# Guides and Hunting



## f.o.s. lover (Sep 27, 2004)

We as citizens of this state, and especially we being hunters have done more to pay for the return of wildlife to our state since the dustbowl than anyone. I myself being a young man havent done as much to contribute to the exceptional hunting oppurtunties we have today as many of you and our parents have but I do see oppurtunity dwindling for the future. Wildlife is a resource that all citizens, but mostly hunters contribute money to manage, and thus should be shared. Unfortunately land is going to be leased or bought with or without guides which effectively limits hunting oppurtunity for everyone. However, going to the field with a guide for waterfowl in my mind is not hunting thats shooting, they have skeet ranges for that. Being guided for big game is different that can take weeks of scouting to find a buck ect, but waterfowling only takes an evening each time you want to go out. Right now it costs about 325 bucks a person for a morning hunt, lodging and food, lets say its 200 for the hunt per gun and theres a party of 4. Thats 800 dollars a day those 4 could spend on equipment ect where they could take themselves. To me they aren't hunters they're shooters and have no business being in a field. I would rather have someone pulling a trailer from FL have the oppurtunity to get on a good field than someone who has no interest in the sport other than shooting. Hunting is recreational and a shared resource, not a business, and I think we as North Dakotans need to approach the issue from that angle.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

f.o.s. lover said:


> We as citizens of this state, and especially we being hunters have done more to pay for the return of wildlife to our state since the dustbowl than anyone. I myself being a young man havent done as much to contribute to the exceptional hunting oppurtunties we have today as many of you and our parents have but I do see oppurtunity dwindling for hte future. Wildlife is a resource that all citizens, but mostly hunters contribute money to manage, and thus should be shared. Unfortunately land is going to be leased or bought with or without guides which effectively limits hunting oppurtunity for everyone. However, going to the field with a guide for waterfowl in my mind is not hunting thats shooting, they have skeet ranges for that. Being guided for big game is different that can take weeks of scouting to find a buck ect, but waterfowling only takes an evening each time you want to go out. Right now it costs about 325 bucks a person for a morning hunt, lodging and food, lets say its 200 for the hunt per gun and theres a party of 4. Thats 800 dollars a day those 4 could spend on equipment ect where they could take themselves. To me they aren't hunters they're shooters and have no business being in a field. I would rather have someone pulling a trailer from FL have the oppurtunity to get on a good field than someone who has no interest in the sport other than shooting. Hunting is recreational and a shared resource, not a business, and I think we as North Dakotans need to approach the issue from that angle.


A lot of deer hunting shows are filmed over a bait pile......not to much scouting needed there.

But yes.....you are right.we are the last bastion of free lance hunting in the US.Which is why everyone is going to Canada to do it yourself?


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

I really don't see much wrong with guides and outfitting as long as it is done in moderation and within the confines of the law and doesn't affect the resource so much that others cannot enjoy the same. There is plenty of room for all but as soon as one group monopolizes the resource problems start to develop. The degree to which the resources are being monopolized varies with your perspective and results in some interesting discussion in these forum's!!!


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## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

As I have stated before, if guiding/outfitting continues as it is now, eventually it will accomplish what the anti-hunters want, the elimination of the sport. As more and more young people find, and as stated above, the money involved is eliminating most of a generation from hunting.

Think about it, a lower income person 15-20 years ago, they were always hunters, now, most don't even think about it. As fishing is becoming more and more popular because the guides/outfitters can't buy the water and charge for it, although there are guides, hunting in the ages of 30 and under is on massive decline. I have watched it the last 10 years as my in-laws run a pheasant hunting operation, and the last 5 years, the hunters are getting so old, they are blockers and thats it, they beg to get a couple of my brothers in law and me to come walk up the birds for them, but complain that we shoot to many. The only young ones that come have very, very lucrative careers, and for the most part are not sportsmen, but just someone out there shooting.

That all being said, with the economy slowing down, I predict there will be a major decline in pay hunting operations as less and less people can afford it and less and less companies dole out the bucks to send people to do it.

Then when game populations start exploding and causing havoc, which if you look at the whitetail deer populations they already are, then the landowners will turn to the hunter again. Maybe it will become a friends and family together outing for the locals, instead of knocking on a door for permission and having someone stick their hand out.

The one that burns me the most is not that people ask for money to hunt, I mean it is their land, but, as happens locally, their are certain farmers that complain to the game and fish about the local geese or deer eating their crops. They get permission to go out and shoot them with highpowers to get them off the fields, but where is the game and fish when they allow no one to hunt during the season. They should be collecting the names of these landowners with wildlife depredation problems, and when those that try to charge for hunting or don't let people hunt come calling the next year with more problems, they get a sorry, you didn't let anyone hunt so no you can't go out and get rid of the geese or whatever it may be.

Myself, I am a freelance hunter, hunting 99% public land. I spend the time and the money to do so. The public land can get over-worked, but if you find the large tracts of public land, especially the ones that take a strong back and work ethic to access and are not 50' from where you can park, you will have luck. I will always be this way, and will teach my children the same. I dedicate a portion of my earning just for hunting as it is my favorite past time, but could never fork out the money, or would want to, to be on a guided hunt.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Our GNF has stated in North "Dakota Outdoors" that there are less G/O now than a few years ago.The only increase has been deer G/O in the badlands.My guess is that if it stays dry.....some won't make.


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