This year’s deer season will run between Veterans Day and the Thanksgiving holiday. While that is subject to change from the annual shifting of the deer opener set near the Friday before Veterans Day. Many hunters appreciate the added holiday time while the rest of the non-hunting participants may miss them.
One of the most important aspects of deer and all hunting is making a safe hunt the top priority.
No matter how big of a buck or how successful a hunt is, if an injury, accident or fatality takes place, the deer hunt will be marked with a bad memory. Please wear blaze orange as required, know your target and what is beyond it and pause before squeezing the trigger. I’d rather you pass up the shot instead of risking any possible negative consquences.
For hunters and non-hunters here’s another installment of some of the situations hunters may encounter and insight from Game and Fish enforcement policy and procedure:
Can I use a bow to fill my regular deer gun license?
Yes. You may use any legal firearm or bow during the regular deer gun season.
Can I use a gun to fill my bow license?
No. Archery licenses may be filled only with bow and arrow.
Can I carry both bow and gun afield during deer gun season if I have both licenses?
Yes, but only if you are going to fill your gun license. No firearms, except handguns, may be in the hunter’s possession while hunting with a deer bow license. However, handguns may not be used in any manner to assist in the harvest of a deer with an archery license.
What if I have an antlerless deer permit and I shoot a deer with two-inch spikes, but I could not see them when I shot?
Game wardens have some leeway about what is an antlered deer. However, it is always a hunter’s responsibility to fully identify your target before shooting.
I shot a deer, but it is rotten. What can I do?
You must take possession of the animal by tagging it. A license only allows you the opportunity to hunt. It is not a guarantee to harvest a deer, or to the quality of the animal.
What should I do if I find a wounded deer?
Contact a game warden. Do not shoot the deer unless you want to tag it, or are instructed by the warden to do so.
What if I am going to take my deer head to a taxidermist and meat to a butcher shop?
How do I keep the tag with it all?
The tag should remain with the head and the carcass tag should remain with the meat.
Should I be concerned about chronic wasting disease?
The threat of CWD is a serious concern to North Dakota and its natural resources. CWD affects the nervous system of members of the deer family and is always fatal to the animal. CWD will not likely be fully understood without the assistance, cooperation, and commitment of big game hunters and their families throughout the nation.
As we learn more about the disease and its impacts on wildlife, we will keep the public informed. More information on CWD, including deer head drop-off locations this fall for the Game and Fish Department’s ongoing research project, is available at https://gf.nd.gov/wildlife/diseases/cwd
