North Dakota Pronghorn Season Set, Online Apps Available

Male Pronghorn 

North Dakota’s 2015 pronghorn hunting season is set, with 410 licenses available in three open units, according to Jeb Williams, wildlife chief for the State Game and Fish Department.

Along with unit 4-A, which was the only open unit in 2014, units 3B and 4C will hold a limited number of licenses. A total of 250 licenses are available in 4-A, 100 in 3B and 60 in 4C. All licenses are valid for any pronghorn.

Similar to last year, the three units will have a season that is split into an early “bow-only” portion, and a later gun/bow season.

The bow-only portion of the season is from Sept 4 (noon) – Sept. 27. Anyone who draws a license can hunt pronghorn with a bow in the unit printed on the license.

From Oct. 2 (noon) – Oct.18, hunters who still have a valid license can use legal firearms or bow equipment, and again must stay in the assigned unit.

Survey results indicated the number of pronghorn in the primary range was similar to last year, Williams said.

“Pronghorn in the three units have maintained a high buck-to-doe ratio, so we are having another limited season to take advantage of a surplus number of bucks and provide hunting opportunity, while still encouraging population growth,” Williams said.

Game and Fish biologists surveyed more than 9,900 square miles, which covers 100 percent of the primary range for pronghorn in North Dakota. The buck-to-doe ratio remained stable at 44 bucks per 100 does.

Only North Dakota residents are eligible to apply for a 2015 pronghorn license. Williams said people who have accumulated bonus points and choose not to apply this year will not lose their points.

In addition, state law allows youth who turn age 12 on or before December 31, 2015 to apply for a license.

Applicants can apply online at the Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. Paper applications will be available the week of July 20 for printing off the website, and from Game and Fish offices, county auditors and license vendors, or by calling 800-406-6409.

The pronghorn license fee is $30, and the deadline for submitting applications is Aug. 5.

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KANSAS NONRESIDENT DEER DRAWING COMPLETE

A white-tailed deer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

More than 4,000 permits left over, on sale June 18
PRATT — The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) has completed the nonresident deer permit drawing for the 2012 seasons, and for those applicants who were unsuccessful, there’s good news: more than 4,000 permits are left over from the initial drawing. These permits will go on sale first-come, first-served beginning June 18, online at ksoutdoors.com.
Nonresident hunters who were successful in the drawing should expect their permits in the mail about the second week in June. Those who were unsuccessful — more than 600 applicants — will be notified about the same time. Applicants can check the number of deer permits by unit that are still available online at the KDWPT website, ksoutdoors.com, under “Hunting/Applications-and-Fees/Deer/Quotas-and-Draw-Stats.” Department staff will update this site frequently.
Applicants will be able to check the status of individual applications at https://www1.ks.wildlifelicense.com/results_lookup.php about June 1.
June 8 is the deadline for resident-only firearm and muzzleloader antelope permits. Antelope archery permits may be purchased online and over the counter July 25 through Oct. 30. Archery antelope permits are available to both resident and nonresident.

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KDWPT COMMISSION APPROVES BIG GAME AND TURKEY REGULATIONS

(Photo credit: SLV Native)

WICHITA — The Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission met at the Great Plains Nature Center in Wichita on Thursday, April 26. During the Public Hearing portion of the meeting, the commission approved recommended changes to the management units for fall turkey hunting season. The recommendation adds two units for a total of six, and will allow biologists to adapt hunting regulations and bag limits to better manage the state’s turkey populations.
In other action, the commission approved recommendations for the season dates and permit allocations for the 2012 antelope seasons. Archery season for antelope is Sept. 22-30, and Oct. 15-31. Archery permits are sold over-the-counter to residents and nonresidents, and all antelope management units are open to archery hunting.
The muzzleloader-only antelope season is set for Oct. 1-8, and is open to residents only. Twenty-six muzzleloader-only permits are authorized for Unit 2; 12 permits are authorized for Unit 17; and eight permits are authorized for Unit 18.
The 2012 firearm antelope season is set for Oct. 5-8 and is open to residents only. One hundred firearm antelope permits are authorized for Unit 2; 40 are authorized for Unit 17; and 10 are authorized for Unit 18.
The application period for resident antelope muzzleloader and firearm permits is May 8-June 8. All applications must be submitted online through the KDWPT website, www.ksoutdoors.com.
In final public hearing action, commissioners approved recommendations for the 2012-2013 elk hunting season. Archery season: Unit 3 (statewide except Fort Riley and Morton County) — Sept. 17-Dec. 31; Unit 2a (Fort Riley) — Sept. 1-30. Firearm Season: Unit 3 — Nov. 28-Dec. 9, and Jan. 1, 2013-March 15, 2013; Unit 2a, either-sex holders — Oct. 1-Dec. 31; antlerless-only permit holders – Oct. 1-31, Nov. 1-30 and Dec. 1-31 (one-third of the permits valid in each season segment). Muzzleloader season: Unit 2 and Unit 3 – Sept. 1-30.
Ten either-sex elk permits and 15 antlerless-only elk permits are authorized for Unit 2. Only residents are eligible for elk permits, and applications for limited-quota permits must be submitted online by July 13, 2012. An unlimited number of antlerless-only and either-sex hunt-own-land permits are authorized for Units 2 and 3. An unlimited number of the antlerless-only and either-sex elk permits are authorized for Unit 3.
The KDWPT Commission’s next meeting is scheduled for June 21 in Kansas City.

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Black Hills Deer, Firearms Antelope Harvest Reported

Image via Wikipedia

PIERRE, S.D. – Hunter surveys of the Black Hills Deer and Firearms Antelope hunting seasons indicate a decline in the number of hunters and harvest for both seasons in 2011.

“The reduction in the number of deer and antelope taken during those two seasons is in line with our management goals for both,” said Corey Huxoll, a GFP biologist who leads the harvest survey effort. “We have reduced the number of licenses available for those seasons to help increase the herds.”

The 2006 Black Hills Deer season had about 9,000 licenses issued and 5,400 deer harvested, for a 60 percent success rate. The 2011 season had about 4,500 licenses issued and 2,530 deer harvested, for a 57 percent success rate.

In 2011, hunter reports indicated 2,011 white-tailed deer bucks, 401 white-tailed deer does, 107 mule deer bucks and 10 mule deer does were harvested during the Black Hills Firearm season.

The Firearms Antelope season has seen a similar decline in harvest.

In 2008, about 12,800 antelope  licenses were sold and 17,056 antelope harvested. In 2011, there were 6,209 licenses sold and 4,498 antelope harvested. Success rate of hunters for both years was 50 percent.

Hunter reports indicated 2,523 antelope bucks and 1,971 antelope does were harvested in 2011.

GFP randomly samples hunters after most big-game seasons to determine hunter success. Surveying begins as soon as a hunting season closes. It typically takes a couple of months to gather information and prepare a report. The hunting surveys are posted on the GFP website.

“The harvest information that hunters provide us after each season is a vital part of our wildlife management programs,” Huxoll said. “We are able to get a very accurate look at harvest distribution and hunter success to help us formulate the next year’s hunting seasons.”

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South Dakota: East River Deer and Antelope Hunting Seasons Finalized

PIERRE, S.D. – The Game, Fish and Parks Commission has finalized rules for the 2011 East River deer and antelope hunting seasons in South Dakota.

East River deer season will run from Nov. 19-Dec. 4.  It will re-open Dec. 31-Jan. 8 for antlerless deer hunting only.

About 28,000 licenses will be available. The lottery drawing application process will open in late July for residents only; the application deadline is Sept. 2. Nonresidents may apply for unsold licenses beginning in mid-October.

Antelope season in South Dakota will run from Oct. 1-16.
About 6,000 antelope licenses will be available. The application process for both resident and nonresident hunters will be open by mid-July with an Aug. 12 application deadline.

The Custer State Park antelope season will run from Oct. 11-19. There will be three resident-only “any antelope” licenses available for inside the park. The application process for the lottery license drawing will open in mid-July with an Aug. 12 deadline.

For more information on East River deer and antelope seasons, visit online at www.gfp.sd.gov