The creation in 1930 of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department was a continuation of efforts to preserve fish and game species in the state. At its inception the enforcement of game and fish laws was the department’s primary conservation tool. Over the years the legislature has increased enforcement authority and assigned regulatory powers to the agency aiding its efforts to preserve fish and wildlife and their habitats.
Advancements in fish and wildlife conservation science have added many other tools essential to the ongoing conservation efforts of the agency and have helped make possible the successful reintroduction of several game and fish species and the preservation of many others in the state.
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has been authorized to award grants to help facilitate the North Dakota State High School Clay Target League.
- Team support – The Department offers a grant option of up to $1,000 to new teams that have not received a grant in the past. This grant will be a 75/25% split. So if a team purchases $1,000 worth of gear, we will reimburse $750. This can be used to purchase gear/equipment needed for the team. Items such as eye protection, hearing protection, vests, shell bags, magnetic barrel rests, etc.
- Infrastructure – The Department offers range grants to clubs that offer high school trapshooting. Infrastructure needs are a significant expense, and we would like to see development of more shooting ranges. Allowable grant items here would be traps, trap houses, voice pulls, sidewalks for shooting, wiring of trap house, etc.
The Department also helps sponsor the North Dakota State High School Clay Target League State Tournament. This sponsorship takes the place of grants to existing high school trap teams that Game and Fish had been providing through its Encouraging Tomorrow’s Hunters youth event/project program. ETH grants will still be used for youth hunting activities and other youth shooting activities that fall outside of the high school clay target league.