Dakota recreation report for Oct. 19

Jamestown Sun

Dakota Recreation Report

Oct. 19, 2012

Patricia Stockdill

Outdoor Notes:

Remember fire danger remains high in several areas of N.D. and avoid driving off-trail and on section line trails with high grass.

N.D. Game & Fish Dept. taking registration for Oct. 24-28 Becoming an Outdoors-Woman bow-hunting workshop, Lake Metigoshe State Park, Bottineau. Contact BOW coordinators Nancy Boldt, 328-6312, or Brittany Fish, 527-3075, or email ndgf@nd.gov or go to the website, (gf.nd.gov) for details.

Friday: Devils Lake Ducks Unlimited (DU) banquet, KC Club, 5:30 p.m.

Saturday: Tewaukon DU banquet, Mantador VFW, 5:30 p.m.

Saturday: Kidder County DU banquet, Steele VFW, 5:30 p.m.

Saturday: Wood Lake Pheasants Forever (PF) banquet, Kulm Community Center, 5:30 p.m.

Sunday: Unit 2 crane, fall crow seasons close.

Oct. 25: Friends of the NRA banquet, Jamestown KC Club, 5:30 p.m.

Oct. 25: Coteau DU banquet, Gackle, 5:30 p.m., Dan’s Place.

Oct. 27: Dickey County PF banquet, Ellendale, 5:30 p.m., Fireside Restaurant & Lounge.

Oct. 27: Mink, muskrat, and weasel trapping seasons start.

Oct. 30: Dove season closes.

Fishing:

Devils Lake elevation, Oct. 17: 1,451.37 feet above mean sea level (msl).

Stump Lake elevation, Oct. 17: 1,451.38 msl.

Lake Sakakawea elevation, Oct. 17: 1,832.2 msl; 19,500 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases.

N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: More people on Devils Lake when the weather is good. Red River levels remain below 13.5 feet with good shore-fishing access. Fishing slow. Little fishing activity on Lake Sakakawea.

Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait & Tackle, Devils Lake: Fair to good for walleye. Try trolling with crankbaits in Pelican Lake or jigs and minnows at the bridges or structured areas.

Devils Lake, West Bay Resort, Minnewaukan: Continued fair to good walleye success with most activity on Pelican Lake.

Devils Lake, Woodland Resort, Creel Bay, Devils Lake: Limited activity with mixed walleye success. Try trolling crankbaits or jigging along the rock piles.

Jamestown Reservoir, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Limited reports with light fishing activity.

Jamestown Reservoir, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: The fall walleye bite is starting on the reservoir, although fewer anglers on the lakes. Look for continued success on small lakes, as well. Limited activity, although a few nice-sized walleye are coming from the James River.

Lake Ashtabula, Bayshore, Valley City: No changes in activity with limited anglers on the water. No fall walleye reports yet, however perch remain strong with success from the docks.

Lake Sakakawea, Cenex Bait & Tackle, Garrison: Limited activity on Lake Sakakawea, Lake Audubon and the Missouri River.

Pipestem Reservoir, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Not many reports.

Pipestem Reservoir, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Fair fall walleye bite.

Red River, River Keepers, Fargo: Good fall walleye bite below rock rapids areas (former lowhead dams). Wahpeton fish cleaning station closed for season.

Spiritwood Lake, Dan’s Sooper Stop, Jamestown: Limited activity.

Spiritwood Lake, Pioneer Bait Shop, Jamestown: Limited reports.

Hunting:

N.D. Game & Fish Dept. game wardens: Southeastern pheasant hunters found more than in recent years with the completion of harvest reducing escape cover for flushing birds. Try edges of harvested corn, CRP and grass throughout Richland, Sargent and Dickey counties. Scattered pockets of birds in Barnes, Ransom and Cass counties. Slow and steady waterfowl migration with many local birds moving out. Some huntable numbers of mallards, gadwall, shovelers and occasional blue-winged teal remain. Lesser Canada geese starting to migrate in with a few snow goose flocks down as far south as the S.D. border. Flocks are scattered and small, however. Duck numbers from Dickey and Sargent counties up through Barnes, Steel and Griggs County remain in good number with smaller sloughs drying up. Scouting is critical. Try decoying in fields with stubble regrowth for mallards and Canada geese. A few doves remain. Limited grouse reports. Northeastern waterfowl numbers vary by day with migration weather-dependent on wind and rain, but overall numbers are high in the region. Try to avoid rutting up fields in wet, rainy weather. Lots of pheasant activity around the eastern part of Lake Sakakawea. Look for increasing deer movement with cooler weather.

Arrowwood Nat’l. Wildlife Refuge, Pingree: The nice weather during much of the past week resulted in little waterfowl movement in Stutsman, Barnes and Cass counties. Coots moving out, though, with some shovelers and green-winged teal around the refuge. Some Cackling Canada geese moving in and swan numbers slowly increasing. Refuge continues holding good numbers of dabbler and diving ducks. Corn harvest nearly complete but many remaining wetlands are drying up. About 500 Canada geese and 29,000 ducks – mostly mallards, shovelers, canvasbacks and ruddy ducks – on the refuge.

Lonetree WMA, Harvey: Pheasant success spotty with birds in pockets with cover. Hit-and-miss sharptail success with low partridge numbers throughout the area. Good numbers of Canada geese in the area. Fair duck numbers but birds are concentrated and spotty in certain areas. A scattering of white geese moved in with some recent waterfowl movement.

North-central N.D.: Not much ruffed grouse success or turkey activity yet. Limited waterfowl movement so far.

Northeast N.D.: Fair to good waterfowl success but limited northern flight movement yet. Good numbers of geese. Good crane success, as well, with a few snow geese trickling in. Look for more movement with changing weather.

Southeast N.D.: Fair numbers of hunters in the field but limited reports.

West-central N.D.: Generally fair to good pheasant success. Good numbers of ducks and geese still in the area with cranes and lesser Canada geese along the northern tier of McLean County.

Numbers to know:

N.D. Game & Fish Department, main Bismarck office: 328-6300; website: (http://gf.nd.gov).

N.D. Game & Fish Department, Jamestown office: 253-6480.

RAP, Report All Poachers: (800) 472-2121.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bismarck, website: (www.fws.gov/northdakotafieldoffice).

Tags: outdoors, hunting