Minnesota Waterfowl Hunting

Planning a trip to souris, North Dakota over MEA break and was wondering if anyone had any experience hunting around there. It's my first trip to North Dakota and I was wondering if anyone had any tips for hunting out there.
Thanks

Lodging has been and could be a problem with all of western 1/2 of ND do to the oil boom. Get reservations in early.

I have not hunted that specific area

I have been hunting the east side of the state for 13 years and I prefer the weekend after MEA but I end up hunting MEA weekend also otherwise my son could not go. Last year we hit the nail on the head and my son got to experience the best Mallard hunt I have ever had on his first time to North Dakota. Now he doesn't want to hunt in MN any more. I can't blame him. LOL

Getting a decent place to stay is always the problem. You might be out of luck this year. I always reserve our room 6 months or a year in advance.

Not a North Dakota guy myself, but aren't public lands and PLOTS closed to nonresidents over MEA due to pheasant season or something?

Also, you might want to ride share with all of the other MN's heading up there for MEA... I hear it gets cozy so you might as well save gas money and get to know the people you'll end up hunting next to on the way up there!

In thirteen years of hunting in ND I have never hunted any public land but you are correct. Public Land is off limits which includes P.L.O.T.S. lands, state wildlife management areas. Waterfowl production areas are o.k. because they are federal owned. This has never been a concern for me. I always ask permission from the farmers and very rarely do I get turned down. You can not drive on P.L.O.T.S. lands any way that means carrying your decoy spread out to the fields. Very rarely do I see other hunters in the areas we hunt. I would not hesitate to take my trip during that time. Just my experience. Yours may be differnt.

soolong wrote:In thirteen years of hunting in ND I have never hunted any public land but you are correct. Public Land is off limits which includes P.L.O.T.S. lands, state wildlife management areas. Waterfowl production areas are o.k. because they are federal owned. This has never been a concern for me. I always ask permission from the farmers and very rarely do I get turned down. You can not drive on P.L.O.T.S. lands any way that means carrying your decoy spread out to the fields. Very rarely do I see other hunters in the areas we hunt. I would not hesitate to take my trip during that time. Just my experience. Yours may be differnt.

Even when I lived in ND 99% of my hunting was on public, I can't stand farmers. PLOTS is for residents only through pheasant opening weekend. After that it is open to everyone. So MEA it is open to non-residents (I would hunt it anyways, even if you get caught they just inform you of te rule and send you on your way. The rule was put in place to protect pheasant land, not duck sloughs). An there is some PLOTS you are allowed to drive on, but they will have signs saying so. An as long as you aren't hunting around Devils Lake, Jamestown, etc there won't be any other people to worry about.

No idea about the hunting in that area, but souris is in oil country, don't plan on buying stuff you need once your there, lodging will be extremely expensive, if even available and stay out if the bars.

Souris is outside the new oil country. Scattered wells dot the landscape in some areas, but this is not the core area for new wells.

Essentially US Hwy 83 is where oil country begins and really it is much further west than that, but inadequate housing has pushed people to live 30 - 60 minutes east of where they work each day. Still there is little housing or lodging in that area.

Souris is outside the main pothole area. It was a big time area for geese and mallards - 20+ years ago now. Turtle Mountains are to the East and they have potholes. It is a minny Minnesota. Very few hunters in this area.