North Dakota shares private data from holders of hunting, fishing licenses

Much of the information hunters give the state of North Dakota isn’t so private, Watchdog.org has learned.

When Park River resident Abraham Hankey got a bow-hunting license from the Game & Fish Department in the mail, he noticed something weird. A mailing from Pheasants Forever, of which he was never a member, also arrived — complete with the same typo in his name.

“It’s obvious my name was spelled wrong and that they gave out my name,” he told Watchdog.org in a phone interview.

That’s exactly what happened. In fact, the Game & Fish Department regularly disseminates its database of names and addresses — including tens of thousands people — who have obtained fishing and hunting licenses in the state.

Read more at http://watchdog.org/242126/north-dakota-hunting/