SB 2230 is one of the most dangerous bills introduced so far. Outfitters would be lining up to pay landowners to transfer their gratis tags to clients who would be charged large sums of money to hunt mule deer and whitetails, but only trophy bucks. In order to demand the most money for those licenses, landowners would be forced to lock up their land and keep ALL hunters out. They especially wouldn't allow deer hunters with buck tags because they would have to allow the bucks on their land to grow to be four and five years old or more. It's doubtful any waterfowl or upland hunting would be allowed on those farms/ranches either because bird hunters would spook the trophy bucks off the landowners farm/ranch and onto other property. This bill would change deer hunting in North Dakota forever, and not for the better.
Now, if the purpose of this bill is to allow a landowner who doesn't hunt deer anymore to transfer his gratis tag to his son or daughter, I don't see a problem. If SB 2230 is amended to allow the transfer only to immediate family (son, daughter, brother, sister, mother, father), then it'll probably get some support. However, as written this is a very dangerous bill and it must die. I have emailed all the sponsors and told them so. Keep your eyes open people!
