long-term population recovery plan.”

Part of that long-term plan is a series of public scoping meetings scheduled by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Visit the BLM website at http://www.blm.gov for information on scoping meetings in North Dakota.

Listing under the ESA basically means that the federal government would assume primary management of sage grouse instead of the state, Steinwand said. “We’re committed to using whatever resources we can to help get those birds stabilized and headed in the other direction.”
In North Dakota, Steinwand added, a number of projects are already underway.
Highlights of Game and Fish involvement over the past several years include:

• Game and Fish has funded research over the past six years to determine species demographics such as survival, nest success, bird movements and reproduction success.
• Helped form a working group, in conjunction with a core group of local landowners, to provide information to agricultural producers about sage grouse conservation.
• Worked closely with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Bureau of Land Management on extensive sagebrush plantings designed to connect fragmented areas and provide incentives to local landowners.
• Provided funding and piggybacked with federal programs to provide incentives for private landowners to implement grazing practices that increase residual grass cover that benefits sage grouse.

“We’re going to continue our efforts, in cooperation with other agencies and private landowners, to work on projects to benefit sage grouse,” Steinwand said. “It’s in the best interest of all the states in sage grouse range to keep these birds off the endangered species list.”
On the Web: Learn more about the Game and Fish Department’s sage grouse population management efforts from the pages of North Dakota Outdoors magazine:

Safeguarding Sage Grouse
Tracking Sage Grouse Survival
Sage Grouse Season Could Close

Game Wardens Association to Give Scholarship

The North Dakota Game Wardens Association has a $300 scholarship available for a graduating high school senior entering college in fall 2012 who enrolls in fisheries or wildlife management with an emphasis on law enforcement.
Applicants must be North Dakota residents and have maintained a 3.25 grade point average. The scholarship will be awarded to the student upon proof of enrollment in college.
Applications are available by contacting the North Dakota Game and Fish Department at 328-6604; or email ndgf@nd.gov. Applications must be postmarked no later than May 4, 2012.

Winners in the NDHEA 2011 Raffle

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Greg Eider, assistant manager of Bismarck Scheels, David Morgan, assistant manager of Bismarck Scheels, on the right Charles Vasicek, NDHEA Membership Chair.

Bill Titus Golden Boy 22 Mag
Lincoln, ND 58504

Kenny Weinand Golden Boy 22 Mag
Watford City, ND 58854

Ralph Skogland Golden Boy 17 HMR
Watford City, ND 58854

Randy Sagvold Golden Boy 17 HMR
Fort Ransom, ND 58033
 

Brent Herbal Golden Boy 22 LR
Bismarck, ND 58503
 

Joel Iverson Golden Boy 22 LR
Valley City, ND 58072

Lavora Keeler Golden Boy 22 LR
Bismarck, ND 58503

Larry Salbert Golden Boy 22 LR
Kathryn, ND 58049
 

Matt Bosch Golden Boy 22 LR
New Salem, ND 58563

Royce Nelson Golden Boy 22 LR
Bismarck, ND 58501