North Dakota Game & Fish Department has allowed airgun hunting for small game and nuisance species for some time, but big game airgun hunting was off limits - until now. Nearly a year ago, Mitch King (President of the Airgun Sporting Association) starting a dialog with the leadership of the state agency. The discussions were focused on convincing the agency leadership to consider allowing airguns for use during their big game firearms seasons. These discussions, along with some very helpful engagement by an airgun enthusiast in North Dakota led to a recent 2019 Regulation Proclamation and rule change that allows airguns for elk and moose hunting during the 2019 firearms season. Specifically, the proclamation states that "pre-charged pneumatic air guns, charged from an external high compression source such as an air compressor, air tank or an external hand pump are legal for elk and moose but must fire a projectile (excluding air bolts) of at least .45 caliber in diameter and at least 350 grains in weight with a minimum muzzle velocity of 600 feet per second." Further, the Association is told that a similar proclamation and rule change will be coming soon for deer but will allow a smaller caliber.
According to Mitch King, working with state agencies is always a slow process - especially when introducing a new piece of equipment. "The agency biologists are very serious when it comes to humanely and ethically taking wildlife in the field and we as hunters should expect no less." So, the slow process is to be expected. While Mitch has been working with the North Dakota Game & Fish Department leadership over the past year, Mitch credits the real movement in North Dakota to John Felts, a local airgun enthusiast who made the trip to Bismarck and talked to the agency director (Terry Steinwand), explained the power of modern big-bore airguns and showed him the guns. According to Mitch, this chain of events is not unusual. "While I can work directly with the key folks in the state wildlife agency, it is often the resident hunter and airgun enthusiast who sways agency folks and that is exactly what happened in North Dakota. While I can take some credit for this movement in North Dakota, John Felts is the person the airgun community should thank. He's the one who took the time to sit in front of the director and made the case for legalizing airguns."
The lesson for all who want to see legalized big game airgun hunting in more states is to make sure that the leadership of your state wildlife agency, and their commissioners know that there is an interest in the state. The Airgun Sporting Association will continue to work from the top-down - directly with agency leadership, and looks forward to working with local airgun enthusiasts to generate interest from the bottom-up. Together we will see expanded airgun hunting opportunities.
You can contact Mitch King directly at [email protected] or by phone at 303.585.0377.
According to Mitch King, working with state agencies is always a slow process - especially when introducing a new piece of equipment. "The agency biologists are very serious when it comes to humanely and ethically taking wildlife in the field and we as hunters should expect no less." So, the slow process is to be expected. While Mitch has been working with the North Dakota Game & Fish Department leadership over the past year, Mitch credits the real movement in North Dakota to John Felts, a local airgun enthusiast who made the trip to Bismarck and talked to the agency director (Terry Steinwand), explained the power of modern big-bore airguns and showed him the guns. According to Mitch, this chain of events is not unusual. "While I can work directly with the key folks in the state wildlife agency, it is often the resident hunter and airgun enthusiast who sways agency folks and that is exactly what happened in North Dakota. While I can take some credit for this movement in North Dakota, John Felts is the person the airgun community should thank. He's the one who took the time to sit in front of the director and made the case for legalizing airguns."
The lesson for all who want to see legalized big game airgun hunting in more states is to make sure that the leadership of your state wildlife agency, and their commissioners know that there is an interest in the state. The Airgun Sporting Association will continue to work from the top-down - directly with agency leadership, and looks forward to working with local airgun enthusiasts to generate interest from the bottom-up. Together we will see expanded airgun hunting opportunities.
You can contact Mitch King directly at [email protected] or by phone at 303.585.0377.
