SD GFP NEWS FOR 7-15-09

 

 

GFP Offering Free Public Lands GPS Mapping Program

 

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota has millions of acres of lands open to the public, and a new option to locate those areas is being offered by the Department of Game, Fish and Parks.

 

Rather than relying solely on maps or the South Dakota Public Walk-In Atlas, the department has added a Global Positioning System program to its Web site. Outdoor enthusiasts can use the free program to download maps of public lands onto their GPS units at no charge.

 

Those lands are owned by federal and state governments or leased from private landowners.

 

Maps and the atlas can help find them, but at times people are uncertain of the exact locations, said Jeff Vonk, GFP secretary.

 

 “I think it is important for us to provide the best available information to sportsmen and women,” Vonk said.  “We will continue to offer the paper atlas, but I believe that providing the GPS information will make it easier and more convenient for sportsmen to participate in outdoor activities.”

 

The Web site can be accessed at www.sdgfp.info/wildlife/gps/index.asp

 

The program provides downloadable files for Garmin, Lowrance and Magellan GPS units.  Although it won’t work on some of the older models, most models with memory cards or internal memories should readily accept the files.  The Web page has step-by-step video instructions on how to download the public lands maps onto GPS units.

 

“Last year we unveiled the interactive “WILMA” map on our Web site, and it is very popular with hunters,” Vonk said.  “We received a lot of requests asking if that information could be loaded onto a GPS unit.  I took those requests to our staff and asked if it was possible. It is that important.  As far as I know, we are the only state providing this information.”

 

The new Web address also provides updates so people using the maps will be able to keep current with changing Walk-In and Game Production Areas.

 

“We ask visitors for e-mail addresses so we can notify them when there are changes to Walk-In Areas and GPAs,” said Department GIS specialist Chris Marsh.  “Those people can simply download the new maps.

 

 

“From year to year or even month to month, some areas can change dramatically, and we want folks to know about those changes,” Marsh added.

 

-GFP-

 

 

Outdoors Woman Workshop Registration Available Online

 

PIERRE, S.D. – The Game, Fish and Parks Department is gearing up for its 15th annual Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) workshop, which will be held Sept. 18-20 at the Lake Poinsett United Methodist Camp near Arlington, S.D.

 

“We’re excited about offering this year’s workshop in the eastern part of the state,” said Chad Tussing (TOOS’-ing), GFP education services coordinator. “Since we’ll be in the prairie pothole region, we’ll be offering classes, such as walleye fishing and waterfowl hunting, in addition to some of our traditional classes.”

 

An online registration system will allow interested parties to see which classes are open and which have been filled. Paper applications are still accepted, but use of the online system is encouraged.

 

The BOW workshop is designed for those who are age 18 or older and interested in learning new outdoor skills, improving existing skills, or meeting others with similar interests. This year’s workshop offerings include game cleaning, canoeing, fly-fishing, ATV safety and ethics, handgun shooting, stargazing, and more. Thirty-four different classes are offered.

 

Registration information can be found at GFP Wildlife Division offices, state parks, or online. For more information about the BOW workshop, call (605) 773-3485 or go to: www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/Education/BOW/BOWIndex.htm

 

-GFP-

 

 

New South Dakota Fish Record Set

 

FLANDREAU, S.D. – A Flandreau angler landed a small, strange fish on July 2, and it turned out to be a state record.

 

Brian Korman was using a worm for bait at the Interstate Pond in Brookings County when he landed a 7.5 inch, 3-ounce European Rudd.

 

The Rudd is considered an invasive species in the state. It is not wanted in South Dakota waters because the fish can quickly overpopulate and crowd out native species.

 

Korman submitted the fish to the Department of Game Fish and Parks for state record status.  A European Rudd, whose scientific name is Scardinius erythrophthalmus, had never been submitted to GFP before, and Korman’s fish is now in the record books.

 

For a fish to qualify as a state record, the angler must get the fish weighed on a certified scale, have the species verified by a fisheries biologist, or ichthyologist, and fill out a form that can be found at: http://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/fishing/StateRecordFishForm.pdf

 

For a complete list of state fishing records, visit www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/fishing/Info/StateRecords.htm

 

-GFP-