SD GFP NEWS FOR 3-20-09
Brown Trout To Be Stocked Below Fort Randall Dam
CHAMBERLAIN, S.D - South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks will stock brown trout below Ft. Randall Dam. Approximately 8,000 brown trout are scheduled to be released in the boat basin below Ft. Randall Dam during late March and early April.
Jason Sorensen, a Game, Fish and Parks Fisheries Biologist in Chamberlain, said “Brown trout are stocked each spring below Ft. Randall Dam to provide a unique angling opportunity. This year, two stockings of brown trout will take place below Ft. Randall Dam near Pickstown.” Weather permitting; half of the trout will be transported to Ft. Randall from McNenny State Fish Hatchery near Spearfish on Friday, March 27 with the remaining fish arriving Friday, April 3. The trout should arrive at Ft. Randall around mid-afternoon. Sorensen said “The trout range between 9 and 12 inches in length and bite readily, providing excellent angling opportunities for kids and adults.” Angling opportunities exist for both boat and shore anglers as ample shoreline access exists immediately below Ft. Randall Dam.
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Lower Oahe Decoy-Only Hunting Area Has Banner Year
PIERRE, S.D. – A public hunting area near the Oahe Dam saw one of its busiest and successful hunting seasons in 2008.
The Lower Oahe Waterfowl Hunting Access Area has been open to public hunting for eleven years and is managed by the South Dakota Game Fish Parks’ Division of Wildlife. The area has opportunities for public pass shooting, but it’s decoy hunters that flock to the area.
During the 2008 waterfowl season, over 1,800 hunters used the decoy-only area, harvesting an estimated 2,991 geese. The nearly 3,000 geese harvested was a record for the area.
“We feel we have a good system in place,” said Tim Withers, a GFP employee that manages the area. “We try and rotate fields so one area doesn’t get too much pressure and we have a drawing system so everyone has a fair chance at hunting the most active fields.”
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