· Spring Turkey Hunting Season Proposed
· Antlerless Deer Donations Help Feed Hungry
· Light Goose Conservation Order, Prairie Dog Season Set
· Custer State Park Holds Annual Fall Classic Bison Auction
· South Dakota Snowmobile Trail Maps Available for 2007-08
· S.D. State Park Camper Winners Announced
Spring Turkey Hunting Season Proposed
GETTYSBURG, S.D.--A flourishing wild turkey population could mean more opportunities for hunters in the spring turkey season.
At their November meeting in Gettysburg, the S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Commission approved a proposal for a spring turkey hunting season that includes more tags and a special bonus season for residents. The proposal will be the subject of a public hearing at the commission’s next meeting, Dec. 6 and 7 at Pierre.
“Our turkey resource is doing well and improving,” GFP Wildlife Division Assistant Director George Vandel told the commission. As a sign of that improvement, the proposal for the hunting season includes an additional 795 resident tags in the Prairie Unit, an increase of 7 percent.
The proposal also offers a residents-only bonus season in the Black Hills that would run from May 1 through May 18. “Residents will have the option to purchase two Black Hills gobbler tags and may begin hunting their second bird on May 1. This may also spread out the hunting pressure a little more,” Vandel said. “We’d like to try this and see how it works. We know that the resource can handle it.”
Other changes in the season include:
· Establishing new units in Hamlin County and Day and Codington counties and prohibiting hunting with rifles in those units.
· Adding western Brookings, Minnehaha, Hamlin and Brown counties to the area open for archery hunting.
· Combining Dewey and Ziebach counties into one unit.
· Revising the area description of the Lincoln County units to include all of Lincoln County.
The 2008 spring wild turkey season would be held from April 12 to May 18 in most units. License allocations in a few eastern South Dakota units are split to be valid in two successive hunting periods. The first of these split seasons will run from April 12 to April 30 and the late split season will run from May 1 to May 18.
The season will be the subject of a public hearing at the commission’s next meeting planned for Dec. 6 and Dec. 7 at the Ramkota in Pierre. The proposal the commission will consider can be accessed at http://www.sdgfp.info/Commission/Proposals.htm
Citizens who would like to provide written comments may do so until 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5. Those comments may be mailed to Game, Fish and Parks Commission, 523 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, SD 57501 or e-mailed to wildinfo@state.sd.us. All comments must include the sender’s full name and address in order to become part of the official record.
Comments may also be presented in person at the GFP Commission meeting during the public hearing which is scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6.
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Antlerless Deer Donations Help Feed Hungry
PIERRE, S.D.—Deer hunters in South Dakota will have ample opportunities to help the hungry this year thanks to the efforts of Sportsmen Against Hunger and the S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Department.
“Our emphasis has been on increasing hunter participation by making the program easier to use,” said Jeff Olson, a Sportsmen Against Hunger board member and a GFP Commission member. “We think we’ve done that by opening donations up to all of the state’s deer seasons and increasing the dollar amount on the processing certificate.”
Unlike last season when donations of deer were restricted to animals taken in the East River, West River and Black Hills deer seasons, this year’s program accepts antlerless deer from any of the state’s seasons.
The value of the processing certificate has also increased to $50. “The program has 47 processors taking part this year,” Olson said, “and 37 of them will accept the $50 certificate as full payment for processing an antlerless deer.” As in the past, bucks may be donated to the program, but they are not eligible for the processing certificate.
For a list of all SAH processors and their processing fees for both
antlerless deer and bucks, call toll-free 1-800-456-2758, or go to these Web sites: http://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/hunting/Info/SAH/index.htm or www.feedtheneedsd.com.
Another improvement in the program is that the $50 certificates are available directly from the processors and need not be printed off the GFP Web site. “This is another improvement designed to make the program easier for hunters to use,” Olson said. “Hunters generously donated more than 45,000 pounds of venison last year, providing meat for 180,000 meals for needy families. That was a great effort, but more meat is needed.”
Hunters can make financial donations to Sportsmen Against Hunger by using the check-off box on South Dakota’s big game hunting license applications. “To a large degree, this program is driven by hunters, not just through deer donations, but through financial donations as well,” Olson said. “Its success is a testament to the generosity of the people who hunt in South Dakota.”
Financial donations are not limited to hunters. Anyone who cares about helping the hungry can make financial donations by mailing them to Sportsmen Against Hunger, P.O. Box 1172, Pierre, SD 57501.
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Light Goose Conservation Order, Prairie Dog Season Set
GETTYSBURG, S.D.—The S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Commission accepted Wildlife Division staff recommendations for retaining the spring light goose conservation order and setting rules for hunting prairie dogs at its November meeting at Gettysburg. Both seasons were accepted without changes from 2007 and consequently are set for 2008 without a public hearing.
The conservation order is a cooperative effort by the United States and Canada to reduce the light goose population which has grown to the point where it is damaging its arctic breeding grounds by overgrazing. The season dates in South Dakota are Feb. 10 through May 8 statewide with a daily limit of 20 light geese and no restrictions on the possession limit. Snows, blues and Ross’ geese are included in the conservation order.
The regulations for the spring light goose conservation order differ in some respects from the regulations governing the state’s fall waterfowl seasons. The differences include:
· The Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation stamp is not required.
· The use of electronic calls is allowed.
· Shotguns used during the conservation order may be capable of holding more than three shells.
· Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset.
In the past four seasons, hunters in South Dakota have harvested more than 409,000 geese during the spring conservation order, making the state an important part of the population reduction effort.
The rules used for the prairie dog season in 2007 will also apply in 2008. The season is open year-round on private land and from Jan. 1 through Feb. 28 and June 15 through Dec. 31 on public land. The season is closed year-round in the Conata Basin in the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. There are no restrictions on daily or possession limits or shooting hours.
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Custer State Park Holds Annual Fall Classic Bison Auction
CUSTER, S.D. – The 2007 Custer State Park Fall Classic Bison Auction will be held on Saturday, Nov. 17 at the Custer State Park corrals. This year’s offering includes 23 mature cows, 20 two-year old heifers, 40 yearling heifers, 53 heifer calves, 37 bull calves, 31 yearling bulls, 10 two-year old breeding bulls and nine burros.
The auction will begin Saturday morning at 10 a.m. (Mountain Standard Time) at the Custer State Park corrals, located 15 miles east of Custer on Highway 16A and then 9 miles south on the Wildlife Loop Road. Signs will be posted to assist in locating the corrals. A buyer’s reception will be held prior to the auction on Friday, Nov. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the Bradeen Auction and Real Estate Center office in Custer located at 14 West Mt. Rushmore Road. Information about the bison will be presented beginning at 7 p.m.
For the past 41 years, the park has made its surplus bison available to the private sector. Revenue from the park’s bison herd is a significant of the capital generated by the park and goes toward continued park operations.
For additional information about the bison auction, contact Custer State Park, 13329 US Highway 16A, Custer, S.D. 57730, (605) 255-4515 or e-mail questions to CusterStatePark@state.sd.us.
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South Dakota Snowmobile Trail Maps Available for 2007-08
PIERRE, S.D. - Snowmobilers planning their winter adventures now have the 2007-08 South Dakota snowmobile trails map to guide their way. The maps outline trails systems in both eastern South Dakota and the Black Hills.
The South Dakota Snowmobile Trails Map is available by contacting the South Dakota Division of Parks and Recreation by email at ParkInfo@state.sd.us or by phone at (605) 773-3391.
On the S.D. Parks and Recreation website, users can also find information on rules, regulations, fees, safety, weather and the trails systems. When trail systems open in December, conditions will be available on the site as well. To find the information on snowmobiling online, go to www.SDparks.info and click on “Outdoor Recreation” along the left side.
State trails specialist, Scott Carbonneau, said the Black Hills snowmobile trails officially open Dec. 15, while trails in the eastern part of the state open Dec. 1. He added that snow conditions will determine whether grooming operations begin on those specific dates.
Information on travel and accommodations for snowmobilers is available through the S.D. Department of Tourism by visiting www.TravelSD.com or by calling (800) S-DAKOTA.
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S.D. State Park Camper Winners Announced
PIERRE, S.D. - Richard and Marilyn Lange of South Range, Wis., were shocked to receive a call telling them that they were the winners of the South Dakota Travel Trailer Give Away. To enter, the Langes completed a State Park Comment Card, checked the box to enter the contest at the bottom and provided their name and contact information. "I think we giggled for about an hour after we received the phone call telling us we had won," said Marilyn. "We were most surprised.”
Both Richard and Marilyn are retired high school teachers. Richard taught geology and biology for 33 years and Marilyn taught French for 32 years. During their retirement they enjoy traveling around the country and camping along the way. They had planned to camp only one night at Custer State Park in September, but liked it so much they spent an extra night before heading to California to visit one of their two daughters.
"We never enter contests," said Richard, "but we were so impressed with our volunteer campground host at Custer State Park that we wanted to complete a Comment Card thanking him for the pleasant camping experience." As they completed the card, they also signed their names and entered the contest.
"Custer State Park was wonderful," said Marilyn. "We enjoyed the scenic drives, the abundance of wildlife, the hiking trails and the fascinating programs," she added. "We plan to come back to camp in South Dakota within the year and we intend to use the camper for many, many years."
The 2007 South Dakota Travel Trailer Give Away was co-sponsored by the South Dakota Division of Parks and Recreation and Spader's RV Center in Sioux Falls. The contest approximately doubled the number of completed Comment Cards received by the Division of Parks and Recreation. "The feedback we get from the cards helps the division provide quality experiences for park visitors," said coordinator of visitor services Linda Sandness.
For additional information on South Dakota State Parks, visit www.SDparks.info or call (605) 773-3391.
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