Photo: North Dakota Game & Fish

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – North Dakota anglers, trappers and hunters are reminded that new licenses for the 2020-21 season are required beginning April 1.

Game & Fish Wildlife Biologist Doug Leier states that these can be purchased online at gf.nd.gov.

Licenses can also be purchased at more than 140 vendor locations throughout the state, or by calling 800-406-6409. The 2021-22 small game, fishing and furbearer licenses are effective April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.

Leier reports that the state turkey season opens April 10th and you’ll need that new license before your turkey tag will be mailed out.

Leier also says next Wednesday is the deadline for elk, moose and bighorn sheep licenses. He says those applying should make sure they have the availability to take time off for these once-in-a-lifetime tags should you be drawn in the lottery.

A total of 523 elk and 474 moose licenses are available to hunters this fall, the same as last year. A bighorn sheep hunting season is tentatively scheduled for 2021, depending on the sheep population. The status of the bighorn sheep season will be determined Sept. 1, after summer population surveys are completed. The season was closed in 2015 due to a bacterial pneumonia outbreak.

Elk, moose and bighorn sheep lottery licenses are issued as once-in-a-lifetime licenses in North Dakota. Hunters who have received a license through the lottery in the past are not eligible to apply for that species again.

Listen to Doug Leier every Thursday at 7:35 AM on Big Dog Country 95.5 FM with JD in the Morning.