# North Dakota Wildlife Federation



## Hunter_58346 (May 22, 2003)

Posted on Wed, Feb. 01, 2006
Wildlife Federation seeks limits on fee huntingAssociated PressFARGO, N.D. - The North Dakota Wildlife Federation will ask legislators to limit fee hunting, a spokesman says.
Jason Dubord, the group's executive director, said its members worry that hunters who cannot afford to pay will run out of places to hunt.
The federation represents wildlife clubs around the state, and most of its members are landowners, Dubord said.
The federation is not entirely opposed to fee hunting, but believes it should have some restrictions, he said.
"We live in North Dakota to be able to hunt, fish and trap for free, outside of our license costs, and we take a lot of pride in that," Dubord said.
"The problem we're worried about is that it's (fee hunting) something can spread quickly and we want to start making a stance before it gets out of hand."


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

> "The problem we're worried about is that it's (fee hunting) something can spread quickly and we want to start making a stance before it gets out of hand."


This guy just wake up this morning or what? He's got alot of catching up to do if he just became aware of this trend that started 20+ years ago.


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## Field Hunter (Mar 4, 2002)

They are addressing the issue!!!!! Let's not run them down for doing it! Believe it not, most people are not aware of complexity of the problems concerning the access issues in the state....if someone wants to address this then let's support them.

NDWF....Thank You!


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Good news.....right on FH,the more the better


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

There has to be people who are more up to date than this guy isn't there, but like you wrote any press is good press????

To me it makes it sound like a great awakening has happened and we have all had our heads under the blankets concerning the downfall of ND hunting.


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

> To me it makes it sound like a great awakening has happened and we have all had our heads under the blankets concerning the downfall of ND hunting.


Sadly, too true. Most of us have had our heads under the blanket .... or somewhere darker when it comes to commercialization of wildlife. When I first talked to one of the Cannonball Co investors in 1992 I thought this will never fly. Wrong. Then it took another 10 years to get involved. And most sportsmen are not aware, much less involved now.

The NDWF has doubled it's membership of clubs in a year and half. They are trying hard to expand that membership and it's like pulling your own teeth to get wildlife clubs that are basicly social organizations, involved in issues. In the last session we talked to legislators that had *zero* contacts from sportsmen in their districts on wildlife bills. Outfitters do not make that mistake.

In the late 80s the NDWF had over 10,000 members statewide. They took a stand (God bless 'em) on drainage and Federal land, and lost membership because of it. Combine that with the increase of good hunting from CRP and former members did not rejoin. Couldn't see a need to save it because it happened to be so good right then. Look what happened. 
Outfitters became politicaly and PR savey, sportsmen coasted. Our loss.

So I'll ask you fellows, are you in a wildlife club, and is that club affiliated in the Federation or working with them? If not, the Federation has to carry your weight.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

I wrote the reps&sen from the district I live in quite a few times so I don't feel the need to hire someone to be my mouthpiece. I carry my own weight thank you. 

But if you are talking about lobbyists and kickbacks then I can understand why you need to band together to pool your money to fight the crooks with more of the same. With the supposed steady undermining of ND freelance hunting why haven't the tourism dept. given an equal share of tourism dollars to the federation and the G/O bunch. For the people who like being in the front or at the top why don't you start at the top when looking for help.


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

Buckeye, I understand that. 99.9% don't. When the bills change content every 1/2 hour, how do most people keep up? They don't. And most of us who are not in an organization like the Federation only care about bills that affect us directly and ignore bills that affect another part of the state or another aspect of hunting. ETREE response last session proved it. Which is where the outfitters slip in the knife. Because they have their own ETREE and it is effective. And growing. And they don't concentrate on just a few bills.

ND sportsmen are like the milita durung the Revolutionary War. They show up when they want and leave when they want, and don't see the goal at the end. If you look at the Legislative Scorecard, organized effort beats individual effort hands down.


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## Field Hunter (Mar 4, 2002)

Not knowing the issues....listened to KFGO the other day and there were guys calling in about the fee hunting In ND and how it was virtually impossible for the majority of ND sportsmen to pay to hunt. The guy the host was talking to said he couldn't afford not only the $125.00 for him but to bring two sons along...forget it.

Anyway the point of this post is what the host of the show came back and said.....and this guy is in the legislature.....paraphrasng, he said that he knows that the Cannonball Club was a little over priced at $125.00 per day.......He evidently hasn't heard the true price out there...the web site says $275.00 per day.

If legislatures don't know the "True" stats then I'd have to say many of the rest of ND, sportsmen and legislators don't either.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

all organizations are made up of individuals that took it upon themselves to become active as an individual by joining a group and applying their personal energy to the group.

I still say start at the top and ask for an equal share of tourism dollars and use that to grease the palms that need it.


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

All I can say is good luck. Please tell me how are you going to tell a farmer he can't charge for hunting. You think you have access problems now? Want to curtail fee hunting then have the federation kick in some money. CRP contracts will soon expire some will put the land back in but want more money. Have the federation and some of these other groups kick in some bucks and get some more land. Sorry to say but the days of free hunting is about gone.


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

Take it a step farther. Most folks take the path of least resistance. If you look at national wildlife or conservation organizations they are *habitat *based, not *issue* based. That's fine, but it is the legislative issues that are killing us by commercialization. Because of their charter as non-profit they are prohibited from political activity. And their membership suffers if they do take a stand. REMF in Montana is an example with the measure to ban game ranches.

When a big organization puts out a press release it is published in the paper, joe blow writes a letter and it is sh#t canned. The ETREE almost blew the outfitters off the map in 2003. They learned from it. We didn't. And suffered for it. Wether we agree with every aspect of the North Dakota Wildlife Federation or not, they are are packing our gear in an organized fashion. And they need your help and support. The outfitters count on appathy from sportsmen.

It blows my mind that people will spend a $1000 on hunting gear and can't afford $20 for dues to the Federation.


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

Gee Dick you're starting to sound like an outfitter. We have been saying the same for years these guys can afford enclosed trailers full of decoys,atv's,SUVS. and all the latest equipment. But can't afford access fee. Welcome aboard Dick


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

Heeeeeeeeey g/o, one small differance. The NDWF members aren't fattening their personal bank accounts from selling the public wildlife for private profit in violation of the century code. Touchdown!


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## MSG Rude (Oct 6, 2003)

g/o said:


> Sorry to say but the days of free hunting is about gone.


And we wonder why?
:eyeroll:


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## sotaman (Apr 6, 2004)

ND is twenty years behind looks like it is catching up in a hurry.. Buckseye I will sit next you and murdock on the refuge next year. Along with five hundred people.


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## adokken (Jan 28, 2003)

Buckeye, I sent the scorecard to our senator, told him what a dismal voting record our Reps had. If I were you I would do the same, put their feet to the fire. What else is going on? my coyote snaring has slowed down.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

sotaman I'll bring the prime rib and champagne


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

adokken, not alot going on still busy working on my new nest. There are yotes over here you can have if you want, we were calling them from the deck the other day.

Thats a good idea to send the scorecard just in case they want our votes next time.


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## sotaman (Apr 6, 2004)

adokken when do you start with trapping beaver?? I would like to learn how if you want to teach someone or need some help


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## adokken (Jan 28, 2003)

That leaves me out Buckeye, I left Greece on a Merchant ship one time with four cases of champagne under my bunk, The last drink was when I toasted the Statue of Liberty, Left two cases for the next crewman and have not been able to enjoy Champagne since.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

:lol: Those first two cases must have been pretty good though :lol:


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## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

As a member of NDWF, I'm glad we publicized our stance, it was a long time coming. We've fought behind the scenes for the past several years, and now Jason has drafted a public statement. I'm proud of him, proud to be a member of BCWF and NDWF. We do good things for the general public in North Dakota.

Belittle it all you want, at least we're public about it now. Even if the line drawing is a bit later than many would have liked, I'm glad we drew the line somewhere, sometime. How many in the general public know about the dire effects of fee hunting right now do you suppose? Hmm? My guess is the percentage is far lower than that of hunters and anglers. Time to get them involved, let them be the ones who join the rallying cry.

How will a few fatcat guides/outfitters deal with not just the majority of the hunters looking down on them, but also the general public? Probably won't change them a bit...but how will the representatives and senators respond to increased pressure against fee hunting from all sides? That will probably will let them know the general populace's opinion is against the whoring out of wildlife for profit. It's time to shift the balance back in favor of ND's citizens, and quit catering to the highest dollar and to these wildlife pimps.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

I agree with you nj except the part about people not being aware I don't get. There are around 140,000 hunting fishing licenses sold to residents in this state and that computes to near 1/4 of us in this state are involved in the outdoors someway. You would think with 1/4 the population of a state being involved already we would see more public benefit.

Obviously many of these 140,000 don't vote or haven't chosen sides yet.


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## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

That leaves roughly 300K out there (non-children) who don't hunt or fish, or pay attention. They have moldable minds on this issue, and it is good that NDWF has taken action to help mold the general public.


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## adokken (Jan 28, 2003)

Sotaman, usually try to get the beaver as soon as they come out, or when the ice breaks. Find yourself a spot to trap and I will show you what to do. try to get a few 330 conibears .


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

> or pay attention.


You got it nj... we need to get into the schools with lyceum's too, teach the kids that don't know something good about guns and conservation.

I don't know where to corner the 300,000 that we need to get to listen to us.


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## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

Dick and njsimonson - how in heck do you join or find out about the NDWF? They have a web site but no way to join on line last I checked. A few years ago I got their address from a friend, sent my dues to whatever address he had given me, the check was cashed, and I never heard another word from them - nothing about meetings, issues, no newsletters, etc. Recently I got a phone number for them, but no answer after several calls. Same thing happened to me in the early 80's, I think with the same organization the ??flickertails?? or something.. I just gave up. They seem to me to be not very user friendly. And I've tried - honestly!


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