New Rockford Transcript - Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883

When the phone rings or the inbox pings, it's reminiscent of unwrapping a Christmas present. I literally have no idea what's behind the rings and pings. It's one part of my job that truly keeps me on...

I quit blaming Mother Nature years ago for nasty weather and started pointing the finger at Old Man Winter. Not that it mattered but it seemed fair, even though we have no control over the weather....

 From deer to ducks and pike to perch, hunters and anglers must take only their own daily limit or fill their own deer tag.  For as long as I can remember, party hunting, group fishing or any...

In any given year about 100,000 individuals put in for the regular deer gun lottery. Safe to say, even if you don’t deer hunt there’s someone in your house, at work or next door that either will...

I played a part on the Game and Fish Department's chronic wasting disease task force and out of everything I learned, what stuck with me most, is how much I'd forgotten. Which is why review of rules,...

I'm a fan of numbers and statistics to a point where they fascinate me. Not just what the numbers say but how the numbers are generated. When I took my college statistics course, I knew going in I...

The single most important factor in maintaining or growing wildlife populations – ducks, deer, pheasants, you name it – is habitat. If you’d like more deer tags available, find more pheasants...

May conjures up images of the first meadowlark on the prairie, stray migrating snow geese and spring turkey season wrapping up. We’ll also likely spot the first brood of Canada geese and find a few...

Many people are a little surprised and often enlightened when they visit with a North Dakota game warden and learn more about the people behind the badge. A hunter may not realize the time and...

It’s hard to believe that the first spring light goose conservation order in North Dakota arrived more than 20 some years ago when I was working as a game warden. Time flies. The purpose then ...

My neighbor taught me another new word. Locavore. I wasn’t sure if it was in Websters, or if it was slang. But, the meaning hit home. There’s a growing interest in fishing, hunting or even...

When it comes to deer season questions and answers, the best advice I can give is if you don’t know, ask. The best person to ask a specific question on rules and regulations is the game warden in th...

Hunters can play an important role this fall across the tinder-dry landscape. First and foremost, consider this advice: If you see something you think needs to be reported, pick up the phone and call....

The North Dakota legislature in 2021 passed a bill to allow electronic posting of private land, giving landowners another option for posting private property. It’s another option. If landowners woul...

August is no longer just about winding down the fishing season, and planning and preparing for upcoming hunting seasons. While North Dakota has long had a crow season that got its start in...

Sipping coffee early in the morning and talking fishing is about as close as it gets to enjoying fishing without wetting a line. Truth is, I spend more time talking about fishing than actually...

Hints of North Dakota’s fall duck and pheasant populations were revealed in spring. For starters, the pheasant population index was about the same as last year, according to the state Game and Fish...

Food waste is a hot topic, with an effort to raise awareness of the changing mindset from allowing food to rot, spoil, or in some cases, even just taking more than you need or will eat. For many here...

Every other year in North Dakota, elected officials gather at the state capital to propose, review, debate, and ultimately vote on legislation that will set the course for the state and its citizens....

From the end of spring goose and turkey seasons until the mid-August early Canada goose opener, North Dakotans find themselves in a stretch of about three months with no gamebird season open. While...

One of the most widely discussed topics and legislative issues this year is commonly referred to as “electronic posting.” In short, the 2021 state legislature passed a bill to allow electronic...

I'll never be mistaken for a master gardener, and that’s OK. Beyond borrowing the neighbor’s tiller and breaking up the ground each spring, I lose interest in the garden even before the first...

This is the time of year when North Dakota Game and Fish Department game wardens, biologists and other staff across the state handle an influx of calls about young animals. From seemingly abandoned...

The 2020 closing of the paddlefish take season (a limited catch and release was offered), was one of the few outdoors cancellations I recall over the past year. Game and Fish Fisheries Chief Greg...

The challenges of the past year have impacted all jobs and North Dakota game wardens were no different. In a similar way to how virtual conferences and online shopping were suddenly more popular than...