migration 26

[Downrigger]

To bring this topic back to it's intent.

Saw a lot of snows this weekend. Big feeds on Saturday. I saw very very few ducks in any body of water.

 

[Slappy]

You think groceries are expensive now.....take away the assistance.

That's not how it works with global commodities.

 

[Slappy]

Fished the river around Bismarck both days this weekend and saw zero birds moving. It felt weird being on the river this time of year without the sights and sounds of geese and other flying targets.

 

[measure-it]

True for a while, but a piss-poor excuse.
I worked in small business retail, then advertising, then marketing, then consulting --
no Government assistance/handout there.

 

[eyexer]

Recent Waterfowl License Sales (Nonresident vs. Resident Data Overview)

• • 2024: 28,158 Nonresident | ~16,000 Resident (estimated/reported baseline)
  • 2023: 28,174 Nonresident | Resident waterfowl breakdown included via combination/small game licenses
  • 2022: 23,062 Nonresident
  • 2021: ~21,000–23,000 Nonresident range (post-pandemic rebound)
  • 2020: Sharp rise due to border restrictions and shifting hunter numbers
  • 2014–2019 Trend: Nonresident waterfowl licenses historically hovered between 23,000 and 24,500 annually, while resident waterfowl hunters have experienced a gradual multi-decade shift (dropping from over 40,000 in decades past to roughly 17,000–25,000 active participants depending on the reporting metric). [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Wow that pretty much sums it up. North Dakotans have been shut out while the non-residents willing to spend money have taken over. Never thought I would have this happening in this state. The greed in this country is outrageous

 

[Kurtr]

Wow that pretty much sums it up. North Dakotans have been shut out while the non-residents willing to spend money have taken over. Never thought I would have this happening in this state. The greed in this country is outrageous

for comparison here is what we have

Year	Active Resident Waterfowl Hunters	Active Nonresident Waterfowl Hunters
2014	16,921	3,798
2015	14,579	4,195
2016	13,770	4,254
2017	13,814	4,523
2018	12,750	4,326
2019	13,401	4,665
2020	14,597	4,489
2021	13,177	4,646
2022	12,498	4,544
2023	13,756	4,847
2024–2025 (recent)	~12,165+ (active core)	~4,887

 

[eyexer]

for comparison here is what we have

Year	Active Resident Waterfowl Hunters	Active Nonresident Waterfowl Hunters
2014	16,921	3,798
2015	14,579	4,195
2016	13,770	4,254
2017	13,814	4,523
2018	12,750	4,326
2019	13,401	4,665
2020	14,597	4,489
2021	13,177	4,646
2022	12,498	4,544
2023	13,756	4,847
2024–2025 (recent)	~12,165+ (active core)	~4,887

Holy crap. We’re so upside down.

 

[eyexer]

This pay to hunt & heavy posting that's going on with today's landowners is as bad as Covid is to the general public. And it's total BS!! And electronic posting is rediculious!!!!
Did they forget who pays their flipping bills through Government handouts, fuel assistance, crop guarantees, contractings, depredation monies, & SO MUCH MORE!!
To not let a reasonable amount of land access and still head to the mail box for their "free lunch" and gratis tags for themselves is crazy bad.
Why should our taxes be used for their covering up bad business? If they were good business people, they would self-sustain their farming practices without all the Government assisstance (our taxes).

It's time we have the ND G&F fight for the sportsmen's rights. I know the Govenor's office, big PACs, ass't ag. associations & the like influence policies & votes--along with the good-ol'-boys legislation clubs & outside big monies, but we must fight to even the odds.

Be aware of what's going on, who's the culprits, & what we might/can do to better the experiences of being an outdoors person in North DAKOTA! FIGHT ON!!

There is no undoing what’s going on. Just the basic principal the politicians need the ag program to hide the welfare subsidies to the dead beats will ensure that never changes. Nothing on the planet has the lobbying power the ag industry does. And they want the government to fix the fact companies like John Deere have the software locked up so they can “fix it themselves”. Well 99% couldn’t fix it themselves anyway.

 

[Rowdie]

I saw 4 seagulls today, kinda late for them

 

[Maddog]

I saw 4 seagulls today, kinda late for them

I am pretty sure the season is closed.

 

[eyexer]

I am pretty sure the season is closed.

Only the gun season is closed. Rod and reel is still open

 

[Traxion]

Holy crap. We’re so upside down.

Let’s post up the upland licenses and it’ll be worse than your waterfowl situation. Way worse. And probably half of those licenses are going to guys hunting pay to play operations. In some areas there is literally no door knocking. All leased.

These nice rains will make for some spread out birds in NE SD. Still have hardly seen cranes this year. So weird.

 

[eyexer]

You’ll love this one. My brother in law owns a 36 section cattle ranch in SE Montana. He doesn’t hunt. He won’t let me hunt any of it because he has it all leased to a local guy who must guide on it.

 

[Kurtr]

Let’s post up the upland licenses and it’ll be worse than your waterfowl situation. Way worse. And probably half of those licenses are going to guys hunting pay to play operations. In some areas there is literally no door knocking. All leased.

These nice rains will make for some spread out birds in NE SD. Still have hardly seen cranes this year. So weird.

Found a pile of cranes in a pasture yesterday. After deer season it’s not to hard to find places to hunt pheasants. It’s a trade that’s well worth it though they can make the money off them I get the ducks to my self.

 

[Downrigger]

That's not how it works with global commodities.

ummmm..it's ok that you're wrong. This would need a major economics lesson that I don't have enough bourbon to explain at this time but we can pick this up later. carry on.