NDJ, Interesting site, I see that a few of the guys from here are also on that site as well. It is very interesting. Capt. 25's post is very interesting as well. On another note I was surfing around that site a bit thought it was interesting seeing what the arkansas guys think. From what I saw they sure do have a TOTALLY different way of duck hunting than us up here, thats for sure.
check this post out.....
specifically Capt 25's post....http://www.refugeforums.com/refuge/showthread.php?s=&threadid=104824
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Nothing scares me more than the thought of ND becoming an AR or LA. The sad thing is I think it's going that way. :eyeroll:
Only time will tell, but with how bad the season was down south last year I've already talked to several guys from down south who want to hunt north of the Mason-Dixon this coming fall and guess where they want to go to? :roll:
I even had one guy from AR ask me in a PM about buying land by Minot, wondering if it was any good for ducks? He's never even been to ND and him and his buddy want to buy land for duck hunting and to also avoid a cap (which I informed him wouldn't exempt him from any cap since there are no gratis licenses issued). It really scared the crap out of me...but at least I was able to inform him how hunting differs from AR up here and how to hunt; by freelancing. Yet, you have to wonder how many more guys are like that?
As for the Governor, I dunno...From what we've seen of him so far would make me believe he'd open the floodgates. On the other hand I've heard "pheasantgate" shook him up pretty well and having a cap of 30,000 since it's now the status quo wouldn't really suprise me especially if 2048 loses by a close vote.
Only time will tell, but with how bad the season was down south last year I've already talked to several guys from down south who want to hunt north of the Mason-Dixon this coming fall and guess where they want to go to? :roll:
I even had one guy from AR ask me in a PM about buying land by Minot, wondering if it was any good for ducks? He's never even been to ND and him and his buddy want to buy land for duck hunting and to also avoid a cap (which I informed him wouldn't exempt him from any cap since there are no gratis licenses issued). It really scared the crap out of me...but at least I was able to inform him how hunting differs from AR up here and how to hunt; by freelancing. Yet, you have to wonder how many more guys are like that?
As for the Governor, I dunno...From what we've seen of him so far would make me believe he'd open the floodgates. On the other hand I've heard "pheasantgate" shook him up pretty well and having a cap of 30,000 since it's now the status quo wouldn't really suprise me especially if 2048 loses by a close vote.
Fellows please remember that it looked close many times and we have preservered every time. Pheasantgate-HPC-1050-your involvement works!
All we need to get this piano up the steps is plenty of folks to lift.
All we need to get this piano up the steps is plenty of folks to lift.
Matt,
You bring up some good points. Many say that the numbers of NR hunters coming to Nodak will dwindle when the drought comes and the hunting declines. Well, hunting in AR has been down the last 2-3 years and I don't think their numbers have declined. If anything, drought will make the hunting even worse in AR and other states in the south and the hunters that have been paying/travelling to hunt there will pay to come to ND, even if the hunting is down significantly from historical levels. Most are used to paying for guides/lodging and will likely do the same when they come here.
As far as those guys buying land for hunting site-unseen in Nodak, why not? It is not uncommon for quality bottom-land that is only good for hunting to go from anywhere from $1000 to $5000 an acre in Missouri (if you don't believe me, let me know and I'll give you some references). Some of the duck clubs north of St Louis charge up to $30,000 per year for memberships.
I lived south of KC for four seasons and if you didn't own land, here were your options:
1. Show up at a state managed area at 4 am and hope to draw a low enough "pill" (basically a lottery) that would let you in to one of the better "pools" of the managed areas. Even if you got in, no guarantee that some idiot wouldn't set up 100 yards down wind of you and skybust the ducks that were swinging on your spread. On weekends at some of the hotter areas it wasn't uncommon for half the parties to go home because they didn't draw a low enough pill.
2. Show up at one of the unmanaged state game areas. Most of these areas didn't hold many ducks and, in my experience, they were very crowded.
3. Race to the spot on Truman Lake. Many of the guys who guided on Truman Lake had their clients meet them at the boat launch at 1 a.m. so they could be first to the "hot spot" (all COE/public land). They would advertise boats with sleeping bunks and they would serve breakfast. I believe the going rate was around $200 per gun per day (hey, breakfast was included!)
4. Lease a blind. Cheapest I saw on the western side was $1000 per season per blind.
5. Join a hunting club. On the western side, there is a club that leases 250,000 acres and has 500-700 members. Membership was $750 per year. Most of the land was open farmland good for turkey, deer or upland game. They had about 8 duck leases and it was first come first served--call in advance to reserve a blind and you would likely get paired up with one or two other hunters. This is the route I took.
I looked at a non-guided hunt in AR for this year. No lodging, no meals; access to a flooded rice field and that was it. Cost was $200 per gun per day.
So, the bottom line (IMHO): as much as many guys south of the line are paying, it wouldn't surprise me at all if they turned to Nodak to hunt as the hunting gets worse down there (no matter what the cost, no matter how bad it is--it's still relatively cheaper/better than what they can get down there).
You bring up some good points. Many say that the numbers of NR hunters coming to Nodak will dwindle when the drought comes and the hunting declines. Well, hunting in AR has been down the last 2-3 years and I don't think their numbers have declined. If anything, drought will make the hunting even worse in AR and other states in the south and the hunters that have been paying/travelling to hunt there will pay to come to ND, even if the hunting is down significantly from historical levels. Most are used to paying for guides/lodging and will likely do the same when they come here.
As far as those guys buying land for hunting site-unseen in Nodak, why not? It is not uncommon for quality bottom-land that is only good for hunting to go from anywhere from $1000 to $5000 an acre in Missouri (if you don't believe me, let me know and I'll give you some references). Some of the duck clubs north of St Louis charge up to $30,000 per year for memberships.
I lived south of KC for four seasons and if you didn't own land, here were your options:
1. Show up at a state managed area at 4 am and hope to draw a low enough "pill" (basically a lottery) that would let you in to one of the better "pools" of the managed areas. Even if you got in, no guarantee that some idiot wouldn't set up 100 yards down wind of you and skybust the ducks that were swinging on your spread. On weekends at some of the hotter areas it wasn't uncommon for half the parties to go home because they didn't draw a low enough pill.
2. Show up at one of the unmanaged state game areas. Most of these areas didn't hold many ducks and, in my experience, they were very crowded.
3. Race to the spot on Truman Lake. Many of the guys who guided on Truman Lake had their clients meet them at the boat launch at 1 a.m. so they could be first to the "hot spot" (all COE/public land). They would advertise boats with sleeping bunks and they would serve breakfast. I believe the going rate was around $200 per gun per day (hey, breakfast was included!)
4. Lease a blind. Cheapest I saw on the western side was $1000 per season per blind.
5. Join a hunting club. On the western side, there is a club that leases 250,000 acres and has 500-700 members. Membership was $750 per year. Most of the land was open farmland good for turkey, deer or upland game. They had about 8 duck leases and it was first come first served--call in advance to reserve a blind and you would likely get paired up with one or two other hunters. This is the route I took.
I looked at a non-guided hunt in AR for this year. No lodging, no meals; access to a flooded rice field and that was it. Cost was $200 per gun per day.
So, the bottom line (IMHO): as much as many guys south of the line are paying, it wouldn't surprise me at all if they turned to Nodak to hunt as the hunting gets worse down there (no matter what the cost, no matter how bad it is--it's still relatively cheaper/better than what they can get down there).
Dick is right, we've already got a lot accomplished...but we have to remember that everything could be in vain if 2048 gets shot down in the house.
I think the key to getting this thing passed is not by having us write letters, because we already have been (and obviously will continue to do so). We all need to get NEW guys to write their reps and urge them to pass 2048 and to also shoot down any lame duck amendments that will be attempted to be attatched. I know at least five guys who I've talked to about signing up for the e-tree that haven't done it yet. We need to stress to these guys that THIS IS IT! It's now or never and if they don't do anything to help this bill pass the house than they will have no right to complain about how bad the hunting is in future years. It's very easy for a lot of people to ***** about how bad it is, but I've come to find it can often be a lot harder to actually get those same people to do anything about.
Just think if everyone who's writing letters, e-mails and calling can each get at least two more people onboard to do the same. It would really make a difference.
I think the key to getting this thing passed is not by having us write letters, because we already have been (and obviously will continue to do so). We all need to get NEW guys to write their reps and urge them to pass 2048 and to also shoot down any lame duck amendments that will be attempted to be attatched. I know at least five guys who I've talked to about signing up for the e-tree that haven't done it yet. We need to stress to these guys that THIS IS IT! It's now or never and if they don't do anything to help this bill pass the house than they will have no right to complain about how bad the hunting is in future years. It's very easy for a lot of people to ***** about how bad it is, but I've come to find it can often be a lot harder to actually get those same people to do anything about.
Just think if everyone who's writing letters, e-mails and calling can each get at least two more people onboard to do the same. It would really make a difference.
I agree Matt... I send on the e-mails to my buddies that I hunt with that aren't involved. I know they are sick of them and they don't probably do much but maybe they will if I continue to forward them.
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