Hi all, here's my 2c on this subject. While we may not have the bird numbers like SD, we do have very good to excellent hunting, if you hit the right year and area. This year the numbers are down, but there are some good pockets, but you have to work for them this year however. You won't walk a strip of row crop and limit out in 5 min like in SD, but you won't have to pay an arm and a leg to hunt. There are some farmers in the Mott area that are now starting to charge, like SD has been for years. There are some who harbor some ill will for out of state hunters. I know a few who will refuse them permission. The reason why is attitude. A small minority of out of state "hunters" feel they have the right to hunt any place, because "I bought a license, I traveled far, I buy gas here".... and on and on.
Most folks here are the salt of the earth, just be respectful, polite and ask. It's that simple.
Back on subject here, trying to find a place to stay will be interesting as we now have an oil boom going on and housing is hard to find. Even your mom and pop outfits are full as are some campgrounds out west. It will be easier to find a place east of Bismarck, west from here, good luck. Call ahead first.
As to small farm towns that dry up and blow away, unless it were for the hunters. Not so. It's the famers and ranchers that keep the towns going. I live in a small farm town, here's what we have, a School, a Church and a Bar, that's it. We lost our Post Office. People who stay in these small towns do not provide enough income to keep anything going for a complete year. There are many reasons why some of these towns are dying, out that's a whole new subject to indepth for this right now.
Back to the birds again, it's been a fair year so far for grouse, not like in years past. But as I said, there are pockets of birds, you just have to walk and get lucky. The area you walked today and got nothing will produce tomorrow. Have seen a few pheasants, but as we are hunting grouse, and not hitting any pheasant cover, hard to say. Did see a lot early in the year on the roads, so I think it will be a fair year.
Just remember, the first week of pheasant season, a non-resident can not hunt any State land (PLOTS, WMA etc), but Federal and private is OK.
We do enjoy and love to have folks come see our State, so if you do come out here, welcome, enjoy your stay and good luck! I'm lucky and am blessed to live here, so for me, I can't see living anywhere else.
And speaking of birds, my son (Will) and I went out this afternoon and managed to get a few grouse. I limited out (even managed a double) and Will got two. Here's a couple pics for todays hunt.
All the best to you all!
Greg
Myself with my 12b H.J. Hussey Imperial SLE
Will and his 12ga Fabarm Beta Classis