[Bronco]

This past weekend was very frustrating for me so I have to sound off! I know several great NR hunters that respect the land and the resource. However, with the influx of more and more NR comes the idiots, and it only takes a few!

I contacted a landowner who said it was ok to hunt his land and I planned to hunt geese and ducks on Saturday morning. He stated there was another group of people that "may" go in-so he said go in early and close the gate and if someone else showed up- they would know to go to the other field and visa versa. There are 2 fields there, which make up almost 2 full sections of land. We were out setting up our decoys around 6:30 A.M when in comes this vechicle. Now, I don't have a problem at this point. They go and sit on a hill across from us and watch us setting up decoys for about 15 minutes with their headlights shining on us. No Problem-didn't understand what they were doing. Then about 7 am, they move their vehicle about 250 yards from our decoys and set up another spread???? I'm thinking we have 2 square miles of fields here and your setting up there!! I was going to go say something but didn't because I didn't know who they were- I thought they might be local friends of the owner. Then came sunrise and low a behold they have a couple dozen snow geese windsocks and a robo duck in the middle!! Low budget-I guess. I have been hunting/scouting in this area and have not seen any snow geese.

At this point I could still live with our guests-until the geese started coming :sniper: I have about 8 dozen "canadian" geese decoys and a robo duck and 1/2 decoys I sit off to the side. Anyway, the geese and ducks were coming in,however they had to fly over a fence line to get there. These idiots leave their spread and go sit on the fence adjacent to my spread and start "sky blasting" virtually scaring off anything the remotely looked at our decoys :******: We ended up getting some ducks, but only had 1 small group of geese make it around the "anti-aircraft" fire :evil: The kicker was when they were leaving- they drove around the field, apparently thinking they shot something-"they didn't cause I was watching" and then had the nerve to drive by and wave at us like they were friends of ours :eyeroll: Then, in a blink of an eye it all came together when I seen the Minnesota plates I know these jerks aren't reflective of the bulk of NR- but we should post a section on proper goose hunting methods cause nobody wins this way :sniper:

 

[Eric Hustad]

After reading Bronco's post I had to put this in from last weekend. Now I don't have anything against Non. Residents and I'm sure I have been laughed at more than a few times fishing in Minnesota but I smile when I tell this story now.

Friday night we stayed in Valley City and had a good time at the City Lights playing blackjack having a few beers, etc. Well we get back to our hotel at around 10:30 or so and I grab most of my bags etc from my truck and am trying to carry it into the room. As I'm trying to walk across the parking lot this brand new Dodge with Minnesota plates pulls right in front of me and I have to stop and drop everything. I am a little annoyed at this point and the passenger rolls down his window and asks where Newburg is. I was kind of surprised and said that it was about 4 1/2 to five hours from Valley. The guy gets really upset and says they have to meet a guide up there to hunt and now they are going to have to drive all night to get there. I started to smile picturing all this and the guy got more upset and then went off how they haven't shot a bird in two days, the hunting here sucks, and now they have to drive all the way up to Newburg to hunt with a guide. He was getting really nasty at this point and I looked right at him and said "I don't care!" They then drove off and I had to pick up all my stuff and continue on my way into the hotel.

Now my thought on this is no matter where you live, plan ahead! If I plan a fishing trip in Minnesota, Canada, etc. you can bet I am going to get directions before I leave. Anyway I wonder how those guys did going up to Newburg.

 

[Doug Panchot]

Bronco,

We had sort of the same situation happen up at Minot on Friday morning. We were out in the field by 5:30 setting up our dekes. We had about 12 doz bigfoots, and 300 snow dekes and same mallard silo's. We are almost done getting our dekes and blinds in place around 6:30, when this suburban and trailer come rolling into the field. They parked about 200yds away and started pulling things out of the trailer. My brother-in-law and I walk over and introduce ourselves and mention that we have permission and were in the field first and that if they like the four of them can join us. The guy was just a prick. So needless to say we hunted close to these guys. It was a bust. I have heard from others that this has been happening quite regularly. Where are the hunting ethics. I guess no one cares anymore about others, its just "self"!!!

 

[MRN]

I agree, the folks that don't think pressure is high are delusional.

Like everyone else this weekend, another truck comes barreling up shortly after I get there. Even though I gave a friendly wave, they didn't even get out to discuss anything. They just turned around, and barreled off, presumably to hunt somewhere else.

The truck had ND plates. I hope they did well where ever they went.

M.

 

[mallard]

Same thing happened to us,they didnt set up as close though.We had the decoys set up by 6:00 when two rigs with one having a black goose on the trailer decided to set up in the same field 1/4 mile away.Neither of us had any shooting to speak of because the geese were using a different field.Some friends goose hunting in trail county had a couple of nimrods downwind of there goose spread hiding in a windrow.He said they sky busted every thing that was going to work there spread.It seems to be getting a little worse every year.I am surprised that no serious conflicts have not happened over assinine hunters(shooters) such as these jerks.

 

[gandergrinder]

Same thing happened to us this weekend. We were set up in the field and some "hunters" from SC came and set up the decoys on the prarie trail that was next to the slough that all the birds were roosting on. :eyeroll: We were in the same field but about a half a mile away. When no birds came into their decoys they sent someone around the slough and jumped all of the Canadas, Snows and ducks off. End result no birds shot by anyone. Frustrating. My hats off to all of you that hunt ethically and respect others when you are out in the field.

 

[teamtingler]

Okay,

I read all the post ripping NR's, some of you made great points and did the right thing by trying to discuss it with the party involved. As a Minnesota resident, I could share stories about ND and WI residents trolling over my fishing line while drifting for Walleye's on Mille Lac's, instead, I will save my hate for Bin Laden. It goes on everywhere, I hunted ND for the first time this year and never encountered another hunter on any section of land that I hunted. I had a great time and I think the people of Devils Lake are great. Anyway, I thought you might like to read what MN is saying about ND. This was in the Minneapolis Star Tribune this past Sunday (for the record, I think the 30,000 license cap is a good thing).

Schara: Nonresident prejudice harmful to hunting
Ron Schara
Star Tribune

Published Oct 20, 2002 RON20

Thoughts from the North Dakota prairie . . .

If you're hoping to hunt waterfowl in North Dakota this fall, forget it.

Nonresident duck hunters now have a license "cap" akin to an NFL salary cap. And the cap has been reached; 30,000 nonresident licenses now have been sold and North Dakota ain't selling any more.

This was done to make sure resident duck hunters have plenty of ducks to shoot and plenty of places from which to shoot 'em. Cap them nonresidents; keep 'em out. North Dakota residents don't need jobs; they need more duck hunting.

Caps might be great for the NFL but this license cap also guarantees that North Dakota's hunting economy also will be capped. And it ensures that former North Dakota residents who didn't buy a license soon enough can't come home again to hunt. And it ensures that many nonresidents who cherished long traditions of duck hunting with North Dakota friends will be staying home.

Somehow North Dakota's legislature thought the duck license cap was a good thing? This in a state that desperately needs to boost its rural economy?

Resident hunters think they're crowded. Nonresident hunters always lease the best spots, they say. (As if residents can't do the same thing?) This "me first" and "hate the nonresident" mindset, regardless of what state plays the game, is a greater threat to the future of hunting than any PETA crackpot.

If a landowner has abundant wildlife habitat on his farm, if game is plentiful on his farm, the farmer should be allowed to "sell" his wildlife crop for what the market (hunters) will pay. If not, what incentive does a landowner have to keep producing wildlife?

A license cap hurts farmers, hurts motel owners, hurts restaurant owners, hurts bar owners, hurts service station owners, hurts . . . well, North Dakota.

Last spring there was a state plan to open North Dakota's pheasant season one week earlier to expand the hunting opportunities as well as the hunting economy.

In a hail of anti-nonresident venom, the early pheasant season proposal died a slow death in North Dakota.

Can you blame a resident for wanting to penalize those armed foreigners? Nah, but North Dakota keeps sending mixed messages.

Those dying farm towns toss the red carpet out to visiting hunters; a state law caps the visits. And nothing gets better.

 

[MRN]

Wow, that story sets an absolutely new low for failure to understand anything that he's talking about. Sounds like he forgot to buy a license, he's stuck and he's steaming - realized he can't fix his problem with all his money. Perhaps he should buy a clue.

Is this written by a guy I see on TV once in a while, he's always crouching next to a dog in a neck tie? He has a name something like that ????

M.

 

[eyebuster]

MR SCHARA needs to get a grip on reality..... last i heard the "wildlife crop" belonged to everyone.....it should not be the farmers to "sell".
and the statement "what incentive does the landowner have to keep producing wildlife" that's the same mentality the commercial hunting interests have. isn't nature producing the wildlife??? With an attitude like his ND can do without his"economic development money" to help "boost our rural economy".

 

[teamtingler]

Yes, his name is Ron Schara. He is a local outdoor columnist and I agree with you, it sounds like he was too busy making tv shows and forgot to buy his license. He has a show on ESPN2 and he is the one that appears with his dog Raven (with the hankerchief around it's neck). I think he was way off base on that article, usually his articles are decent. Anyway, I am off for Devils Lake so I better quit typing, hopefully I will make it there in time for the evening hunt.

 

[Doug Panchot]

You think a guy that is suppose to be up on the happenings of waterfowl would have a better understanding of the Non-res. situation than that. As I was reading that I just continually shook my head at each point in the column. Obviously he has no clue what is going on here. He wants to turn it into another AR or TX. Then the hunting would really be limited!!!

 

[KEN W]

To Schara money is EVERYTHING!!!!!

 

[hunt4life]

I think the key to land access is for farmers to start making money farming again, then they won't care so much about charging hunters to spend a little time in their field.

Maybe sportsmen could organize to help farmers make money farming.

I am a ND resident, but I don't have a problem with NRs. Most residents that I know have one or more non-residents hunting with them most days.

If the outfitters weren't posting up all of the land I wouldn't care if there was a cap on non-residents or not.

It seems that most of the things (legislation) sportsmen try to do to increase land access backfire and result in pissing off the landowners.

 

[Fetch]

One more upset LL Bean type media hunter - too bad he has a following that believes his tree hugging crapola :roll: :crybaby: oke:

 

[hansonni]

I guess I have mixed feelings about that whole article and the "idiots" that everyone keeps talking about. I think the article makes a few valid points though. Putting a limit on the NRs does reduce the economic income in the smaller towns and ND as a whole. If I'm a struggling farmer having a tough go of it with the crops and I realize that I've got some prime land that people come to hunt from all across the county to hunt, yeah I'd charge them to hunt it too! And wouldn't you know, they're paying it! Well, I've just made a smart business move with my land, and it is my land. I don't own the animals on it, but I sure as hell can and should be able to control who goes on it! Why not?! I've hunted about 8 to 12 times this year and have only come across a few other hunters in the same areas. Yeah everyone has their own version of the "jerk that set up right next to me and ruined the hunt" story, what hunter doesn't have one of those? Any type of hunter? I think alot of residents have a small chip on their sholder when they here "Non-Resident" mentioned. Almost like the high school mentality that everyone hates everyone from a different school just because they are from a different school. Then people start getting older and meet some of those "opposing" kids and realize they're not so bad, they're just like us?! There is going to be jerks in any state, including ND. To me putting a cap on the NRs doesn't seem necessary?!

 

[Fetch]

Maybe not - but under the circumstances - I'm glad it happened & it is / was the 1st step towards other ways to manage our states unique laws & resources & concerns of resident hunters. I hope it evolves & gets better for all - but mainly for ND & all freelance hunters.

It became the wake up call we needed to look deeper into concerns & see if there are things to make things better for all. I prefer WIN - WIN to always having win - lose. This thing is more complicated & has been discussed to death. Go back & read some of the discussions & ideas & concerns about all this. (I think they are still here)

Unless you have a new ideas or a valid contrary statement to how most of us feel - I doubt you will get alot of response, to what you are saying, or other brilliant ideas like Mr schara just dreamed up :roll:

 

[bioman]

Last year while hunting in one of the most populated NR havens in the central part of the State (yes I am a non-resident, but a former res and ND college grad), we had a similar scenario unfold. We scouted a field and based on the proximity to a major east-west highway, we knew we had to get out to the field extremely early to beat other hunters. We ended up setting up very early and decided to park our vehicles in the approach so that other hunters knew the field was occupied. After numerous vehicles saw us and turned around, one NR with WI plates decided to bypass the approach and simply drive out into the middle of the field. Of course, it was about 6:30 am (a very common occurrence in this area and probably across the state) and they immediately started setting up. Needless to say, we were a tad bit upset, so we drove out to the field to tell them that we were already set up and that the vehicles in the approach should have been their first clue.

Of course, the guy could not have been a bigger jerk, started out with the typical rant that the field wasn't posted and their is more than enough room for their group to hunt. My friend took extreme offense to the guys tone because we were going to invite them to hunt with us. So he basically said that if they don't pack up and move out that he was going to drive our two vehicles into the middle of the field and honk and drive around the field scaring off even blackbirds that may have thought about crossing the field. The best part about the little engagement was the line my buddy said in closing, which was "I don't care if I lose today as a hunting opportunity, because I am resident here and have ample opportunities to hunt while you are only limited to 14 days."

The saddest part about this story is that this type of behavior is becoming more of the norm rather than a random incident. My biggest problem with the current climate, is that most NRs seem to have this impression that they are entitled to their limits because they paid $100 for their license. It seems that the run-ins you have are by complete jerks that are out just to shoot birds rather than hunt and enjoy the tradition.

 

[prairie hunter]

I like Bioman grew up hunting in ND.

While hunting last week with ND boys, we actually had a positive situation occur. We has scouted a barley field full of mallards. Next morning we were set up about 30 minutes before shooting time. Right at shooting time three vehicles (WI and CO) pull into our field. They see us and leave. Not sure why they had a late start, but nice to see they had respected our field set up.

 

[Matt Jones]

I'm sorry too comment so late on this but I just saw this...

Ron Schara is the biggest tool I have ever met. He doesn't know a single thing about hunting. He is the epitome of the "Yuppie" hunter...he thinks hunting is going out and shooting game after a guide has already done all the work for you. Just watch his show...it's a joke. He's just another idiot who thinks he's a hunter because he can pay someone else to hunt for him.

 

[Nick Roehl]

Ron Schara and I have been going back and forth on emails, and the guy doesn't have a clue. He is still complaining about the pheasant debacle. I give him facts set forth by the ND G&F but his still argues his ridiculous points with no facts to back them up. Personally this guy is a lost cause. Like Matt said he is someone who has to have is hand held by a guide. Not a true hunter.