Current North Dakota Fishing Reports
Archive:
roger
breezy point , MN.
Tuesday October 22, 2002
06:48:04 PM
I live in a so called tourist area here in MN. If it wasn't for the tourists from outstate and instate none of us would have jobs or even live here. If you have an area that has great hunting and fishing you will get people from all over the country coming there. I have met many nice people from outstate. They just want to have a good time. Yes, occasionally you hear about people doing things like taking 200 walleyes over the limit or shooting swans or pelicans. It isn't just outstaters doing this. There are plenty of locals taking over limits that no one hears about. Don't be hesitant about turning them in. The wardens are understaffed to start with and it definitly helps them. I hope we don't became so provincial that we build walls around each state, we will only hurt ourselves in the long run. I would say 99% of the sportspeople obey the game and fish laws. Unfortunately the 1% that are slobs are the ones you hear about
Erl Hansen
Port Angeles, WA
Tuesday October 22, 2002
01:25:37 PM
It is to bad that a lot of North Dakota residence feel the way they do about non-residence hunters. I live on the beautiful north olympic peninsula in Washington State and enjoy great salmon fishing and especially river steelhead, trout and salmon. I have 12 rivers withing 30 min to one hour from my home. We have always welcomed non-residence fishermen to enjoy our blessed outdoors. It adds a lot to our economy and the non residence might not pay property tax but they sure do pay a lot of other taxes when they are in our state. every bit helps. We have many many North Dakota transplants living here and they seem like good people. I guess it is those who still live in ND that are selfish and small minded when it comes to Non-residence. I offer an open invitation to all those in ND to come to Washington and enjoy our great outdoors with us. Erl Hansen
Trevor
Ohio
Monday October 21, 2002
12:22:12 PM
Just returned from a good trip to Devils Lake for ducks and geese. A lot of posted land around DL area. The truth is that if any hunter, non-resident or resident, takes the time to scout and then call the land-owner, more often than not the land-owner will allow you on to hunt. I recommend you get the plat book from the county auditor's office (usually about $30) to get the names, location and numbers of the people who own the land. Call them at a decent time of day and be polite. That isn't too much to ask.
As to the non-resident issue, it doesn't seem that it has pleased the sporting shops in ND one bit. If the NR hunters have to get their licenses on the web or by phone, won't the local shops lose a TON of business on the lack of incidental purchases? Now, there's really no reason not to simply stop in East Grand Forks and buy shells and other gear, if you don't have to stop somewhere in ND to pick up your license. I picked up a nice new shotgun in Devils Lake at Gerrells this year, but I think that sort of purchase is going to be an exception this year. So, even if the cap is continued, I think it can only help ND to allow purchases in state and in person at local shops.
Lastly, I think it is important to realize that a lot of non-resident hunters grew up in ND. I was born in ND and grew up hunting all over NW ND. My family still lives there. Why should I be made to feel like a second class hunter now? Every year I invite people from ND to come hunt with me in Ohio. After all, most hunters, whether from ND or not, are decent people who have a common interest.
Marty
Grand Forks
Friday October 18, 2002
11:36:04 AM
Matt,
Go ahead and do it if nonresidents are creating a problem in your area. Hey, you are already doing it. Any nonresident who owns a lake home in Minnesota already pays higher property tax. Since you live in Minnesota, you must be aware of the homestead tax credit which gives Minnesota residents reduced property tax rates on their primary dwelling. As far as the fishing limitations, we have a pile of nonresidents coming here to fish in ND. Contrary to popular belief, although we have fewer lakes, our fishing is first class. People come from all over the country to ice fish here, and summer walleye fish. Comparing fishing to hunting is apples to oranges. Access is the problem. Any one can access state water regardless of all the limiting factors, (money, relationships, etc. Not so with hunting. Nonresidents are not the problem, it is the hunting guides, outfitters, and fee hunting operations that limit access to a public owned resource. The trouble is that you would never be able to put restrictions on them that would do any good, so the next best thing is to limit their clients. If people would come here and ask permission to hunt, shake hands, and do some homework, there would be room for everyone. Trouble is too many of them want to do the homework with their pocketbooks. Their are hundreds of thousands of acres now that are not accessible unless you pay. This land is receiving a minimal amount of hunting pressure that it could handle every year. If there are people willing to pay, there are people willing to collect. People here for the most part are underpaid and can't afford to do this. And why should they, the resource belongs to them. If someone wants to post their land, I am fine with that as they have property rights. I do not want them to make one thin dime on a resource that is owned by the public. This is immoral plain and simple. Everything is about economic development, but some things shouldn't be done. I would imagine prostitution and drug dealing would bring money into the state also, yet we don't do that. I even know of a hunting guide in the north central part of the state that posts his land and charges "clients" several thousand dollars to shoot a buck on his land. He then has the adacity of calling the game and fish department in the winter to complain of the deer eating his alfalfa bales. I wonder why he has a deer problem. No one gets to hunt except a few wealthy clients that take a couple of bucks a year off the place. Some people create their own problems.
Jeff
ND/ MN
Friday October 18, 2002
09:06:03 AM
That is a big win for everyone when people who break the law by shooting out their window at swans or pelicans get busted. I hope they throw the book at them. I am from ND, now living in MN and so I have been on both sides of this debate. Although I am from ND I have MN plates which is not looked upon favorably when I hunt in ND. I obey every law, ask permission, and respect all landowners. I believe I represent the majority of non-resident hunters and there will always be exceptions where idiots ruin it for the rest of us. One thing I want to point out though, is that I have seen the same law breaking and disregard for wildlife/landowners from ND resident hunters as well. It happens to be that non resident incidents seem to be more noticed. I think the bottom line is that wildlife needs protection and preservation and any non-resident that doesn't agree with that should stay home. One thing I have noticed is that none of the comments coming from ND residents has even mentioned wildlife preservation as a reason they are for limiting non-resident hunters, which is sad.
outdrznd
SE ND
Thursday October 17, 2002
07:23:52 PM
Well, I know of two MN residents that won't be hunting in ND for a few years...I was stopped at a check point just west of Lidgerwood ND on Sunday(Oct 13th) and the vehicle next to me had a complaint filed on them for shooting "out their window" at either swans or pelicans on a VERY VISIBLY POSTED area. This was so visible as the "tire" hanging from a fence post with writing "NO HUNTING OR TRESSPASSING" was nearly 50 feet behind them on the same side they were shooting at. One of them didn't even have his drivers license or hunting license in possession and ALSO, they were cited for open container as well. I,m sure the authorities made a good amount on the fines and possible possessions they acquired on that arrest. How stupid!!!!! What a way to ease the non resident dilema. I understand the complaintant was only about 75 feet behind them and had the license number and state, color and make of vehicle all written down with the intent to turn them in and ended up occurring at the check point.
Matt
Mankato
Thursday October 17, 2002
11:06:40 AM
I fear I opened this can of worms and have created more anomocity around the situation (non-resident hunting in ND) than done anything valuable...but I digress and will press on until this issue is solved. All I can really say is if you agree or disagree with the situation, write your local polician who can have a chance to impact the situation. The bottom line is ND has made a choice to govern its State independently through discrimination of outsiders, and I have encouraged my Minnesota State Congresspeople to do the same. I have demanded higher property taxes for non-residents, limiting fishing licenses, and increasing the hotel tax. I have informed them I will vote for politician who is brave enough to take a stand on this issue (regardless of party), and I will encourage all of my Minnesota friends and family to do the same.
We are one country and one American people, and it is simply wrong to do what ND has done. We are obligated to treat each other and landowners with utmost of respect, regardless of which State boudary we cross or don't cross. Those who cannot act in respectful a manner should be isolated by the hunting community and forced to change their ways. Self-policing and intolerance of disrespectful behavior is the only answer to ensure our cultures do not perpetuate what ND has begun through its political maneuvering.
We are now forced to walk down the political path with the ND policticians until they open their eyes and come to their senses. People cannot be governed in a free society in this fashion or the snowball effect to the parts will ultimately doom the whole. I would gladly recant my arguments to my MN politicians if ND changes its stance and opens its borders and seasons to be in line with neighboring states.
Brooks
Minneapolis
brooksmaines
Wednesday October 16, 2002
09:47:23 AM
Allen,
You are correct. I apologize for my generalization. I'm lumped into the Mpls. crowd when I trout fish some of my favorite streams in WI. It took a few weekends with the tools in my truck instead of flyrods, but I made a few farmer friends, with great stream access. Added a few nice deck pictures to my book as well. Back to ND though. These are just a few observations I've made in the past handful of years. Maybe give everyone some things to think about. North Dakota is headed in a similar direction as South Dakota. I remember reading in the paper last fall when the early Resident only pheasant season was in the works. There were a lot of upset people here in MN. One has to concede the fact that there are literally millions of dollars pumped into rural communities by non-residents. This doesn't give a single person any more rights to land usage or game or whatever, though,(unless they are spending large chunks of money for private stuff). That is a whole other subject in itself. I will never pay someone, other than the state I'm in, to hunt. Residents(not only ND res.), feel very protective of the game that lives in their state. I understand this also, as I dislike the legions of guys that come up to northern WI deer hunting every fall. After all, I am the mayor of northern WI. But, as much as I don't care for most of these hunters(as a majority are slobs with little respect for much of anything), as long as they fork out $135 for a tag, as I'm required to do, now living in Minneapolis, they have as much right as the next guy to hunt deer. Now, we go one step further; Do the states really OWN all of the game within it's borders? I don't know. This is just one big country after all. And if they do, what about national forest land? Two rather large chunks of public land around me, the Chequamagon and Nicollet National forests, produce a large number of deer and grouse. These are governed by national laws as well as some at the state level. It is unfortunate that things are headed in the direction they are. After all, hunting is something that, for most of us, is in our blood. I know personally, the success of a hunting trip has very little to do with what is in the game bag. Heck, I'm sneaking out of work early today to try and find a pheasant. I don't expect to shoot anything, but it's a day not spent in the office. Maybe with a little snow in the forcast for this afternoon.... Just my two cents.
Brooks