Pronghorn Drawing held

[Obi-Wan]

Updated lottery process for pronghorn tags has some landowners, hunters butting heads​

(KFYR) 9/3/25 Clayton Pederson owns a few thousand acres in southwestern North Dakota where he scopes for pronghorn.

In previous years, Pederson could count on receiving a gratis license as a landowner.

This year, the process changed thanks to the passing of Senate Bill 2155, and after not being selected for a license, Pederson won’t be able to hunt for antelope on his own property.





Under the new law, the allocation of pronghorn licenses is a 50/50 split between gratis and general lottery applicants.

“It’s our land, and over 90% is privately held in North Dakota. So, to me, you don’t want to make that divide any bigger,” said Pederson.

Sponsors of the bill say its passing was an effort to make the chance to hunt pronghorn a likelihood for all hunters.

“Basically, we ran into a situation where people would be waiting over a decade to be drawn for a pronghorn tag in some of these units that had lower pronghorn numbers,” said North Dakota Senator Sean Cleary.

Pederson believes this new law will further widen the gap in respect between some hunting advocacy groups, their political supporters and private landowners.

“It just proves our point about people living in the city who have no clue about what it’s like to own property, keep it afloat, and do what we do out here. And then all of a sudden, we can’t even access our own land for our own hunting. It’s just—you can’t do that,” said Pederson.


Cleary understands that some landowners are upset, but said 71% of gratis-qualified landowners who applied received a pronghorn tag, so the lottery proves that landowners are still favored.

Cleary said he wants to see collaboration among landowners and general hunters.

Pederson said that he has posted his land, and aside from family, friends and close hunting allies, he will not allow any other hunters onto his land, and he knows other landowners who have done the same.

In the most recent lottery, just over 15,000 non-landowners applied for a pronghorn tag. About 5% were chosen to receive a license.

Pronghorn bow season has already started. Rifle season starts on Oct. 3 and runs through Oct. 19.

Who’s he trying to kid? His land was posted before the lottery change.

 

[8andcounting]

Who’s he trying to kid? His land was posted before the lottery change.

it’s a safe assumption .

 

[zoops]

71% of landowners who applied got a tag. 5% of civilians. I get being a little upset you can't get a gratis tag every year, but seriously, do you think it's good that this basically becomes a landowner-only hunt? That will really help this divide the guy in the story likes to talk about.

 

[Jiffy]

My heart pumps piss for him.

 

[deleted user]

We all own 2.6 million acres in ND. And nobody owns the pronghorn. Landowners get to hunt them at least every other year, I get maybe 3 in my life. And these dang city folk are are entitled ones creating this divide huh.

“It just proves our point about people living in the city who have no clue about what it’s like to own property, keep it afloat, and do what we do out here. And then all of a sudden, we can’t even access our own land for our own hunting. It’s just—you can’t do that,” said Pederson.

If this “proves his point”, I guess shows how he already felt about you hunters in the countryside. And I’ll tell you there’s no such thing as “city folk” in North Dakota save for a few in Fargo I guess. Everybody knows or is related to a farmer or rancher. His land was already posted and now it’ll stay that way so I guess he played his card. Moving on.

 

[SerchforPerch]

I'm all about landowner preference for hunting, but lets be real the "once in lifetime" is joke, and the Gratis programs are antiquated form of management. The gratis program was great incentive for the landowners 50 years ago. Its evident the "hunting heritage" is all but going away with the younger generation. With the state being 91% privately owned, why not either increase the amount of land required to qualify for the Gratis or get rid of the Gratis program all together and put everyone at the same odds of drawing a tag? The private access mecca we once all had and got to witness for hunting opportunities is sadly dying all across the state.

 

[1lessdog]

“It just proves our point about people living in the city who have no clue about what it’s like to own property, keep it afloat, and do what we do out here. And then all of a sudden, we can’t even access our own land for our own hunting. It’s just—you can’t do that,” said Pederson.

If this “proves his point”, I guess shows how he already felt about you hunters in the countryside. And I’ll tell you there’s no such thing as “city folk” in North Dakota save for a few in Fargo I guess. Everybody knows or is related to a farmer or rancher. His land was already posted and now it’ll stay that way so I guess he played his card. Moving on.

If you live in a town/city your " city folk". No matter if it has a population of 100 or 100,000. I know plenty of people that would agree on that premise. This trying to divide people from where they live goes on to much. I know a young man that lives in Fargo. And also owns a Ranch out in Western N.D. Is he " city folk "?

 

[deleted user]

Exactly. I know plenty of people that live out of town but work in town. Where do they fall?

 

[MuleyMadness]

Leave your private land open to the public for hunting and you get a gratis in return. Let that be the benefit. See if that really changes anything. This guy acts like he posted his land just because of the change. Please we are not stupid. He hasn't let anyone but family hunt in decades. Which is totally fine because I would be the same. But don't cry wolf in an interview that goes public like the change flipped you.

 

[NDSportsman]

Leave your private land open to the public for hunting and you get a gratis in return. Let that be the benefit. See if that really changes anything. This guy acts like he posted his land just because of the change. Please we are not stupid. He hasn't let anyone but family hunt in decades. Which is totally fine because I would be the same. But don't cry wolf in an interview that goes public like the change flipped you.

That I would support!

 

[shorthairman]

I'm all about landowner preference for hunting, but lets be real the "once in lifetime" is joke, and the Gratis programs are antiquated form of management. The gratis program was great incentive for the landowners 50 years ago. Its evident the "hunting heritage" is all but going away with the younger generation. With the state being 91% privately owned, why not either increase the amount of land required to qualify for the Gratis or get rid of the Gratis program all together and put everyone at the same odds of drawing a tag? The private access mecca we once all had and got to witness for hunting opportunities is sadly dying all across the state.

Not just in North Dakota...this is all over. I remember as a kid hunting with my dad and/or uncles. If we wanted to bird hunt we just knocked on a door and hardly ever got denied. Same thing for deer when I first started hunting them. Now I rarely hunt big game and luckily I have access to some private land for birds or I wouldn't hardly hunt at all. I do hunt some public land for birds, but it is rare to find anything there...

Its been discussed here before, but its becoming pay to hunt if you don't own land...and I chose the wrong profession for that...

 

[luvcatchingbass]

If you live in a town/city your " city folk". No matter if it has a population of 100 or 100,000. I know plenty of people that would agree on that premise. This trying to divide people from where they live goes on to much. I know a young man that lives in Fargo. And also owns a Ranch out in Western N.D. Is he " city folk "?

In my book if you live where there is a population assigned to with a "city limit" it you are either town folk or city folk based on size.
This dipstick just had to pour gas on the fire and for what, just to make himself feel important? I wonder how many of his relatives got gratis tags for various parcels he owns? I'm willing to bet that there is more than one gratis allocated to land with ties to him. I also agree with the previous statement that odds are he had everything posted up and likely didn't just let any random shmow hunt.

 

[Rowdie]

He reminds me of the don't touch my corn guy.

 

[deleted user]

There’s someone commenting on the kfyr post that he doesn’t even own the land. Which makes this a little funnier.

I’ll say that there’s still more landowners who allow access than these types. But the squeaky wheels sure are squeaky.

 

[guywhofishes]

He reminds me of GST.

fify