· Fast Response Saves Couple in Swamped Canoe
· 2007 Lower Oahe Waterfowl Hunting Guides Available
· Newton Hills Hosts 8th Annual FestiFALL & Candlelight Walk
Fast Response Saves Couple in Swamped Canoe
MADISON, S.D.--Ensuring the safe use of the state’s abundant water resources is an important part of Game Fish and Parks conservation officers’ summer activities, especially on holiday weekends when activity on lakes is high. Fortunately for an Iowa couple, GFP officers were on Lake Madison inspecting boats for safety equipment and making sure that everyone was operating their crafts safely over the Labor Day weekend.
Late on the Saturday afternoon of the holiday weekend, a boater stopped and notified GFP Conservation Officers Brandon Gust and Chad Williams that a canoe had capsized and two people were in the water struggling to say afloat.
Gust and Williams immediately went to the area where the canoe was located and confirmed that the passengers were in the water. The two passengers, a husband and wife from Sioux City, Iowa, were stranded in 12 feet of water about 200 yards from the shoreline of Walker’s Point.
Williams recalls seeing the canoe only a short time before the rescue call came in. “I remember thinking that they were brave to be out in water that was that rough.” At the time the water was choppy, with wind gusts of more than 30 mph.
Dealing with a rescue in rough water was just one of the challenges the conservation officers faced. Once they got to the canoe, they discovered that the wife was asthmatic and six months pregnant. “Finding that out raised the adrenaline level quite a bit,” Gust said.
Once the couple was safely on board, the officers brought them and their canoe to shore. They were soggy, but safe. According to Gust, it was the wife’s first experience in a canoe. “I think her husband is going to have a tough time getting her out on the water again,” Gust said jokingly.
This episode had a happy ending, but it could easily have ended tragically. “This points out the need to always wear a life jacket,” said GFP Boating Safety Coordinator Curt Robertson, “and the need to always pay close attention to weather conditions.”
--GFP--
2007 Lower Oahe Waterfowl Hunting Guides Available
PIERRE, S.D.--The 2007 Lower Oahe Waterfowl Hunting Guides are now available at many local license agents and from S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Department offices. Hunters can also find the guide online by going to the GFP Web site at www.sdgfp.info.
The start of the 2007 waterfowl season marks the 10th anniversary for the Lower Oahe Waterfowl Hunting Program. In 1998 the acres enrolled into the program totaled around 8,000 with just a handful of acres being open to upland/small game hunting.
For 2007, hunters are able to enjoy close to 35,000 acres of which approximately 15,500 acres are open for upland/small game hunting and with 7,500 acres open to all hunting. These areas are open to upland game hunting during the normal shooting hours with some closing to upland hunting as geese move into the area.
These enrolled acres also offer a wide variety of waterfowl hunting opportunities throughout the season. These opportunities range from the more controlled areas known as the decoy-only registration fields where a daily registration and drawing process takes place one hour before sun-rise, to fields where hunters are on a first-come first-served basis. There are also 84 first-come first-served four-person pits for pass-shooting situated along the bluffs of Lake Oahe.
Hunters can find information on goose arrivals from three sources that include:
Checking the message board posted outside of the registration trailer located along Grey Goose Road, two miles north of the Hughes County line or four miles east of S.D. Highway 1804 from the Okobojo Point turnoff.
Calling the registration trailer at (605) 264-5380 and listening to the outgoing message.
Checking the weekly updated waterfowl report on the GFP Internet site at www.sdgfp.info/index.htm.
The funds that help make this program available come from a combination of income received from the 1,500 Missouri River area private land only, three-day nonresident waterfowl licenses combined with other resident and nonresident hunting license fees.
Note to Editors: If you require art to go with this story, the full-color cover of the Lower Oahe Waterfowl Hunting Guide is available in J-peg format. To have it sent to you, just reply to this e-mail.
--GFP--
Newton Hills Hosts 8th Annual FestiFALL & Candlelight Walk
CANTON, S.D. – Pumpkin catapulting, carving and seed guessing are just a few of the activities visitors to Newton Hills State Park near Canton for the 8th Annual FestiFall can participate in on Saturday, Oct. 6. Activities run from 1-5 p.m.
The popular FestiFALL event is attended annually by people of all ages. This year features many family activities including arts and crafts booths, kid’s games and bluegrass music. Kids of all ages can participate in “make and take” craft activities such as leaf prints, turkey placemats and candy corn cobs.
As in year’s past, the pumpkin will take center stage with pumpkin catapulting, pumpkin carving demonstrations and decorated pumpkin contests. Visitors are encouraged to bring in their own decorated or carved pumpkins for judging.
Following the afternoon FestiFALL celebration, the Candlelight Walk will lead visitors along 2.2 miles of candle-lit trail through the deep woods of Newton Hills. The trail will be solely lit by candles and carved pumpkins. Walkers will encounter many surprises along the trail, including musicians and colorful characters from the past. The Sioux Falls Astronomy Club will also have telescopes for visitors to view the stars and planets while learning about the night sky. Walkers may begin the self-led adventure anytime between 7:15 and 8:30 p.m.
Throughout the weekend, campers are encouraged to decorate their campsites with a fall theme. Trolley rides will be available Saturday afternoon to take visitors through the campground to view and judge the decorated campsites. Winners of the campsite decorating, pumpkin seed guessing and pumpkin decorating contest will be announced at 4:30 p.m. at the stage
There is no cost for participation at any of the events. A park entrance license is required. For additional information, please contact Newton Hills State Park at (605) 987-2263 or NewtonHills@state.sd.us or visit www.SDparks.info.
- GFP -