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CENTRAL REGIONAL ADVISORY PANEL - July 2009 Summary

Central Regional Advisory Panel
Pierre Chamber office
Fourth meeting notes
July 30th, 2009

Panel members (8):                                                                         
Keith Krull – Harrold – KK
Leonard Spomer – Pierre – LS                             
Dennis Palmer – Mobridge – DP
Kevin Swenson – Chamberlain – KS
Lyle Perman – Lowry – LP
Kirk Yackley- Onida – KY
Cody Wilson – Pickstown – absent                             
Bill Mushitz – Geddes – BM                                                                                                       

GF& P Staff Attendees
Cliff Stone - CS
Larry Gigliotti - LG
Tom Kirschenmann - TK
Andy Lindbloom - AL
Emmett Keyser - EK
Sandi Knippling

Cliff Stone opened the meeting at 9:30 am and thanked the members for their attendance.  Pins and brochures commemorating the 100th anniversary of Game, Fish and Parks were distributed to the panel members. 

Cliff Stone introduced GFP staff members present.

Panel Member Issues and Updates

• Leonard Spomer: Fishing has been good so far this year and we seem to have a large hatch of grasshoppers that the pheasants should take advantage of.  Don’t know of any burning issues out right now, the one issue is the GFP Commission’s proposal regarding the daily pheasant limit on shooting preserves.  Maybe Keith can address that one.
• Kirk Yackley: Have been really busy with harvest, seeing lots of pheasants, deer and antelope.
• Bill Mushitz: Also busy harvesting, haven’t heard of too many complaints or issues locally, also lots of wildlife.
• Keith Krull: Appears to be a good pheasant hatch in his area.  They could good use more moisture, have been a little short of rain. Not sure what to think about the 20 bird daily bag limit and tagging proposals before the GFP Commission.
• Kevin Swensen: Not a lot going on in Chamberlain area right now, just work and the normal summer routine.  Asked a question about the proposed split in the high plains waterfowl season.  Tom Kirschenmann responded, indicating that the proposal originated from one of the Commissioners and that a news release describing the proposal and discussing options will be out today.  The proposal will be acted on at next weeks GFP Commission meeting.   Cliff encouraged Kevin to submit his comments/thoughts to the Commission.
• Lyle Perman: Thought the article on Canada geese was interesting and looks forward to talking about the situation and solutions later today.  Also is concerned about his understanding that the pickup of road killed deer has been terminated.  Cliff indicated that they would address that.
• Denny Palmer: Was contacted by Bill Mitzel of Dakota Country magazine, one issue coming up on Lake Oahe is the difference in the walleye limits between the South Dakota and North Dakota portions of the reservoir.  (ND has a 5 fish daily with no size limits, SD has 4 fish daily with only one fish over 20”)  Concern is about the large harvest of large walleye in the North Dakota portion of the reservoir. Denny indicated that an article discussing this situation will be coming out in the next issue of Dakota County magazine. There is a feeling that since it’s the same lake it should be managed the same by both states.   

Change in Road kill Deer pick up:  This has been a joint effort with Department of Transportation (DOT) and Game, Fish and Parks (GFP).  However due to budget constraints within DOT they are dropping their road kill pick up contracts with the exception of the interstate highways system.  DOT crews will handle road kills on the state highway system.  Following DOT’s lead, GFP will use a similar plan on rural roads. Unless in a sensitive area, road kills will be pulled to the ditch bottom.  Road kills in sensitive areas (drive ways, high traffic areas, etc.) will be picked up and disposed of.  The plan is to monitor the success and staff cost of this plan and re-evaluate after one year.  Rural panel members are concerns about issues such as landowners mowing road ditches.  

Citizen’s Attitude Survey – Larry Gigliotti presented the panel results of his citizen’s attitude survey regarding hunting and fishing regulations. Discussion followed concerning the difference in walleye regulations on Lake Oahe between North Dakota and South Dakota, the proposed GFP Fisheries Regulation Toolbox concept, and the merit of standardizing regulations for simplicity versus management of each individual body of water.

Wildlife Damage Management: the issue with Canadian Geese in eastern South Dakota – Tom Kirschenmann provided an overview of the issue of Canadian Geese crop damage in the eastern part of South Dakota and GFP’s efforts to address the problems.  Panel discussion centered around the role of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in the funding of damage management and the season setting process, acknowledgement that the issue is moving into locations farther west in the state, and questions regarding the actual number of geese harvested in the current September season and the potential for a spring dark goose season as is done for light geese.  Panel recommendations included further emphasis on the food plot/feeding station program, allowing increased non-resident participation, a WIA concept directed at goose harvest – utilize the GFP web site to increase awareness, organized youth hunts, and perhaps look at changes to facilitate hunter transport and processing of harvested  geese. The panel also expressed concern that if the problem persists, it could lead to more commercialization.

Citizen’s Attitude Survey – Larry Gigliotti followed up his earlier presentation with a continuation of his citizen’s attitude survey focusing on landowner/sportsman relations and the overall issue of wildlife on private land.  Discussion included the merits of using hunters during post-season depredation hunts versus Department staff who are better trained/equipped and don’t need as much assistance from the landowner, concerns that it is still difficult to get many hunters to harvest does, hunters requesting to drive into WIA’s to retrieve down game, the quality of some WIA’s, and the need to include WIA rules in with issued big game licenses.  There was also a recognition by panel members that road travel by hunters is more of a problem during the deer season that for small game.

In regards to wildlife on private land, several panel members indicated that there is a growing recognition that wildlife can be a “barometer” on the overall condition of the land.  It was recommended that the Department needs to continue to cooperate with groups like the SD Grasslands coalition.  The panel expressed concerns over the continued loss of CRP and recommended that GFP Staff (especially CO’s) need to be better educated on the various NRCS/Conservation District programs. The panel also recommended that wildlife groups need a better understanding of how grazing can be an important component to grassland/CRP management/overall health – the wildlife and grazing groups need to work together better.  Panel members indicated that the GFP private lands programs build good landowner/department relations.

There was also a short discussion shooting preserves, how the habitat that they develop contributes to all wildlife, and bird limits.

Cliff briefed the panel on the planned fall media campaign directed towards encouraging hunters to get out of their vehicles and walk.  Panel members indicated that the best time to reach them through television is the 10 PM news.   The panel was also informed of the upcoming GFP Commission meeting to be held the following week in Mobridge.  Several rule changes regarding shooting preserves are on the agenda.