By Bruce Ross, Executive Director
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s October, 2020 Newsletter edition.
Rolling Plains Adventures is the sponsor of this year’s state hunt. And if you are the lucky winner (or his/her hunting companion!), you are in for a rare treat! RPA donated a three day, four-night all-inclusive duck hunt on their ranch, located just twenty minutes east of Bismarck, North Dakota.
I can personally attest to the quality of this family-run, North Dakota operation. I first started going there nearly a decade ago when owner operator Jeremy Doan – the fifth generation on this ranch – was first starting this outfitting operation. Back then, we had breakfast with his parents in the original farmhouse and slept in one of the first outbuilding cabins. While it’s a bigger operation today, you still get the homey feeling of being with friends, not a high-throughput operation. But don’t get me wrong – this farm is big – beyond big! Still a working cattle farm, at 16,000+ acres, you can’t see everything it has to offer in years of visits, let alone the few days you are there in a given season.
The state hunt with RPA is a two-person, three-day waterfowl hunt (I shot my first specklebelly there), but you’ll also be hunting for pheasant, or coyote – your choice. Of course they are all wild birds you’ll be chasing, but in habitat that has been carefully managed to attract and retain these game species. They also offer trophy deer hunting and buffalo on the ranch. And everything from dogs, to bird cleaning, to guides and food is included. Even the bar is open! But what keeps me coming back are the people. The Doans love hunting, they love and care for their land, and they want to share it with you – doing everything they can to help you make the memories that we travel to North Dakota looking for.
Even if you don’t win the state hunt, you should check them out – see you there! If you can even find an opening!