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Behind the Badge – Strange Encounters

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Strange Encounters

District Game Warden Riley Gerding

One day during the deer hunting season I was patrolling dirt roads in the middle of nowhere, keeping an eye out for potential hunting violations. At this time of year, it’s pretty common to see trucks parked along section lines or tucked along field approaches as hunters head out on foot. Most of the time it’s nothing unusual, but occasionally something catches your attention.

As I drove down a gravel road, I noticed a pickup sitting in the middle of a field near a slough. That immediately stood out to me. There was one individual outside the vehicle wearing high-visibility orange, which at least told me he was aware of the hunting season.

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I stopped for a moment and watched from a distance. At first, I figured he had shot a deer and was tracking it into the slough, which wouldn’t be uncommon as hunters sometimes have to follow a trail into thick cover to find their deer.

After a few minutes, though, I noticed he kept moving around in one specific area. From where I was sitting, it looked like he might be bent over working on something. My next thought was that maybe he had already recovered the deer and was gutting it out in the field.

What really caught my attention was that the back door of his pickup was open. Then, in one quick motion, I saw him hurry over and place something in the back seat. That’s when it started to look a little suspicious.

It wasn’t clear what he had just put in the vehicle, but the way he moved made me curious enough to go take a closer look.

When I pulled alongside his vehicle, I rolled down my window and introduced myself, and asked what he was doing out there.

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He casually replied, “Getting my bird.”

For a second, I assumed he meant he had been pheasant hunting. That would have made sense for the area, and sometimes hunters will combine deer hunting with a little bird hunting if the opportunity comes up.

“What do you mean, your bird?”

He turned and pointed to the back seat of his pickup and said again, “I was getting my bird.”

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At first, all I could see was a dark shape sitting there. For a moment, I thought maybe it was a big black dog.

Then it shifted a little. That’s when I realized it definitely wasn’t a dog. It was an emu.

The man went on to explain that the emu had gotten out of its pen earlier and had wandered off. He told me he had three emus at home that he kept as pets, and this one had decided to go exploring.

So, instead of a hunting violation or a deer being processed in the field, what I had actually come across was a man chasing down his runaway emu during the middle of deer season.

As a game warden, you never know what you’re going to run into while out on patrol. Some days it’s chasing poachers, and other days it’s watching someone round up a wandering emu in the middle of a field.

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It’s just another reminder that no two days in this line of work are ever quite the same.



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North Dakota High School Boys Basketball State Champions, Runners-Up, & Third Place

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North Dakota High School Boys Basketball State Champions, Runners-Up, & Third Place


The 2026 North Dakota high school boys basketball season has come to an end, and champions have been crowned across each classification.

After months of competition, the teams listed below rose above the field to capture state titles in their respective divisions.

High School On SI has the completed brackets along with the champions, runner-ups, and third place for every classification.

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Take a look below to see the teams that finished on top and the full path each squad took to reach the state finals.

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Champions: Century Patriots

Runner-Ups: Bismarck Demons

Third Place: Dickinson Midgets

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Champions: Beulah Miners

Runner-Ups: Central Cass Squirrels

Third Place: Devils Lake Firebirds


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Champions: Central McLean Cougars

Runner-Ups: Our Redeemer’s Christian Knights

Third Place: Ray Jays


More Coverage From High School On SI



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New York Giants met with WR RaJa Nelson at North Dakota State Pro Day

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New York Giants met with WR RaJa Nelson at North Dakota State Pro Day


The New York Giants have their eyes on North Dakota State wide receiver RaJa Nelson this offseason.

KPRC 2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson reports that the Giants spoke with Nelson at NDSU’s Pro Day on March 19.

Nelson recorded 404 receiving yards in 2025, along with four touchdowns. His 14.4 yards per reception marked a career high. The Minnesota native also contributed in the return game, totaling 168 kick return yards on eight attempts last season.

The Giants lost slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson to the Tennessee Titans in free agency. Robinson was New York’s leading receiver in 2025, finishing with 1,014 yards. The Kentucky native’s departure leaves the Giants without one of their two 1,000-yard wide receivers heading into next season.

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Nelson is a prospect with whom the Giants have done their due diligence this offseason. New York has just under five weeks remaining before the draft begins on April 23.



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Special Olympics of North Dakota hosts ‘Polar Plunge’

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Special Olympics of North Dakota hosts ‘Polar Plunge’


GRAND FORKS – Taya Lulay, 6, of Michigan, North Dakota, looked a bit apprehensive but eager as she waited with her team to participate in the annual “Polar Plunge” on Saturday, March 21, at Choice Health and Fitness.

Taya was among about 40 courageous souls who braved the 39-degree temps, chilly winds and a tank of frigid water to raise funds for the Special Olympics of North Dakota organization.

“She’s the reason we’re doing this,” said Erick Houde, of Grand Forks.

The daughter of Brandon and Amy Lulay attended the event last year and apparently convinced five others to join her in taking the plunge, all for the first time.

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Members of “The ReNewed Penguins,” ranging in age from 6 to 53, have raised about $700 for the Special Olympics of North Dakota.

Erick Houde, Brandon Lulay and Luke Syrup are employees of PCL Community Contractors.

“We do a lot of volunteering” as employees, Houde said, “and we like to keep on doing it. We decided to do it as our own team this year.”

“And it’s fun,” said Joan Houde, Erick Houde’s wife, who confessed to being “a little bit” nervous before the plunge. “It’s just the cold.”

“We felt the water,” she said, “and we shouldn’t have.”

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Joan Houde, of Grand Forks, along with five others on “The ReNewed Penguins” team, braved chilly waters as they participated in the annual Polar Plunge on Saturday, March 21, near Choice Health and Fitness in south Grand Forks

Pamela Knudson / Grand Forks Herald

Dressed in black-and-white penguin costumes, Erick Houde added that “the layers are pretty cozy.”

At the far end of the tank, three volunteers from Grand Forks Water Rescue were positioned in the water to help the plungers steady themselves after the jump and exit the tank.

Others on hand to help, if needed, included Altru ambulance, fire and police personnel.

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This is the 17th year the Polar Plunge event has been held here, said Nancy Hanson, president and CEO. The funds raised support year-round competition and sports training for Special Olympics of North Dakota athletes.

Anyone who raised $100 or more before the event was welcome to walk-up and participate, Hanson said.

The organization set a goal of raising $25,000 through this event, about the same as last year, Hanson said. People could participate as individuals or as members of a team.

Travis Nelson, a trooper with the North Dakota Highway Patrol, was taking the plunge for the 12th time. He has served on the event’s organizing committee since 2011.

He does it because Special Olympics “is a great organization to raise money for,” he said, emerging from the water.

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Awards were given for best costume, best belly flop, oldest and youngest plungers, the team and individual who raised the most funds for the Special Olympics of North Dakota organization.

Judges for the event were Rod Clark, UND chief of police; Mike Hedlund, East Grand Forks police chief; Jeremy Moe, Grand Forks Police Department; Captain Joel Lloyd, Grand Forks County Sheriff’s Office; and Tyler Lee, SOND athlete.

This spring, SOND will host another major fundraising event, “Dancing for Special Stars,” on April 16. Local celebrities and other well-known residents team up with dance instructors to learn routines which they perform for the audience. The dance couple with the most votes wins the competition at the Mirror Ball Trophy; a People’s Choice Award is also presented.

Pamela Knudson
Pamela Knudson is a features and arts/entertainment writer for the Grand Forks Herald.

She has worked for the Herald since 2011 and has covered a wide variety of topics, including the latest performances in the region and health topics.

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Pamela can be reached at pknudson@gfherald.com or (701) 780-1107.





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