# No slowing nonresident waterfowl hunters



## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

*No slowing nonresident waterfowl hunters*

The dried-up potholes in our part of the prairie didn't appreciably slow the annual migration of nonresident waterfowl hunters.

As of Monday, 22,901 nonresidents had purchased the waterfowl licenses they needed to hunt ducks and geese in North Dakota.

That's fewer out-of-state hunters than a year ago, said Paul Schadewald, who tracks such numbers as chief of administrative services for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

"With water conditions down as much as they were, it's surprising we had this many hunters," he said Monday.

At this time last year, 25,598 nonresidents had purchased licenses to hunt waterfowl in North Dakota.

With warmer weather hanging around much of this week, Schadewald expects a few more licenses will be sold.

"We will come close to 23,000 when it's over would be my guess. A few below or a few above," he added.

With nonresident waterfowl licenses sold only on its Web site, at its headquarters building in Bismarck, at sporting goods stores linked electronically or through a toll-free telephone number, NDGFD is able to keep current on total sales to out-of-state hunters.

Of the total so far, 5,778 licenses were the so-called "zone-buster" licenses that cost more but allow nonresidents to hunt statewide for up to 14 days.

Last year, out-of-state waterfowl hunters purchased 25,455 last season, more than 24,375 licenses in 2004. Among the 2005 sales were 5,914 "zone-buster" licenses.

Upland count

Visiting upland bird hunters have bought 21,964 small game licenses electronically so far this season.

That's well ahead of last year's electronic total of 19,437 at this time last year.

Some of that bump may be because more license vendors are using the NDGFD's electronic system, Schadewald said.

But that's not the only reason.

"I wouldn't be surprised with pheasant hunting as good as it is if we don't got up a little bit," he said. "What was forecast is what people are finding out there."

With the upland bird season running until Jan. 7, and visiting hunters still able to purchase paper licenses through a network of vendors statewide, total small game license sales won't be available until sometime next year.

Advisory board

Spring fishing, deer and mountain lions will be among the topics next month during the District 7 North Dakota Game and Fish Department advisory board meeting at the NDGFDauditorium in Bismarck.

The session will be at 7 p.m. Dec. 5.

Sweet Briar, Crown Butte and Lake Oahe are sure to be topics, said Frank Karch, District 7 advisory board member. With the gun deer season barely closed, it certainly will be a topic. And mountain lions are a hot-button issue anytime.

Karch is still sorting out who will host the meeting.

(Reach outdoor writer Richard Hinton at 250-8256 or [email protected];bismarcktribune.com.)


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## jkern (Aug 10, 2005)

As a resident in a state further down the flyway I really wish you guys can get a handle on the number of permits sold.

When the harvest goes from 60,000 to almost 600,000 in 10 years. Not to mention everyone and their babies mommas head to Canada anymore. And we wonder why we dont see the Mallard flights we used to. :roll:


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## Gary Walton (Oct 5, 2005)

I don't know how far down the flyway you are, but I cringe every time I see photos of guys in Arkansas standing in flooded timber with at least 6-8 mallards each hanging from the trees or over their shoulders. You only have to look as far as the cover of this month's Waterfowl Hunter to see what I'm talking about.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

jkern said:


> As a resident in a state further down the flyway I really wish you guys can get a handle on the number of permits sold.
> 
> When the harvest goes from 60,000 to almost 600,000 in 10 years. Not to mention everyone and their babies mommas head to Canada anymore. And we wonder why we dont see the Mallard flights we used to. :roll:


Jeez....Arkansas shoots twice the ducks we do here and averages over 15 birds per hunter and you are complaining we shoot to many???? :eyeroll:


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## Long Spur (Sep 22, 2006)

The reason you aren't seeing as many ducks as past years is because of the weather. It has been abnormally warm and the ducks are staying up here longer. :2cents:


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

Look at it like this.......More are staying in Canada longer.....then that equals more will stay or travel through ND, SD, NE later as long as the weather is mild and they can find open water and food.


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## Chad32 (Jan 3, 2006)

Chuck Smith said:


> Look at it like this.......More are staying in Canada longer.....then that equals more will stay or travel through ND, SD, NE later as long as the weather is mild and they can find open water and food.


Exactly, this weather pattern MUST end! :******:


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## deacon (Sep 12, 2003)

Bob Kellam said:


> *No slowing nonresident waterfowl hunters*
> 
> All in how you interpret, down over 10% appears to be slowing? The hunters that did come may have learned a lesson to check out water conditions in the future.
> 
> Any facts on resident number in 2006 vs 2005?


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## Dan Bueide (Jul 1, 2002)

With habitat, moreover "available habitat, clearly down more than 10%, it sure doesn't feel like a reduction.



> Any facts on resident number in 2006 vs 2005?


 Usually July or August of the following year, after hunter surveys are processed and compiled.


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

All I know is there are hundreds of thousands of ducks and geese in ND now and zero pressure.


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## gandergrinder (Mar 10, 2002)

g/o,
I would be happy to put some pressure on them if life wouldn't get in the way with my hunting.


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## deacon (Sep 12, 2003)

G/O what about the upland pressure on the plots next to your operation? Lots of birds there the first week with no pressure but NR not welcome period.


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## Dan Bueide (Jul 1, 2002)

> and zero pressure.


Not true. I personaly know a lot of guys who have been out the last few weeks. Maybe by the standards we've set for much of the season the last several years it seems so.

I've been out parts of each of the last three weekends. Unfortunately, the bunches I've been around are apparantly working on their PHD's - seem to be a bit on the edgamacated side. Combined for those outings I've harvested...well...exactly *zero*.

Pressure has many tentacles...


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## tclark4140 (Aug 8, 2006)

thank you dick for the update on nr lic sold. there has been alot of posts in reference what could be done to slow nr down. one thing was a lottery, or a cap. well 30,000 was a cap a few years ago i recall. with the increased pressure u all have felt with 23,000 n.r. what would be a logicall number to cap with. to keep merchants, the dnr and local hunters happy. just interested, as i enjoy hunting regardless of where i am at and want to return to n.d. its a "vacation for me" as a small town mainstreet businessman here in iowa, the n.r. that come to hunt pheasant are a boom to alot of our local business people. So as in everything in life the allmighty dollar will unfortunatly rule. my guess is that the buisness people would like to see 50,000 n.r. lic sold.. and very quietly the dnr would like to see that number also. 2,000 less n.r. lic equalls aprrox $200,000 less and that is hard on a business's budget. i sincerely understand how the local hunters feel, as i go through similiar situations here. but as in everything if there was a good answer for everyone in would already be in place.


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

> my guess is that the buisness people would like to see 50,000 n.r. lic sold.. and very quietly the dnr would like to see that number also.


Actually, the game and fish dept. originally cam up with HPC, so I think you might be wrong here. I would think that enforcement nightmares with that many people would make them wish otherwise!!


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## tclark4140 (Aug 8, 2006)

dj i am sorry but i am not sure what hpc is i probably should just can't.


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

HPC, Hunter Pressure Concept. Game and fish wanted to cap the NR license sales depending upon the water levels in the spring.

Was voted down by the legislature because they know more about hunting and game than the game and fish dept does!!!! :eyeroll: :eyeroll:


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## tclark4140 (Aug 8, 2006)

dont u think that had to do with $$$$$, nothing to do with knowlegdge. but back to my original question, what is your idea of nr lic for next year if the water were the same? then what about limiting nr for upland game?


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

Dan Bueide said:


> > and zero pressure.
> 
> 
> Not true. I personaly know a lot of guys who have been out the last few weeks. Maybe by the standards we've set for much of the season the last several years it seems so.
> ...


Dan, maybe if you paid attention you could get some!! No you are correct there are people hunting and doing well. Do you want the whole state for yourself?


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## Dan Bueide (Jul 1, 2002)

Well, if a certain someone hadn't gotton misplaced in the field and run into something he shouldn't have (thus delaying the morning process by many minutes), I think I would would have been ready and paying attention for my one and only duck harvest opportunity in three recent outings... :wink:

Never have wanted the state to myself - just a little elbow room for hunters and hunted...


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## Maverick (Mar 4, 2002)

What was the name of the song by MIchael Jackson?

"Man in the Mirror"



> Dan, maybe if you paid attention you could get some!! No you are correct there are people hunting and doing well. Do you want the whole state for yourself?


Hey don't blame Dan that you don't have any clients to put pressure on them. It's not his fault!!!

uke: uke: uke: and more of it from guess who!!!!


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

Sorry Mav, I don't do waterfowl hunts just roosters. By the way I'm full :wink:


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## HUNTNFISHND (Mar 16, 2004)

g/o wrote:


> All I know is there are hundreds of thousands of ducks and geese in ND now and zero pressure.


Where? I sure haven't seen hundreds of thousands and the reports don't mention hundreds of thousands. Birds migrating over at 1000 feet don't mean their landing in ND!


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

HUNTNFISHND said:


> g/o wrote:
> 
> 
> > All I know is there are hundreds of thousands of ducks and geese in ND now and zero pressure.
> ...


Sorry HUNTNFISHND internet scouting is not allowed on this site


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

g/o said:


> Sorry HUNTNFISHND internet scouting is not allowed on this site


Actually, the temporary disallowing of naming areas is over. But since this is getting emotional like every thread just like it, it's getting moved to the hot topics.


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

Too often, many guys have to see it to believe it, and this pertains to the drought. I read many posts of "I could not beleive how dry it was."

Next year you will see a drop in NRs lic too, regardless of weather conditions, as these guys will be remembering the drought conditions, and some will not go at all, or go eleswhere.

Look at the lic sold VS weather conditions of the late 80s, there was a lag at that time, and thus I suspect the same will happen next Fall too, lower NR lic because of this years drought. Conversely, when the water came back on the early 90s, it took a few years for the NRs to catch on that the water was back.


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## water_swater (Sep 19, 2006)

Close to as many liscenses will be sold next year as were sold this year if not more entering Canada will require a passport next year, we might crack 30,000 next year! The 15 hotel owners and 8 restaurant owners in DL will be pumped! Meanwhile thousands of residnet hunters will be frustrated!


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