[Fetch]

The front page story is about The guides Assn wanting compromise on Non Resident limits. (I can't find a online link to the story) Also a story on Randy Frost opinions

:roll:

I will have more to say later - But you could not buy this kinda advertising :eyeroll: There are logical answers to everything said. (and a couple things were mentioned). But it blows it out of proportion from their (guides Assn. Points of view) :roll:

I hate this kind of one sided sensationalism - There was not one new, or improved idea. But it made the front page main story with Color Pic's & all

You see the Herald, while usually good writers - are mainly Minnesota dominated in their writers & views & editors. & have a tendancy to like to make news & stories (But don't they all) :roll:

 

[Fetch]

Did anyone else read this ???

45 views & no comments ???

I'm about ready to say to heck with hunting ND & spend all my money in Canada ??? Maybe fish more ??? Maybe even finally get into Ice Fishing (havn't cause of the costs & travel - would have made it tougher to hunt) But this is exactly what the commercial hunting folks want, us to go away & give up, or wear us down I'm amazed & saddened how overall unorganized & fragmented & disinterested most residents are :eyeroll:

Plus how Non Residents seem to think what we believe in, is bad for them - compared to what the commercial people want :eyeroll: Yeah you freelancers may be able to come by their requests - but if you think it's bad now wait till $$$ really takes over

I really don't think, most think about these things, or care

But then bad here, is still fantastic compared to what you have back home - right ??? We will see in 10 or 20 years. :eyeroll:

I've about had it ??? & wonder why I beat myself up ??? for the response that has happened ???

I even have a few good ideas how to profit off all this crap the past couple years - Maybe if ya can't beat em join em - that seems to be the normal way nowadays :******:

 

[muzzy]

Fetch, what is there to say? The newspaper is going to write anything they think will sell newspapers. Any whiney story will suffice. I don't take much stock in articles that are one-sided and don't bother to get commentary from the opposing side. Also, notice that Ryan Bakken wrote the article. Nothing against him, but he is not the outdoors writer, and I doubt he is as in tune with the situation as he should be. I believe Brad Dokken could have done the same article and been a little more nuetral with comments from both sides.

 

[KEN W]

Fetch...how are we supposed to read it if we don't subscribe to the Herald.I went to their site and it's not there. Is there some way you can get it here?

 

[Dick Monson]

The short form of the Herald story by writer Ryan Bakken is this.

Kyle Blanchfield believes Devils Lake "lost plenty of business because of the license shortage", (NR waterfowl caps). "We're down 15% to 20% in occupancy this fall at the resort". Raw liscense numbers suggest there weren't fewer out of state hunters. But the number of license holders and the number of hunters weren't the same this year. "Fewer hunters showed up".

Sportsman Jon Barrett of Devils Lake suggests the hunter shortage was weather related, unseasonably cold, shortening the season 2-3 weeks. Blanchfield cites other reasons, saying "some clients waited too long to buy a license"..." There's the psychology of the cap behind this. How many bought licenses in advance, just in case, and never came? Plus when you buy an upland license you can get the waterfowl license for just $25. So pheasant hunters might buy one and never use it". He goes on to say that NR boat hunters who like big water may have waited to see migration patterns before buying the license. " There isn't a guide around who didn't lose groups because of the cap".

Rick Darling, a guide from Leeds, said he lost 10 hunter clients because they couldn't get a license. "Tourism is one of the major things we have going in this state, so it makes absolutely no sense to have a cap at all". "I hunt every single day and I never felt pressured". Greg Otis, president of the Lake Region Lodging Asc., indicated occupancy rates were down about 10%. He says weather and the cap played a role.

Blanchfield said "We have to re-evaluate the whole idea of caps. You hurt small business and small towns with it...Maybe there is a different answer out there instead an across the board cap".

Randy Frost, chamber director for DL, suggests a floating cap. Also resale of unused licenses back to NDGF which could resell them again. Allow business to sell the licenses to NRs. Ease restrictions on hunting in specific zones. Split the combined upland-waterfowl license.

Frost wants a survey to deterime if weather or the caps was the deterrent."Government is caught in the middle of two groups making claims. Now is the time to figure out if those claims are right".

 

[Dick Monson]

After reading the whole article, I had to wonder if the outfitters have finally killed the goose that layed the golden egg? Too many outfitters? Too much leaseing? Too much posting in the area to force hunters into using an outfitter, or leaseing their own ground? Maybe the NR sportsmen thought the "sport" has gone out of hunting in the DL Basin, and they went elsewhere?

And of course the weather played a big role. But to blame the situation on caps is wrong. There was a 1/10 of 1% reduction in 2002 licenses sold compared to 2001. I think the outfitters are positioning themselves for the next legislative session.

 

[KEN W]

The guide/outfitters and the Chambers of Commerce are gearing up for a fight in the next legislature.The drop in the number of teams at the Bottineau Shootout is being totally blamed on the cap.They are making syatements that there won't be any more caps.And they have rural legislators on their side.All 3 of my reps and senator are saying no restrictions.This will be a big city vs. rural arguement.

 

[Perry Thorvig]

I am personally pleased that the guiding business was down a little this year. The cap worked!

It may be because the NR licenses were bought by knowledgeable freelancers who planned ahead and got their licenses early rather than by the aloof, casual, Johnny-Come-Lately's who decided rather late that they wanted to go hunting again this year and figured they could just call Blanchfield and have him get them a license, feed them, wipe their butts, and put them to bed at night. Well, that's the breaks. That's supposed to be how the system works. It allows for the serious hunter to plan ahead and weeds out those casual guys who just want to go out and do some shooting. Gotta plan ahead guys.

 

[NDJ]

The article sounds like the caps are working to me!!

 

[NDJ]

& makes you wonder if there wasn't some abusing of the NR time allowed????

 

[rap]

wow... u can definitely tell these guys are getting ready to put up a big fight in the legislature this year!

 

[Field Hunter]

I'm not doubting Mr. Blanchfields percentages but I think there are factors that were not brought up in the article. Anyone who hunted ND last year knows the season was much shorter this year due to the cold weather. Also I've talked to several hunters who in the past had visistd the state more than their 2 - 7 day periods. Maybe the state could get the licensing back to local vendors. MN a couple of years ago went to electronic licensing at each retailer that wanted to have a small computer installed. Seems to be workinng great.

 

[muzzy]

The stores could already do this. The licenses are all available over the internet. All the stores need to have is a computer, printer, and internet connection. They could process the credit card and print of a license in the store if they wanted to. It is easier to complain about it though. MN does have a great system for selling licenses. Who has to pay for the machines in MN that sell the licenses, the store or the DNR? I would just as soon see the money spent on more land acquisition, and could you imagine the screaming from the businesses if they had to buy the electronic license machine?

 

[KEN W]

I went through the Mn. system when buying a non-res. fishing license a few years ago.They put your Soc. Sec. number in and after the first time all you do is give that and it automatically prints out your license.Only problem with doing that here is that almost all the licenses were gone by the time the season opened.I would hate to be a non.res coming here from a distance and find out the licenses are all gone.So most would not go through a vendor anyway.

 

[waunderer]

I beleive there are alot more factors than you guys are really able to admit. North Dakota has suffered, not only from the hunting issue but also the weather, several land owners that I have helped lease land to hunters :eyeroll: would not be farming today if it were not for that lease income. They were so close to losing everything, a few measley dollars that were generated help their operating expense ratio's enough that the banks were willing to carry them another year. But from what I read on this page, you guys would rather have someone lose their family farm, than work out an arrangement with a leasee and provide much needed income. Sure there are problems with the system in North Dakota but if you really think about the true nature of the bill of rights the farmers own the land and they should have the right to lease it if they wish and they have the right to let who they want hunt it. this issue will get much worse before it gets better and hope that the general hunter does not have to be the one that suffers. Maybe your favorite hunting land was leased, maybe the farmer need the money, maybe the farmer needed some free help from his so called hunting buddies, maybe he had to pay to much in labor cost, maybe a guy from out of state showed up in july and offered to help him out, who really knows?

Why attack everyones character when they don't agree with your thoughts or your positions give people a chance before you totally trash them in a public form.

 

[Old Hunter]

Waunderer I have never seen anyone on this sight state that farmers do not have the right to lease their land. I have never seen any postings suggesting that the public be able to control who goes on a frarmers land. Where do you guys come up with supposed conclusions. What do you mean when you say we cant tell farmers who can go on their land? NO one has ever told you or any farmer who you can have on your land. Ibelieve what your saying is that farmers should have the right to have as many hunters as they wish. Caps or limits be damned.
Waunderer I have family that farms. I have worked farm harvest for many years. I know what it takes to opperate a farm. The money from a hunting lease makes a nice little jingle in their pocket. It does not save the family farm. Good luck

 

[muzzy]

Lot's of maybes in waunderers post. Here are some more that have been left out. Maybe it is people who want to make a dollar on a natural resource that are greedy not the people (sportsmen) who want to utilize a resource they own. Maybe guides and outfitters should get a real job and quit being wildlife pimps. Maybe we need to look at property rights a little different. People definately have the right to say who goes on their land. Not a problem, post the land up and don't let anyone on it. This is your right, but when you cross the line into selling wildlife, you have crossed the line into immoral behavior.

 

[muzzy]

Another maybe: Maybe it gets a little old when you leave your land open to hunting, and some of your neighbors do to, and then the group that is leasing land and another neighbor who is guiding hunt all the unposted stuff first before heading to their little preserve. Maybe it is funny that you say the money generated from leasing is saving these guys, when in my neck of the woods the only landowners who are doing this are the ones who are more prosperous than anyone else around and never had anything to worry about anyway.

 

[Field Hunter]

I think you might need to go back and catch up on some of the posts over the last 3 months or so.