June 3, 2022

PIERRE, S.D.–The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Commission held their June meeting at the Aberdeen Ramkota, June 3-4.

WILDLIFE PROPOSALS 

The Commission continued discussions on several proposals from previous meetings. To view them in their entirety, visit gfp.sd.gov/commission/information/. 

Turkey Hunting Recruitment Licenses

The Commission continued their discussion on the proposal to establish 10 Turkey Hunting Recruitment licenses to be used statewide except for Custer State Park. The benefit of a statewide license includes increasing the areas that can be hunted as not all counties or units have a spring turkey hunting season.

These licenses would be eligible for non-governmental organizations (NGO) that promote wildlife conservation and the recruitment, retention, and reactivation of hunters. Up to two licenses could be allocated to an individual NGO.

A mentored youth turkey recruitment license sponsored by an NGO would be available to those youth 15 years of age and younger that do not already possess any type of spring turkey hunting license. The sponsoring NGO would cover the cost of the $5 mentor tag, while assisting the youth through the licensing process.

Fall Turkey Hunting Season

The Commission continued discussions on the proposed the 2022 and 2023 fall turkey hunting seasons. Proposed season dates would be November 1 – January 31. 200 resident and 16 nonresident single tag “any turkey” licenses would be available for the Black Hills and 1,700 single tag and 50 double tag “any turkey” resident licenses and 72 single and 4 double tag “any turkey” nonresident licenses would be available for the prairie units.

Archery and Muzzleloader Deer

The Commission continued discussions on the proposed adjustment to administrative rule and would allow for 1 “antlerless whitetail deer” muzzleloader or archery deer license in only those units that offer firearm antlerless deer licenses. This proposal would also exclude Custer State Park from the archery and muzzleloader deer hunting seasons.

CWD Regulations

The Commission continued discussions on the proposed clean-up of administrative rule, clarifying that wildlife processors must dispose of all cervid (deer and elk) parts with a waste manager provider or permitted landfill.

Mourning Dove Season

The Commission continued their discussions on their proposal to allow for mourning dove hunting at Shadehill State Recreation Area in Perkins County. This would provide additional hunting opportunities without compromising the objectives and services provided of the recreation area.

Firearm and Archery Antelope Hunting Seasons

The Commission continued discussions on their proposal for the 2022-2023 antelope hunting seasons with dates of October 1-16, 2022 and September 30 – October 15, 2023. Proposed tag numbers for the two coming seasons are 2,335 "buck only" licenses and 50 special antelope licenses. 

The Commission also proposed the 2022-2023 archery antelope hunting seasons by changing the license types from a license that would allow for the take of a buck or doe antelope, to a license that only allows the harvest of a buck. This season is set with season dates of August 20 – October 31, 2022 (closed during firearm season) and August 19 – October 31, 2023 (closed during firearm season).

Mentored Antelope Hunting Season

The Commission proposed some changes to this season for the licenses to be valid in any open firearm hunting unit west of the Missouri River for private land only.

Public Comments Currently Being Accepted 

If you would like to comment on any of these proposals, visit gfp.sd.gov/forms/positions. Comments can also be mailed to 523 E. Capitol Ave Pierre, SD

To hear the discussion on these proposals, audio from the meeting is available through South Dakota Public Broadcasting and will soon be available on the GFP website as part of the meeting archive. 

To see these proposals in their entirety, visit gfp.sd.gov/commission/information.

To be included in the public record and to be considered by the commission, comments must include a full name and city of residence and be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on July 3.

The next GFP Commission meeting will be held July 7-8 in Spearfish.

 

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