SD GFP NEWS FOR 12-31-08

 

 

 

GFP Plans Two Surveys of Hunter Groups

 

PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department is sending out two separate surveys to explore participation and activities of hunters in this state.

 

One survey will be tailored specifically to female deer hunters, asking a randomly selected sample of 2,000 their opinions, attitudes, motivations and constraints to their hunt.

 

“This survey is the first of its kind and very important in our understanding of female deer hunters,” Dr. Larry Gigliotti, GFP human dimension specialist said. “It is designed to provide a more complete profile of women hunters and is a cooperative survey between GFP and South Dakota State University.”

 

A second survey will be sent to a random selection 3,000 hunters who purchased either Small Game or Combination hunting licenses in 2008. The survey will ask about past and present duck, geese and pheasant hunting. The focus of the survey will primarily be hunter attitudes toward these activities.

 

“The information we derive from these surveys has been a great asset to our planning process,” Gigliotti said. “I appreciate the time that folks take to complete these surveys. The accuracy of our information is assured by the number of responses that are returned.”

 

--GFP--

 

 

 

Pheasant season closes, Deer reopens

 

PIERRE, S.D. – Hunters have one weekend left to enjoy the 2008 pheasant season, while the East and West River Deer seasons will re-open for nine more days.

 

The pheasant season will close at sunset on Sunday, Jan. 4, after a 79-day season.

 

“Despite some of the weather and crop conditions we had this fall, we had great hunter success,” said Game, Fish and Parks section leader Tom Kirschenmann. “We still have an abundance of pheasants in many areas, and the snow has helped concentrate birds into heavier cover.”

 

Big game hunters will get another opportunity to harvest antlerless deer as the East River Deer season and West River Deer season both reopen from Jan. 1-9. All unfilled tags are valid for antlerless deer only.

 

“The January big game seasons are an important part of our deer management program,” Kirschenmann said. “We have had a good deer harvest in January over the past couple of years and the feedback from hunters has been very positive. They seem to enjoy this additional hunting opportunity.”

 

Antelope hunters with unfilled tags for Butte, Harding, Meade and Perkins counties may hunt from Jan.1-9 for a doe or fawn antelope. The license from any of these counties is valid in all four counties.

 

Unsold licenses remain for the East River Deer season, West River Deer season and Antelope season. Licenses may be applied for a purchased online through the GFP Web site at www.sdgfp.info.

 

--GFP--