MINOT – The implementation of electronic posting, and the response to it, was among the many topics discussed by Jeb Williams, North Dakota Game and Fish Department director, during his appearance before Minot’s Golden K Kiwanis on Wednesday.
Williams, who was appointed to the director’s position on August 24, took over the reins of the department in which he has been employed for the past 22 years, most recently as chief of the Wildlife Division. Electronic posting went statewide this year following an earlier three-county pilot program. The change was a big one for sportsmen and landowners.
Previously all private land in North Dakota was open to hunting unless posted as closed by landowners. This year electronic posting allowed landowners the option of posting their land on an electronic database without having to physically sign their land as in the past.
“We know that it is a very big change, a bigger change for some than it is for others," Jeb Williams, North Dakota Game and Fish Department director
“We know that it is a very big change, a bigger change for some than it is for others,” said Williams. “Some people are comfortable with smartphones and some are not.”
Apps that can easily be downloaded to smartphones and other electronic devices are available on the Game and Fish Department website. Utilizing an app, a hunter can readily see where he is on the landscape, whether land nearby is open or closed to hunting, and who the landowner is.
“It’s a change for people,” acknowledged Williams. “We have our Advisory Board meetings coming up. We’ll hear how electronic posting went.”
Game and Fish Advisory Board meetings are held at eight locations across the state each spring and fall. They are for the purpose of taking input from sportsmen and landowners and providing them with information on Game and Fish matters.
The upcoming round of meetings begins with District 1, November 22 at the Painted Woods Sporting Range at Williston. District 1 is composed of Divide, McKenzie, and Williams counties. District 2 meets Nov. 23 at Dakota College in Bottineau. Counties included in that district are Ward, Renville, Pierce, Mountrail, McHenry, Burke, and Bottineau.
Willliams spoke for several minutes about the department’s PLOTS program, an acronym for Private Land Open to Sportsmen.
“We think it is a pretty darn good program where we work directly with landowners,” remarked Williams. “We are able to compensate landowners for hunters being able to access that private property, walk-in hunting only. We want to make sure it is a right fit for them.”
The director said he understood that finding places to hunt has been an increasing challenge for sportsmen in the state for the past several years, but added his department remain committed to making sure people will still have hunting opportunities in the years ahead.
“Hunting and fishing is a billion-dollar industry. We’re glad hunting and fishing plays a role in local economies," Williams
“It’s very much part of our culture in North Dakota,” said Williams. “Hunting and fishing is a billion-dollar industry. We’re glad hunting and fishing plays a role in local economies, what it means to all those individuals who have businesses out there that are impacted by people that hunt and fish.”
The current deer hunting season was affected by epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD, with deer die-offs occurring in more deer hunting units than what has ever happened previously in North Dakota. EHD is spread by the bite of a small midge.
“They are the responsible insect for spreading that virus,” explained Williams. “It was dry and then we got rain in some areas in August, creating mud flats which is a prime breeding environment for biting midges. We experienced some environmental conditions which were apparently just perfect to produce billions of midges.”
In response to reports of dead and dying deer, Game and Fish offered license refunds to hunters who requested them. According to Williams, Game and Fish processed more than 3,000 requests for refunds. Many hunters, he said, were not interested in a refund but willingly donated their license money back to Game and Fish.
One challenge Game and Fish is preparing for is continuing drought conditions that has the potential to leave boat ramps throughout the state high and dry. The state manages about 450 fisheries, the largest being Lake Sakakawea.
“If we go into multiple years of drought conditions, that’s certainly going to have an impact on fisheries, including access.” Williams
“If we go into multiple years of drought conditions, that’s certainly going to have an impact on fisheries, including access.” said Williams. “We’ve been dealing with that on Lake Sakakawea for the last couple of months. If we don’t get out of this drought cycle, there’s going to be an awful lot of boat ramps that won’t be useable next year.”
Sakakawea experienced low water in 2005-06 which resulted in a number of low water ramps being built. Many of those ramps have been under water for more than 15 years and a covered with silt. Many have erosion on the upper end of them and need some work before being opened to the public.
“That includes roads to those ramps,” said Williams. “It’s a matter of coordinating with different entities to help get those ramps useable. That's probably the biggest concern going into next year. Even with good mountain snowpack, talking about Sakakawea now, we know we aren’t going to see that water until June or July. Low water brings some pain, unfortunately.”
