REGENT (AP) - Farmers charging for access to their land is driving more hunters to buy parcels in North Dakota's prime pheasant regions.

The practice is changing the state's hunting culture and prompting bidding wars between farmers and sportsmen for land.

Duane Olson, Hettinger County tax director for nearly 34 years, noticed the trend in 2002 and began tracking land sales to hunters. A review of land sales in Hettinger, Emmons, McIntosh and other counties show the trend of more sales and higher prices spreading to other popular hunting destinations.

In 2005, a record number of pheasant hunters - 92,801 - took to North Dakota fields. Before this fall, the state's outlook predicted another heavy hunting season.

Gary Stang, who owns a farms near Regent, said he would rather see nonresident pheasant hunters on his land.

"I've got hard feelings with the North Dakota hunters," said Stang, who runs Good Life Hunting Co. from his farm. "They don't think they have to pay for anything.

"Everybody in North Dakota thinks we owe them something," he said.

Blaze orange signs hanging from fence posts on Stang's property warn trespassing hunters to stay off his land. It's a common scene throughout southwest North Dakota.

During the three-month pheasant hunting season, which ends Jan. 7, Stang said he routinely chases violators off of the 460 acres he owns.

"This time of year, we have all kinds of company," said Stang, who charges hunters $150 each day to shoot pheasants on his land.

Hettinger County, in southwestern North Dakota, ranked as the state's most popular pheasant hunting destination for nonresidents and the third most popular for residents in 2005.

A recent study by Steve Shultz, a former associate professor in agribusiness and applied economics at North Dakota State University, showed urban North Dakotans made 34 percent of the hunting land purchases from 2000 to 2004. Minnesotans accounted for another 30 percent of the sales.

"In our county, the land being purchased for recreation is being purchased for two to three times higher than it should be and has raised the price of ag land $100 to $200 an acre," said Olson, the Hettinger County tax director.

"If you were a farmer and looking at expanding, it would keep you out of purchasing (land)," Olson said. "The most controversial thing I hear is farmers think it's unfair to pay the same tax dollar as somebody who buys rec land."

Lauren Hunze, 61, recalls days as a teen when he and his father drove country roads after Sunday church services to hunt pheasants.

"I don't hunt as much as I used to," said Hunze, McLean County's tax director. "Why? It is harder to get on land.

"Unfortunately, the days of a father and sons and daughters walking a few acres and killing a few birds are over," he said. "So many families today just can't afford the sport. They can't afford to buy their way onto the land. It's become a rich man's sport."