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I was with these guys right up to the point where he jams his arm down the ice hole to retrieve this monster fish. I’ve been bitten by one of these guys and still have the scars to prove it.
Nonetheless, they landed a beautiful muskie that any fisherman would be proud to catch. Let’s watch.
I’m not an overly religious man, so take this little story I’m about to tell you any way you like.
We were hunting west of Dickinson, ND this weekend, and noticed that in the middle of a CRP field there was a stell crucifix welded to a metal fence post and stuck in the ground. We didn’t think much of it, but asked the landowner when we got back and he told us a little story.
Seems that in the 60′s his grandfather owned the land, and year after year his crop and home were damaged by extreme hail, a staple of mid-summer North Dakota weather.
Out of desperation, he welded a crucifix to a metal fence post and stuck it in the middle of his field.
And, if you believe him, the field and the house have not been victimized by any hail damage since. No crop claims, not damage to homes or vehicles, nothing.
Now whether you believe the story or not isn’t important to me. I’m sure there’s been hail on the property. There might even been a few storms that left some vehicles dented or some corn knocked over.
But here’s the real important part. You don’t get to hear stories like that unless you put yourself in a position to hear them. I’ve driven past the field 1,000 times and never saw the cross. Once you’re knee-deep in CRP and see a cross in the center of it you just have to get the story. Getting outdoors and aquiring stories like this is what makes hunting a unique endeavor. It provides a mechanism for people of different cultures and livelihoods to mingle and share experiences.
The Bismarck Tribune is reporting that a legend in Dakota hunting and fishing died Sunday at 67 years old.
Tony Dean (pictured) was the host of several television and radio shows, and also contributed to numerous websites and magazines, including TonyDean.com and Dakota Country Magazine.
He was a champion of the North and South Dakota sportsmen, and a staunch defender of conservation. His mellow voice will be dearly missed on tv and radio, and his biting intelligence will leave a void in the defense of the welfare of habitat and wildlife.
I’ve always said that Mr. Dean had it figured out. Somehow he managed to figure out a way to make a living hunting and fishing the Great Plains. It seems unfair that his life was cut short by something as trivial as an appendix surgery.
Dean won more than 160 regional and national awards for his programs. He also served as a press secretary for former South Dakota Gov. Frank Farrar.
Godspeed Tony Dean. You have enriched the lives of so many, and will live on in our memories.
Below is a link to Tony’s last Dakota Backroads audio show from 10/3/2008.
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Have a fishing tournament coming up that you want posted?
How about excitement over the upcoming North Dakota Deer Rifle Season?
Sign up today for the Blast & Cast Calendar (still in testing) and you can add dates for upcoming seasons, tournaments, events and more.
Signup is free. All events are automatically posted, at least until I uncover abuse and have to shut that down.
Tomorrow’s gonna suck.
I’m officially calling the 2008 fishing season quits as I get my boat read for winter. Because North Dakota’s been in a severe drought these past few years, my fishing opportunities have diminished quite a bit. Some of my favorite fishing holes were dried up or made inaccessible due to low water. But I did get some quality time on the water this year.
My favorite day was mid-June. Wind is a constant in North Dakota. The only real time you don’t get wind is the moments before a storm hits, so you can imagine my excitement when I woke up on a scheduled day off to 0mpg wind and none forecasted. My daughter was at a friend’s house all day and my wife had to work. So I loaded up the boat, bought some bait, and headed off to the fishing hole. I cruised around that lake virtually all day with not a wave to be seen other than my small wake behind my trolling motor. I caught my limit of walleyes, a couple of white bass and a northern. On top of it I got a nice suntan and drank a beverage or two.
That was a good day.
But today I look out at 40 degrees and rain, with snow on the way. So I guess it’s time. Time to pull out the battery, clean out the last of the equipment, and button up for the winter.
For those of you who need some help winterizing your boat, like me, I found a nice article at BoatUS.com. Check it out and make the day you open your boat up next year a good one.
Well after a week of scouting and two weekends of hunting, I finally harvested my first pronghorn antelope.
I was drawn this year after five years of being rejected in the North Dakota license lottery, and it looked pretty bleak. Last weekend was 80 degrees with 30-40mph winds. All of the pronghorns were stationed on the sides of hills in the middle of sections, and hunting pressure was heavy.
This weekend blew in a fall storm, complete with 30 degree temps, rain and then snow. The antelope went into hiding and we didn’t even see a herd in the “normal”areas until about mid-day, when we saw a really small buck running with about 15 does.
Out of desperation we went to a new area, where we thought we would at least fill our limit on pheasants since we only had two to go. I missed that chance with a horrible couple of shots on semi-tough shots and we proceeded to drive around a while looking for the last herd of the day.
Out of jest I turned to my hunting partners, Tucker (a five year-old Britanny) and my father and asked where did all of the goats go? Less than a minute later, I answered my own question with “Right there!” pointing out the windshield to 20 pronghorns running across the section line.
I turned the truck around and drove to a different corner of the section, but the antelope ran back behind again. You know, turning a ’94 Suburban on a country road is no easy thing.
I saw where the pronghorns were running, and I exited the vehicle, .270 ready to fire and ran up the field to cut them off before they got too far behind a rise. Too late, I ran back down to the road and got a good look at them about 150 yards out. They were running full bore and I picked out the buck, always last. I led him about 4′ and squeezed off a shot. I didn’t hear anything, the pronghorn didn’t jump or stumble, and he definately didn’t just fall down.
After about 50 yards he reached the road, heading off into posted land. He seemed to stumble a bit, but I wrote it off as just mis-stepping at the road. But about 100 yards into the posted field, the pronghorn reared up on its hind legs and fell over backwards.
Huh. Guess I DID hit him. At full speed running right to left. Ta-da!
I put the gun in the vehicle and walked out into the field to retrieve the animal. Perfect shot through the lungs. Didn’t hit any guts, didn’t ruin any of the head or shoulders… just a lung-er that blew all the way through and he just took a while to know it.
Well, I’m hooked. That was the most fun I’ve had hunting in years. Only one thing went wrong the whole weekend. When it came time to snap a photo, my camera malfunctioned and we had to rely on a screenshot from a video camera.
Oh well, a nice 12″ pronghorn (updated measurements – 13 1/2″ horns and 6 3/4″ base. Much bigger once I got a tape on him!) for my first time out. Not a huge trophy by any means, but I’m mounting him anyway. Who knows how easy it will be to draw another license. Here’s to pronghorn hunting! Now, I can concentrate on ring-necks and my muley tag. God I love the fall!
The saying “If you don’t like the weather, just wait a few minutes; it’ll change,” is very applicable in North Dakota, as in many areas of the country. But check this out.
Last week I was driving around the SW North Dakota countryside with windows rolled down, short-sleeved shirts on, and sweating like crazy. It was 80+ degrees and I was out crawling for pronghorns.
Fast-forward to the upcoming weekend. Same area. Same hunting season. Same hunter. Forecast is for 30 degrees, snow mixed with rain (up to 12″ of snow in some areas), and 30mph winds. Global warming my a$$!
But just 150 miles NE of the storm in Bismarck/Mandan, ND, where I live, the forecast if for 50 degrees and rain. That mans that somewhere between here and my hunting area there’s going to be a wardrobe change. Where that boundry is, no one knows, but now I have to pack tons of extra clothing just to chase a dog-sized “big game” animal around, and a colorful chicken?
Damn right I do! It’s October in North Dakota. Upredicable weather and hunting season! It just doens’t get any better than this (copyright Old Milwaukee Beer).
North Dakota doesn’t have many hunting fatalities but Saturday afternoon a 15-year old Dickinson, ND youth was accidentally shot and killed by his 10-year old brother while pheasant hunting.
Dunn County Deputy Glen Gietzen says the family was hunting during the state’s youth pheasant season when the shooting happened about 5:30 yesterday afternoon, north of Gladstone.
Authorities say Dillen Bloomgren was pronounced dead at Saint Joseph’s hospital in Dickinson, of a gunshot wound to the head.
Please extend your thoughts and prayers to Dillen’s family and friends. And please be careful out there eveyone.
This morning 1/3 of the old Memorial Bridge that connected Bismarck and Mandan, ND was demolished via a small explosion and dropped into the Missouri River.
The new bridge was constructed over the last couple of years and should be finished some time this month, allowing the destruction of the rest of the bridge.
I know this doesn’t really have anything to do with hunting or fishing, but it was cool to watch anyway. Here’s a video of the destruction from the Bismarck side of the river.
