Several decades ago, the state legislature created an advisory board for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. One of the results of that is that each fall and spring, advisory board members host public meetings in their district.
These public meetings provide citizens with an opportunity to discuss fish and wildlife issues and ask questions of Game and Fish personnel.
Game and Fish has always been an open public agency, with staff and administrators willing to address public comments and input via phone calls, letters, emails, texts and walk-in or on-the-street visits. The advisory meetings give hunters, anglers and landowners a chance to meet with their district advisors and agency personnel in person, in locations that are typically closer than driving to Bismarck or one of the Game and Fish district offices.
The governor appoints each of the eight Game and Fish advisors, and they representing a multi-county section of the state. In addition to hosting meetings twice a year, they also serve as a liaison between the Department and public.
Here’s a listing of the meetings coming up in the next few weeks, to see if there’s one in your area.
District 2 – Counties: Bottineau, Burke, McHenry, Mountrail, Pierce, Renville and Ward
Date: Nov. 28 – 7 p.m.
Location: Berthold Sportsmen Club, 210 Main St., Berthold
Advisory board member: Robert Gjellstad, Voltaire, 338-2281
District 5 – Counties: Cass, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele and Traill
Date: Nov. 28 – 7 p.m.
Location: American Legion (south of Lake Elsie), Hankinson
Advisory board member: Duane Hanson, West Fargo, 367-4249
District 6 – Counties: Barnes, Dickey, Foster, Griggs, Logan, LaMoure, McIntosh, Stutsman and Wells
Date: Nov. 29 – 7 p.m.
Location: The Bunker, 1520 3rd St. SE, Jamestown
Advisory board member: Joel Christoferson, Litchville, 973-4981
District 7 – Counties: Burleigh, Emmons, Grant, Kidder, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan and Sioux
Date: Nov. 29 – 7 p.m.
Location: North Dakota Game and Fish Department, Bismarck
Advisory board member: Dave Nehring, Bismarck, 214-3184
District 1 – Counties: Divide, McKenzie and Williams
Date: Dec. 5 – 7 p.m.
Location: Rough Rider Center, 2209 Wolves Den Parkway, Watford City
Advisory board member: Jason Leiseth, Arnegard, 586-3714
District 8 – Counties: Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Hettinger, Slope and Stark
Date: Dec. 5 – 7 p.m.
Location: La Quinta Inn & Suites, Dickinson
Advisory board member: Dwight Hecker, Fairfield, 575-4952
District 3 – Counties: Benson, Cavalier, Eddy, Ramsey, Rolette and Towner
Date: Dec. 6 – 7 p.m.
Location: Armory, Cando
Advisory board member: Tom Rost, Devils Lake, 350-1424
District 4 – Counties: Grand Forks, Nelson, Pembina and Walsh
Date: Dec. 6 – 7 p.m.
Location: American Legion Club, 208 N. Main St., Fordville
Advisory board member: Joe Solseng, 317-5009
Fall Mule Deer Survey
One positive note on which to end this week’s column, the Game and Fish fall mule deer survey indicates that mule deer had another good year of fawn production.
The buck-to-doe ratio of 0.48 (0.42 in 2015) is higher than the long-term average of 0.43 bucks per doe, while the fawn-to-doe ratio of 0.90 (0.84 in 2015) is the same as the long-term average.
Game and Fish big game management supervisor Bruce Stillings said the mule deer population continues to recover nicely following the devastating winters of 2009-11, with a third consecutive year of fawn production near or above the long-term average.
“This year’s good fawn production has the potential to result in a nice population increase next spring, depending on the severity of the winter,” Stillings said.
The fall aerial survey, conducted specifically to study demographics, covers 24 study areas and 306.3 square miles in western North Dakota.
