South Dakota:

PIERRE, S.D. – Earlier this year, the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission established a pool of stand-by contingency antlerless elk licenses that could be issued if range conditions in the Black Hills dictated a need for them. Next week, at the August Commission meeting, the Department of Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) will recommend the Commission not authorize issuance of any contingency licenses.

“One component of our agency’s elk management plan was the development of elk contingency licenses,” noted Tony Leif, director of the GFP Division of Wildlife. “These licenses provide us with the ability to issue more licenses to assist in lowering elk numbers when reduced habitat conditions such as a drought dictate a reduction.”

“After a discussion with the U.S. Forest Service earlier this week, we do not believe there is a sufficient enough need that exists to issue elk contingency licenses this year. Following the elk management plan, the Commission already increased the antlerless license allocation by a total of 839 to slow the growth of the Black Hills elk population,” concluded Leif.

For complete details on the 2016 elk hunting seasons, visithttp://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/big-game/elk/default.aspx. To learn more about South Dakota’s elk management plan, visit http://gfp.sd.gov/wildlife/management/plans/docs/ElkPlanApril2015Final.pdf.

Second Drawing for Black Hills Elk Now Open

The Black Hills (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Applications are now being taken for the second drawing of the 2016 Black Hills Elk Season.  No paper applications will be taken for the second drawing.  You must apply online by 8:00 a.m. CDT on June 22.

 

Anyone who does not have a 2016 elk license is eligible for the second drawing, including those individuals that were not eligible for the first drawing.

 

Applicants now have the option of using accumulated preference points during the second draw. Those applicants who choose to use their preference points in the second draw and are successful in the draw will lose any accumulated preference points and eligibility to apply for that season for 9 years.  

 

Applicants will be charged the $10 nonrefundable fee to their credit/debit card, and if successful the full license fee will be added.

 

To apply, click here.

Related articles

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• South Dakota Hunters to See More Flexibility in the Second Elk Drawing for 2016

GFP Commission Proposes South Dakota Deer Hunting Seasons

With decreased deer populations across the state, the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission has proposed to reduce the number of licenses and tags for many of the state’s deer hunting seasons.

The proposed East River deer season would result in a reduction of 7,240 licenses and a reduction of 20,560 tags compared to 2013. A substantial decrease in antlerless tags is intended to increase deer populations in several management areas. This management response is being implemented where deer populations have declined over the past few years due primarily to outbreaks of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), habitat loss and weather.

The proposed West River deer season would result in 3,775 fewer licenses with a corresponding reduction in tags by 25,120 (56 percent). Similar to the East River deer season, the most significant reduction in tags for the West River season will be antlerless tags; which are proposed to decrease by 86 percent or 23,145 compared to what was available in 2013.

The Commission proposal for the Black Hills deer hunting season would have no

antlerless licenses for 2014. The Black Hills proposal calls for 200 resident and 16 non-resident any deer licenses and 3,000 resident and 240 non-resident any whitetail deer licenses.

The Department of Game, Fish and Parks recommended no changes to the Custer State Park deer hunting season and will again have 10 any whitetail licenses and 20 antlerless whitetail muzzleloader licenses.

The proposal for the 2014 archery deer hunting season would only allow the harvest of whitetail deer on antlerless deer licenses. Each hunter could only have one antlerless license. In addition, several management units in both the eastern and western parts of the state would be closed to antlerless archery deer licenses. 

Under the Commission proposal, the area used during the archery season east of the Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve would be modified and reduced in size. The number of access permits for the Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve will be reduced from 10 to 5.

As proposed for the archery season, only whitetail deer could be harvested with antlerless licenses during the muzzleloader season. A hunter would be limited to one antlerless license.

Youth deer hunters could have one antlerless license; which would be valid statewide under the Commission’s proposal.

The Commission’s proposal would reduce refuge deer licenses for residents by 15 and for non-residents by three for the Waubay National Wildlife Refuge. For LaCreek National Wildlife Refuge, licenses will be valid for any deer and no antlerless licenses would be issued.

View the full deer hunting season proposals here:http://www.gfp.sd.gov/agency/commission/archive/2014/May/info-materials.pdf.

View a video explaining updates to deer management and current research projects:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jgoJ8J1qIw.

The Commission will finalize these proposals at their June 5-6 meeting in Yankton at Lewis and Clark Resort. Written comments can be sent towildinfo@state.sd.us To be part of the official public record, comments must be received by 12 p.m. on June 5. Please include your full name along with the city and state of residence. If you would like to comment in person, the public hearing will be held Thursday, June 5, at 2 p.m. CDT at Lewis and Clark Resort in Yankton.

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SD GFP's March Commission Meeting Highlights

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission made several big game season proposals, including Archery Deer and all elk, during their March meeting.

The GFP Commission received a petition to adjust the Archery Deer Season dates to begin on the second Saturday of September and end on December 31.  This would be a change from beginning on the fourth Saturday and ending on January 15.  Final action on the Archery Deer season dates will take place at the April Commission meeting and additional information will follow at that time.For more information on these proposals, click here

 

To comment on these proposals, click here.  For your comments to be included in the public record, you must include your full name and city of residence.  Comments must be received by 10 am CDT, April 3.

 

The Commission also finalized season dates for most of the 2014 hunting seasons and changed refuge status on Reid, Dry and East Stink Lake in NE South Dakota.

 

For more information on these items or to hear audio of the meeting, click here.

 

GFP staff also gave informational powerpoint presentations on Black Hills Elk and the Spring Canada Goose Program.  To view those presentations, click here.

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South Dakota's West River Deer Season Opens Nov. 16

Deer hunting will soon be focused in western South Dakota with the opening of the West River Deer

season on Saturday, Nov. 16.

The hunting season – which opens two Saturdays before Thanksgiving – will remain open through Dec. 1. The season will reopen on Dec. 28 and run throughJan. 5, 2014 for unfilled antlerless tags.

Unsold licenses may be purchased through the end of the season. The list of available licenses may be found on the Game, Fish and Parks Department website at www.gfp.sd.gov or by phoning 605-223-7660.

The Black Hills Deer season opened on Nov. 1 and runs through Nov. 30. The East River Deer season opens on Nov. 23 and runs through Dec. 8, reopening onDec. 28 and running through Jan. 5 for unfilled antlerless tags.

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2013 South Dakota Hunting Season Dates Set

PIERRE, S.D. – The Game, Fish and Parks Commission has finalized most big game hunting season dates for 2013 with no changes from 2012.

The Commission sets season dates in the early spring to give hunters a chance to plan their fall schedule. The season structure, including license numbers, will be set in coming months.

Dates of interest for 2013 include:

·         Pheasant Oct. 19-Jan. 5

·         Youth Pheasant Oct. 5-9

·         Resident Only Pheasant Oct. 12-14

·         Grouse/Partridge Sept. 21-Jan. 5

·         Mourning Dover Sept. 1-Nov. 9

·         Fall Turkey Oct. 1-Jan. 31

·         Archery Antelope Aug. 17-Sept. 27 and Oct. 14-31

·         Firearms Antelope Sept. 28-Oct. 13

·         Black Hills Archery Elk Sept. 1-30

·         Black Hills Firearms Elk Oct. 1-31 and December 1-15

·         Archery Deer Sept. 28-Jan. 15

·         Youth Deer Sept. 14-Jan. 15

·         Black Hills Deer Nov. 1-30

·         West River Deer Nov. 16-Dec. 1

·         East River Deer Nov. 23-Dec. 8

·         Muzzleloader Deer Dec. 1-Jan. 15

Deer and antelope tag allocations, waterfowl, sage grouse, and the mountain lion season, as well as new state laws will be addressed at up-coming Commission meetings.  To view the complete list of seasons and monthly meetings where the Commission will discuss and consider adjustments to administrative rules can be found at http://www.gfp.sd.gov/agency/commission/default.aspx.

For information on the GFP Commission, visit the GFP website at www.gfp.sd.gov/agency/commission/default.aspx.

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South Dakota: GFP Finalizes West River and Black Hills Deer Hunting Seasons

.(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Commission has finalized several deer hunting seasons.

The Commission reduced three-tag deer licenses for the West River Deer Season, but increased single-tag and double-tag licenses in some units.  Compared to 2011, there will be a reduction of 2,540 resident licenses and 11,630 tags this year.

The Commission also modified hunting area WRD 27-L to add some public lands adjacent to the Cheyenne River and Angostura reservoir.

For the 2012 West River Deer Season, only unfilled Antlerless Deer and Antlerless Whitetail Deer tags will be valid during the nine-day Antlerless Deer Season extension beginning the Saturday after Christmas.  In addition, West River Antlerless Deer Tags will not be valid during the firearms antelope season in their respective units.

The West River Deer Hunting Season will run from Nov 10-25 in most units, with the Antlerless Season extension running from Dec. 29, 2012 – Jan. 6, 2013.

Black Hills deer hunters will find 200 resident and 16 nonresident Any Deer licenses, 3,000 resident and 240 nonresident Any Whitetail Deer licenses and 150 resident and 12 nonresident Antlerless Whitetail Deer licenses for the 2012 Black Hills Deer Hunting Season

The Black Hills Deer Hunting Season will run from Nov. 1 – 30.

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South Dakota: Archery, Muzzleloader, Youth Deer, Fall Turkey and Archery Antelope Hunting Seasons Finalized

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota archery hunters have a few changes to be aware of for the 2012 Archery Deer Season.

Brookings, Deuel, Hamlin and McCook Counties have been added to the restricted area where only one Single-Tag Antlerless Deer license is valid.

Any antlerless deer licenses will not be valid in the Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge during the Archery Deer Season.

During the archery deer season, 45 Any Antlerless Deer and five Any Deer resident access permits will be allowed for the Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve and five Any Deer and five Any Antlerless Deer resident access permits will be allowed for the Blood Run Nature Area.  Archery hunters who wish to hunt in those areas will have to enter a lottery drawing for the free access permits via the online licensing system.

The South Dakota Archery Deer Season will run from Sept. 22, 2012 – Jan 15, 2013.

The 2012 Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Season will run from Dec. 1 – Jan. 15, 2013.  Muzzleloader hunters will have 1,000 Any Deer and unlimited single and double Any Antlerless Deer licenses available.

Brookings, Deuel, Hamlin and McCook Counties have been added to the restricted area where only one single-tag Antlerless Deer license is valid.

The South Dakota Youth Deer Hunting Season will run from Sept. 8, 2012 – Jan. 15, 2013.  Youth hunters who have not reached the age of 18 by June 30 will be eligible to receive up to two Any Antlerless Deer licenses.  Only one of those licenses is valid in the counties of Brookings, Codington, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Lake, Lincoln, McCook, Minnehaha, Moody, Roberts, Turner, Yankton and the Black Hills Fire Protection District.

The 2012 South Dakota Archery Antelope Season will run from Aug. 18- Oct. 31, except when and where the Firearm Antelope Season is open.  Archery hunters will be issued a single Any Antelope license.
Individuals with a 2012 Archery Antelope license will be eligible to apply for one of five free access permits allowing them to hunt the portions of Custer and Pennington counties in the Black Hills Fire Protection District.  Resident archery hunters who wish to hunt in that area will have to enter a lottery drawing for the free access permits via the online licensing system.

The 2012 South Dakota Fall Turkey Hunting Season will run from Oct. 1, 2012 – Jan 31, 2013.  There will be 2,000 resident and 160 nonresident one-tag Any Turkey licenses available in the Black Hills; 1,600 one-tag and 690 two-tag  Any Turkey resident licenses available for the East River Unit and unlimited resident and nonresident two-tag Any Turkey licenses for the West River Prairie Unit.

Turner and Harding counties will be closed to fall turkey hunting.

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South Dakota Hunting Seasons Proposed

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

CUSTER STATE PARK – The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission has proposed changes in several fall hunting seasons, including West River Deer, Black Hills Deer, Archery Deer, Archery Antelope, Youth Deer, Muzzleloader Deer, Fall Turkey and the August Management Take for Canada Geese.

Changes proposed for the West River Deer Season include:

• Adjust the number of resident licenses that were issued in 2011 by increasing one-tag licenses by 1,590 to 2,625; increase two-tag licenses by 830 (1,660 tags) to 16,735 (33,470 tags); and reduce three-tag licenses by 4,960 (14,880 tags) to 3,340 (10,020 tags)
• Adjust the number of nonresident licenses that were issued in 2011 by increasing one-tag licenses by 128 to 212; increase two-tag licenses by 67 (134 tags) to 1,342 (2,684 tags); and reduce three-tag licenses by 397 (1,191 tags) to 268 (804 tags)
• Modify the boundary for Fall River County Unit 27L to add some public lands adjacent to the Cheyenne River and Angostura Reservoir and make the unit boundary more easily identifiable for hunters
• Only unfilled antlerless tags would be valid during the antlerless deer extension beginning the Saturday after Christmas and running for nine consecutive days
• Eliminate antlerless deer hunting during the Antelope Rifle Season

Changes proposed for the Black Hills Deer Season include:

• Adjust the number of resident licenses that were issued in 2011 by reducing "any deer" licenses by 200; "any whitetail" licenses by 500; "antlerless whitetail" licenses by 50
• Adjust the number of nonresident licenses that were issued in 2011 by reducing "any deer" licenses by 16; "any whitetail" licenses by 40; "antlerless whitetail" licenses by four

Changes proposed for the Archery Deer Season include:

• Add Brookings, Deuel, Hamlin and McCook counties to the area where only one, one-tag "antlerless" deer license is valid
• Antlerless deer licenses would not be valid for Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge
• Allow issuance of access permits for five "antlerless deer" and five "any deer" resident-only licenses for Blood Run Nature Area, along with the 45 "antlerless deer" and five "any deer" resident-only licenses for Adams Nature Area
• Modify an existing rule to allow an individual to possess an uncased bow and allow the use of bow-and-arrow to hunt deer and turkey within the Blood Run Nature Area

Changes proposed for the Archery Antelope Season include:

• Eliminate the two-tag license valid for one "any antelope" and one "doe/fawn antelope"
• Include those portions of Custer and Pennington counties within the Black Hills Fire Protection District (except Custer State Park) and issue by lottery drawing five special-access permits to licensees who possess a valid "any antelope" resident archery license

Changes proposed for the Youth Deer Season include:

• Add Brookings, Codington, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Lake, Lincoln, McCook, Minnehaha, Moody, Roberts, Turner and Yankton counties to the restricted area where only one youth deer license is valid

Changes proposed for the Muzzleloader Season include:

• Add Brookings, Deuel, Hamlin, and McCook counties to the restricted area where only one, one-tag "antlerless" deer license is valid

Changes proposed for the Fall Turkey Season

• Offer residents 410 more one-tag licenses and 1,550 fewer two-tag licenses in East River units
• Offer 500 fewer one-tag licenses for residents and 40 fewer nonresident licenses in the Black Hills
• Close Harding and Turner counties to fall turkey hunting
• Season dates Oct. 1-Jan. 31

 

Changes proposed for the August Management Take of Canada Geese include:

• Expand the hunting area to include Brown, Hutchinson, Spink, and Turner counties

More information and highlights from the May GFP Commission meeting are available online.

People who wish to provide written comments on those commission hunting proposals may do so until 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 6. Comments may be mailed to Game, Fish and Parks Commission, 523 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, SD, 57501 or emailed to wildinfo@state.sd.us . Comments must have the sender's full name and address in order to become part of the public record.
Comments may also be made in person at the next GFP Commission meeting during a public hearing at 2 p.m. CDT on Thursday, June 7, at the Ramkota in Pierre.

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South Dakota: GFP Commission Sets Pheasant, Other Hunting Seasons

Image via Wikipedia

PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission has established 2012 hunting season dates, including those for pheasants.

Pheasant Season will open Oct. 20 and run through Jan. 6. Shooting hours will be noon through sunset the first week of the season, and beginning Oct. 27 will be 10 a.m. to sunset. The bag limit will be three roosters daily, with a maximum possession limit of 15.

The Youth Pheasant season will run from Oct. 6-10. The Resident-Only Pheasant season will run from Oct. 13-15.

Other hunting season dates for 2012:

· Grouse – Sept. 15 through Jan. 6

· Doves – Sept. 1 through Nov. 9

· Partridge – Sept. 15 through Jan. 6

· Quail – Oct. 20 through Jan. 6

· Sandhill Crane – Sept. 22 through Nov. 18

· Snipe – Sept. 1 through Oct. 31

· Crow – Sept. 1 through Oct. 31; and Mar. 1 through Apr. 30, 2013

· Squirrel – Sept. 1 through Feb. 28

· Cottontail Rabbit – Sept. 1 through Feb. 28

· Fall Turkey – Oct. 1 through Jan. 31

· Archery Antelope – Aug. 18 through Sept. 28 and Oct. 15-31

· Firearms Antelope – Sept. 29 through Oct. 14

· Archery Deer – Sept. 22 through Jan. 15

· Muzzleloader Deer – Dec. 1 through Jan. 15

· Youth Deer – Sept. 8 through Jan. 15

· Black Hills Deer – Nov. 1-30

· West River Deer – Nov. 10-25

· East River Deer – Nov. 17 through Dec. 2

Season dates and rules will be published in the 2012 Hunting and Trapping Handbook that will be available in early September.

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