Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Fritz the Cat" data-source="post: 241470" data-attributes="member: 605">I believe today (Jan. 14th) is the last day a new Bill can be introduced. Brad Dokken, outdoor writer for the Grand Forks Herald has been connected at the hip with retired federal biologist Mike McEnroe for years always going back to Mike as a source for McEnroe's opinion such as the article above. In each piece they have to list McEnroe's affiliations. He worked for the USFWS, he is the past president of the ND wildlife federation and the forever lobbyist for the wildlife society. What they omit is that everyone who is anyone that actually knows McEnroe doesn't trust him any further than they could throw him. This is why the Grand Forks Herald opinion piece comes as a complete 180 degrees. The opinion piece below:Herald editorial board North Dakota homeowners, be sure to post "no trespassing" signs on your front door, lest would-be intruders feel it's OK to make themselves welcome in your parlor. Same goes for your businesses and vehicles.     Actually, don't bother, because everybody knows it's wrong to enter someone's home without an invitation, or a store after business hours. Signs, therefore, are unnecessary and would be an inconvenience to the property owner. Why, then, must North Dakota landowners spend the time and money to post signs on private rural acres to declare trespassers are similarly unwelcome? All of that might change if legislation is — as expected — introduced during the current session of the state Legislature. That's good, because creating an environment of assumed closed land is a common-sense proposal that is overdue. Here's the problem: Openness is assumed on North Dakota private lands unless otherwise posted. That means hunters may access, without permission, any land on which the property owner has not erected actual signs declaring it closed. That's directly the opposite of laws in many other states, including neighboring Minnesota and South Dakota. There, all private land is closed to hunting without permission of the landowner. For example, in South Dakota, unapproved access on land by a hunter is only allowed in the case where game has been shot legally on adjacent land and the hunter needs access to retrieve the game. The hunter must make a beeline to the game and must do it unarmed. As reported recently in the Herald, farmers and other proponents of a trespass bill believe the current North Dakota rule puts an unfair burden on landowners, who are forced to spend time and money placing signs and, later, making sure the signs remain in place. We agree — that is an unfair burden. This isn't the opening salvo of a new debate. It's been discussed in the past, too, including in 2017 when a bill was introduced and prompted heated conversation. The 2017 bill died in the Senate, 28-17. Sportsmen's groups say a new trespass law won't solve the problem of hunters inappropriately accessing land. They're probably right, since trespassing still happens in Minnesota and South Dakota, where openness is not assumed and where permission is required for all land entry. There also are concerns about tracking down property owners to seek permission. We understand that inconvenience, but it's not one that cannot be overcome, as evidenced in other states. However, use of private land really shouldn't be a sportsmen's decision. It should rest solely with the landowner. Further, any landowner who currently allows hunting probably will allow access in the future. And the landowners who take the time now to post their land probably won't allow hunting if a new law is passed. So, again, how will a new law adversely affect hunters in a common-sense world? What should happen is this: The Legislature should indeed create a law that assumes private land is closed to hunting and all other entry. Then, North Dakota sportsmen should do what all responsible hunters do — visit with landowners, politely ask for access and develop relationships that result in hunting opportunities. Landowners deserve this courtesy. </blockquote>

Verification: What is the most common fish caught on this site?

Reply to thread

Recent Posts

Friends of NDA