By Wayne Beyer Apr 23, 2022
The North Dakota Game & Fish (NDGF) Spring Advisory Board meeting was recently held at Hughes Shelter. We are fortunate to have a wonderful working relationship with an outstanding cadre of wildlife officials.
NDGF hosts spring and fall advisory board meetings across our great state. There is not another state agency that gets out with its constituents more than NDGF. We get to personally interact with them as sportsmen pursue lifetime outdoor recreation interests like hunting, fishing, conservation and wildlife support.
Jeb Williams is the current NDGF director. Jeb is from Beach, just like former Recreation Director LaRee Bumgarner. He is a long-time NDGF employee, very personable, passionate about our state’s wildlife and will do a great job. Jeb was gracious to recognize that partnerships with wildlife clubs like the Red River Area Sportsmen’s Club (RRASC) are essential.
There are always hot topics. One is Aquatic Nuisance Species, including zebra mussels. Wahpeton, infamously, introduced them to North Dakota as they followed the Otter Tail River from Minnesota infested waters into the Red River. It doesn’t take long for them to spread, as thousands cover surfaces all the way into Canada.
Unfortunately, they have infested the Sheyenne River, Lake Elsie and other southeast North Dakota lakes. NDGF awarded a grant to the Park Board for an ANS cleaning unit that will be installed near the Kidder Rec Area fish cleaning station.
Tim Phalen, our former district game warden, retired at year’s end and did a fabulous job serving our area. It was Tim’s idea to start a youth waterfowl hunt. He worked extraordinary long hours yet would always be available for interesting hunter education presentations or attending wildlife club meetings to support efforts to improve hunting and fishing opportunities.
Another issue is Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Its reference to zombie deer disease tells you it’s not a good thing. NDGF imposes no archery baiting restrictions in affected deer hunting units. It is arguable that a proactive approach would be to extend it statewide.
Doug Leier, wildlife biologist is another outstanding NDGF employee. Doug is the consummate NDGF communications professional. Artfully writing informative newspaper columns and telling stories on KFGO radio are among his skills. Doug is always at public meetings, gives credit to everybody else and we are fortunate that he is our outdoors voice.
Fishing regulation changes include walleye spearing on the state’s big waters. There is some opposition but NDGF should be credited for trying to maximize outdoor recreation opportunities. They took lots of heat when the sport fishing season was changed to be year-round and it has not appeared to have negatively stressed fish numbers yet resulted in millions of sport fishing hours.
Greg Gerou, RRASC president, did his typical yeoman’s job hosting the meeting. It was an opportunity for him to thank NDGF for their support of four youth fishing derbies, three youth hunts, archery, trap shooting and Red River facilities like fishing piers, fish cleaning station, docks and public shoreline fishing access.
It must be challenging at times to be NDGF professionals who have been educated and field trained to make scientific-based decisions yet they need to be balanced with legislative and societal interests. To be fair, legislators represent their constituents – North Dakota citizens.
BJ Kratz, East Fisheries supervisor, has superbly followed the footsteps of Gene VanEeckhout to support fishing in the southeast, including the Red River, Mooreton Pond and all the new lakes around Hankinson and Lidgerwood. He was moving perch from Hobart Lake near Valley City to area lakes on the day of the meeting.
Doug Madsen, a Cass County Wildlife Club member is our advisory board member representative. The advisory board is just another example of NDGF listening to sportsmen like Doug, a lifelong hunter and fisherman, who ensures public meetings are made available to Wahpeton and other Southeast Wildlife Club area cities.
Put on your calendar the Vince Herding Youth Fishing Derby at the Kidder Recreation Area on Saturday, May 7, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Experience the great things that happen when state agencies like NDGF partners with wildlife clubs like RRASC.
Wayne Beyer is the director of Wahpeton Park and Recreation.