North Dakota Outfitter

[jdaves]

Can anyone recommend a good duck hunting outfitter in North Dakota? I've got a family member that lives in the central/southern part of the state and I was thinking about paying them a visit and try to get in an early duck hunt. I believe ND's season starts around the first of October (non-resident) but I can't seem to find an outfitter. Any recommendations?

[Dux Be Us]

Im a cheap skate...LOTS of freelance...them boys dont hunt dux:

http://gf.nd.gov/hunting/wildlife.html

Look into tribal outfitters...Maybe cheaper getting liscened up on the non resident

[jdaves]

Yeah, after digging a little deeper I now see how it's set up. The PLOTS system seems AWESOME! However, I probably wouldn't like it if I lived there.

[Dux Be Us]

Most outfitters are like $2500 for a 3 day minimal...hardly anybody hunts waterfowl up there as they're hunting pheasants or deer...I bet you could find a spot somewhere to splash some deeks with a little leg work...take a jacket

[cupnglide]

You seriously should not need a guide up there. Do a little research on the ND G&F site http://gf.nd.gov/hunting/waterfowl/fallfowl/index.html. With all the rain, there will be full potholes everywhere. If land is not explicitly posted every 800 ft, you are free to hunt it (although I think finding the landowner and asking permission is the way to go).

Here is the PLOTS guide http://web.apps.state.nd.us/imf/imf.jsp ... PLOTSGuide, if that's what you prefer to hunt. Honestly, you can scout potholes for a good spot one afternoon, then hunt it the next AM with a 1/2 dozen decoys and a jerk string. And you are just as likely to kill a limit as the guy who puts out four dozen and a bunch of mojos.

Have fun! And post up pictures when you get back.

[jdaves]

Yes, I've decided to freelance and hunt the PLOTS vs a guide. It certainly seems to be the way to go with all the ducks. I'm really looking forward to it. It sounds like a duck hunter's paradise up there.

[LODI QUACKER]

Got your crew together? I might be willing to get in on some of that action if your needing some crew members.

[mottlet]

Yes, I've decided to freelance and hunt the PLOTS vs a guide. It certainly seems to be the way to go with all the ducks. I'm really looking forward to it. It sounds like a duck hunter's paradise up there.

Have you ever been? If so, disregard the rest of this post.

Because North Dakota's access laws are so progressive, it gets CROWDED. Somebody mentioned how nobody up there cares about ducks, only deer and pheasants. First, that's not true. Second, there are a running TON of folks that drive over from Minnesota and Wisconsin to freelance for waterfowl. There's a reason South Dakota makes nonresidents draw for a waterfowl license; they don't want their duck and goose hunting to become like NoDak's.

Also, the Dakotas are still going to be extraordinarily wet this fall. In order to find birds that rednecks from Minnesota haven't found yet, you're going to need to get off the beaten path. That could get difficult in a hurry if all the section-line roads are wet. Also, some areas didn't even attempt to make a crop because it's been so wet, so a lot of ag fields opportunities are not going to be available.

I'm not trying to talk you out of going, but you need to know this stuff and prepare for it. Hope you have a good trip.

[Anatidae]

Mottlet has some good advice - Freelancing has a lot of variables and risks involved......particularly in September and October when most fair-weather non-res hunters flock to these areas.

Hope you have a good trip.

[jdaves]

Thanks for the tips, I've already sort of thought about that. My step father moved up there about 6 or 7 months ago and I was going to let him do the scouting every day for about a week before I got there. He doesn't work so it'll give him something to do. However, I have been concerned about the crops due to the flood. But since I have a free place to stay and a free plane ticket I might as well give it a shot.

[rampole]

I hunted nodak last year for 10 days exclusively field hunting. In that time besause of the immense pressure we logged about 400 miles a day scouting to stay on the ducks and geese. There are so many people from minnesota and Wisconsin that hunt nodak that it makes it hard to be successful without a lot of miles logged scouting. The mn boys really hunt the water hard, which really spreads the ducks and messes the hunting up. You can go up there and hunt water but you are only going to get one hunt out of a water hole before you have to move on and the locals really frown on it. If you can find an area that is holding a lot of birds you can find where they are dry feeding and hunt in the same area for days if you don't disturb them on the water. This means finding a spot where they are feeding far enough from the water that shotgun blasts don't disturb the ducks on the water. Also you probably want to have at least three options each day to hunt because other people will undoubtedly be there especially if your not way off the beaten path.

[tupe]

Pressure is worse the closer to the MN border you get. Not sure where you plan to base camp out of but the further west and north you go the less pressure you will have.

I have been going up there for 10 years and even way back when we started we put in full afternoons of driving to find quality hunts. What I mean by that is, we did not settle for fields holding 100-200 birds we looked for fields holding 500 at least.

A few things to keep in mind:

1. GAS UP! never start a scouting run on half a tank. And if you are at 1/2 and see a gas station, FILL UP! lots of places close early and gas stations can be few and far between.

2. When asking for permission on private land take both YES and NO with grace and charm. I had many "NO"s turn into "But my cousin, neighbor, friend..." BE POLITE and you will get a long way.

3. RESPECT THE LAND - closes gates, don't rut fields and pick up all your trash and hulls. Farmers notice.

4. Offer help, birds and whatever else you can. Don't use your offer as a bargining chip, just offer to help and it goes a long way. I once helped a farmer on the side of the road with loading some scrap iron and he set me up with a ton of land.


5.Follow up.Drop the land owner a card or letter once you get home. It WILL get you on a great base with them and they will remember you next year.