Guides in NoDak

[Uncle Fuzzy]

I had an interesting conversation today with a farmer friend from LaMoure. We have been hunting on his sloughs for close to twenty years. Always had a great relationship and gave him nominal gifts like tools and drill bits and stuff.
He has been offered $1000 by an "Outfitter" for the hunting rights on his grounds. That's crazy money because there aren't enough ducks to pay that much. I don't know how many pilgrims they could run across there to turn a profit, but if he guns it more than 2 days a week it will burn out it no time.
Guess this is the new normal.

 

[zoops]

Definitely becoming more common even in ND. Hard to believe guides can make it pencil out with the amount of land you'd have to lease in most areas of ND to have consistent shoots. But I suppose if the guide just uses that guy's land a day or two all season it works out if he's got a group of 4 or 5 guys paying $500/day per guy.

 

[Eyehunter83]

Definitely becoming more common even in ND. Hard to believe guides can make it pencil out with the amount of land you'd have to lease in most areas of ND to have consistent shoots. But I suppose if the guide just uses that guy's land a day or two all season it works out if he's got a group of 4 or 5 guys paying $500/day per guy.

It kind of gets under my skin when a “guide” ties up a bunch of cornfields around all the best roosts and then leaves it sit without hunting it. I’ve run into that in both dakotas. I don’t get upset with the landowners, it’s nice for them to earn a little extra cash, but I don’t think it’s good for the future of hunting. One of those things we just have to deal with more and more.

 

[Doofighter]

Uncle Fuzzy, did said farmer indicate if he's going to take it?

 

[PorkChop]

As mentioned unfortunately one group will pay for that thousand dollars so if they only get two or three hunts then they’re still making money. I guess I’m not sure of all the rules but I’ve heard that once the landowner starts taking money there are liabilities. But like I said I am not 100% on those laws.

 

[Uncle Fuzzy]

Doofighter, post: "Uncle Fuzzy, did said farmer indicate if he's going to take it?
His response was to say he was going talk to his lawyer. I wouldn't blame him if he took it, price of fuel, fertilizer, seed, can't find help. It's got to be a crazy business to be in.
On another note, he was saying that he pays the same property taxes on the sloughs that he pays on the productive ground. Doesn't make sense to me. I guess I would put it CRP.

 

[oldfireguy]

ND neighbor visited several years ago. Said he was going to lease out some of his land to boost his retirement income.....wanted to offer me first chance.
I thanked him, but said I had plenty of other places. Told him no one should begrudge him the opportunity to make money from his land.

He leases it to NR hunters on a weekly basis.
And he stops by or calls when he has an open period.....invites me to hunt.

That's being a great neighbor.

 

[prairie hunter]

 

[Doofighter]

Uncle Fuzzy, I would not begrudge him either for taking it. Farming is a tough business to be in.

 

[grnhd]

Leasing will kill the hunting up there. Can you imagine everything is leased and you're stuck hunting your farm and cant move with the birds? That's what it's like down here. Actually here you dont get the whole farm, you get one field, one slough etc.
I've had a few farmers over the years ask for money to hunt, we politely decline and move on. I've also had farmers say they wont lease, saying one outfitter will tie up huge amounts of land and it will kill the local businesses because nobody can hunt the area.