North Dakota Outdoors Magazine August-September 2012 ...

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ELKFor season details, refer to the NorthDakota Game and Fish Departmentwebsite, gf.nd.gov, or the 2012 bighornsheep, elk and moose hunting guide.While last year’s mild winter likelybenefited elk in the state, there werechanges in license numbers for fall.North Dakota’s 2012 elk seasonfeatures 301 licenses, 200 fewer thanin 2011 when 437 hunters harvested219 elk.The season outlook for 2012 is good,with expected success similar to lastyear.Elk numbers in southwestern NorthDakota continue to decline due toa successful herd reduction effort inTheodore Roosevelt National Parkin 2010-11 when 868 cow elk wereremoved. An additional estimated 299elk were taken by hunters in E3 andE4 in 2010-11.This year, 100 any elk licenses wereissued for units E3 and E4, down 200licenses from 2011. The park’s reductioneffort and management of its elkherd could reduce hunting opportunitiesin E3 and E4 in the future.Numbers of elk in units E1 and E2Preseason scouting is amust for hunters luckyenough to draw an elktag in North Dakota.remain stable and licenses issued werethe same as last year.Early landowner contacts and preseasonscouting is recommended and isan essential component to a successfulelk hunt.Jason SmithBIGHORN SHEEPFor season details, refer to the NorthDakota Game and Fish Departmentwebsite, gf.nd.gov, or the 2012 bighornsheep, elk and moose hunting guide.The 2011 bighorn sheep surveyrevealed a minimum of 283 animalsin western North Dakota, unchangedfrom 2010 and only 3 percent belowthe five-year average.Biologists counted 86 rams, 158 ewesand 39 lambs. Not included are about30 bighorn sheep in the North Unitof Theodore Roosevelt National Park.The northern badlands population wasunchanged from 2010 while the southernbadlands herds stabilized followingseveral years of declining numbers.Despite ewes enduring a brutalwinter in 2010-11, lamb recruitmentincreased 28 percent in 2011, and 83percent of lambs counted during thesurvey survived winter.After three consecutive severewinters, mild conditions experiencedduring winter 2011-12 were fortuitousfor bighorn sheep, as not a singleCRAIG BIHRLEBighorn sheep continue to hold their own in western North Dakota.CRAIG BIHRLE10 ND Outdoors August-September 2012
Game and Fish officials closed the pronghorn season for a third consecutive year as the population, hard hit by a string of difficult winters,rebounds.CRAIG BIHRLEmortality was documented while tracking71 radio-marked animals. Althoughspring lamb production was low in 2011due to the severity of the previous winter,lamb survival through last winter wasexceptional. Moreover, adult ewes were inexcellent condition prior to giving birth in2012, so a bumper crop of healthy lambs isexpected this year. Just how many will bedetermined in August.Although results of the 2011 survey wereencouraging, a 10 percent decline in theram count from 2010, and a continued lowpopulation and poor lamb recruitment inthe southern badlands are a concern. Theram-to-ewe ratio in 2011 declined to 54rams per 100 ewes.Game and Fish issued four bighornsheep licenses in 2012, two fewer than2011.Brett Wiedmann,Big Game Management Biologist, DickinsonPRONGHORNA summer survey of North Dakota’spronghorn revealed the statewide populationis 20 percent lower than last year.Therefore, Game and Fish Departmentofficials decided for the third year in a rownot to hold a pronghorn hunting season.The statewide population estimate hasdeclined to approximately 3,600 animals,and pronghorn in all four managementregions decreased in numbers from lastyear and are well-below populationobjectives.Three severe winters of 2009-11, andvirtually no fawn recruitment followingthese winters have left an aging populationwith few prime-aged breeding females.The result was another poor fawn crop, butthere were signs of recruitment with moreyearlings being observed this year.The recent scenario is similar to thelarge-scale pronghorn decline in the late1970s. Three consecutive harsh wintersbeginning in 1977 forced the seasonto remain closed for four years, finallyreopening in 1982.Biologists will continue to monitorpronghorn numbers in the future, and willreopen the season when the populationreturns to a level capable of withstandinga harvest.The 2012 pronghorn season will beclosed to both gun and archery hunters.Applicants who have accumulated preferencepoints will maintain their currentpoints.Bruce StillingsAugust-September 2012 ND Outdoors 11
Page 2 and 3: MATTERS OF OPINIONTerry SteinwandDi
Page 4 and 5: 2012 HUNTINThe forecast for 2012 ca
Page 6 and 7: These extremes are easily identifie
Page 8 and 9: Pheasant hunters shot683,000 birds
Page 10 and 11: BIGGAMECRAIG BIHRLEDeer licenses fo
Page 14 and 15: MIGRATORYBIRDSThere shouldn’t be
Page 16 and 17: REGULAR DUCK SEASONLow Plains UnitO
Page 18 and 19: fFURBEARERSFURBEARERSFor season det
Page 20 and 21: A sharp-tailed grouseutilizes the c
Page 22 and 23: FIRST TIMEStory and Photos by Craig
Page 24 and 25: Brittany Fish (above),Bismarck, and
Page 26 and 27: Upper left: Kari Charvart, Mandan,b
Page 29 and 30: WMA CAMPING RESTRICTIONSGAME AND FI
Page 31 and 32: CRAIG BIHRLEHunting permits for Nor
Page 33 and 34: North Dakota huntersare reminded to
Page 35 and 36: By Ron WilsonMy introduction to ruf

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