North Dakota Gun Dog Trainers ( Anti legislation )

All,

North Dakota has a bill (#1499) which is under consideration by the Legislature that would have a serious impact to professional dog trainers who go to North Dakota in the summer to train.

This bill would shorten the time a trainer would be allowed in the field by about one month.

If you summer camp in North Dakota, or know someone who does, please consider signing the online petition at the following link. (Your state of residence does not matter):

http://www.petitiononline.com/ND1499/petition-sign.html

To: North Dakota Legislators
Dear Sir/Madam:

I am writing in regard to House Bill #1499. We, the sporting dog community, have recently learned from the North Dakota Fish and Game that individuals in North Dakota began this quest to pursue changing the training date for professional dog trainers. It is our sincere opinion that the professional dog trainers who have come north each summer, and have for decades, brought with them the gift of fiscal assistance and long lasting friendships to many rural towns and their inhabitants, are unfairly targeted by this needless legislation.

These dog trainers substantially add to the local economies for the two to three months that they are in residence. Most are gone, returning to their southern environs, by September 15th. They travel thousands of miles each summer, possessed with the sole intention of making progress in the training regimen of their clients’ dogs. There is an essential need of a time span of approximately 40 – 60 days, starting after the 4th of July, to make progress with field trial dogs and hunting dogs alike. This time is the single most important training a dog can have in its life! National Champions and many good hunting dogs are made on the prairies of North Dakota. It is imperative to recognize that Professional Dog Trainers do not shoot the birds. It is similar to fishing and utilizing the catch and release method. Maintenance of the resource is paramount to the trainers! More importantly, evidence shows that partridge, grouse and pheasant populations have increased in the state and that these trainers have very little, if any, effect on the birds and their habitats.

The instigator and sponsors, clearly, have misjudged how many lives this legislation would affect. It is not just the trainers; it is the landowners, business owners and dog owners alike, who, yearly, support this sport. It is a sport that depends, profoundly, on the trainers and their relationships with landowners in the north. In North Dakota alone there are approximately 60 licensed professional trainers and the lives that are entwined with theirs are numerous. The effect of this legislation would surely, seriously impact the economies of these small towns!

We, respectfully, request that you consider, seriously, the ramifications of this potential legislation and decide that the cost is entirely too great to enact it. Thank you!

What is the point of this law, I mean, what is driving the need for change??

My understanding is the bill is really aimed at keeping pro trainers with multiple strings of dogs off public lands prior to the opening of the ND pheasant open.

The thought being the younger second hatch birds are going to be vulnerable to being trapped or really late hens may still be nesting and dog could wipe those birds out.

Anyone who has been pheasant hunting in North Dakota and realizes that there have been pros going to North Dakota with strings of dogs forever knows this is absurd.

There may be other non-game species or some other kind of eco- nonsense someone is slinging. As a person that has had a couple strings of dogs out on the prairie the cattle out there are doing a hell of a lot more bird killing that my dogs do at that time.

I don’t want to urine any one off, but here is my opinion…

Truth be told there are a lot of folks in North Dakota who are resentful about any non-residents being in or around North Dakota. I see this every year when I take my pointing dogs to North Dakota to train on dogs, most of the locals in rural North Dakota are awesome folks and appreciate the money being spent out there.

Then there are the others who are not that way. In my experience they are often more well off financially and don’t give a hoot is anyone in the community does benefit from sportsman dollars.

Those folks are about as hospitable as a wolverine eating the [censored] out a week dead skunk to the non-resident sportsman. I could be more specific, but draw your own conclusions on this.

Some of these folks have the ear of the legislation, and if there is a way to limit non residents or even resident pro trainers who are on public lands they think it is a good idea.

These folks seem to think the only way sportsmen should be involved with North Dakota would be to fly over in a plan and drop cash like food aid to starving refugees, and then dissappear without setting foot on North Dakota soil.

I’m an amateur gun dog guy so this bill proposal really does not directly effect me directly, but a lot of my buddies are pro trainers and it would put a huge dent in what they can do in a years time training dogs and making money for themselves and the community.

I hope even those people who are not at all involved with the North Dakota or hunting dogs would sign the petition. In this economic environment, it seems like limiting how someone makes their living is a step in the wrong direction.

Regards,