The collegiate summer level Bismarck Larks will pay tribute to their home state’s hunting culture when they rebrand for one game in 2026 as the Dakota Ditch Chickens. “Ditch Chicken” is a nickname that hunters in the Midwest use for pheasants or quails—in this case the logo depicts a ring-necked pheasant.
In the fall and winter months, North Dakota is a destination for hunters, supported by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Private Land Open to Sportsmen program, which opens roughly 880,000 acres of private land to hunters during hunting seasons.
The Ditch Chickens will reinforce their connection to hunting by pairing camo jerseys with blaze-orange caps, which will be auctioned off to support a conservation-related charity.
“The Dakota Ditch Chickens were born from our mission to create core memories, a stronger community, and lifelong fans,” Rob Williamson, Larks President, said in a statement. “For many North Dakotans, those earliest and strongest memories begin with generations hunting together. With this brand, we celebrate their legacy and seize an opportunity to give back to that community. This is a brand that really captures the spirit of North Dakota.”
The Ditch Chickens will be managed by North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong, which, according to the team, will make him the first sitting governor to serve as the head coach of a baseball team. The team will take the field July 15, 2026, against their in-state Northwoods League rivals, the Badlands Big Sticks.
