North Dakota Bound?

[GonnePhishin]

Do any of you currently live in, or lived in North Dakota?
The spouse might be getting a job up in the Grand Forks area and would like any info about the place (i know its very cold in the winter).
Quality of life, gun friendly, etc.

[Terry Murbach]

A WONDERFUL PLACE !!! THE LEAST VISITED STATE IN THE UNION AND THEY'RE PROUD OF IT !!! "HI, COME VISIT NORTH DAKOTA, SPEND ALL YOUR MONEY, SEE ALL THE SITES, NOW GET THE 'ELL OUTTA HERE "!!
IT IS GUN FRIENDLY, HAS BOTH OF ROOSEVELT THE GREATS RANCHES TO SEE, AND THE WINE CELLER IS STILL FULL AT THE MARQUIS DE MORES RANCH.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STATE IS TOO DAMMED CLOSE TO MINNE-SOOOOOTAAA.
THE FOLKS OUT HERE IN THE WESTERN HALF OF NORTH DAKOTA ARE JUST SO DARNED HAPPY THEY CAN LIVE THAT CLOSE TO SOUTH DAKOTA THEY CAN JUST BARELY STAND IT. WE'RE HAPPY FOR 'EM TOO, BUT SINCE THEY HAVE A PREDILECTION FOR ELECTING MEMBERS OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY WE INSIST THEY ONLY COME TO VISIT AND THEN GO HOME....SOON PLEASE....A WEEKEND IS ENOUGH....

[Base Pin Maker]

I go to North Dakota each fall to shoot buffalo, great state! Kelye

[Blaine]

I traversed the state, East to West last year on US 2 on my Goldwing....what a pretty state! The little towns were mosty built around the grain elevators along the RR.....VERY friendly people. I'd stop at a little diner, and most of the peeps would be sitting around a bunch of tables pushed together, and they always spoke, and in one case invited me to join them.....

[cowboykell]

I live southwest of Bismarck/Mandan. Western North Dakota is fantastic!!!! Eastern part is OK. They should have split the Dakotas into West Dakota and East Dakota. The trouble with South Dakota...you have to speak very slowly when you converse with them.

[GonnePhishin]

I was kind of disappointed that there are no mountains in eastern ND like in the western half of the state. However, from what we've read about the state it does seem extra nice.

[AJMD429]

No big cities, so no urban know-nothing welfare parasites.
Weather and terrain hostile to wimps and yuppies.

No parasites, wimps, or yuppies means nothing for politicians to feed on or nourish.

What's not to like...!

[Terry Murbach]

AND NEVER EVER FORGET, WINTER IS GOOD AS IT KEEPS OUT THE RIFF-RAFF !!! IF THE DIRTBALLS CANNOT COPE WITH HAVING A JOB THEY CANNOT COPE WITH A DAKOTA WINTER FOR DARN SURE.

WELL-HELLO-THERE-COWBOY-KELL-ARE-YOU- HAVING-A-GOOD-SUMMER ??? IT-IS-NICE-HEARING-FROM-YOU-AGAIN.

[ndcowboy]

Yup, I live here - all 29 years of my life. We ranch about an hour north of Bismarck. I've not been everywhere in this big old world, but with everywhere I've traveled, this is where I always come back to.
Anyway, back to your question. North Dakota is great. If you end up in Grand Forks, they typically have a warmer winter than the rest of the state. Not sure why, but Grand Forks always has higher temps in the winter than everybody else.
We've got all kinds of hunting - deer, antelope, grouse, pheasants, geese, and ducks. I have literally been able to shoot any of the previously mentioned out of my front door. There are also limited elk, bighorn sheep, and moose tags every year. There is a lot of public land in the western part of the state open to hunting - or just pull in somebody's yard and ask. The worst they can do is say no.
If you are a bowhunter, you can buy an archery buck tag good state wide over the counter. Rifle and muzzleloader deer tags are lottery, as are antelope. (On a side note, there is no antelope season this year as numbers are the lowest they have been since the late 70s.)
I think you'll find the people here friendly, and the weather always changing. The last two winters have been rough, but most years they aren't that bad. There are gunshows in every big city in the fall/winter and nobody will look at you strange with a rifle in your back window.
Anyway, welcome!

[Hillbilly]

A native once told me that if you spent 4 years at UND you would satisfy those "6 degrees of seperation" from the whole population in short order.

I had folks down in the very SW corner of the state near Medora. Good people, work and education are a virtue there.

[Marlin32]

I do not live there, but I have a friend who does. I hunt up there at least twice a year.
I would move to ND in a heartbeat. I am forester by profession, so ND isn't in huge demand for such expertise.

It can be cold, that is for certain, but fair trade off for the other advantages.
People up there are friendly, a bit wary of strangers though, and darn independent!
But if you are like me, and feel that everyone is responsible for themselves, and not dependent on others, then you will fit right in.

[Old Time Hunter]

Let's see...where was Louis L'amore from??? Jamestown, I think. Can't be all bad. They even named a town Beach...why? Nobody knows, must be their sense of humor. Dickenson has the highest percentage of millionaires in the USA...figure that one out. Grand Forks is in the "tropic crescent" of North Dakota, so your wife can wear a bikini over her snowmobile suite in February.

In all honesty, it is a great state...just don't tell anybody, especially if they are from SD, 'cause they might come with their "Corn Palace".

[roughcreek]

Raised on a farm in North Dakota. Today it is one of the few states with a budget in the black. Have relatives still there. Western part of the state going through an oil boom. Some places it is hard to find a place to stay (or camp). Williston for instance.

[roughcreek]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0OJeplnzEg

[kimwcook]

Sorry, can't answer your question about Grand Forks, but I lived in NoDak for about 10 years. My dad was born and raised in Sentinel Butte. Just got back from a family reunion there over the fourth of July. Great people. Winters can be a real eye opener (I was raised in Washington State). Oil fields going again. Nothing like oil money.

[GonnePhishin]

Old Time Hunter, that would be one picture that I'd like to see myself

[GonnePhishin]

Hey Terry M or Cowboykell, do you have to register your handguns? I thought I saw somewhere that you have to register them, which is something we don't have to do in Ohio.

[cowboykell]

No registration.

[arjunky]

Two winters ago it was miserable for snow and wind. Last winter pretty decent.
There is mountains (Turtle Mountains) less than 2 hours away northwest of Grand Forks, well ok, oversized hills.

Byron

[3leggedturtle]

[quote="

In all honesty, it is a great state...just don't tell anybody, especially if they are from SD, 'cause they might come with their "Corn Palace".[/quote]
Yeah or their biggest ball of TWINE,, No Dak is a great state, have bicycled across it 3 times on US2, was always treated nice. Good people, and even more beautiful women!!!!

[GonnePhishin]

Thanks to all who replied

[bigbore442001]

I have been to the Peace Garden State twice in my life and fell in love with the state. I am not sure what to add that others had not but I do believe you will like it. I would move there at the drop of a hat but due to family I could not. You can have the best of both worlds in Grand Forks. Since that is located on the border of Minnesota you could hunt black bear in that state.

One of my favorite places is the Badlands of North Dakota. I love Medora and the areas south of it. I Contenderized a lot of prairie dogs and just fell in love with the open vistas that you get when you climb on top of a butte or other high area. Now bear in mind I was a tourist so I am not familiar with what it is like in January or February. I do love cold weather and snow so it may be a mini paradise for me.

[GonnePhishin]

Nice pictures Big Bore

[ndcowboy]

To answer an earlier question, you do NOT have to register your guns here.
Also, we are a shall issue state, so getting a concealed permit is pretty easy.

[cowboykell]

There are two seasons in North Dakota....Winter is here and winter is near !!