Unbelievable North Dakota law!!!

[Ufatz]

I am absolutely dumb-founded at what I leaned today about a North Dakota law tha apparently has been on the books a while. Here's what I understand: if you own a nice old farm with a good waterfowl/pheasant slough on it and I want to buy it just to set it aside for the birds.....and MAYBE hunt it myself-or let friends hunt it, the State of North Dakota will NOT let us make the deal. The STATE will TELL you that you CANNOT sell me the land if that is what I might use it for!! And more incredible.....the GOVERNOR has to approve the sale. Can you believe this!!! What the &(%(^ has sneaked by us in North Dakota. This should be headed for the courts as fast as possible. I am just stunned by this and don't know how it got by me.

Land owners and conservation minded folks in N.Dakota should be out in the streets over this. Unreal!!

[jentz]

Well I knew of that law years ago when I had a chance to get a old uncles place.It SUCKS and I always thought Mn should make some restrictive laws for cabins to Match NDs protective law.

[jeffreyd]

I have also heard of this law, seems that something similar may have been posted last year. While maybe i am on the fence about this, i can understand where they are coming from. The question remains that if they do this, does the law make the area a wildlife management zone? I will do some further reading on the subject. Not that I am likely to come to ND to duck hunt, but it sure goes against property owners.

[KEN W]

The county commissioners also have to approve of the sale.Basically it is to keep land on the tax rolls.If non-profits buy the land it means no property tax.Which means the rest of the county must pay more as taxable land is eliminated.

As far as property owners go....they are the ones in favor of a law like this.It also keeps land producing income,which basically gives farmers first crack at it.

[Ufatz]

Okay.Okay! I get all that. But what is missing here is any outrage regarding the Governor and some "board" telling property owners how and when they can sell their land!

And I've heard the argument that it will stop big commercial hunting outfits from buying up land. That type business is regulated in several other ways.

Of course the agricultural interests might be in favor; they face the possibility that they MIGHT end up paying some reasonable property taxes like ordinary folks do.

Apparently this law has been on the books a long while but it proves to me once again that No Dak is truly one of the more backward states in the Union, totally dominated and controlled by a single industry. And, something else you can think about. With Big Oil in the State, now you will REALLY be able to see how the little guy pulls the wagon while the big boys ride.

It is just terribly sad and disheartening. The folks in poor old stodgy Minnesota have allowed their hunting and fishing to be trashed and the folks in backward old No Dak have allowed their lands to be taken away from them.

You all have my deepest sympathy.

Oh! Before somebody jumps up and says I'm against the farmers.....think again. I am against big CORPORATE farming. Look around. Check to see who REALLY owns most farmland. I am a great admirer of the work-a-day farmer and farm families.

Now. I'm done. Go ahead and take your best shots. Ha!!

[Mr.Seaguar]

Buying land just to hunt on it is a poor choice anyway. You should thank them for helping you make sound decisions.

[Scott M]

This thing has been in all the outdoors pubs for awhile, D.U., P.F., and Delta have all complained, and a lot of ND residents are unhappy about it. I'm staying tuned to see what happens. What I don't understand is if it is set aside but privately held, the taxes are still there. If its turned into public land and set aside, its covered by PILT payments that exceed taxes. Where's the beef?

[LMITOUT]

I am against big CORPORATE farming.

I'm against big CORPORATE land grabs that lock up land just for hunting.

You let these big "non profit" hunting groups lock up all the land and you'll have European style hunting where only the big money guys and palm greasers can use it.

Careful what you wish for.

Fix the problems on YOUR side of the fence before complaining about what others are doing. There is more to life than hunting ducks and geese, and the land in ND is their way of life.

ND has it right.

[Roosterslayer05]

[BrianLucky13]

Plenty of places to hunt in ND. I like the law. If they didn't have it all the good places to hunt would be bought out by out of staters. North dakotan hunters don't care for out of state hunters.

[Steve Foss]

Having spent over 20 years living and hunting in N.D., I'm in favor of keeping land out of the hands of those who would buy it up large tracts of it and charge hunters to hunt there.

I also don't like the law itself, as it curtails personal freedom and may in fact be unconstitutional.

[RiverRunner]

I'm against big CORPORATE land grabs that lock up land just for hunting.

You let these big "non profit" hunting groups lock up all the land and you'll have European style hunting where only the big money guys and palm greasers can use it.

Careful what you wish for.

Fix the problems on YOUR side of the fence before complaining about what others are doing. There is more to life than hunting ducks and geese, and the land in ND is their way of life.

ND has it right.

Explain your European style hunting comment. Are you refering to groups such as Pheasent Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl or the Federal Government purchasing WPAs? Because I've hunted on public land that was purchase by DU, PF in parternships with the state. I've also hunted tons of WPA's purchased with Federal duck stamp dollars in MN and ND. Hardly European style hunting. DU, PF, and Delta Waterfowl rely heavily on donations from Hunters, without hunters these groups won't exist. These groups want people to hunt.

Or are you reffering to Large Private partys like Ted Turner? If you are than I would agree with you. I would be more afraid of large private parties that don't allow hunting access purchasing land than Hunting conservation groups. Has Conservation groups, MN DNR, and Federal Government hurt the agricultural community in MN or ND? I would say very little,the majority of the land is already farmed that can be.

Yes there is more to life than hunting ducks and geese. No one said there wasn't. But when ND goes down the same habitat road as MN and it may in time, people will wonder what happened to the Pheasents,Ducks, and Geese.

[LMITOUT]

Are one million acres of PLOTS land not enough?

It sometimes feels like people don't understand that there are human beings living in ND who use the land as a means of life. They look at ND as their private little hunting escape where they can go for a week or two in the fall and then could care less about it the other 50 weeks of the year until the next fall comes around and they need to get their hunting fix again. I think we have to be aware that the guise of "conservation" is being used by some just to satisfy that "fix" and nothing more.

People also don't understand that if land grabs are allowed it will, and does, inflate the land prices which hurt those who live in the state and rely on the land to survive. How can residents compete when big bucks are flashed around by out of state organizations?

Once again, it's recreation vs. a means to an existence. Ask yourself: what is truly more important? Sadly, there are those who will say the former because they just don't care as long as they can get their "fix" in the fall and return to their cushy job in the Cities on Monday mornings.... probably after eating wheat toast in the morning and then later enjoying some ND Angus off the grill on their backyard deck in suburbia.

[eyeguy 54]

Are one million acres of PLOTS land not enough?

It sometimes feels like people don't understand that there are human beings living in ND who use the land as a means of life. They look at ND as their private little hunting escape where they can go for a week or two in the fall and then could care less about it the other 50 weeks of the year until the next fall comes around and they need to get their hunting fix again. I think we have to be aware that the guise of "conservation" is being used by some just to satisfy that "fix" and nothing more.

People also don't understand that if land grabs are allowed it will, and does, inflate the land prices which hurt those who live in the state and rely on the land to survive. How can residents compete when big bucks are flashed around by out of state organizations?

Once again, it's recreation vs. a means to an existence. Ask yourself: what is truly more important? Sadly, there are those who will say the former because they just don't care as long as they can get their "fix" in the fall and return to their cushy job in the Cities on Monday mornings.... probably after eating wheat toast in the morning and then later enjoying some ND Angus off the grill on their backyard deck in suburbia.

Being a ND boy most of my life all I can say about that post is, "Thumbs Up"

[brittman]

UFATZ the easiest answer is for you to move to ND and start lobbying YOUR NEW state legistlative reps for change.

Minnesotans and other nonresidents purchase hunting land in ND all the time. If you purchase the land yourself, enroll in CRP, enhance wetlands - no one will stop you.

If you form a nonprofit for "tax purposes" and attempt to purchase land in ND for "conservation" you will be stopped by county commissioners and possibly the state. There was a Minnesotan who recently tried this and was roadblocked.

There was a time in the late 70s and 80s where the state of ND (Governor lead) stopped the USFW&S from purchasing wetlands for WPAs. This has eased somewhat.

[KEN W]

LMITOUT.....you hit the nail on the head.Local farmers are complaining all the time about people buying land for recreation and driving up the prices of farmland.

[Gordie]

I'm against big CORPORATE land grabs that lock up land just for hunting.

You let these big "non profit" hunting groups lock up all the land and you'll have European style hunting where only the big money guys and palm greasers can use it.

Careful what you wish for.

Fix the problems on YOUR side of the fence before complaining about what others are doing. There is more to life than hunting ducks and geese, and the land in ND is their way of life.

ND has it right.

I agree fully If the land is all bought up then it will cost to hunt it.

[Augusta]

ND knows what it is doing...too bad MN doesn't...For those of you who don't like ND laws, stay home. Someone said it best, ND residents do not like out of state hunters....I am going to print this forum off so my friends buddy can see what some of you non resident hunters have say about the ND people..good luck hunting there if you have MN plates on your pickup...

[RiverRunner]

ND knows what it is doing...too bad MN doesn't...For those of you who don't like ND laws, stay home. Someone said it best, ND residents do not like out of state hunters....I am going to print this forum off so my friends buddy can see what some of you non resident hunters have say about the ND people..good luck hunting there if you have MN plates on your pickup...

Oh boy here we go again. Resident/Non Resident wars. So people like to hunt ND, they should its a great state to hunt. You don't hear a ton of MN Residents complaining about ND people fishing, Hunting and owning cabins in MN.

I like the ND Law, I do wish MN would have done this quite awhile ago. Private parties shouldn't be able to purchase land at will just for hunting.

I don't see how turning down PF, Delta Waterfowl and DU from buying land is a good thing. These groups when they do habitat improvement or purchaseing hunting land, do allow hunting. Lack of puclic access will be the end of hunting. For Non Residents or Residents alike. North Dakota does have ample public oppurtunities, how much is enough I don't know the answer to that.

[Bryce]

In the area I hunt by Oakes that covers roughly 20 sections and about a half dozen land owners, non-res plates are more welcome than res plates. Res plates on a vehicle they don't know is most likely from one of the big cities that legislate what they do with their land and economy and is spending very little in the area. The farmer that watches over my land knows to give permission only to non-res hunters for pheasants after my seasons are done.

[KEN W]

In the area I hunt by Oakes that covers roughly 20 sections and about a half dozen land owners, non-res plates are more welcome than res plates. Res plates on a vehicle they don't know is most likely from one of the big cities that legislate what they do with their land and economy and is spending very little in the area. The farmer that watches over my land knows to give permission only to non-res hunters for pheasants after my seasons are done.

Ah....ask those guys if they ever come to Fargo shopping,or for medical visits,or to watch their favorite sons and daughters play in a tournament????To me those are the worst kind of residents.They can can't see past their nose.Do they really believe they can exist in Oakes w/o the larger cities in ND????

NR and res should both be welcome.To eliminate 1 or the other for the reasons you mention is plain stupidity.

[Bryce]

...They go to Aberdeen... no stupidity there I guess...

[Feathers Rainin]

A cheaper alternative for conservation and hunting would be to ask the farmer to leave 50 yards around ponds/slouhgs unfarmed for a fair exchange of x amount of $'s, some venison,cleaned waterfowl/pheasants, wild rice, etc. You could ask they stop other hunters from using the property for a week or two before you arrive to stock up the pheasants, sharpies, or ducks. This would give you good hunting as well as good breeding habitat for ducks and wintering habitat for sharpies, pheasants. North Dakota farmers are for the most part very friendly folk. A short conversation can go a long way and many are intrigued when you talk about the importance of the habitat their land can hold and you may be able to lock up an area without a bribe at all. I see the reason for the law and if they do open it up it should be to private non-commercial parties with limited acreage per person to prevent it from becoming like Texas hunting. We should be thankful you can still hunt unposted land unlike SD. I thank North Dakota and its people for the great times I've had hunting in the state. Come fish/hunt anytime.

[KEN W]

The biologists I've talked to say those 50yd wide strips become highways of death.Every predator around would be hunting them.They say large blocks of cover....CRP.....are the way to go.

[harvey lee]

We can have wars between hunters and fisherman over these issues and the sportsman will lose.

Lets have state wars and drive up the license fees and also a hatred for each other in different states.