I was just reading the latest issue of DU magazine, so I was curious to see if any No.Dak. lodges or guides were advertising for waterfowl hunts. Low and behold, one from Devils Lake offering the usual gamut of species and another located in Goodrich were advertising hunting opps on 50,000 acres of land. Their respective websites are
http://www.take-em.com and
http://www.svlodge.com. Go and take a look at their prices and available dates left for hunts. If you don't think NRs are a problem in the state, then somebody please tell me what resident is paying over $500 a day to shoot (at SVLodge), not hunt birds.
As a former resident, I am absolutely sickened and disheartened at the trend of exclusive hunting that is unfolding in the state. I live in California, and this State is the best example of how hunting is exclusively for the rich. My neighbor's best friend is one of the top realtor's in the Sacramento region. His buddy joined a waterfowl club three years ago that costs $1,000,000 as an initiation fee (I am not making this up), the yearly dues are a paltry $500,000. They have a 10 bedroom lodge, four full-time staff and one chef during the hunting season, and a full-time waterfowl/hydrologist consultant they use to improve habitat on their property. That is only an example of a few rich people buying land, there are countless examples of commercial operations in the State.
If you are like me, a person of average salary, you have two options to hunt in California. You can join a club that starts at about $1,500 for purely marginal opportunities (on one parcel of land) and goes all the way up to $1,000,000 for superior props, or you can hunt the state and federal refuges with the riff raff. Let me tell you that hunting the public land is the most awful hunting experience I have ever encountered in my life. The hunting is so pathetic, that the usual question people is ask "how many shots did you get off?" rather than "how many birds did you get?"
I have always wondered how DFG has allowed commercial hunting to exist in the State. Since there is a no corporate farming law in the State, why can't this be added to cross over to commercial hunting. I would suggest a petition and proposed ballot measure to eliminate commercial hunting. If provinces in Canada have been successful, why not model legislation that has already been enacted elsewhere.
I am afraid, that Fetch is right, for residents, this is the last stand. Let's hope it is not reminiscient of Custer's!!!!!!!!
[ This Message was edited by: bioman on 2002-05-04 14:56 ]
[ This Message was edited by: bioman on 2002-05-04 22:25 ]