# stanley/minot area



## magnumhntr (Sep 18, 2002)

I was wondering how the hunting was in this area last year. We went around the Wishek area. Had a good time, but got crowded really quick. Looking for a more out of the way place to go this year. We're trying to make some decisions on where to go, and trying to get all the info we can.


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## Field Hunter (Mar 4, 2002)

Get a topo map...look for areas with many potholes...call the local towns.
That's about the way we find a new area. Things are too easy IMO with just asking for info on new areas on the internet. Find a new area yourself and you'll be rewarded much more than relying on someone else to find it for you.


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## gandergrinder (Mar 10, 2002)

Field hunter is right. No one on here is really going to give up there honey holes that they worked so hard to find. Not trying to hoard the birds but that is just how the game is played.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

In most respect the guys are right.

An area that was quiet last year might be busy this year. I've seen complete 180's in areas in respects to traffic inside of a year.

Pretty much anything west of the Red River and east of the Missouri River is considered duck country. Like Ken said, get a topo map and check out the counties. Normally the further NW you go, the quieter it gets as most people are coming from the east and they don't want to travel as far west.

My :2cents:


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Start doing research...
Contact the refuges in that area.Also the GNF offices,including wardens.
Even though you don't need their services,contact guides and outfitters and check with their references.Look at the PLOTS maps on the GNF site.


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## magnumhntr (Sep 18, 2002)

WOW. Didn't mean to step on toes. Just asking how the hunting was last year. Research is exactly what I'm trying to do. That's why I wanted to use this forum as one of the tools available. I didn't ask for GPS quardnets. Just wanting to know how the water was/is and if there are/were any ducks in this area. DAMN


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

magnumhntr,

I think you read into it wrong. We're trying to help. Yes there's tons of ducks around Stanley, but it would normally help you to not let 1000 others in on that secret  (it will help your hunting).

And I am honest.....throw a dart at the ND map and that hunting there can be just as good as the next throw. I hunt over a dozen counties a fall easy, but in recent years the best hunting is hard to come by so researching will produce better results. Decreased hunting pressure is where you'll find the ducks, and there's no way to determine an area's pressure in April considering an area's pressure fluctuates every year.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Magmun...don't take it wrong.For me half the fun of going to a new place is doing the research.
The area you are looking at is a great place to hunt waterfowl and upland.There is a big outfitter there that leases a lot of land but there are still lots of places to hunt there.
It is also somewhat away from the hunting pressure.
The big thing there is IF they get rain.If there is water it can be awesome.
that's why you need to contact the GNF offices out there.They will know.Start by going to the GNF website and sending emails.Then get on the phone with copies of the PLOTS maps in front of you and talk to them.

Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge is there also.Call them and they will answer your questions.


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## Field Hunter (Mar 4, 2002)

Chris couldn't be more right on the planning. Last year 4 of us planned a trip to Sask for SOBs. The 3 previous years we hunted 300 miles north of the border and did well all three years. Last year we planned on hunting the same area but the birds had all moved. We stayed mobile and hunted only 60 miles north and had the best hunt of our lives. Plan ahead and have a back-up plan and you'll do well.

I hope I didn't sound like I didn't want t help you magnum but I've personally been burned more than once on helping someone move to another area. ie. I helped a father and 2 sons get lined up for one of my areas only to have them buy a 2 bedroom apartment in the area and bring in 10 guys the next year and they lease the apartment to others from their state when they're not there as well. Making statements on ones area on any of the web sites can have devestating effects on the areas hunting potential. PM me if you'd like.


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## H2OfowlND (Feb 10, 2003)

The boys are very true about what they say. I have been burned also after showing someone a hunting spot of mine.

Like they said the state and federal agenices will have the most current information since they are out in the field everyday. Like you said in the first part of your first post...getting crowded...we ND boys tend to keep "our" spots to ourselves. Even though those spots may have others that hunt them, in the back of our minds they are "ours". Like we have said before to others, you need to be mobile, that may mean moving 10 miles, or up to 100 miles, just depends on where the birds are and the water conditions. We are not trying to sound arrogant, we just tend to protect our spots since ND is getting more and more crowded.

This past fall on opener of pheasant my pops, uncle, and myself were cruising the Ashley area, we never set foot out of the truck to walk for pheasants. Since every place we would go to had either guys walking or guys set up for ducks/geese. I watched a father and his two young boys set up on a slough that same saturday morning...the slough was in a pasture, no cover and they were below some BIG power lines. In another field there were a group of hunters standing around in their spread, with their trucks no more than 75yds away in the ditch. This is not from lack of hunting knowledge, its from lack of information about the area they are hunting.

I know that was a lil off subject, but the more info you have the better, and the BEST places are the USFWS and NDGF. We just want to keep the last best hunting spot in the US, the best as long as possible. You will get the info you need, but it will take some time and hard work. Also, april/may is a very tough time to predict anything for the fall months. 
Another good sight is the NWS, for up to date rain information, I know I use it during the summer quite often. Hope this helped out some, and good luck hunting in our fine state.

H2OfowlND


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## magnumhntr (Sep 18, 2002)

Thanks fellas. I know all too well what it's like to lose your best spot, and by no means was I looking for a handout. I've got the ND atlas, plots map, topo maps, sat photos, etc. I know it's too early to tell what the water conditions, nesting success, and outlook will be for this fall. I was just wanting to know about how things were in this area last year. I'm trying to look/find some places that haven't been featured in Outdoor life and every other magazine on the shelf.

I do appreciate the info. I know how it feels to have the hunting and fishing exploited by the media, and every outfitter in the country. It sucks, and wish there was an easy answer to it all. My group does our absolute BEST to be respectful of the property and those that own it. We go out of our way to give poeple a positive ouotlook on us. And we do the best we can to earn our way.

One other question... how much land it tied up in leases in the stanley/minot area? Ken W said there was a big outfitter up there, but I was wondering what "big" is. Are you talking couple hundred acres, couple thousand, couple miles??? :wink:

Like I said before. I DO appreciate the help. Thanks a bunch. We might not even go there. There are quite a few areas we were looking at, just trying to narrow it down to a handful, and then make a decision....


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

I don't know how big they are.I would guess 1000's of acres.

I don't think there is anyone from that area that uses this site.


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## rickygdogg (Nov 6, 2002)

magnumhunter: You should try hunting by Kenmare now that is a place that you can find good numbers of birds, ducks, honkers, and snow geese. You can go anywhere around that town and nothing is ever posted.


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## magnumhntr (Sep 18, 2002)

Kenmare eh??? :lol: Yeah, we were lookin at that too. What's the deal with the Des Lacs and Upper Souris, and Lostwood NWR's? Are they huntable, or off limits? There doesn't look to be a lot of water north of Kenmare than the NWR's there...


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## rickygdogg (Nov 6, 2002)

The hunting around Kenmare is mostly field hunting with decoys. There are some sloughs though by the town coulee which is about 15 miles south if Kenmare. You can not hunt the refuges for waterfowl. I wouldnt think about hunting lostwood refuge, there hasnt been that many birds on there in the past few years. You can go out in the "hills" and find alot of ducks and potholes to shoot ducks and there are ALOT of honkers. Suprisingly enough there isnt that many hunters in the area, so finding a spot should not be a problem.


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## rickygdogg (Nov 6, 2002)

There is an outfitter just south of stanley. it is called the TTT Ranch and is ran by a guy named evans. Yes you are talking about 1,000's of acres here, you dont have to worry about them. if you want to hunt ducks around stanley i would go ne of town or north of palermo which is 8 miles east of stanley. I believe the TTT Ranch is mainly for deer and upland game.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Check out the refuge site...deslacs.fws.gov/lostwoodnwr.htm


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