ND Ducks and Geese

[MinDak Hunter]

In the Fargo Forum today...

Duck debate flares

By Dale Wetzel, Associated Press

Published Wednesday, March 16, 2005

· advertisement ·

BISMARCK - Charging visiting hunters $170 for a statewide duck hunting license and limiting their movements will send a signal from the Legislature that visiting sportsmen are unwelcome, a rural lawmaker argued.

"That s what we deal with, is perception," said Rep. David Drovdal, R-Arnegard. "When it comes to North Dakota, I want ours to be a friendly perception, open and welcoming communities, inviting people to come and visit."

The North Dakota House debate flared Tuesday over amendments to a hunting bill that increased the cost of a statewide duck license, and limited the number of statewide licenses the Game and Fish Department may sell to nonresident hunters.

North Dakota is divided into three zones to regulate visiting hunters. Two of the zones are in central and south-central North Dakota, and have what is considered some of the state s best and most accessible duck hunting territory. The third zone is the remainder of the state.

Under present rules, out-of-state duck hunters are limited to one 14-day period in North Dakota, or two periods of seven straight days each. They may spend only seven consecutive days in one of the two more desirable zones.

The legislation debated Tuesday would establish what supporters called a "zone buster" license, which would allow a visiting hunter to go anywhere in the state. The Game and Fish Department once offered a similar, seven-day license, but the Legislature abolished it two years ago.

As approved by the Senate, the license would cost $100, with $15 going into a fund that helps assure North Dakota sportsmen access to private land. The House Natural Resources Committee pushed amendments to boost the price to $170, with $85 going to the fund.

Representatives approved the amendments 60-30 on Tuesday, while delaying action on the legislation itself. Rep. Rick Berg, R-Fargo, the House majority leader, said representatives first needed to see an official estimate of the revenue that the higher license fee would raise.

"There s a little bit in this bill for everybody not to like, but as it is with a lot of legislation, it s a compromise," said Rep. Duane DeKrey, R-Pettibone, who has fought restrictions on visiting hunters.

"The rural people don t like the fact that we have zones, period," DeKrey said. "We also don t like the fact that the nonresidents that come to our bars, motels and restaurants are expected to pay more, because we feel that might make for less of them, and we want more of them."

Rep. Todd Porter, R-Mandan, said the legislation was intended to address complaints about the zone system.

"We want to be able to say, Here s a zone-buster that you can use, because you were negatively affected," Porter said. "There were areas that both sides didn t like (in the legislation), so you know that we must have done some good."

Hunting restrictions approved by the 2003 Legislature prompted a federal lawsuit by Mike Hatch, the Minnesota attorney general. He argues the restrictions violate the U.S. Constitution s protections for business between states, and discriminate against Minnesotans who own land in North Dakota.

Drovdal said Gov. John Hoeven s decision to establish the three duck hunting zones two years ago sent a poor message to out-of-state sportsmen.

"All of North Dakota received a black eye, and it labeled us as fence-builders, protectionists, self-serving, and as a place nonresidents weren t welcome, whether they were hunters or not," Drovdal said.

---

The bill is SB2256.

[ChuckN]

I was going to post the article too.

I hope ND does the right thing and screws their own people and small businesses that depend on hunters for a living. Maybe then the legislature will listen. Cripes.

As and ex-ND resident for a short time, I cannot believe they want to do this and make the situation worse. Personally, I will not stoop to their levels and hunt "their" waterfowl. Never have, and I doubt I ever will. It's a joke.

[mwktrapper]

Imagine if we charged $170 for a nonresident fishing license and said that nonresidents can't fish MN from May through June. Then they can only fish Winni for a 7 day period and then can't buy a license in that area again. It's almost like they're mocking us for doing that. It's ridiculous. I hope they quit all that. The more hunters in ND means less hunters in MN.

[Michael8129]

NP I am just going to use my time in ND this fall as drive over land on my way to Canada I will try to time my stops to hit Moorhead and then somewhere in Canada for stops and gasups.... 135 bucks to go there( manitoba) gentlemen and can hunt all season....I'M DONE WITH NODAK! SEEYA!!!!!!!

[Willy]

I think I'm done with ND too. It's getting sickening all this talk. $170 for one weekend is what it comes down too. That and when you do get out there, all the land is leased, posted, or some outfitter runs it. 5-6 years ago it was a hunter's paradise. Now it is getting to be a circus just like everything else.

O.K. you want to fish Winni, Red, Mille Lacs. Fine, gimme 200 bucks and you can only fish July-August for one week and you can only pick one lake. Gimme a break!