SD GFP NEWS FOR 9-10-09
Fall Colors on display at Sica Hollow State Park
SICA HOLLOW STATE PARK, S.D. – The maples, lindens, ash, elm and oak trees all exhibit a different fall color, and they blend together in a final display of color during the “Blaze of Color” Walk in the Park on Sept. 19.
“Join us as we wander along the Trail of the Spirits amongst the falling leaves, find the final flowers of the year, and examine how the outdoors prepare for the coming winter,” encourages Dave Daberkow, park supervisor.
At 2 p.m., the guided nature walk will take visitors along the Trail of the Spirits, a designated National Recreation Trail, and through the Sica Hollow woodland. Along the way, visitors will identify native plants and wildlife, discover American Indian legends and learn about the natural forces that created the hollow, all while immersed in the hollow’s famous fall foliage.
The Walk in the Park program is a series of educational, guided hikes held throughout the year in South Dakota state parks, recreation areas and nature preserves. Parks staff and volunteers lead the programs.
Sica Hollow is located 15 miles northwest of Sisseton of SD 10. For more information on the South Dakota state parks or the Walk in the Park program please visit www.SDparks.info or call (605) 773-3391.
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Hunters can help the hungry
RAPID CITY, S.D. – Hunters who need to clear freezer room for this year’s deer, elk, and other wild game can help needy South Dakotans by donating game meat to the South Dakota Sportsmen against Hunger program.
The program will hold a “Clean Out Your Freezer” food drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, in Rapid City. Hunters can drop off frozen game meat at any of the city’s three Family Thrift stores during the drive. The program also accepts donations of non-game meat and other non-perishable food items.
“Our whole purpose is to get healthy game meat to the people who really need it,” said Jeff Olson, president of South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger. “We can’t give the food banks enough meat.”
The state’s two food banks supply nearly 500 organizations in South Dakota. The organizations need meat from deer and other big game animals, Olson said. He encourages other communities across the state to organize similar food drives.
“ Hunters have accomplished amazing things in the Sportsmen Against Hunger program’s 15 years,” Olson said. “In that time, more than 345,261 pounds of game meat made it to the state’s needy, or enough meat for nearly 1.4 million meals.”
The Sportsmen Against Hunger program set a record for donations last year and has brought more processors on board, he said.
If hunters can’t make it to the Clean Out Your Freezer drive, they can individually take professionally processed and packaged meats to the Black Hills Regional Food Bank in Rapid City, Second Harvest Food Bank in Sioux Falls, or to any food pantry that accepts direct donations. Hunters are encouraged to tell the food bank or pantry that the donation is for the Sportsmen Against Hunger program. The donations are tax deductible.
Hunters also can help by donating processed meat from game animals harvested this fall. Call 800-456-2758 to find out where to take game animals. Sportsmen Against Hunger, game processors, and the state Game, Fish and Parks Department are making it even easier for hunters to contribute this year. Hunters can donate antlerless deer and does, or kid antelope, to any participating processor and fill out a short form. Processors receive $50 for each form returned to the state.
“I encourage hunters to fill their antlerless deer and antelope tags and donate the game to this program,” Olson said. “They will help with the management of wildlife populations and provide a charitable service.”
The Black Hills Sportsmen, Game, Fish and Parks, Black Hills Regional Food Bank and Second Harvest Food Bank all sponsor South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger.
Considerations for Conducting a Sportsmen Against Hunger “Clean Out Your Freezer” Food Drive
Check with a local food pantry, or the Community Food Banks office in Sioux Falls (1-877-366-3265) or Rapid City (1-800-211-4633), to find out if there is interest in receiving frozen game meat from a “Clean Out Your Freezer” food drive in your community.
If so, determine from the pantry or food bank what will be accepted in terms of the kinds of game meat, age of game meat, home and/or commercially processed meat. Also determine food storage arrangements, and pick up and delivery arrangements.
Possibly plan and coordinate with other organizations in the community.
Select a date and hours of day to conduct the food drive. A Saturday in September or October just prior to the major deer hunting seasons usually works well as long as it does not conflict with the opening of another season. Select at least one food drop-off location that is well-known to the public, and make arrangements with the location owner. Provide plenty of publicity at least 2-3 weeks in advance of the food drive. Arrange for media coverage of the drive.
Arrange plenty of coolers to temporarily store frozen meat at drop-off locations until it can be taken to pre-arranged freezers. At least one person involved in conducting the food drive should be at each drop-off location to answer questions, monitor cooler space, and provide timely delivery of the frozen meat to a freezer for permanent storage until needed by the food pantry or food bank. Report results back to the community with thanks.
Those with questions should contact Jeff Olson (605-342-2445) or Ron Fowler (605-280-4977).
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New fishing regulations for Western South Dakota
RAPID CITY, S.D. – Fishing regulations on some western South Dakota lakes may change in 2010. While some of the changes would be slight, others may noticeably affect what anglers can include in their daily catches.
Biologists and managers with the state Game, Fish and Parks Department have developed a framework to simplify fisheries regulations across the state. The process combines similar regulations into a single reglation.
For example, waters with different minimum-length limits of 14, 15 and 16 inches for walleyes would be grouped into a single minimum-length limit of 15 inches and continue to be as effective as the current special regulations.
According to Gene Galinat, GFP fisheries program manager in Rapid City, most walleye fisheries and some bass fisheries will have changes recommended to align with the new framework. “The new framework has given us a fresh look at some of our fisheries,” Galinat said. “While most regulations would change only slightly, a few would have more substantial changes.”
Most notably, changes will be recommended in the 14-inch minimum length limit for walleyes on Curlew Lake and Newell Lake. Multiple options exist within the regulatory framework, including a 15-inch, minimum-length limit, with either a four-fish or two-fish daily limit. However, GFP biologists feel those lakes fit the criteria of a more restrictive regulation allowing anglers to harvest two walleyes greater than 15 inches per day, with one of those over 20 inches.
“We have completed a number of walleye stockings at both of these waters and recently implemented the 14-inch minimum restrictions, but neither is reaching their potential,” Galinat said.
Although factors such as the recent drought and other fish populations do affect walleye stockings, another influence likely suppressing those walleye fisheries is the amount of annual harvest they receive. “Hopefully, by adding a little more restriction on these fisheries, more anglers will catch and take home a walleye keeper or two” Galinat said.
Other potential changes in western South Dakota regulations would have:
Angostura and Shadehill Reservoirs moving from a 14-inch minimum on walleyes to a 15-inch minimum.
New Wall, Waggoner, and Newell Lakes moving from a 12-inch to a16-inch protected length limit on bass, with one bass allowed over 16 inches, to a 14- to 18-inch protected length limit, with one bass over 18 inches.
Length limits applying to both smallmouth and largemouth bass (black bass); currently, most length limits on bass are for one species or the other.
Recommended fisheries regulation changes will be made at the Oct. 1-2 Game, Fish and Parks Commission meeting in Lemmon. Public input plays a vital role in any regulation changes, and anglers are encouraged to comment on these proposals by contacting Gene Galinat, regional fisheries manager, at the Rapid City Regional Office, 605-394-2391.
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