North Dakota

The Coolest Thing Ever | North Dakota Game and Fish

Published

2 years ago

May 1, 2024

The Coolest Thing Ever | North Dakota Game and Fish

Last turkey season we were in the thick of the newborn stage. I was lucky to get out a few times, but it was a lot more abbreviated than I’m accustomed to. After another long, albeit mild, winter riddled with daycare illnesses, I found myself dreaming of turkey season. I was manifesting calm, sunny weekends and a stretch of household health to get us through.

Come opening weekend, Grandma and Papa arrived and the weather part was just as planned, if anything, maybe too warm. We dusted off the Kelty and pitched it in a familiar piece of grasslands. However, my cozy night under the stars was quickly interrupted with a nightlong bout of vomiting in the buffaloberry bushes. I’m still not sure if it was due to our Mexican food date night in Dickinson or yet another stomach bug but seemed par for the course these days. I almost opted to stay back that morning, but I had waited too long for this.

Tired and nauseous, “Team Ocho,” made up of myself, Scott and good Friend, Jason, hiked the mile and change back to the trees where we knew turkeys would be roosted. They were there, they gobbled, and they headed the other direction. The morning drug on as we tried to predict where they were headed but seemingly always got it wrong and found ourselves in their dust. It was getting warm, and I needed a nap, so I recommended a move back to camp.

It only grew hotter and whatever bug I had seemed to sneak up on Scott, too. The mood was not what I had expected for a sunny opening turkey weekend. We wasted away the afternoon before deciding on a drive to try to find some other birds to roost for the morning.

Wouldn’t you know it, we stumbled into a few male birds strutting around. We parked the truck and climbed a hill to get eyes on them. Spirits lifted as we enjoyed a beautiful evening display of turkeys being turkeys and counted a dozen different males. The sun was fading, and we knew they’d roost soon, but just then we heard the dreaded sound of a pickup. It slowed to a stop and my initial thought was “now we’ll have to have a discussion on morning plans,” but that thought was quickly interrupted by the pickup door opening, a shotgun blast, and birds running.

My heart sank. Frustration that we just wasted our entire evening and were left with no plan for the morning. Disappointment that those hunter’s vision of a turkey hunt and mine were so misaligned. And bummed on never getting to find out what tomorrow morning would have been like.

Our tags were left unfilled, and a bitter taste lingered for days on a weekend I had envisioned going so much differently.

Fast-forward to the following weekend and we planned on taking turns. Scott headed west after bedtime Friday, and by the time Fisch was enjoying his usual scrambled eggs Saturday morning, we received a text that Dada had sealed the deal and would be heading home soon. As readers know by now, turkey nuggets for dinner.

Sunday was my turn and I opted to hunt my leftover unit alongside Jackie, Department marketing specialist and turkey hunting novice.

I had no intentions of pulling the trigger unless I called in a double. We scouted these birds before the season and made the only move we had, get as close to them on public land as we could. We setup a strutting tom decoy with a real fan, a breeding hen and a jake.

The morning greeted us with a chorus of gobbles, sharp-tailed grouse, pheasants crowing, swans trumpeting and deer sneaking through the very buffaloberries we were hiding in. I yelped and turkeys responded. At one point I thought an entire group was heading our way but then the gobbles retreated. Later in the morning, I thought we had another one hooked as Jackie saw him last at 100 yards and he gobbled in the creek bed below us for a good half-hour before going silent again. I waited and waited, staying silent, but he never did appear.

It was growing late and as a last resort I gave the ole gobble call a try. No response, but a few minutes later Jackie noticed the tom back up on a ridge, fanned out at about 500 yards. This time, he was fanning, running, fanning, running. No gobbles, but she saw him in the same spot at 100 yards and then things once again seemed to halt. I stayed patient and quiet.

And then I heard, at a remarkably close distance, the unmistakable spitting and drumming. Without moving a muscle, I shifted my eyes to the left and at about 5 yards a strutting tom emerged. I couldn’t really warn Jackie who was about 10 yards to my right but hoped she’d see him soon enough.

She did and quickly shifted to reposition her gun and he came out of his strut but remained focused on our decoy. I shook with anxiety thinking to myself “shoot, shoot.”

Her safety clicked off, a pause, and finally the sound I was waiting for. But I don’t know what happened, he didn’t flop. He seemed confused and began to slowly walk away. “Shoot again,” I said. But his head was beginning to go below a hill, and instinct kicked in. I stood up and pulled the trigger.

I still couldn’t tell you what happened and the last thing I want is to embarrass Jackie, a good friend and hunting partner. If she did miss, we’ve all been there. I was still shaking even though I wasn’t planning to shoot. I just didn’t want him to get away if he was injured but we agreed I’d tag him so that Jackie could continue hunting.

Regardless, Jackie was pumped: “THAT WAS THE COOLEST THING EVER.” Those of you who’ve had the pleasure of meeting Jackie might be able to imagine this. And I agreed with her in my own, more reserved expression. I hope it always stays the coolest thing ever. That’s what I envision when I think spring turkey hunting. And that’s what replayed in my head all week as I counted the minutes until I could get back out there for Jackie’s first bird.

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North Dakota

Today in History, 1943: 2 North Dakota men die in separate Army plane crashes

Published

6 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Today in History, 1943: 2 North Dakota men die in separate Army plane crashes

On this day in 1943, two North Dakota army officers, Second Lieut. Arthur B. Kuntz and First Lieut. Bernard A. Anderson, were killed in separate medium bomber training crashes in Florida and Georgia.

Here is the complete story as it appeared in the paper that day:

Army Plane Crashes Kill Two N. D. Men

Two North Dakota officers in the army air forces were killed Sunday in bomber crashes during training flights, Associated Press dispatches revealed Monday.

Second Lieut. Arthur B. Kuntz of Harvey (Wells county) was killed with 10 others from the Avon Park, Fla., army bomber base when two medium bombers collided during a routine formation flight. Both planes crashed and there were no survivors.

First Lieut. Bernard A. Anderson of Warwick (Benson county) was one of six killed when a medium bomber from MacDill field, Tampa, Fla., crashed near Savannah, Ga. Lieutenant Anderson was co-pilot of the plane.

None of the other victims of either accident was from the Dakotas or Minnesota.

Lieutenant Kuntz, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Kuntz of Harvey, was graduated from the army air force navigation school at Hondo, Texas, as a second lieutenant last October, and received his wings as a navigator.

See more history at Newspapers.com

An ad featured in The Forum on March 2, 1943. Newspapers.com

Kate Almquist is the social media manager for InForum. After working as an intern, she joined The Forum full time starting in January 2022. Readers can reach her at kalmquist@forumcomm.com.

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North Dakota

Presidential Searches at 3 North Dakota Colleges Narrowing

Published

18 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Presidential Searches at 3 North Dakota Colleges Narrowing

(Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) – Two North Dakotans are semifinalists for the Bismarck State College president’s job as North Dakota State University narrows its presidential candidate list.

Valley City State University also is searching for a new president, with an application period closing this month..

Kevin Black, chair of the State Board of Higher Education and co-chair of the North Dakota State University Presidential Search Committee, said the committee reviewed over 60 applications. The committee is planning off-site interviews with candidates March 9-10 and campus visits with semifinal candidates March 23-27.

“We’re really excited about taking the next step and there’s some very quality people in there,” Black said.

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North Dakota

After falling short a year ago, West Fargo United wins ND girls hockey state title

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

After falling short a year ago, West Fargo United wins ND girls hockey state title

FARGO — One season ago, a Cinderella run for the West Fargo United girls hockey team came up just short in the state championship game.

United, the No. 7 seed, fell to Legacy/Bismarck in the 2025 final.

This time around, the team had momentum swaying in its favor, riding nine consecutive wins into Saturday’s title game against Grand Forks at Scheels Arena.

Led by goals from a pair of senior captains, United capped its redemption season with a 10th straight victory, fending off the KnightRiders 2-1 to claim the North Dakota girls hockey state tournament championship.

“It just means everything,” said United’s Payton Stocker, whose goal at the 12:31 mark of the second period gave her team a 1-0 lead. “We’ve worked so hard and throughout the season, it’s just been such a battle. Winning and coming out on top is just such a great feeling.”

West Fargo United captains react as they are presented the team’s 2026 state championship hockey trophy after defeating Grand Forks on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at Scheels Arena in Fargo.

Eric Hylden / Grand Forks Herald

Stocker was followed up in scoring by United captain Rachel Spanier. The defenseman fired a slap shot from the left point that beat Grand Forks goaltender Kylie Schmaltz to make it 2-0 with 35 seconds remaining in the middle frame.

Reagan Wilson locked things down in net for United, finishing with 23 saves and picking up an all-tournament team nod.

“This is my first year of high school hockey,” the sophomore goaltender said. “I can’t believe coming in here and winning a state title with all of these girls. I just love them so much.”

While it was the senior duo of Stocker and Spanier finding the net for United on Saturday, contributions were seen across the board.

Sophomore Emma Hassler also put forth an all-tournament campaign with five goals and an assist for six points over the three-day stretch.

030226 WFGOUnited3.jpg — Grand Forks’ Dustee Balek’s shot is blocked by West Fargo United goalie Reagan Wilson in the North Dakota girls hockey state championship game on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at Scheels Arena.

Freshman Kaylee Augdahl finished the tournament with four points — including

a double-overtime winner

over Fargo North/South in Friday’s semifinals — and junior Liana Williamson added three assists.

“It wasn’t just us (seniors),” said Stocker, who joined Hassler and Wilson on the all-tourney team. “It was everyone collectively. Being seniors, it feels a lot better. It was a great feeling.”

United, the No. 5 seed this year, capped its season with a record of 17-9-0.

“These girls are awesome,” first-year United head coach Kennedy Blair said. “They’ve worked super, super hard since last April. Wake up early in the mornings, go into off-ice training, on-ice training and all that.

“This group of girls is really special. They’re a really close-knit group, and they trusted our coaching staff coming in as a first-year group.”

030226 WFGOUnited2.jpg — West Fargo United players pose for the camera as they wait for the 2026 state championship hockey trophy after defeating Grand Forks on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at Scheels Arena.

Blair knows a thing or two about winning championships. She was a North Dakota state champion goaltender with the former Bismarck Blizzard co-op and also won an NCAA Division I national title with the Wisconsin women’s program in 2021.

Yet, she never imagined ending her first year as a high school varsity coach with a state championship.

“No, I didn’t,” said Blair, who also won North Dakota High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year honors. “But I had belief in these girls that we could get to the state championship again.”

It’s the United co-op’s first-ever state title — which consists of West Fargo, West Fargo Sheyenne and West Fargo Horace high schools.

Prior to Saturday, the last time a West Fargo girls program won the state title was in 2014 when it was still a standalone program competing as the Packers.

“It’s amazing considering United hockey has never won a championship game,” Wilson said.

Grand Forks, the tournament’s No. 2 seed, ended its campaign with a 21-5-0 record.

Ella Yahna’s fourth goal of the tournament — which came on a 2-on-1 rush with the assist from teammate Reese Meagher, put the KnightRiders within one shot with 8:17 remaining in the third.

Grand Forks, however, was unable to find the equalizer as its bid for a first state championship came up just short.

“I thought we came out in the first and we had a tough time,” Grand Forks head coach Kelly Kilgore said. “I felt we battled some nerves. I really liked our second period … We carried the play and tilted the ice a little bit back in our favor. The shots kind of started to really turn in our favor.”

Stocker said she wouldn’t have wanted to win a state title as a senior with any other group of teammates.

“(They mean) everything,” Stocker said. “We’re so tight and they’re all my friends. Leaving them is going to be hard. But they mean everything to me. We’re all so close and I love them a lot.”