North Dakota
Dokken: Black bear sightings rise in North Dakota as population expands
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in nearly three decades of covering the outdoors, it’s that wildlife sightings or encounters that are beyond the ordinary get people’s attention.
Such was the case Oct. 18, when multiple trail camera photos of as many as five black bears converging on a bait pile set for deer east of Grafton, North Dakota, showed up on social media. As of Thursday morning, Oct. 24, the posting had been shared more than 1,000 times – just from that site.
In this age of trail cameras and social media, it’s hard for critters to hide.
No doubt bear sightings in North Dakota have become more common in recent years, a trend that should come as no surprise, given strong black bear populations just across the Red River in northwest Minnesota.
Growing up in northwest Minnesota, I remember when bear sightings were a relatively uncommon occurrence. Over time, though, bears became more abundant as the population expanded west from more heavily forested areas in northern Minnesota.
Now, bears are common in northwest Minnesota – and a similar story may be playing out in North Dakota.
Stephanie Tucker, Game Management Section leader and furbearer biologist for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department in Bismarck, said she has seen the Grafton trail camera photos and confirmed they’re legitimate.
“As I mentioned to the reporting party, bears are notorious for taking advantage of a free meal, and large bait piles can attract multiple bears because they are pretty tolerant of one another when food is not in short supply,” Tucker told me in an email. “We highly encourage folks to remove any food attractants for at least two weeks if they don’t want bears around.”
Not that many years ago, the thought was that North Dakota didn’t have a known breeding black bear population –
the Game and Fish Department still says as much on its website
– and that any bears seen in the state were simply passing through.
No more, Tucker says.
“Actually, we have confirmed breeding on our side of the (Red) river, not to mention bears are definitely over-wintering in our state,” she said.
Game and Fish tracks bear and other furbearer sightings through an
online reporting feature
it launched a few years ago. So far this year, the department has received more than 20 reports of bear sightings, of which more than 15 were verified.
Only a couple of those reports turned out to be unfounded.
The number of black bear reports Game and Fish received between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, was up from previous years, as well, Tucker says.
Contributed / North Dakota Game and Fish Department
“Each bear can – and typically does – get reported multiple times, so the graph is not necessarily a reflection of the number of bears present,” Tucker said. “For example, we’ve had at least two black bears (maybe more) that were wandering around western North Dakota this summer and fall, which were reported to us at least eight times.”
So far, at least, the department doesn’t have any plans to launch a formal research project to learn more about bear populations in the state, Tucker says. Nor –
as she told me last year about this time
– are there any plans to establish a hunting season.
“I’m not convinced we need to let some hunters harvest some bears to find out more about them in North Dakota,” Tucker told me in a story I wrote in September 2023. “They are pretty conspicuous and with the prevalence of trail cameras, we have a pretty good idea of what is going on.”
And while no formal study is on the horizon, Tucker says she encourages the public to report bear sightings, either with the
online reporting feature
or by contacting the department through more traditional means.
“We really, really appreciate any (and) all information the public has been – and hopefully continues – to provide us about bears in their area,” Tucker said.
gf.nd.gov/wildlife/id/carnivores/black-bear
bearwise.org
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (Valley News Live) — The U.S. Space Force wants to build a $250 million space operations center at Grand Forks Air Force Base as part of President Trump’s 2027 defense budget request.
The facility would be about 180,000 square feet and built as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, or SCIF, designed to handle top-secret information. It would house highly classified missile-warning and missile-tracking operations, as well as the space data network.
The project would bring more than 100 Space Force and National Reconnaissance Office personnel to the base across two to three fully manned squadrons, according to North Dakota Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer.
“This new project puts Grand Forks right at the center of what’s next in space operations,” Cramer said in a statement. “It speaks to the depth of our Airmen and Guardians’ expertise and why this base keeps getting tapped for the most important and modern missions.”
The facility builds on the low-Earth orbit satellite mission already at Grand Forks, which serves as the backbone of U.S. military communications. Hoeven worked to establish that mission and has been pushing to add missile-tracking and advanced fire-control capabilities.
The three-story facility will include a 500-person auditorium for secure briefings and conferences, as well as a dining area to support 24/7 operations, according to the Space Force.
Hoeven, a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, said he spoke with Space Force Chief of Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman about the proposal this week. He said he will work to secure funding through the annual appropriations process.
Design is expected to start later this year if Congress approves the funding.
Copyright 2026 KVLY. All rights reserved.
North Dakota has been on a roll recently on the recruiting trail, trying to add to their 2027 recruiting class. They did just that when they received a commitment from La Crosse (WI) Aquinas High School athlete Brady Lee on April 16.
“I committed because the coaching staff, the school, and the community made it the right fit for me,” Lee said.
He received his first offer from the Fighting Hawks on November 22, when he was in Grand Forks for the South Dakota State game, and met with head coach Eric Schmidt beforehand. Despite the UND setback that day, they made quite the impression on him.
“Coach Schmidt had me meet him on the sideline before their game against South Dakota State, and he basically told me I did everything they asked and then he offered me. The game was great, I loved the energy of the Alerus Center, and I got to watch my former teammate, Shane Willenbring, who plays for SDSU. The coaches made me feel like a priority, even though it was a huge match-up.”
The coaching staff was one of the main reasons he committed, and he was able to catch up with Schmidt and safeties coach Keaton Wilkerson when he made it out to practice on March 28.
“I love Coach Wilk and Coach Schmidt. They have made it clear to me that they are in my corner. When I was there at practice, they and the rest of the staff showed nothing but love for me, and it felt like I was at home.”
COMMITTED. #JYD @UNDfootball @Coach_SchmidtE @CoachWilk0 pic.twitter.com/G6NY5jMzeg
— Brady Lee (@BradyLee834) April 16, 2026
Recapping last season
Last season, Lee, who plays safety and wide receiver, was named an All-Region selection by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association and an All-State Honorable Mention. He helped lead Aquinas to an 11-1 record and made it to the third round of the playoffs.
“The season went well. We had a tough loss at the end of the year, but we went 11-1. I had a slow start to the season, but things really picked up at the end of the year for me.”
That playoff loss still doesn’t sit well with Lee and the rest of the Blugolds, who still have it on their minds.
Had a great time coming back up to Grand Forks. UND never disappoints!!@UNDfootball @Coach_SchmidtE @CoachWilk0 @IsaacFruechte14 @ghaugii7 @TrevorOlson62 @JosephDotty14 @Thomas_Kiesau pic.twitter.com/2DADQJL9oH
— Brady Lee (@BradyLee834) July 25, 2025
“The offseason has been very well. My teammates and I have been grinding, no doubt about it. We definitely have unfinished business.”
The recruiting process is a different experience for every prospect, and it certainly was for Lee. In addition to the Fighting Hawks, he also had offers from North Dakota State and South Dakota.
“My recruitment was overwhelming, but it was still a blessing. I had a bunch of visits and some offers, but nowhere felt like North Dakota.”
Lee adds to a North Dakota 2027 class, which is currently rated No. 79 nationally by 247Sports, and includes three-star quarterback Caden Gutzmer, Andrew McGee, Jonah Cummings, Ethan Howey, Carson Wilson, and Marlowe Strain.
Updated Junior Season Highlights++
-6’2” 195: SAF/ATH — Brady Lee (@BradyLee834) February 17, 2026
-Allowed 1 catch as a junior
-1st team All-conference
-1st team All-tribune
-1st team All-region
-HM All-state pic.twitter.com/fGNaxFv6Dn
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Minnetonka (Minn.) quarterback Caden Gutzmer committed to North Dakota earlier this month.
Gutzmer, a higher three-star on Rivals and the Rivals Industry Ranking, is a significant addition for the Fighting Hawks and chose them over the presence of several other offers. Head coach Eric Schmidt and his staff had much to do with that.
“There are many reasons,” he said. “First being the entire coaching staff is very welcoming, and experienced. And with Coach Schmidt leading the way, the culture there is awesome. I have been to a lot of schools, but based on what I saw with UND, they are building a championship winning team in a strong Missouri Valley Conference. And lastly, the most important thing for me is having an opportunity to play. They really believe in developing players from high school. Could I possibly go to a bigger program, yes. But I don’t want to chase a logo to sit behind kids coming from the portal, you need to opportunity to prove it.”
Gutzmer knows that based on how UND recruits and develops though, that he will have healthy competition within his position group when he gets there.
“We went into depth about the quarterback room and plan,” he said. “Obviously I need to prove myself — everything is earned, and they have a strong quarterback room.”
With his recruitment now behind him, Gutzmer is working towards the ultimate goal for his senior season.
“The biggest focus for me this offseason is to continue to work on my speed and agility, and of course working with my QB coach on everything both physical and mental,” he said. “And get reps with my teammates. Two big goals for the season: stay healthy and win a 6A state championship.”
Gutzmer is ranked by Rivals as the No. 8 junior in Minnesota.
As a junior, he passed for 1,147 yards on 65-of-103 passing for ten touchdowns and zero interceptions.
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