North Dakota

Small Game Stamps

North Dakota small game stamps were required to hunt waterfowl, in addition to other types of small game, state-wide starting in 1967. Over the years, the exact wording on the stamps has varied somewhat. From 1981 through 1988 a habitat license fee was also incorporated into the stamps. In 1982 the resident stamp only was changed from non-pictorial to pictorial. Stamps printed for resident and resident youth hunters were printed in booklet panes of five (1x5) with a tab at the top. All non-pictorial resident and resident youth stamps were color rouletted (black). In 1982 and 1983 the resident stamps had a narrow selvage on the left and right sides. The pictorial resident stamps were also printed in sheets of thirty (5x6) with selvage on all four sides. All of the stamps from these sheets have perforations on all four sides and were produced specifically for stamp collectors. All resident and resident youth stamps have had flat gum. Youth stamps were discontinued following the 1992-93 season.

For many years the non-resident stamps were stapled to the hunting license. The non-resident stamps have been printed in a variety of formats over the years. From 1967 through 1973 (with the exception of 1972), the non-resident stamps were printed in booklet panes of five (1x5) with a tab at the top. The 1972 and 1974 stamps were self-adhesives that required a protective backing. They were printed and issued on individual, oversized pieces of backing material which also had some instructions printed above the stamp area. The stamps themselves were scored to facilitate removal.

From 1974 through 1982, the non-resident small game stamps were self-adhesives that were printed and issued on a piece of backing material se-tenant with a non-resident waterfowl stamp. On the same piece of backing paper, to the right of the se-tenant pair, were four self-adhesive duck tags. This sheet of paper, along with several additional sheets containing eight tags each for various species of waterfowl and small game, were stapled together with non-resident general game license and a printed cardstock cover to form a booklet. Both stamps, all of the different tags, and the license were imprinted with matching serial numbers. Although the stamps were scored to facilitate peeling, many were separated with scissors. It should be noted that the tags bear a resemblance to the non-resident waterfowl stamps and are often mistaken for stamps. They are somewhat smaller in size, measuring approximately 88 mm wide x 23 mm tall.

The format was the same for the 1983 and 1984-85 non-resident stamps, however, a non-resident general game stamp was now required to hunt waterfowl and was included on the same sheet of backing paper in a three-way se-tenant arrangement. From 1985-86 through 1995-96, the three non-resident stamps were no longer self-adhesives. They featured dry gum and were printed and issued se-tenant with a large tab at the right. The tab contained printed instructions and was also used to staple the stamps to the reverse of a non-resident fishing, hunting and furbearer certificate. Matching serial numbers were printed on all three stamps and the certificate. This was referred to as a "non-resident waterfowl pack". Stamps from the non-resident waterfowl packs were rouletted in color (black) between the three stamps and also between the right side of the small game and waterfowl stamps and the tab.

A variation of this pack was issued for the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons only. The non-resident waterfowl stamp was excluded from this "mini-pack" pack and it was designed for sportsmen who intended to hunt for other species of small game prior to the start of the waterfowl season. Should they subsequently have decided to hunt for waterfowl also, they would have purchased a non-resident waterfowl stamp without a printed serial number and the license agent would have then filled in the matching mini-pack number to the on the waterfowl stamp manually, with a ball-point pen. The mini-packs were plain rouletted (uncolored) between the two stamps and between the non-resident small game stamp and the tab.

Finally, starting in 1994-95, the non-resident small game stamps were once again printed and issued separately, in booklet panes of five (1x5), as they were prior to 1972. At this point the formatting experiments had come full circle, and currently this is the only format the stamps are printed and issued in. From 1994-95 through 1997-98, the stamps were rouletted in color (black) between the stamps and between the stamps and the tab.

Staple holes do not affect the value of non-resident stamps issued prior to 1971. Values for unused and unsigned 1982 and 1983 resident stamps are for those with selvage on both sides. Stamps with one or both pieces of selvage missing sell for a relatively small fraction of these prices.