[frosty]

The importance of attending these meetings is more crucial than ever, rumor has it Gov's staff will be present at all the meetings. Here are the dates.

District 1 - Counties: Divide, McKenzie and Williams

Date: April 15 - 7 p.m. MT

Location: Grassy Butte Community Hall

Host: Badlands Shooting Club of Watford City

Contact: Hal Swearson, 842-3986

Advisory board member: Merle Jost, Grassy Butte, 863-6727

District 2 - Counties: Bottineau, Burke, McHenry, Mountrail, Pierce, Renville and Ward

Date: April 28 - 7 p.m.

Location: Rolling Plains Sportsmen's Club, Stanley

Host: Rolling Plains Sportsmen's Club

Contact: Louis Kuster, 755-3440

Advisory board member: Gary Melby, Bowbells, 377-2803

District 3 - Counties: Benson, Cavalier, Eddy, Ramsey, Rolette and Towner

Date: April 29 - 7 p.m.

Location: Ostby Hall, Sheyenne

Host: Sheyenne Wildlife Club

Contact: Tom Smith, 996-2231

Advisory board member: Barbara Ash, Devils Lake; home 662-3989; work 662-1800

District 4 - Counties: Grand Forks, Nelson, Pembina and Walsh

Date: April 30 - 7 p.m.

Location: Law Enforcement Center, Cavalier

Host: Pembina County Sportsman Club

Contact: Henry Duray, 265-4561

Advisory board member: Dan Mikkelson, Grand Forks; 775-4338

District 5 - Counties: Cass, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele and Traill

Date: April 23 - 7 p.m.

Location: Cayuga Community Hall, Cayuga

Host: Tewaukon Rod & Gun Club

Contact: John Manikowski, 538-4349

Advisory board member: Kenneth Toop, Casselton; home 347-4960; work 347-4045

District 6 - Counties: Barnes, Dickey, Foster, Griggs, Logan, LaMoure, McIntosh, Stutsman and Wells

Date: April 22 - 7 p.m.

Location: Kulm Community Center

Host: Kulm Rod & Gun Club

Contact: Doug Hintzman, 647-2646

Advisory board member: Rita Greer, Marion; 669-2315

District 7 - Counties: Burleigh, Emmons, Grant, Kidder, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan and Sioux

Date: April 16 - 7 p.m.

Location: City Auditorium, Garrison

Host: Garrison Chapter of Pheasants Forever

Contact: Patricia Stockdill, 337-5462

Advisory Board member: Dr. Ray Gruby, Bismarck; 258-2635

District 8 - Counties: Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Hettinger, Slope and Stark

Date: April 14

Location: Dickinson

Host: To be announced

Contact: To be announced

Advisory board member: Jerry D. Jeffers, Rhame; 279-5885

 

[Miller]

Why did they put the cass county meeting down in Cayuga? Do they not want anyone to show?

 

[muzzy]

Meeting location and time is set by your advisory board member. They try and move them around the district. People can drive across the state to hunt, and they should be able to drive across a county or two to go if they want to.

 

[Fetch]

:roll:

 

[Ron Gilmore]

Muzzy I will attend this meeting I have a 6 passenger van and will be happy to have some company on the ride. I attended a meeting in Wapheton a few years ago. I came away from that meeting with other hunters points of view and a better understanding of what they had for concerns and ideas so moving them around allows for better input for the G&F.

PM me if anyone wants to go along and we will set up a departure point and time.

District 5 - Counties: Cass, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele and Traill

Date: April 23 - 7 p.m.

Location: Cayuga Community Hall, Cayuga

Host: Tewaukon Rod & Gun Club

Contact: John Manikowski, 538-4349

Advisory board member: Kenneth Toop, Casselton; home 347-4960; work 347-4045

 

[Ron Gilmore]

Bump just a reminder of the up coming meetings.

PM if any would like to travel along.

 

[Fetch]

While I don't like how these meeting have gone in the past & don't think they are held in the best areas, or enough areas, to be really effective & question if anyone really listens to the G&FD :roll: (Especially since all the meetings the past year) ??? It might not be a bad idea for as many as possible to show up & tell them your disappointed in the Legislative process & ask what are you going to do now ??? Because they do have the authority to control alot of the concerns & manage the people & resources (But will they ???) It's time to do their jobs & stand up & be heard. But they need to hear from us, so they can relay that message to the Govenor.

 

[bioman]

One of the main points that needs to be reinforced with the department is that they are the administrator's of the public trust doctrine. And as holder's of the trust, communicate your feelings on how they can attempt to best rectify their past errors.

 

[Dick Monson]

This topic needs a bump. Anybody heard how the meetings have gone so far? Post those reports please.

 

[frosty]

I have heard the Director is unveiling "his" waterfowl plan for upcoming season. Haven't heard much from first two meetings but I am guessing not much was discussed about ducks and geese out west. I will be attending the meeting tonight in Garrison and encourage everyone else to do the same, they need to hear from us. I have heard a rumor that the plan consists of 3 zones, possible no cap in any of the zones! What a joke. Muzzy can you fill us in here a little????????

 

[Dan Bueide]

This is the first and an important way of getting involved in the issues. Major, earth-shattering policy changes don't usually come out of these meetings, but smaller moves and changes often originate or are evaluated at them. Moreover, it's a great way to actually meet people that care about the issues, as opposed to emailing, PM'ing or phoning them. I was told there were 9 people at the Dickenson meeting the other night. I hope a bunch of folks show up at the others. Remember, the Governor still has the authority to set caps and/or zones. If you want him to do so, these advisory board meetings are a great way to get that message across.

 

[muzzy]

I have not heard very much about what they are planning on doing in the future for waterfowling. I haven't even seen an agenda yet for the advisory board meetings. I live in the eastern part of the state and our meetings over here are in about 2 weeks, so I haven't been to a meeting yet this spring. However, one of the guys who lives in the western part of the state said that the talked about the upcoming waterfowl season and it involved basically zones. I have not heard nor seen anything in writing so I am of little use on this topic. Sorry, but often we are not told what is going on either.

 

[Ron Gilmore]

Next Wendsday I plan on attending the meeting for Cass Richland Sargent in Cayuga It is a little over and hour drive I have room for 5 people to ride along. Send me a PM and will cordinate a meeting place and time.

 

[Dick Monson]

Ron, good idea there to buddy up. Barnes County Wildlife plans to do the same thing for the meeting a Kulm. I am of two minds on the worth of advisory meetings as the memory of how we were hit with the sand bag in the past still stings. And we were sand bagged last fall. The worth of presenting your opinion outweighs past grievance, and if you don't go the outfitters will.

 

[Ron Gilmore]

STill have room for fellow sportmen to tag along on Wen. night. Send me a pm.

District 5 - Counties: Cass, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele and Traill

Date: April 23 - 7 p.m.

Location: Cayuga Community Hall, Cayuga

Host: Tewaukon Rod & Gun Club

Contact: John Manikowski, 538-4349

Advisory board member: Kenneth Toop, Casselton; home 347-4960; work 347-4045

 

[Dick Monson]

Advisory meeting: Kulm Apl, 22. Great turnout at the meeting sponsered by the Rod and Gun Club of Kulm. First and by far the longest discussion topic was the "new" waterfowl proposal, with three zones and a 14 day license for NRs. Zone 1 takes most of Kidder, !/2 Stutsman, Logan, !/2 McIntosh, 1/2 Dickey. Zone 2 is Sheridan, 1/2 of Burleigh, 1/4 of McLean. Zone 3 is everything else. (note that 1 + 2 are some of the most heavily leased areas in the state). The seven day NR license is gone, only the 14 day license left, and seven days could be spent in 1 or 2 and the remainder in 3. NO CAPS anywhere. No biology, no NDGF input.

Questions and comments went against Dean over the waterfowl action proposed, and his lack of support for 2048, when he had promised repeatedly to back it. It was hot.

This new plan is the goofy grape plan. Meaning if you stand still quietly, the governor intends to stuff you full of grapes until you turn purple and go goofy.

It is substaintialy less than we had last year and completely unacceptable. This governor lies flat out. When pheasantgate caved in around him, he was quoted in the press all over the state saying he got the message. Then he slaps a gag order on NDGF before the session starts. He has become a siamese twin of the commercial hunting crowd and will repeatedly sell a game season for contributions and political favors. And he is attempting to do so again. Then he sends a good man out to the public, expecting him to cover the governors tracks, and calls it an "advisory meeting". Sloooooow learner.

Times are not changing. It's a man made concept. We are the squeezees instead of the squeazers. And that is also unaccecptable.

 

[KEN W]

If I undertstand this proposal right...non-res. would have to hunt in zone 1 or 2 for seven days and then in zone 3 the other seven???

Would the 14 days have to be in succession???

How does the amendment to HB 1050 affect this.That amendment would allow non-res. to hunt in 2 zones concurrently for 7 days.

 

[Field Hunter]

D.

 

[Fetch]

Dick

was there any talk about all the meetings from the last year ???

Or how 2048 ended ??? The vote :******: & how the bill would have been actually good for those that want no limits ???

Did anyone ask why we had a cap last year but not this ??? That answer would be interesting - (especially from the Govenor)

Was PLOTS being hailed as the answer to access ???

Why only 3 zones for waterfowl ??? Do they really have to study this more, to know where the over crowding is ??? & realize, more zones could spread the masses out thru out the state (helping all areas economically) ??? Any thoughts thats too many come for the 1st few weeks (why not spread them out over the entire season) ??? I wish someone would explain to me why this is any different than how deer seasons & zones have evolved :huh:

What other issues were being pushed ???

Were the guides & mis-lead commercial sides there ??? (any comments from them) ???

 

[Dan Bueide]

Fetch, I attended the Cayuga meeting last night. Lots of talk about the session.

The plan described by Dick is only being "floated" for the Governor at these meetings. Many have expressed their dissatisfaction (or I suppose satisfaction) with the plan, and if we don't like the plan that's being floated, we should let the Dept/Gov know. Dean explained the boundaries and number of zones were nothing more than arbitrarily established. Several have pointed out the few zones fail to address many other pressure areas, and that no matter the number of zones, boundaries without caps doesn't do much. Apparently, caps and other zoning plans are still on the table, and we should all let it be known that we'd like some help again this year.

The department is pleased with the additional $ for PLOTS and other access programs, but I've never heard anyone from G&F promote PLOTS as a panacea. Instead, I've heard G&F consistently say the PLOTS will help, but we can't buy our way out of this situation alone. With the Governor's stated goals of 500,000 enrolled acres by 2005 and 1,000,000 acres by 2009, doesn't hurt to remind G&F that getting ground for the sake of satisfying quotas doesn't accomplish much, and that we'd rather see less and greater quality ground in the areas that need the most relief.

On the back of the meeting agenda, the '03 tentative season dates were listed. To my surprise, 9/27 is slated for a residents-only waterfowl opener, and 10/04 is listed as the general opener. I was told this was not a typo. But I was also told this was tentative, and that the residents-only week would depend on whether a September opener is feasible under the season package offered by USFWS.

Many other good and interesting topics were discussed. Lots of sportspersons come up with neat ideas that need to be floated to others and then promoted to the Dept. Any hunter that gives a rat's *** about hunting and the future of hunting should take the time to get to these semi-annual meetings - well worth the evening commitment.