NR Zone Changes

[Ratboy]

we have towns where there are very few year round residents and only houses used 2 months out of the year? Then what? Who runs the town? Only young people staying around are the family farms and that isn’t population growth enough to sustain. How about the schools? Gackle-Streeter graduated 4 seniors this spring. Do I see that school shuttering in the near future, possibly. Then what? Can ND small towns continue with that trend? ND small towns have been in decline for decades, so this is nothing new to us.

What is ND doing to reverse this trend? Sounds like nothing. A lot of the kids move out of the state unless they want to farm.

 

[prairie hunter]

I grew up in ND and was a resident for 25 years or so. Close “family” ties to a couple of ND towns.

Even towns of 800-1,500 people now struggle to keep a pharmacy, hardware store or grocery store … residents flock to Bismarck, Minot, Grand Forks, and especially Fargo.

I have heard that more than 1 in 4 (25%) ND residents now live in Cass County (Fargo / West Fargo). About 50% of ND residents live in just 5 counties!

 

[prairie hunter]

Better have the gas tank topped off and truck running well if you decide to navigate the ND backroads…

I often say never drive by a gas station in ND without filling up.

What is ND doing to reverse this trend? Sounds like nothing. A lot of the kids move out of the state unless they want to farm.

Many ND people move to the bigger 5 “cities” and stay especially if they finish college. Quite a few move out of state depending on their major.

 

[Dirk Van Schmaldlerson]

Better have the gas tank topped off and truck running well if you decide to navigate the ND backroads…

I often say never drive by a gas station in ND without filling up.

Many ND people move to the bigger 5 “cities” and stay especially if they finish college. Quite a few move out of state depending on their major.

You think this is any different than what we see in small town WI? If so you are living in a pipe dream. This is not a ND only phenomenon and it’s been going on for well over 50 years. The areas that figure out tourism can help bolster a failing economy have succeeded in staying alive and sometimes thriving here.

Shutter those chances to your own peril is my serious advise.

 

[prairie hunter]

Never said it was limited to ND.

Side note … I now kill as many birds in western WI. At least small town WI has an occasional cafe

 

[prairie hunter]

ND is not a failing economy. Ag and oil are still running strong. The local infrastructure and support needed to support successful farms is just far less.

Small ND towns that attract manufacturing do far better than those relying on tourism. Better jobs with pay and benefits.

Small cities like Bismarck, Minot, Grand Forks, and especially the Fargo area are thriving!

 

[Thinblueline]

I can believe that. Here is the other side of that trend that some aren’t looking at. The NR argument/reasoning is that they pay taxes, utilities, lawn mowing, cleaning services, I get it, as do I, minus the lawn and cleaning. As these towns age out and more houses in theory are bought up, less locals live there, then what.

Do we have towns where there are very few year round residents and only houses used 2 months out of the year? Then what? Who runs the town? Only young people staying around are the family farms and that isn’t population growth enough to sustain. How about the schools? Gackle-Streeter graduated 4 seniors this spring. Do I see that school shuttering in the near future, possibly. Then what? Can ND small towns continue with that trend? ND small towns have been in decline for decades, so this is nothing new to us. What happens when we have a couple of dry years or longer?
These are questions that we ask but others from outside the region have no clue about.

You reference the Gackle school district. Do you live in the Gackle area?

 

[woodiefanatic]

Never said it was limited to ND.

Side note … I now kill as many birds in western WI. At least small town WI has an occasional cafe

It’s usually referred to as a bar or tavern

 

[Crew_ChiefND]

You reference the Gackle school district. Do you live in the Gackle area?

Don’t live there, just frequent the town, for the last 36 years.

 

[mallardman]

Better have the gas tank topped off and truck running well if you decide to navigate the ND backroads…

I often say never drive by a gas station in ND without filling up.

Many ND people move to the bigger 5 “cities” and stay especially if they finish college. Quite a few move out of state depending on their major.

Yet, we still believe it’s not enough room in ND to accommodate non resident hunters? Do you want to know what the real problem is with western hunters in general? Your spoiled and greedy. You guys live in a bubble of Plently. Plently of land and plenty of game and plenty of ways to exploit it for financial gains.
The west can run out freelance hunters all they want but all that will happen is the outfitters will win. Which is fine with most because the ranchers and farmers don’t make a penny off of saying yes to a few guys from Out of state just looking to do a little hunting.
It’s all about money and business. I’ve praised States like South Dakota in regards to pheasant hunting. They handle EVERYTHING in regards to pheasants in South Dakota to perfection. Then they turn around with their limited draw non resident waterfowl nonsense if you wish to return to hunt waterfowl.
People in the west complaining about overcrowding is as comical as someone from NYC saying it isn’t enough restaurants to eat at in the city. It’s nonsense.
For anyone who hasent been you can’t even comprehend how much vast open nothing exist in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Idaho. Here’s an idea create more access! The very future of hunting depends on access. Most don’t care though, as long as they have theirs to hell with everyone. Nowhere on the plant could do more to promise hunting to our future generations.