The NoDak Sportsmen’s Club has existed for as long as charitable gaming has in North Dakota.

Posted: Sep 30 2022

At nearly 30 years old, the NoDak Sportsmen’s Club has existed for as long as charitable gaming has in North Dakota. They were one of the very first charities to benefit from the proceeds of charitable gaming and still benefit to this day. But the NoDak Sportsmen’s Club doesn’t exist for the benefit of the organization’s membership – they don’t have any – they exist for the benefit of the communities in which their gaming operates.

“We are a community-based organization. Our mission is to promote the outdoors, youth sports and to help the needy,” explains gaming manager Jeff Burns. “The needy can include so many, like those with special medical needs, drug or alcohol addictions, cancer survivors, veterans and so much more.”

It’s hard for Burns to put a number on how many people the NoDak Sportsmen have helped over the years simply because so much of their funds go towards helping other organizations that benefit others – like small town daycare facilities, medical fundraisers for those who are battling cancer, or just helping with rural community cemetery upkeep – but a recent project may allow for The Club to keep closer tabs on the number of people the charity’s dollars impact.

“Three years ago, we started an outdoor program where we purchased property near Flasher, North Dakota that was only being used as pastureland and it needed a lot of attention. It didn’t hold any wildlife. No songbirds, no pheasants, no deer,” explains Burns.

Six-thousand trees, 500 pheasants, 3 water wells, and one, two-bedroom cabin later, the NoDak Sportsmen’s Club has created the beginnings of a hunting oasis that many will benefit from for years to come. Two years ago, the hunting spot began hosting cancer survivors from Carson Wentz’s AO1 Foundation for deer hunts. This past year, The Club held its first pheasant hunt for veterans and beginning this season, the group will host youth pheasant hunters as well.

“Our hope is to benefit all the youth hunters that want to come down there. There is no fee to stay out at the cabin*, which worked out nicely last deer season when we found out a young man and his father had traveled from Grand Forks to hunt. They had no place to stay and were sleeping out of their vehicle. We were able to put them up in our lodge,” said Burns.

It’s very clear that NoDak Sportsmen would cease to exist without charitable gaming, so Burns is very quick to thank the establishments that allow the Sportsmen to hold their games.

“This is a great additional draw for bars and restaurants, it’s very popular. You don’t want to be the bar that doesn’t have it. People go there for the entertainment of the gaming, not just the entertainment of the bar. Without the bars letting us have the gaming, we would have no gaming. They are a big supporter of charitable gaming, the sites themselves so they deserve so much praise.”

Locations that hold gaming for NoDak Sportsmen’s Club are: Miller’s Cave in Hebron, The Asylum Bar in Glen Ullin, Brick City Bar in Hebron, The Tumbleweed in Lincoln, White Buffalo in Granville, Big Reds Saloon in Deering, Lone Wolf in Center, Black Nugget in Underwood, Watering Hole in Fort Rice, Space Aliens in Bismarck, Midway Tavern in Bismarck, The Corral Bar in Bismarck.

*Contact Jeff at NoDak Sportsmen's Club at nodaksportsmen@gmail.com to learn more about youth and veteran hunts and staying at the cabin.