Shooting Preserve near Minot

Ditchmaster

Ditchmaster

Well-known member
After 19 years of bouncing around the country I'm transferring back to my hometown of Minot. I wanted to stay in rural Montana but I got outvoted 2-1. Anyways I have a young lab that I'd like to get some individual work on, does anyone know of a preserve near Minot or in ND. Looks like I'll have to wait for spring as ND currently resembles the ice planet of Hoth right now. Goodbye big game tags, hello Starbucks.😄
 
There was one in the Minot area, but it maybe gone. There is one west of Fargo and a couple in MN east of Fargo. I have not hunted any of these businesses.

A few of the lodge/outfitters run preserves in ND. The high brow place in Stanley shows they have a longer season with a limit of 6 pheasants ... must be releasing.

Most of ND lacks both the total population and the higher "city income" base to make pheasant preserves functional. They do not survive on amateur dog trainers and individuals tuning up before season. The more successful preserves in MN tend to have corporate clientele that may book and release 100s if not 500 or more birds in a "corporate client day".

I believe you can run dogs on wild birds in ND from July 16th through March 31st (check with ND G&F to verify these dates are still valid).


Each of my Brits spent time on preserves as a younger dog. I train each dog myself. Releasing and working on 4 - 6 chukar or pheasants has proven invaluable at bringing the dog to point and ready ... Many preserves offer low cost memberships and with that membership offer free dog training areas, scratch hunting, etc.... I can tell you I have better access to dog training fields, birds and water ... 20 miles from my house than I ever had living in ND.
 
Sent you a link via PM.

Don't feel like advertising for them (if they are even still around).
 
That would be awesome to be that close to training. Well let's hope for a miracle with all this snow. I guess if I find out something when I get there I can post it up. Sent you a pm on the other deal. Nothing like moving to ND in January,
 
Send me a PM with the same info if you wouldn't mind. I was under the impression they were made illegal a few years back and that we must go out of state to do preserve hunting. Can't even train a dog in offseason on PLOTS land in ND, must be private land. There can be events but they must be registered with the state if I remember right. But, would love a place to get some good shooting practice and dogwork in before the season and not have to travel further than Minot which is already 1.5 hrs one way.
 
Licensed shooting preserves (birds) are legal in North Dakota. They are few and far between. I suspect for the reasons I noted above.

There was a major push to eliminate big game hunting preserves (elk, whitetail and possibly buffalo) in North Dakota because in-part of the fear of CWD transmission and spread from penned animals to wild deer. No idea on what ND decided.

PLOT land is private land. It is leased for hunting by the NDG&F. You must follow the rules they have in-place for dog training.

ND game management areas can be accessed and used by individuals with their dogs from Aug 16th through March 31st.

Here are the rules:
Dogs. No person may conduct, permit, or carry out field trials for dogs on any wildlife management area without first obtaining a permit from the director or the director?s designee. Training of bird and gun dogs is prohibited April 1 through August 15 on all wildlife management areas. Training of dogs on any wildlife management areas by a professional trainer is prohibited at all times. Any person other than a professional trainer who violates this section is guilty of a noncriminal offense and shall pay a $100 fee.
Click to expand...


It appears that the USF&WS (North Dakota) now prohibits dog training on waterfowl production areas. Was not the case 20-30 years ago when I was living there.
Dogs:
The use of dogs is encouraged for
hunting. Dogs are allowed for other
activities only if the dog is confined to
a vehicle, boat, fish house, or is on a
leash controlled by the handler. Dog
training is prohibited.
Click to expand...


Once any small game season opens you are free to start running your dog there too ... ie once sharptails and hun season opens, you can run your dog on WPAs for upland.
 
For five roosters it was 95 bucks which seems reasonable as the preserves in WA state I think we’re closer to 25 bucks a rooster. The hens are cheaper and he had Chukars which hold better but aren’t always the best flyers in my expierencre. He just getting started but has an awesome property. He said I could shoot any sharp tails I saw and we put a covey of those but I passed on shooting at them.
 
ya that's not bad. Were the birds planted? Not really sure how a preserve works. There is another place in ND, but they plant the birds and I'm not really looking for that. Thanks for the info btw. Did not know this place existed.
 
Yes they were planted, you can scratch Hunt, basically mopping up the survivors, he plans to have a limited sporting clays course in the future. I was working on retrieves with my pup and he also said he could accomate bird launchers if working on pointing.
 
You think if I did the scratch hunt I’d have any luck? Will the planted birds give us a challenge and keep it sporting?
 
I’m sure the scratch hunt would be a challenge. I’ve always used preserves as more of a training opportunity than a challenging hunt, lots of heavy cover to check for survivors.
 
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