# Can anyone help?



## jkangas (Sep 28, 2011)

Hey everyone,

So this is what happened. I have been all set up to guide this fall for waterfowl and had just sent in my full application to nd game and fish. I got a call today from scott winkleman asking me if i was a resident of north dakota. I said yes as i have a house here and attend jamestown college. See when i went to the college my freshman year and asked about buying a hunting license they told me since I was a full time college student I was considered a resident of north dakota and could buy a resident hunting license. The best perk in the world, or so i thought.... Also in some of my classes the college had mentioned that as residents of north dakota we were eligable to vote here so we should keep up with the candidates, which just reinforced the message to me that we actually are legal residents. Winkleman said because I attend college I am not considered a resident, i am a nonresident hunter. I had no idea. He asked about the spring turkey licenses I had applied for and gotten my freshman and sophomore year and said they were for residents only. Turkey hunting for me is like a time passer until the following waterfowl season and I haven't shot one anyway... I told him about the college telling me I was considered a resident hunter and he told me he will look into it and i'll either be fined or be let off and have to get a non resident guide license. If i get fined i will have to wait 2 more years to get my guide license and another four to become an outfitter... When i went online it indeed says no student hunter can enter into lottarys BUT under the spring turkey guide (which is where i went before applying) no where does it say that students are not eligable to participate and at that time i was still under the impression i was a resident. My roommate applied with me for spring turkey and he also may be fined. Also in the licenses portion of the ND game and fish site it is seperated into resident and nonresident licenses, but no where in either section does it include "nonresident" students...Here's my thoughts about this.

I am all for the conservation of animals and lawful hunting. We are always careful of our limits and shooting times, etc. I however, do not believe a person should be able to receive a license they are not qualified for.

When doing my research today after talking to winkleman, numerous people i talked to have been getting deer and turkey licenses the same way i did without knowing it was illegal. I know some people who have been hunting deer the last 4 years as residents.

Here's another thought then, if we are not residents but are nonresident students, are we allowed to hunt early season geese and the first week of resident duck? North dakota game and fish clearly states that this is open to resident hunting only.

I called north dakota game and fish later and talked to a different warden who i asked these questions.

"as a full time student of north dakota i can get a resident waterfowl hunting license right?" 
he replied yes
"okay so my question is if i am considered a non resident student, can i hunt early season goose and duck?"
he replied yes because the license you bought is a resident license
" Okay so for fall turkey season which is open to resident and nonresident can i get a resident turkey license?"
he replied yes i believe so
" and i said thats interesting because im under investigation for buying a resident turkey license right now"
he said well let me look it up and then informed me because it was a lottary i would have to apply for a nonresident tag
and i said 
"If you don't even know if i need a resident tag, how are we supposed to know as the applicants..."
I wasn't trying to be mean but at this point you can understand my frustration...

Moving on, I know a guy who came up from south dakota last weekend and bought a resident hunting license because he still had his student ID from jamestown college. Walmart didnt even look at his student ID they just gave him a resident student license. I was boggled. You are telling me this is the best method we have of giving out licenses? This needs to be changed.
Just think even if this guy was stopped by a game warden he could show him his student id and say he attends jamestown college and he would be just fine.

I don't know how to fix this problem but i was thinking if residents of ND had a resident # then everytime a resident only licensing thing came up (like spring turkey) they would be prompted for their resident number before being eligable to enter the lottary.

The number of people i talked to today that said they have been entering lottaries for spring turkey and resident deer for years blew my mind because i know they would be in the same boat as me if they applied for a guiding license. Im not sure if this is just a problem around here but college students all over North Dakota be careful because you are not a resident of north dakota if you are from a different state attending college here. You are a nonresident student hunter. I don't want to see anyone get in the same boat as me. If anyone has any ideas or can help me in anyway please email me at [email protected]

Thanks,

Justin


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## dsm16428 (Feb 19, 2009)

"Ignorance of the law is no excuse for violating said law." Ask ANY conservation officer and that is what you'll get. I'm pretty sure it even says that in many if not most states' game law publications. You should have done the research well in advance. Also...the ONLY way I know of to get a resident license in a state you do not reside is if you are ACTIVE MILITARY and even then...some states don't allow that either.

Also...Walmart employees in general ARE IDIOTS!!! You cannot rely on the doofus behind the counter to know the game laws. :roll:


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## shadow (Mar 5, 2003)

jkangas: Shoot me a PM if interested. I have experience in court with these people in a very similar situation. Hope to hear from you. Take care


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

Simple... Get a ND drivers license................... :wink:


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## jkangas (Sep 28, 2011)

thanks for all the replies guys, I did not get fined for it, it was just a warning  I know i should have done the research in advance, the point of this post was not to whine about my situation it was to let other students know of it and to be careful. I know its a big issue here at Jamestown College and i'm assuming its happening more places than here.

Thanks fellas.


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## Andy Weber (Nov 18, 2009)

I know people from out of state that come to South Dakota to go to college and do not have to do the nonres application. So that would mean it is more than just paying the resident fee, its the resident laws also.


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