AN ACT to amend and reenact section 20.1-01-07 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to hunting big game or small game other than waterfowl or cranes with a motor-driven vehicle.
Summary
HB 1598 amends North Dakota’s restrictions on hunting big game and small game, other than waterfowl or cranes, with motor-driven vehicles. The bill keeps the general prohibition on using a motor vehicle off an established road or trail while hunting, but clarifies that a person may use a motor-driven vehicle to retrieve a big game animal after it has been lawfully reduced to possession if the animal cannot easily be retrieved otherwise. After retrieval, the vehicle must return to the road or trail by the same route it used to leave. The bill also preserves existing limits on using vehicles to drive, flush, molest, or harass game and on traveling through certain land types off-road without permission.
The measure updates section 20.1-01-07 of the North Dakota Century Code, affecting hunters, landowners, and lessees who actively farm or ranch the land. It reinforces private-property protections by continuing to require written permission for off-road vehicle use on another’s land, while maintaining the exception for retrieving downed big game. It also retains the rule that off-road vehicle use to hunt upland game during deer gun season is prohibited.
Overall, the bill appears to have been broadly supported. It passed the House 87-2 and the Senate 47-0, indicating strong bipartisan agreement and little opposition in either chamber. The lack of committee transcript material suggests there was no recorded major controversy in the available materials.
The main point of possible contention is the balance between practical retrieval of harvested game and protection of landowner rights and habitat. Supporters likely viewed the bill as a clarification that helps hunters recover animals safely and efficiently, while opponents, if any, may have been concerned about any expansion or ambiguity in off-road vehicle access. The final language keeps the exception narrow by limiting it to retrieval after possession and requiring a return to the original route.
Impact
HB 1598 amends North Dakota Century Code section 20.1-01-07 governing the use of motor-driven vehicles in hunting. It does not broadly change hunting access rules, but it clarifies and slightly refines the exception allowing vehicle use to retrieve a big game animal that cannot easily be recovered otherwise. The bill continues to restrict off-road vehicle use on private land without written permission from the landowner or qualifying lessee, preserving existing enforcement standards for hunters, landowners, and game wardens.
Sentiment
The bill’s sentiment was strongly favorable in both chambers, as reflected by the overwhelming vote margins and unanimous Senate approval. The available record suggests the measure was viewed as a practical clarification rather than a controversial policy shift. There is no committee testimony in the provided materials indicating organized opposition or significant debate.
Contention
The only notable tension in HB 1598 is between hunter convenience and landowner/property protections. The bill allows limited off-road vehicle use to retrieve a downed big game animal, but only under narrow conditions and with a requirement to return along the same route. Any concern would likely come from those worried about off-road vehicle intrusion, habitat disturbance, or enforcement ambiguity, while supporters would emphasize safe recovery of harvested game and clearer statutory guidance for hunters and conservation officers.
AN ACT to amend and reenact section 20.1-01-07 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to hunting big game or small game other than waterfowl or cranes with a motor-driven vehicle.
A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new section to chapter 20.1-03 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to nonresident upland and small game licenses; and to amend and reenact section 20.1-03-07 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to nonresident hunting licenses.
AN ACT to amend and reenact sections 20.1-03-12 and 20.1-03-36.1, subsection 7 of section 20.1-03-37, subsection 4 of section 20.1-03-38, and section 20.1-04-12.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to hunting, fishing, and gun dog activity fees and hunting guide and outfitter licensing requirements.