N.D. - restrictions on out-of-state duck hunters defeated

[Hamilton Reef]

New restrictions on out-of-state duck hunters defeated

BISMARCK, N.D. - Critics of restrictions on out-of-state duck hunters were successful in blocking a House proposal to impose more limits, though the bill's supporters said it was intended only to ensure a better season.

http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/state/10859599.htm

[Chasin]

Better start on making plans to go somewhere else. Thats the worst thing that could happen to the state. After going there only a few years I can already see a huge differance in the hunting oppertuneties due to overcrowding.

Looks like the GO got thier way. :mad: :mad: :(

[just ducky]

Chasin,
The article that Hamilton Reef posted is very accurate from my perspective. In fact, the first legislator in the article is from Edgeley, which is just a skip from where we go. We rent a house from a major farmer in south central ND, who is very active politically. He knows them all personally, including the Gov. The locals in that area love us (and our money), and treat us well. My analogy has been like hunters in Michigan going to the northern lower or the UP in gun deer season. But it's the people from outside that area, from Fargo, Bismarck, etc. that want these restrictions because they get tired of seeing vehicles with out of state plates in the motels, restaurants, bars, etc., and shooting all of "their birds". They're even more protective of pheasants than of waterfowl. Several years ago ND did have a limit on the number of non-resident waterfowl licenses, but we all still managed to get one over the internet.

Not sure when or where you're going, but we go to McIntosh Co., which is in the south central part of the state, the heart of the pothole country. We purposely don't go the first week to avoid any crowding, and frankly we've found that you don't need to be there the first week anyway...plenty of good hunting the second week, at least in comparison to Michigan. In several years of hunting out there, we've only seen one other group actively hunting on the same pothole as us (public property). As us waterfowlers know, sometimes it's beneficial to have other groups hunting with you in an area...keeps the birds moving. Some days out there we actually wish there were more hunters... :yikes: We've been given the green light to hunt private properties as well, but we rarely hunt them...haven't needed to. Our biggest issue in recent years has been the dropping water levels in the potholes, which limits the places you can reasonably hunt. Not that we've seen more hunters, but there just isn't cover near water in some areas. But if we chose to hunt dry fields, we could shoot birds all day. So I guess I'm not real concerned about this whole thing. Like I said, a bigger concern is the water levels because they're having another mild winter, which will again mean low water in the potholes.

[macdaddy]

As a Pennsylvanian who might someday come out to join youns in the Sportsman's Paradise, I, for one, am glad that there will be no further restrictions on us poor out -of-staters. Western Pa is far from the hottest place to blast ducks; I'm always looking for another place to go when the "ship comes in."

[Chasin]

We hunt alittle north of you (Wells,Sheridan) and have seen a great deal more pressure in just the last year. This season we would see hunters spread out in every section we came to. We dont pothole shoot much and just mainly field hunt in the mornings then scout in the afternoons. This year we hardly chased a flock of birds to a field that there wasnt also another group of hunters following. We go the third or fouth week of Oct. There may be alot less pressure down in the area you are in and thats why the zones make sence to distribute the pressure.

I know compared to here (MI) there really is know comparision and thats also my point. Knowhere else can you freelance and have the oppertunities that there are in ND. Putting in the zones is a way to keep the quality of the hunt without the competition.

Even if that meant I would not be chosen for a favorite zone or not getting picked to hunt that year. I would be willing to make the sacrifice to have quality hunting for years to come without having to resort to hiring a guide or paying a lease to hunt the prime areas which is what is starting to happen in the better areas of North Dakota right now.

I understand your point that there is still alot of area without much hunting pressure, but I feel that much more area would be ulitized and less overall pressure seen if the zones were put in place.

I want North Dakota to stay North Dakota long after I'm gone.

[just ducky]

Your point is well taken, and we also "chase flocks" some to find where they're feeding. But we only hunt the dry fields once or twice while we're out there, and again we've never run into another group of hunters???. I guess you're area is just more popular, but I can't understand why because there is tons of state/federal land around the area we go that anyone can hunt. We just prefer to drag canoes/boats and hunt over water. Maybe that's why I have the opinion that I do? The one change we've noticed in the last 3 or 4 years is that there are more and more "posted" signs. BUT...the difference out there versus here is they almost always list their phone number on the signs, and when you call them, you almost always get permission, at least for waterfowl. Like I said in my earlier post, in our experience they protect their pheasants much more than ducks. If I were to call and ask to hunt pheasants, I suspect I'd get a different answer. So I guess it just depends on what you want to do when out there. Due to the fact we hunt mostly water, we're real concerned over the low water levels again...been watching the snowfall on the internet real closely. If things don't improve with regard to water, we may do something else this fall.

[Chasin]

I guess you're area is just more popular, but I can't understand why because there is tons of state/federal land around the area we go that anyone can hunt. We just prefer to drag canoes/boats and hunt over water. Maybe that's why I have the opinion that I do? The one change we've noticed in the last 3 or 4 years is that there are more and more "posted" signs. BUT...the difference out there versus here is they almost always list their phone number on the signs, and when you call them, you almost always get permission, at least for waterfowl.

I believe the only legal posted sign in ND is one with the name and address of the owner on it. Unlike here, if land is posted without the proper owner information on it, its not legally posted and can be hunted without the permission of the land owner.

That said we always try to get permission weather posted or not, it gives us more info talking to the land owner as far as how much its been hunted and who been hunting. Your probably right with the difference in hunting water verses fields. We hunt fields almost exclusively which is also almost always private land. We target geese pretty heavy with ducks as a bonus. I know if we targeted just the WMA's we would still have numerous opportunities but there is also to much risk of shooting roost areas (especially on the larger ones) and having the birds head to South Dakota. We have seen this too many times and have decided to stick to fields. It keep the birds in the area allot longer and other hunters hunting them allot happier. :grouphug:

[highpointdog]

I have hunted in north central ND arunh upham the past several years and have seen very few other hunters the locals love having us and look forward to us coming back every year. I have detected no anamosity towards no resident hunters with many of the locals going out of there way to make sure we have a succesfull hunt. Limiting the amount of non residents in this area would definately hurt them economicaly.

[just ducky]

I have hunted in north central ND arunh upham the past several years and have seen very few other hunters the locals love having us and look forward to us coming back every year. I have detected no anamosity towards no resident hunters with many of the locals going out of there way to make sure we have a succesfull hunt. Limiting the amount of non residents in this area would definately hurt them economicaly.

Highpointdog-
Pretty much the same where we go. Very accomodating people there, and very little "competition" that we've seen.

Chasin-
It's funny you target geese so hard, because where we go we see very few geese. A few more last year than in previous years, but not many at all. Mostly ducks, sharptails, and pheasants.

[dyemen]

I hunted ND last fall twice....not for ducks and geese(I wanted to) but for pheasants. I stayed with my Friend just south of Fargo and we traveled 75 to 100 miles one way a day to hunt the birds! My understanding(from my friend) is that there are many bills on the plate for ND....Many are stemmed from the neighboring states such as MN, I think the Locals are tired of having their resources being abused because some guy comes out for a week and buys a license! From what I can tell, proffesional outfits are scooping up the land and managing it for fee hunts to cater to the out of staters! ND residents are loosing their hunting oppurtunities based on Fee hunting! By limiting the number of Non-residents they can minimize the impact of fee hunting just like Iowa did for deer hunting.....so they would not end up like Illinois.

[just ducky]

Dyemen,
No offense intended towards your friend here, but the political problem out there is between the "city people" and the rural folks. The people we stay with out there are one of the biggest farming families in ND. They actively farm thousands of acres, and own thousands that are set aside. They're very well known and very well connected, and they sit on many boards and commissions and know the Governor personally. So they're very in tune with the political climate there. Here's the issue from what my friends tell me......ND city residents have the exact assumption that you describe....that guides and outfitters are locking up all of the land. When they drive out from Fargo or Bismarck into the rural areas, all they see are license plates from Minn, WI, MI, OH, etc. They assume these out of staters are using guides, and that guides are locking up all of the property for them (us?). They say things like "all of these out of staters are shooting "our" birds". From what I can tell you from talking with locals in several south central ND counties, this couldn't be further from the truth. Yes they love us out of staters...who wouldn't! We bring dollars to their local cash registers. But the farmers we stay with say they gladly let ND residents hunt their property. Problem is they never ask!!!! They say they hardly ever talk to a resident about hunting. True, there are more and more properties that guides and outfitters hold for paying clients, but that's happening in every state. Honestly, there are thousands and thousands of acres open to anyone in ND, and Federal and state lands alone could keep a guy busy for months...maybe years. Tell your friend all he has to do is call some of these farmers up and ask....from what they tell me, they don't discriminate against residents. But I can tell you, the country folks are getting mighty tired of the city people telling them who and how to give hunting access to on their property. Just my two cents based upon my experiences.

[dyemen]

No Offense taken....I just know there are more than 1 perspectives here! My Friend is not "city" folk, but lives 20 miles south and owns a very successfull tree farm. He grew up in the area and knows alot of the people, I know some of his family are farmers as well! My friend has no problem asking to hunt and knows many of the people in South east ND. He is saying that 10 years ago there was hardly any posted land and now most is now posted! When we asked to hunt posted land....there was quite a bit that was leased for fee hunting! I agree...there is a ton of land out there to hunt but if there is no birds and no cover than it is not worth the time! I was just stating what he is telling me on what is going on in the state! I do not agree with fee hunting because it will eventually destroy the industry for everyone and make it a rich man's sport! That's my 2 cents!