NR info for Nodak hunters -- if interested

OK ... here's an update as of this weekend, on the newest legislation on G&F issues, the ones that will be cited here relate to NR folks ...

Keep in mind that as of this date, these still have NOT been signed into law ... and y'all know about politics, I'm sure ...

HB 1216 -- would change the NR restrictions from 14 days, which may be divided into two seven-day hunts, and these need NOT be consecutive ... TO: three five-day hunts ...

CURRENT STATUS: Passed House, Senate committee amended slightly, so that the 3 x 5-day situation WOULD INCLUDE WATERFOWL LICENSES ... further action/votes pending ...

This (inclusion of waterfowl) could be a breakthrough of a long-held stonewall on this arrangement ... OR ... it could be a deal breaker ...

SB 2264 -- would CHANGE NR license from 1 x 14 or 2 x 7 days allowable hunting (related to 1216, above, but NOT the same thing) ... WOULD ESTABLISH a Season-Long UPLAND license, @ approximately double the current price ($170 proposed) with $40 of that to PLOTS funding. THIS WOULD ELIMINATE ALL THE NEED FOR JUGGLING DATES, PICKING WEEKENDS, AND SO ON ... y'all NRs could hunt UPLAND from mid-September (Pheasants open about the second weekend of October) thru the first week of January, if y'all want to come back for one more round ...

CURRENT STATUS: Senate passed, pending committee hearings in House.

This would loosen up some of our restrictions, and I would be VERY surprised if anyone tried to sabotage or sink this one by trying to add waterfowl, which WOULD be a bill-killer for sure.
Since it's pending, I'd give it no better than 50-50 odds on making it thru the House vote ... and after that, certain special-interest groups (I could name names, but won't ... yet ... ) have shot down stuff in prior years, by pressuring the Governor to NOT sign the bill (pocket veto) or even to Veto outright ... so ... we'll see ...

I'll try to remember to drop back in here for updates, whenever something happens one way or the other ...

OH ... THIS IS NOT in the Lege right now ... merely FYI update for y'all ... it seems to me that there's no chance for NRs to hunt our Spring Turkey season, but the Fall season is possible ... IIRC, after the first or second draw for residents, any leftover tags are available to ANYbody (includin' NRs) on FC/FS basis (with unit restrictions, of course) and I think that anyone can purchase up to eight tags ...

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA

OK guys (and gals) ... Politics has struck ...

1216 - the change from 14 days or 2x7 day dates designated, TO INCLUDE A CHOICE OF 3X5 DAYS, has BEEN AMENDED, to include Waterfowl, and PASSED by the Senate ...

HOWever ... now it must go back to the House, for approval of the amendment adding waterfowl ...

I wouldn't bet a lot of money on it gettin' thru the House ...

BECAUSE ...

2264 - the bill to allow NRs to purchase a SEASON-LONG license for $170 (UPLAND ONLY) was rather thoroughly trounced in the House ...

AS USUAL, the sentiment against allowin' NRs to have expanded opportunities got shouted down AGAIN, by (whut I consider to be) certain Special Interest Groups and other selfish-minded individuals ...

It's whut the majority seems to want, but I don't agree with it ...

Sorry, gang ...

I'll keep an eye on the 3x5 WITH WATERFOWL (1216) bill and let y'all know ...

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA

OK ... update ... 1216 (the bill to break the NR season into three five-day hunts, instead of two seven-day blocks) is still alive, as of Friday (haven't checked today, but that's doubtful) ...

Only other G&F stuff still alive is the budget for the next biennium and a bill that deals with mostly deer youth tags and such ... NBD for y'all NRs ...

GOOD NEWS department: got called back to a "real" job today, and that had me drivin' around much of the NE part of the county ... saw one batch of about 40 Fessunts, and many other places had a decent number of roosters (and hens) runnin' around lookin' healthy ... so ... I'd make a cautious prediction that if we don't get chilly/wet weather durin' the critical time for the little chicks (roughly six weeks away?) we should be able to expect a fair number of birds for the opener ...

That's all very iffy, of course, and I'll post another update when the spring crowing count is finished ...

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA

Glad to hear the report on the pheasant situation.  They are a very hearty bird and I'll bet plenty survived to hatch a bunch of younguns this year.  It's too bad there are selfish individuals like you mentioned that help restrict us all from getting together easier to have a good time.  It won't hurt me because I'm retired, but for working folks some of those changes would have been nice. 

Mike Stephenson
aka Topgun----30-06

Well, Top' ... keep in mind that the "3x5" deal is still alive ... I'd hazard a cautiously optimistic guess that it's prolly got a 50-50 chance of survival, if the waterfowl deal is deleted ...

As to that "other" factor I've mentioned prior, the "no NRs during the first week" ... keep in mind that this refers ONLY to specific areas ... private land and some public is still available on the opening weekend ...

So ... whut all this means (mebbe) is that certain folks of whom I've heard will be tryin' a bit of huntin' in Nodak on their way to Wyoming, MIGHT be able to juggle their license date selections so as to have a second chance @ the redbirds as they return home ... if time permits and all that other stuff ... (besides which, it's beginning to look as if our Ireland trip may be put on hold for a year, and that development would certainly free up a bit of time for me to hunt more fessunts ...

Speakin' of which, another day wanderin' around different/new parts of the county and plenty ... well, quite a few ... birds observed generally across most of the area ... so, that's a good sign, I'm thinkin' ...

I'll be checkin' on HB 1216 (the 3x5 v. the 2x7 current situation) on a daily basis, and when that gets off the dime, I'll let folks here know whut resulted ... in case anyone thinks they'd like to try Nodak's version of pheasant season ... as I mentioned, the Lege Session is OVER in less than a week, so we'll know by then ... I wouldn't hold my breath, but I might consider takin' a few desperate gasps of air ...

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA

OH!

Fergot to remind y'all that the FALL turkey season in Nodak is not completely restricted to Residents Only ... I fergit the details, but it's sumthin' like after the second-chance drawing for residents, they open it up and NRs can buy tags ... IIRC, we're limited to eight tags per fall season, and there usually seems to be a few left in the unit where I live ...

I will NOT pretend that our turkey huntin' is as great as whut some of y'all describe in other places, but it's an option that might be attractive ... again not sure, but I think our fall season runs most of Sept. and thru early January ... (however, I do NOT know if there's any sort of maximum # of days for NRs ... don't think so ... )

Merely one more option ... if NEbuddy's interested ... and they're gonna be in Nodak for deer/bow/rifle or pheasants or ducks/geese anyway ...

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA

Thanks for the info buddy---You the Man!!!

Mike Stephenson
aka Topgun----30-06

EVEN MORE INFO THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTING:

Two sections, and some definitions, from the 2008 Proclamation that are possibly interesting to NRs, IMHO. (The likelihood that either of these will change for 2009 is extremely small ... that's an opinion, but nothin' has been mentioned regarding either, so it's prolly reliable for this year ...)

Nonresident Small Game Hunters – Nonresident small game hunters may hunt statewide but must select two 7-day hunting periods or one 14-day hunting period. [i]More than one small game license may be purchased per year.

MY COMMENTS: (This is what MIGHT change, if HB1216 passes, to three five-day hunting periods. Also, it describes what got shot down, where the price of TWO licenses was the amount in the bill. If a NR AT THIS TIME, wants to pay for three or four licenses, he/she may hunt small game -- including pheasants, for example -- FOR 28 or 42 or 56 days.)

Nonresident Youth Hunting Licenses – A nonresident under age 16 need only purchase a North Dakota resident fishing, hunting and fur-bearer certificate and a North Dakota resident general game and habitat license to hunt small game and waterfowl, except swans and wild turkeys; provided that the nonresident’s state of residence, or province or territory of Canada, provides a reciprocal licensing agreement for North Dakota residents who are also under age 16. (Currently states of CO, CT, ID, KY, MI, MN, MO, MS, NE, NJ, NY, OH, SC, TN, TX and WI qualify.) To be eligible, a nonresident youth must not turn 16 before September 1 of the year for which the license is issued, and must possess a certificate of completion for a certified hunter education course. The nonresident youth may only hunt under the supervision of an adult family member or legal guardian who is licensed to hunt small game or waterfowl in this state and is subject to the same regulations as that youth’s adult family member or legal guardian.


"Small Game" includes all game birds (including waterfowl) and tree squirrels.

"Upland Game" includes sharp-tailed and sage grouse, pinnated grouse (prairie chicken).

"Possession Limit" means the maximum number of the particular game referred to (except waterfowl and migratory game birds) that a hunter, legally licensed by this state, may have in his/her actual possession during any phase of any single hunting trip, venture, or expedition of more than one day. No more than one daily limit may be taken on any one day. The possession limit at one's personal permanent residence, except for waterfowl and migratory game birds, is unlimited.

MY COMMENTS: If the hunter transports via legal means -- for example: shipping of frozen game by common carrier to one's permanent (out-of-state) residence would be legal, IF THE PROPER PERMITS ARE OBTAINED FROM G&F. (These documents might include, but not be limited to, a permit from the department, and a proper bill of lading.) SO, IF Y'ALL WANNA BAG 12 ROOSTERS, FREEZE 'EM AND SHIP 'EM IN DRY ICE, after proof of delivery @ your permanent residence is available, y'all could shoot another dozen. Or, more practical and to the point, if y'all return to home and drop off your legal game from Nodak, y'all could return and bag another possession limit ... and another ... and another ... and another ... as long as your license(s) were current, and the time limits had not expired, or more licenses were purchased.

Expensive, yeah ... merely describing how comparatively liberal our rules are ... at least it seems that way to us. (A hunter who lives in Crookston or Thief River Falls or Plentywood or Sidney could, theoretically, bag 42 pheasants in Nodak on ONE license ... IF they took the possession limit of 12 -- 3/day -- home each time that limit wuz reached. For those living close to Nodak, that's a perty good deal.

(If a NR wanted to hunt every day of the pheasant season, and take home the

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA

HB 1216 PASSES!

A narrow vote in the Senate, but the House wuz a bit stronger ... the reps voted it in 53-40, while the sens approved it 24-23 ...

SO ... it's not quite a done deal yet ... (dropping the Waterfowl part is whut put it thru ... )

It's unusual for our Govs to use the veto, but I've seen it prior, where a bill passed both houses, even by a large margin, and he has vetoed it ...

IF he signs it, that will mean that NRs will be permitted to break their 15-day upland season into three five-day hunts ... any arrangement they want ...

Also, I'd remind y'all that (according to info frum the G&F) a NR may buy more than one license per season ... when the idea wuz in the session to create a season-long license, the price quoted wuz exactly the amount that two licenses would cost ... $170 ...

So ... it'd merely be six weekends, or however y'all wanted to do it, but the potential versatility is perty much wide-open, for the dedicated Sharp and Rooster shooters ...

Final notice when he signs it into law ...

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA

DANG!

Prior to the Gov and his Veto power, I'd fergot about the "motion to reconsider" ...

That's whut happened ... Senate passed the motion to reconsider, and then the vote changed to a failure, on a 20-27 vote ...

Sorry guys ... SSDD on the NR adjustments to their huntin' schedules and such, for Fessunts and Grouse ...

HOWEVER, as I mentioned above, it IS possible to purchase MORE THAN ONE Upland Game license, if that's your interest ... still that same price of about $170 would allow y'all to hunt for 28 days in Nodak, in NON-CONSECUTIVE seven-day chunks, if that's whut fits yer agenda and calendar ... ("Only" $85 for a single bundle of 14 days or two seven-day packages ... )

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA