Dakota Edge Outdoors, 4611 Grey Hawk Lane, Bismarck, ND (2024)

09/12/2024

Brad Durick By Brad Durick Fall is in the air. The cottonwoods are changing colors fast, the young eagles are flying and the Red River is back down to a wonderful level. With that, most anglers are reporting good catfishing, and I am seeing average numbers but more big fish over 15 pounds. Of course, we had to deal with the fast-falling water last week but it didn’t seem to make much difference in the bite....

Brad Durick By Brad Durick Fall is in the air. The cottonwoods are changing colors fast, the young eagles are flying and the Red River is back down to a wonderful level. With that, most anglers ar…

09/12/2024

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson From a mild winter with limited snow to a warm spring, conditions were nearly ideal for ringneck pheasants in North Dakota over the past 12 months, and an increase of approximately 25 percent in birds observed statewide in summer roadside counts conducted by the North Dakota Game & Fish Department (NDG&F) reflected those favorable factors. While the average number of chicks per brood was off about 12 percent from the previous survey due to a cooler, wetter stretch across the Peace Garden State in June after the hatch which hurt recruitment, RJ Gross, NDG&F Upland Game Biologist points to a greater number of broods observed as buoying population surveys this summer....

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson From a mild winter with limited snow to a warm spring, conditions were nearly ideal for ringneck pheasants in North Dakota over the past 12 months, and an increase of…

09/12/2024

Mike Peluso By Mike Peluso Things are just starting to change across the state of North Dakota and we are nearing what I like to call “Rocktober.” This is definitely the time of year that it gets really hard to choose what a person wants to do outdoors. For me, my first choice is still a rod and reel. I’ll start this week’s walleye report on the Missouri River near Bismarck....

Mike Peluso By Mike Peluso Things are just starting to change across the state of North Dakota and we are nearing what I like to call “Rocktober.” This is definitely the time of year that it gets r…

09/12/2024

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson The dog days of summer are gone, even though this week’s temperatures might suggest otherwise. The heat and humidity of August fade into those first cool nights of September with its dewy mornings and from there it isn’t long until that same condensation soaks the knee-down region of my field pants and the leather of my worn upland boots in pursuit of grouse and partridge, and then, a few weeks later, rooster pheasants. ...

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson The dog days of summer are gone, even though this week’s temperatures might suggest otherwise. The heat and humidity of August fade into those first cool nights of S…

09/06/2024

Doug Leier By Doug Leier With the close of summer, you’ll notice a swing from fishing rods to shotguns. For many it’s a seamless transition and welcomed, even if the tradeoff means we’re one step closer to winter. People who hunt all fall, starting with early goose, then doves and working through upland game and waterfowl, gradually acclimate their body to extreme temperatures and physical exertion....

Doug Leier By Doug Leier With the close of summer, you’ll notice a swing from fishing rods to shotguns. For many it’s a seamless transition and welcomed, even if the tradeoff means we’re one …

09/05/2024

Brad Durick By Brad Durick I have not fished for catfish on the Red River much over the past week as Labor Day week is always a slow one in the guide world, so I took my boy on a trip before school started. Reports from other anglers the past seven days are about the same as they have been up and down the Red River....

Brad Durick By Brad Durick I have not fished for catfish on the Red River much over the past week as Labor Day week is always a slow one in the guide world, so I took my boy on a trip before school…

09/05/2024

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson Few lures are as effective at covering water and triggering big fall trout as a spoon cast out over lakes where these fish are once again rising as the water cools with the season. Properly working a spoon, however, goes a bit more beyond the cast-and-crank which will catch fish, but does much better with a few added tweaks to set trout off and connect with better action for rainbows, browns and other species stocked in our regional waters....

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson Few lures are as effective at covering water and triggering big fall trout as a spoon cast out over lakes where these fish are once again rising as the water cools wi…

09/05/2024

Mike Peluso By Mike Peluso This week’s walleye fishing report is a closer to my time on Sakakawea and a briefing of the Missouri River near Bismarck ahead of my fall fishing season there. Lake Sakakawea is still producing some really nice walleyes! We found early on this week that the fish were in the deeper water, forcing us to keep what we caught and stop fishing....

Mike Peluso By Mike Peluso This week’s walleye fishing report is a closer to my time on Sakakawea and a briefing of the Missouri River near Bismarck ahead of my fall fishing season there. Lake Saka…

09/05/2024

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson Labor Day weekend has come and gone, and the unofficial end of summer (or if you’re a hunter, and a glass-half-full type, the unofficial start to fall) has come with it. The transition is never a clean break though, with plenty of summerlike fishing opportunities and warm days yet ahead with the autumnal equinox still three weeks away....

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson Labor Day weekend has come and gone, and the unofficial end of summer (or if you’re a hunter, and a glass-half-full type, the unofficial start to fall) has come with …

09/05/2024

NDG&F Dept. Release Introduce a youngster to duck hunting during North Dakota’s two-day youth waterfowl weekend Sept. 14-15. In addition, the special veteran and active military personnel waterfowl season is set for the same weekend. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has a Virtual Duck Hunting Mentor webpage with all the basics, including license requirements, regulations, gear recommendations and tips for finding a place to hunt....

NDG&F Dept. Release Introduce a youngster to duck hunting during North Dakota’s two-day youth waterfowl weekend Sept. 14-15. In addition, the special veteran and active military personnel water…

09/05/2024

Doug Leier By Doug Leier I grew up in an era before the early August goose hunt, and 25 years later it still feels a bit odd to think of hunters swatting mosquitoes and lathering on sunscreen. Our first hunt of the season was mourning doves in early September. Where birds were plentiful, the sense of accomplishment was a dozen birds from a box of shells....

Doug Leier By Doug Leier I grew up in an era before the early August goose hunt, and 25 years later it still feels a bit odd to think of hunters swatting mosquitoes and lathering on sunscreen…

09/05/2024

Brad Durick By Brad Durick Another front has the catfish on the Red River acting a little weird again. I guess 95 degrees on Sunday, 75 Monday and then a drop to 65 on Tuesday might do that. The catfish are just off the main current now. It seems that they are liking a little deeper water than they were just last weekend....

Brad Durick By Brad Durick Another front has the catfish on the Red River acting a little weird again. I guess 95 degrees on Sunday, 75 Monday and then a drop to 65 on Tuesday might do that. The ca…

09/05/2024

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson The recent release of 2024 duck survey results by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) point to incremental improvements in waterfowl populations throughout the birds’ breeding territories in the country. Those facts coupled with a substantial grant to Ducks Unlimited (DU) has the organization seeing positive gains not only in the number of birds hunters will likely encounter in the skies this autumn, but also in terms of habitat and huntable spaces available to them in the near future, according to Benjamin Romans, DU Communication Coordinator....

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson The recent release of 2024 duck survey results by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) point to incremental improvements in waterfowl populations through…

09/05/2024

Mike Peluso By Mike Peluso I made the voyage back over to Lake Sakakawea last week and the walleye fishing has been okay; not lights out, but decent. I may have a skewed perspective, especially how spoiled I’ve been this summer up here since early June. The fish have definitely moved out deep. I’m sure you’ll start hearing the term barotrauma....

Mike Peluso By Mike Peluso I made the voyage back over to Lake Sakakawea last week and the walleye fishing has been okay; not lights out, but decent. I may have a skewed perspective, especially how…

09/05/2024

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson It’s the little things that catch the attention of hunters this time of year. The grouping of mourning doves at the corner of the undeveloped road on the fringe of our neighborhood, and the outgoing evening phalanx of Canada geese are just a couple of subtle signs that there’s a shift in the world around me, even on the edge of suburbia. ...

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson It’s the little things that catch the attention of hunters this time of year. The grouping of mourning doves at the corner of the undeveloped road on the fringe of …

08/24/2024

Doug Leier By Doug Leier Nonhunters and hunters who don't target Canada geese may be taken a bit off guard when learning those hunters they've seen and heard are out taking part in the early Canada goose season in North Dakota. Relatively speaking, it's one of the most recently added hunting season in North Dakota. Many North Dakota residents can remember a time in the 1960s when seeing a Canada goose was quite a sight with a mere 100 wild breeding pairs, which created a multi-pronged approach to raising and restoring Canada goose populations across the prairie....

Doug Leier By Doug Leier Nonhunters and hunters who don’t target Canada geese may be taken a bit off guard when learning those hunters they’ve seen and heard are out taking part in the …

08/24/2024

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson One of fall’s earliest upland seasons is for sharptailed grouse. Humid cool mornings quickly warm into hot and sunny afternoons and finding the birds before things get too hot for dogs (and hunters), is key at the start of the season when sharpies are more readily available and far less wary than they will be even a few weeks into the season. ...

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson One of fall’s earliest upland seasons is for sharptailed grouse. Humid cool mornings quickly warm into hot and sunny afternoons and finding the birds before things g…

08/23/2024

Brad Durick By Brad Durick After our recent weather hiccups, everything seems to be getting back to normal for catfishing on the Red River in and around the Grand Forks area. The catfish are back in the middle of fast water, and they are feeding. The bite has been kind of a grind this past week as they are holding in smaller holes, so not every hole has a fish in it....

Brad Durick By Brad Durick After our recent weather hiccups, everything seems to be getting back to normal for catfishing on the Red River in and around the Grand Forks area. The catfish are back i…

08/22/2024

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson Second only to spring, fishing for smallmouth bass in early fall can provide some of the best angling from bronzebacks as they strap the feedbag on and prepare for a winter of near dormancy. Knowing where to look and what to use is key in connecting with smallies this time of year and as fall comes in, and adds and excellent “cast” to the season’s “blast” portion of time in the outdoors. ...

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson Second only to spring, fishing for smallmouth bass in early fall can provide some of the best angling from bronzebacks as they strap the feedbag on and prepare for a …

08/22/2024

Mike Peluso By Mike Peluso This will be my last walleye fishing report from Devils Lake until ice fishing season starts up here. I’ll be headed back to Lake Sakakawea for the last little bit of August and into September. After that it will be river time! Well, the bug hatch we had last week on Devils Lake is finally wearing off....

Mike Peluso By Mike Peluso This will be my last walleye fishing report from Devils Lake until ice fishing season starts up here. I’ll be headed back to Lake Sakakawea for the last little bit of Aug…

08/22/2024

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson August provides some welcome downtime and a transition period from fishing to hunting. With deer archery seasons in some areas just days away, the final preparations (or perhaps the scramble) in assessing tree stand location for both the upcoming bow and later fi****ms seasons are underway. But beyond the process of assembling stands and hanging them or heading out to the site of a semi-permanent perch used year-after-year, inspecting those deer stands for safety is something that should not be overlooked in the excitement of the preparatory process....

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson August provides some welcome downtime and a transition period from fishing to hunting. With deer archery seasons in some areas just days away, the final preparations…

08/22/2024

Brad Durick By Brad Durick At the time of this report things are up in the air as it pertains to the catfish down in the waters of the Red River. We had a huge cold front last weekend that has slowed the bite some. The pattern remained mostly the same as during the warmer days before, fishing smaller holes but just on the light side of the current....

Brad Durick By Brad Durick At the time of this report things are up in the air as it pertains to the catfish down in the waters of the Red River. We had a huge cold front last weekend that has slow…

08/22/2024

NDG&F Dept. Release The fall turkey season is set with 4,545 licenses available to hunters, 110 more than last year. Applicants can apply online by visiting the North Dakota Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. The deadline is Sept. 4. Only North Dakota residents are eligible to apply in the first lottery. The fall wild turkey season runs from Oct. 12 through Jan....

http://dakotaedge.com/2024/08/16/fall-turkey-season-set/

NDG&F Dept. Release The fall turkey season is set with 4,545 licenses available to hunters, 110 more than last year. Applicants can apply online by visiting the North Dakota Game and Fish …

08/22/2024

Doug Leier By Doug Leier The Western meadowlark is North Dakota’s state bird but did you know one of it’s closest relatives is the less embraced common blackbird? Yes, meadowlarks are members of the blackbird family, which also includes orioles and bobolinks. A couple of other interesting facts: One nestling meadowlark consumes one-third pound of insects during its 12 days in the nest....

Doug Leier By Doug Leier The Western meadowlark is North Dakota’s state bird but did you know one of it’s closest relatives is the less embraced common blackbird? Yes, meadowlarks are members of th…

08/22/2024

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson Agents of the North Dakota Game & Fish Department (NDG&F) are putting increased funding and manpower to use, as members of the agency's Private Lands Initiative (PLI) added 36,000 acres to the state's Private Land Open to Sportsmen (PLOTS) program over the past year, according to Kevin Kading, PLI Section Leader. "We had a pretty good year....

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson Agents of the North Dakota Game & Fish Department (NDG&F) are putting increased funding and manpower to use, as members of the agency’s Private Lands In…

08/22/2024

Mike Peluso By Mike Peluso I split my time again last week fishing walleyes on both Lake Sakakawea and Devils Lake. There is still a lot going on with the change in weather and a massive bug hatch on Devils Lake, and that’s where I’ll start. The walleye bite has been fairly tough on Devils Lake and very inconsistent the last four or five days....

Mike Peluso By Mike Peluso I split my time again last week fishing walleyes on both Lake Sakakawea and Devils Lake. There is still a lot going on with the change in weather and a massive bug hatch …

08/22/2024

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson August cold fronts are a strange and jarring occurrence. One week it’s near 90 degrees, humid, and every largemouth bass is living the good life in the warm shallows of the lake around the docks on the south shore. Suddenly overnight, it feels like pheasant opener as a chill north wind riles up the water and drops the morning temperature on my dog walk through the nearby wooded neighborhood into the forties. ...

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson August cold fronts are a strange and jarring occurrence. One week it’s near 90 degrees, humid, and every largemouth bass is living the good life in the warm shallows…

08/08/2024

Brad Durick By Brad Durick A small storm last weekend pushed the catfish more out of the current on the Red River. Sit times have not been affected much but if you are not in the right current you may not catch as many fish. Right now, stay set up for about 10 minutes to get that first fish, but I have still been sticking around for 20 to 25 minutes to make sure I am getting the most out of a spot....

Brad Durick By Brad Durick A small storm last weekend pushed the catfish more out of the current on the Red River. Sit times have not been affected much but if you are not in the right current you …

08/08/2024

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson Springtime drumming counts of ruffed grouse in Minnesota benefitted from a mild winter, resulting in 2024 tallies hitting fifty-year highs throughout much of the woodland birds’ range in the state. In the northeastern portion of Minnesota, surveyors counted an average of 2.7 drums per stop, the highest average since 1981; statewide counts taking in secondary habitat for the birds were at 2.3, the highest since 1974....

Nick Simonson By Nick Simonson Springtime drumming counts of ruffed grouse in Minnesota benefitted from a mild winter, resulting in 2024 tallies hitting fifty-year highs throughout much of the wood…

08/08/2024

Mike Peluso By Mike Peluso There’s a lot to talk about in this week’s fishing report as I fished both Devils Lake and Lake Sakakawea over the last seven days. Also, the National Walleye Trail (NWT) and Casino Cup tournaments were held on Sakakawea and there’s plenty to talk about there. On Devils Lake, the walleyes are biting. We did have a big bug hatch again up there that had the fish a little off, but they have rebounded pretty well....

Mike Peluso By Mike Peluso There’s a lot to talk about in this week’s fishing report as I fished both Devils Lake and Lake Sakakawea over the last seven days. Also, the National Walleye Trail (NWT)…