So different than the flat prairie we had
been hunting, a high plateau capped
with a sloping checkerboard cover of
green crops and brown grassland reached
to the North Dakota skies and begged for
attention. With our Wisconsin hunting
partners spread out over miles hunting
pheasants and sharpies elsewhere, John Ellis
and I headed up with rookie Shiloh, a oneyear
old cross of Golden Retriever and Irish
Setter leading the way. Our first concern was
that Shi would follow his young nose and
bird scent right off the edge of this unique
cliff before we reached the isolated cover
high above. We kept him close.
There’s more than just dog work and
shooting when hunting upland game,
and mule deer staring down at us from a
precarious edge had already been part of
the payoff Wisconsin hunters don’t reap
at home. We ascended to another piece of
P.L.O.T.S land, or Private Land Open to
Sportsmen, crested the ridge and walked
into yet another reason to love North
Dakota. A herd of 40 antelope maybe
1000 yards distant didn’t need more than
a few seconds to decide they didn’t like
us intruding on their high ground. We
watched them in a rush crest another
ridge on the horizon, marveled at their
keen eyesight, and turned our attention to
flushing more birds.
More than a quarter-century ago,
lawmakers put the North Dakota Game
and Fish Department to task to establish a
program using landowner assistance to offer
public access to private lands for hunting.
The result is the P.L.O.T.S. program,
including unmistakable triangular yellow
signs dotting the rural landscape and telling
hunters like our group from Wisconsin
that 800,000 acres the state are wide open
to public hunting. Throw in another
200,000-plus wildlife management acres
owned or managed by the Game and Fish
Department.
The program, North Dakota upland game
hunting, and the unique terrain and wildlife
are so appealing that we’ve only missed
one October trip back in the last eight
years. Some of us will return again to hunt
the later season, and we’ve had our share
of duck hunting North Dakota pothole
country too. Contingent mainly on spring
weather and brood success, our trips have
brought hunting varying from excellent
to tough. Regardless of whether or not we
have full game bags, the North Dakota
experience will pull you back.
Our group annually has Wisconsin well
represented, north to south. Dick Henske
from Manitowish Waters, Eric Pacey from
Wausau, Steve Ellis from Junction City,
Steve Henske from Stevens Point, John
Ellis from Muskego, this OWO publisher
from New Berlin, and finally, Jim Ellis from
Florida if you can pry him out of a boat.
Throw in an annual pack of seven dogs or
so at various stages of life, and we’re ready
to hunt.
It can take a bit of time to become
acclimated to plots and find terrain holding
the most birds. From our group, Steve Ellis
and Pacey head out early to scout a day
before the season. In my opinion, hunting
the smaller P.L.O.T.S. tracts surrounded, if
possible, by food crops is the best way to
find more birds. Even a tiny-appearing piece
of territory in the guide book will take quite
a while to work. And then it’s on to the next.
Besides finding plenty of birds and close
encounters with wildlife anticipate a hunt
on a back drop of open land as far as the
eye can see. Even though we hunted on a
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we never had
to compete with other hunters. If you want a
quality upland bird hunt, that is reasonably
priced and relatively close, consider hunting
North Dakotas western edge; you’re
guaranteed a limit of fun.
As for the high ground we worked to
start this story, one rooster came down
the cliff with us, with other birds busting
cover early in escape. While it’s absolutely
an option to pay for access to private land,
we stick with the P.L.O.T.S. To order book
laying out P.L.O.T.S locations, contact the
North Dakota Game and Fish Department
at 701-328-6300 or go to their website at
gf.nd.gov. And certainly, check out their
double page ad laying out the red carpet for
the Wisconsin hunter in this issue of On
Wisconsin Outdoors.
