ND Outdoors: The changing patterns of fish and wildlife

Whether you go by the calendar or conditions on the ground, winter in North Dakota is always a season of transition. Officially, the books say it starts Dec. 21 and wraps up March 21. For me, winter started with a true cold and snow snap just before Thanksgiving. For some, it didn’t truly feel like winter until those late February storms rolled in. That late-season blanket of white has a way of quickly erasing memories of those unseasonably warm December days that felt more like October or April. Personally, I’d acclimated quite well to the milder weather, but the return of the winter reflex – warming up the pickup and double-checking for sandbags, shovels and survival gear – is just part of living in the 701.