· Generous Hunters Help Sportsmen Against Hunger Have Banner Year
· Learn a New Outdoor Activity This Spring
· GFP Commission to Meet at State Game Lodge
Generous Hunters Help Sportsmen Against Hunger Have Banner Year
PIERRE, S.D.—In 2007 the South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger organization chose “Feed the Need” as its new slogan. And the state’s hunters did just that, making record contributions of venison to the program that helps feed the less fortunate.
“The hunters of South Dakota really outdid themselves this year,” said Jeff Olson, president of Sportsmen Against Hunger. “They donated 75,000 pounds of venison, up from 45,000 pounds the year before.”
In the 2007 deer hunting seasons, hunters donated 1,757 antlerless deer and another 380 big game animals including bucks, antelope, elk and bighorn sheep. The previous year there were 391 antlerless deer donated to the program plus another 541 other big game animals.
“One big change this year was the availability of $50 processing certificates directly from the processors,” Olson said. “Many processors took that certificate as full payment.” The popularity of the certificate program meant that Sportsmen Against Hunger paid $87,850 to processors.
“The success of this program relies on generous hunters and the processors who are willing to participate,” Olson said. “We’re also indebted to the Game, Fish and Parks Department and the GFP Commission for their financial support and the manpower they provide.”
The program is funded largely by hunters who agree to donate while applying for hunting licenses. Donations and grants also came from Scheels, Wal-Mart, the Elmen Foundation, the Sioux Falls Canaries and Ultra Dent.
“One donation that really raised our organization’s profile this year was a grant from the Black Hills Advertising Federation,” Olson said. “That translated into more than $100,000 worth of advertising for us.”
The growth of the Sportsmen Against Hunger program has coincided with a growing need for meat in South Dakota. “With consumers facing rising gas and grocery prices, the need for food assistance is growing at an almost alarming rate,” according to Matt Gassen, director of the Community Food Banks of South Dakota. “Our pantries in Sioux Falls and Rapid City are seeing nearly a 25 percent increase in the number of clients being served during the first quarter of 2008 as compared to the same time last year. We’re also hearing the same type of news from pantries across the state.”
Another type of news about venison originated in North Dakota where there were some concerns raised about the safety of lead in deer meat. Sportsmen Against Hunger, GFP and the S.D. Health Department took the concerns centering on pregnant women and infant children seriously. Food pantries participating in the program have been given brochures detailing the possible risks of lead contamination.
“The eating of hunted game meat has been going on for a long, long time without any real problems,” Gassen said. “However, it needs to be an individual’s choice as to whether they want to consume that type of meat or not. That is why we’re providing each recipient with information identifying potential risks and listing recommended serving amounts.”
The board of directors of Sportsmen Against Hunger is gearing up for the next round of deer hunting seasons. “The need for ground venison continues,” Olson said, “and as long as that need is there, we’ll work to meet it.” Olson noted that hunters already have an opportunity to give to the program this year if they want to make a donation on their elk hunting license applications.
In addition to donations made by sportsmen applying for hunting licenses, anyone interested in helping provide meat for struggling families can make a tax deductible donation by sending a check or money order to South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger, P.O. Box 1172, Pierre, SD 57501. To learn more about the program check its Web site at www.feedtheneedsd.com.
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Learn a New Outdoor Activity This Spring
HURON, S.D.—With the arrival of spring, people are anxious to get outdoors and enjoy the nice weather. The S.D. Outdoor Expo to be held on the S.D. State Fairgrounds on May 17-18 will be a great opportunity for the whole family to get outside, enjoy the outdoors and learn a few new activities that they can enjoy all summer long. There are nearly 100 activities and booths for people to visit. There is sure to be something for everyone.
Activities are grouped into five areas –Fishing and Aquatic Education, Hunting and Wildlife, (both sponsored by Wildlife Protection, Inc.), Camping and Outdoor Recreation, Shooting Sports, and Wildlife Management.
Want to learn how to canoe or kayak? Expo attendees can do just that as a pond will be constructed on the fairgrounds for fishing and aquatic education activities. Other activities include: casting, knot machine, rod building, Corps of Engineers, spearfishing, measuring water clarity, fish tank display, fish print T-shirts, family fly-fishing clinic, Fantastic Fun River Run and numerous other fishing activities.
If Camping and Outdoor Recreation interests you, you can try: panning for gold, Dutch oven cooking, cooking over a campfire, cooking with kids, basic birdwatching skills, healthy hunter initiative, outdoor games, building birdhouses, knotting and usage, reading topographical maps, using compasses, using GPS units, intro to Dutch ovens, birding safari, geocaching, inflatables from the National Guard and mountain biking.
If you want to learn more about Shooting Sports, you can find traditional muzzleloaders, period camps and skills of the 1770-1840 periods, National Archery in the Schools Program, archery shooting, air rifle, shotgun shooting and a cowboy fast draw club.
For those interested in Hunting and Wildlife, there is turkey calling and hunting, goose/duck decoys, LaserShot simulators, a mock pheasant hunt, basic and advanced retriever training, versatile hunting dog demonstrations, making animal tracks, safari in a box, deer mounts, conservation education, trapping/furbearer management, create your own animal hat and wild game cooking demonstrations.
The S.D. Department of Game, Fish and Parks will also have information available about several topics such as: hunting and fishing licenses, wildlife diversity, Becoming an Outdoors-Woman/Project WILD, habitat for wildlife, GFP information collection, fisheries biologists, conservation officers, mountain lion education, hunting information and the Animal Damage Control Program.
Other activities include: TIPS trailer, wildfire prevention, NRCS worm tunnel, and NRCS conservation programs.
Some outdoor activities may require a participant waiver--canoeing, kayaking, archery, air rifle, shotgun and tree stand safety. Waivers can be found on the Web site www.sdoutdoorexpo.com or at the S.D. Outdoor Expo.
In addition to all of the activities, featured programs will include: The Bassmeister – Fishing for Laughs Comedy Show, wilderness safety, live birds of prey and live bat encounters.
Major sponsors of the Outdoor Expo are: Wildlife Protection Inc, The Weatherby Foundation, Spader’s RV Center, S.D. Parks and Wildlife Foundation, S.D. Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Scheel’s and S.D. B.A.S.S Federation.
The S.D. Outdoor Expo is FREE to all attendees. Anyone who is currently involved in the outdoors or would like to learn more is invited to attend the first S.D. Outdoor Expo, May 17-18. Hours of the event are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 18. It is sure to be a great experience, no matter what your outdoor skill level may be. For more information, please call the S.D. State Fair office at (605) 353-7340 or log on to www.sdoutdoorexpo.com.
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GFP Commission to Meet at State Game Lodge
PIERRE, S.D.—Mountain lions will be a recurring agenda item when the S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Commission conducts its May meeting at Custer State Park. The meeting will be held Thursday and Friday, May 1 and 2 at the State Game Lodge.
During the meeting the commission will be updated on the mountain lion population as well as consider a proposal for the next mountain lion hunting season. Other proposals to be considered include the West River deer, Black Hills deer and fall turkey hunting seasons.
The commission will also consider the finalization of the archery antelope, archery deer, muzzleloader deer and youth deer hunting seasons. The seasons up for finalization will be the topic of a public hearing at 2 p.m. on Thursday. A meeting agenda and the proposals that are up for public comment can be accessed at the GFP Web site at http://www.sdgfp.info/Commission/Meetings.htm.
Citizens who wish to provide written comments to the commission prior to the hearing can do so up until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30. Comments should 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 public hearing at Custer State Park.
The commission also sets aside time during the meeting for public comment on items that may not be on the agenda.
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