Minnesota Hunters Are Unhappy With North Dakota’s New Regs

We have about one month remaining for some of the North Dakota hunting seasons.

It's crazy how quickly the hunting seasons go every year as I get older. October rolls around, you blink, and it's December. I'm strictly a bird hunter, so waterfowl and upland game are our points of emphasis each season. It's been a pretty good season overall, with plenty of opportunities with our long, warm fall, that is, until the light switch flipped last week, and winter reared its ugly head.

You may recall that I told you about the changes in regulations coming to the 2025 waterfowl season in a previous article.

(SEE ALSO: What's changing this year for non-resident waterfowl hunters coming to North Dakota)

I've noticed a lot of pot shots at North Dakota concerning these changes from Minnesota hunters on various social media forums.

There seem to be two points of contention: one, non-resident hunters now have six zones they must choose from (replacing three zones). Non-residents are still limited to a total of 14 hunting days, but can only use a specific zone for 7 days. According to the North Dakota Game & Fish, this was to spread out the pressure in the state. I personally think this regulation did its job, as I noticed less pressure in the areas I hunt.

This new regulation also took care of another concern with North Dakota sportsmen; it made it less likely for wealthy out-of-state hunters to buy up hunting land in North Dakota when they can only hunt it a week out of the year.

The second regulation that has gone over like a fart in church with our neighbors to the east would be the increase in license fees.

I certainly understand this sticker shock. I also fish and hunt in other states ( I have a lake cabin in South Dakota), and it's always more expensive for non-residents. Here are some of the price increases that are affecting non-resident hunters and fishermen in North Dakota.

Non-Resident Small Game (Including Pheasant) License: $150 (used to be $100)

Non-Resident White-Tailed Deer License: $350 (used to be $250)

Non-Resident Fishing License (Season): $60 (used to be $40)

Non-Resident Fishing License (Short Term - 10-Day): $50 (used to be $30)

I have several friends from Minnesota and other states who come to hunt birds in North Dakota, so I'm sympathetic to their frustrations. However, our resident license fees have also gone up. I would argue, if you're mad about it, try getting a waterfowl license in South Dakota (it's a lottery with very few licenses given out each year), and if you're really upset about it, then move here and become a resident. Otherwise, I applaud our Governor and the North Dakota Game & Fish for taking care of their own and preserving our hunting heritage in the state.