North Dakota Hunting Editorial

An Editorial from Anonymous
 

It seems that in the past couple of days the last innocence of hunting in North Dakota was taken from us. With Minnesota filing a retaliatory law suit against the North Dakota hunting regulations of 2003. I have spent the past couple years sitting in the background watching this fight build up steam. I think the fundamental issue of hunting in North Dakota is now lost in this battle.

Lets look at the issue. North Dakota hunters feel the out of state hunters are infringing on their right to North Dakota Birds by sheer numbers and the guides are leasing up all of the land. North Dakota towns say the hunting is economic development. North Dakota guides and outfitters say without the hunters they are out of work.

Out of state hunters say that by North Dakota limiting days and setting zones for waterfowl and raising license fees is unfair. Out of state hunters also say that the birds are everyone’s.

It seems to me as a person who hunts only a little bit that everyone involved is wrong. The problem stems from changing times. North Dakota hunters are not used to having company in the field. They are used to having it all to themselves and don’t want to share. Guess what folks the game belongs to nature it is a privilege to get the opportunity to hunt it and some of us in North Dakota have forgotten that. Some people blame guides and outfitters for all of the problems and they are part right. Guides and outfitters make hunting easy and expensive. The thing is as long as there is someone willing to pay for a service there will be someone to provide that service, as they should.

Here is my plan to solve most of this problem. It may not be the right plan but it is what I think. We have to leave the limits the way they are. It is already a very liberal amount of hunters that is allowed in comparison to other states. It is also still very affordable. If due to the limited number of hunters into the state some small towns will struggle and a few guides will go out of business so be it. If every bird were to die today you would be out of business anyway. It is the fundamental theory of survival of the fittest.

Out of state hunters should be thankful to just get the opportunity to hunt in any state even if only for a short time and not every year. Just be happy to be in the great outdoors. North Dakota hunters should embrace what we have here in North Dakota and enjoy what it has to offer. Be thankful that we have some of the best hunting in the country and rather than complaining about out of state hunters enjoy the sport for yourself. Let’s remember that this whole mess will ultimately ruin it for average working man who wants to take his kids for a great day in the field. It will either cost to much or the politics of it all will make it just not worth the trouble. It seems that it will be the kids that lose.

Minnesota should drop the lawsuit. Life isn’t always fair. Hunting and fishing is a privilege not a right and most people seem to have forgotten that.

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