South Dakota Fish, Game & Parks

PIERRE, S.D. --(Ammoland.com)- The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department reports that wildlife is being displaced due to flood waters, and the public should keep a healthy distance from these animals.

The number of calls about fawns and other wildlife from woody areas now filled with flood waters have increased tremendously.

“The best thing people can do is leave wildlife where they find it, even if it appears to be displaced by flood waters, as there is a very good chance the mother will be back for it” Ron Schauer, GFP Regional Wildlife Manager in Sioux Falls, said.

The number of calls about “abandoned” fawns is on the rise in GFP offices, he said.

There may be health risks from handling wildlife, including rabies from animals like skunks. In addition, it is illegal for individuals to remove and possess deer fawns from the wild, he said, even if they look abandoned or displaced.

“Due to the very low chances of surviving in the wild after being raised in captivity, the best care they can receive is from their own parents or in the wild,” he said.

Ducks Unlimited

BROOKINGS, S.D. --(Ammoland.com)- Landowners can benefit their operations, improve water quality and control flooding all while conserving wetlands for waterfowl and other wildlife through the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP).

Ducks Unlimited (DU) Conservation Biologist, Dan Limmer is working in partnership with the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP) to find these win-win opportunities and address the tremendous demand for WRP in eastern South Dakota.

Limmer’s position was created through a partnership with SDGFP, NRCS and DU. Through the NRCS’s Red River Basin Initiative, Limmer is working in NRCS field offices helping interested landowners address flood control and water quality issues. On board since April, Limmer has already helped secure 54 WRP contracts conserving just under 5,000 acres.

Duck Fever: Catch it Today!

“My position was created because there is tremendous interest in WRP from landowners in eastern South Dakota,” Limmer said. “The NRCS needed help with the significant workload that goes along with administering this program, and the workload keeps growing.”

Currently in South Dakota there are over 1,000 WRP easements in place conserving nearly 80,000 acres. With Limmer’s help, DU, SDGFP and NRCS hope to expand that number and work with the landowners who have been waiting for WRP contracts.

“This partnership has worked out exceptionally well,” said Curtis Elke, assistant state conservationist with the NRCS. “The demand for WRP has grown exponentially in the last few years, and we are hoping to add another person like Dan to help us serve our customers’ requests.”

WRP is a voluntary program that helps landowners protect, restore and enhance wetlands on their property.

The NRCS administers the program and provides incentives and technical assistance for landowners with the goal of restoring wetland functions to the landscape and providing quality wildlife habitat.

In the end, landowners benefit by being compensated for retiring marginal land from agriculture and the landscape benefits by the conservation of soil, water and wetland resources.

“WRP is an exceptional program for many, and with the amount of rainfall we have received in recent years, it is helping landowners continue to receive income from land that has less production value,” Elke said.

“I am a producer and I grew up on a farm so I bring that perspective to this job, I know the problems landowners face with management and conservation and have a good idea what they are looking for in a conservation program,” Limmer said.

Limmer has a strong background in natural resources. He has worked for South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks as a habitat biologist and watershed project coordinator as well a conservation officer.

Limmer also has experience in natural resources policy, working for several non-government conservation organizations as a private consultant.

If you are interested in sighing up for WRP you can contact Dan Limmer through the NRCS Brookings Field Support Office, 523rd Ave., Brookings, S.D., 605-692-2344.

Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 12 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever.

(Pictured L to R): Dean Schueler, outgoing president of the National Wild Turkey Federation's South Dakota State Chapter; James Earl Kennamer, Ph.D., NWTF chief conservation officer; and Jeff Vonk, secretary of South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, signed a cooperative agreement to benefit wildlife and conservation in South Dakota. Photo: Michael G. Brown Photography

National Wild Turkey Federation

EDGEFIELD, S.C. – -(AmmoLand.com)- South Dakota’s wildlife and sportsmen will benefit from a new cooperative agreement between the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) and the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP).

The three-year agreement helps support the NWTF’s on-the-ground work to promote partnerships and complete projects that will benefit wild turkeys, other wildlife and important habitats in South Dakota.

James Earl Kennamer, Ph.D., NWTF’s chief conservation officer, signed the agreement during South Dakota’s NWTF state convention along with Jeff Vonk, secretary of SDGFP, and Dean Schueler, outgoing president of the NWTF’s South Dakota State Chapter.

“This agreement is an extension of an already beneficial relationship with South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks,” Kennamer said. “With a regional biologist who knows the needs of South Dakota’s wildlife and sportsmen, we can plan mutually beneficial projects that will benefit wild turkeys and all manners of other wildlife including pheasants and sensitive species such as bald eagles.”

Cooperative projects may include, but are not limited to, restoring riparian areas — or areas near rivers and streams — in South Dakota through the NWTF’s Northern Plains Riparian Restoration Initiative , planting mast-producing shrubs, helping provide standing grain, assisting ranchers who winter large numbers of turkeys on their property through the NWTF’s Operation Big Sky program, and promoting access to private land for increased hunting opportunities.

The NWTF is a nonprofit conservation organization that works daily to further its mission of conserving the wild turkey and preserving our hunting heritage. Through dynamic partnerships with state, federal and provincial wildlife agencies, the NWTF and its more members have helped restore wild turkey populations across the country, spending more than $306 million to conserve 14 million acres of habitat for all types of wildlife.

For more information about the NWTF, call (800) THE-NWTF or visit www.nwtf.org.

About the NWTF:
The National Wild Turkey Federation is a nonprofit conservation organization that works daily to further its mission of conserving the wild turkey and preserving our hunting heritage.

Through dynamic partnerships with state, federal and provincial wildlife agencies, the NWTF and its more than 350,000 members have helped restore wild turkey populations across the country, spending more than $306 million to conserve 14 million acres of habitat for all types of wildlife.

The Federation works to increase interest in the outdoors by bringing new hunters and conservationists into the fold through outdoor education events and its outreach programs – Women in the Outdoors, Wheelin’ Sportsmen, JAKES and Xtreme JAKES.

The NWTF was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Edgefield, S.C. According to many state and federal agencies, the comeback of the wild turkey is arguably the greatest conservation success story in North America’s wildlife history.

Visit www.nwtf.org or call (800) THE-NWTF for details.

South Dakota Turn in Poachers Web Site

South Dakota Fish, Game & Parks

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota’s Turn in Poachers (TIPs) Internet Web page is getting a facelift, including the addition of links to unsolved cases.

TIPs is a cooperative effort between the Game, Fish and Parks Department and the non-profit Wildlife Protection, Inc.

The Web page has been around for several years and provides a historical perspective of the TIPs program in addition to keeping the public informed on the statistical data. It will now feature information on high-profile cases being investigated by wildlife law enforcement.

According to TIPs Coordinator, Charlie Wharton, this addition was prompted by two recent South Dakota poaching cases. “The killing of a moose in the Black Hills in early fall and the more recent case involving a bighorn sheep in Custer State Park provided the impetus to reach out to Web users for information. In the past, TIPs has sought out general information on wildlife violations; but, with this addition, we are taking our cases directly to the public.”

The first case being featured on the Web site involves the illegal killing of a mature bighorn sheep in Custer State Park, near Game Lodge Campground and Creek Side Resort on Friday, Nov. 27. The animal’s head and cape were taken, while the carcass was left to rot.

The importance of this case is multiplied because this mature ram was one of only nine that live in the park.

Wharton encourages individuals to check back on a regular basis to view cases under investigation. “Our wildlife belongs to all South Dakotans. By providing information that brings poachers to justice, the public can help solve crimes and protect this resource for future generations.”

South Dakota Fish, Game & Parks

PIERRE, S.D. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Looking for the perfect stocking stuffers for the outdoorsmen in your life?

Beginning Dec. 15, South Dakota Hunting and Fishing Licenses for 2010 go on sale.

The 2010 annual licenses are valid from Dec. 15, 2009, through Jan. 31, 2011.

General hunting and fishing licenses may be purchased from storefront license agents in South Dakota, or online at: http://www.sdgfp.info/licenses.htm

The Game Fish and Parks Department licensing office can be reached at (605) 773-3393.

Hunting and fishing licenses for 2009 will remain valid through January of 2010.

South Dakota Fish, Game & Parks

Pierre, S.D. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Due to the delayed harvest of crops this fall, the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission intends to act at its Dec. 3-4 meeting in Pierre on a proposal to raise the three-bird daily pheasant bag limit to five cock pheasants daily.

Under the proposal, the current 15-bird pheasant possession limit would increase to 25 male pheasants.

If adopted, the emergency rule would take effect Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009, and remain in place until the current pheasant season ends on Jan. 3, 2010.

“The ability of hunters to harvest pheasants in the first seven weeks of the 2009 pheasant hunting season has been severely inhibited by lack of row-crop harvest,” said GFP Secretary Jeff Vonk. “The weather patterns that led to this situation were not anticipated by the Commission when it adopted the pheasant season back in April.”

The adjustments in the daily limit and possession limit will not hurt overall pheasant numbers in future years because only cock pheasants may be harvested, Vonk said.

“As crops are taken from the fields, the refuge that pheasants found in oceans of cornfields will disappear, and birds will be concentrated in the remaining cover,” Vonk said. “The addition to the limits will allow hunters the ability to make up for opportunities that were lost in the first part of the season.”

South Dakota Fish, Game & Parks

PIERRE, S.D. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Today (Nov. 23) marks the first day for South Dakota landowners in the James River watershed to enroll environmentally sensitive land through a new program that will provide additional incentives to the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

Through a unique partnership between the Game, Fish and Parks Department and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency, landowners have the opportunity to set aside agricultural acres that meet certain criteria into a Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).

Plans call for the program to set aside 100,000 acres in the James River watershed that will improve water quality, provide flood control, reduce soil erosion, and provide recreation access. The CREP will give agriculture producers another option for managing their land for financial incentives that are up to 40 percent higher than the normal rental rate for CRP land.

The James River watershed is an area of critical importance to South Dakota wildlife, and is an area that can provide a valuable expansion of public access opportunities in the eastern part of the state.

“All lands enrolled in the CREP program will be open to public fishing and hunting,” GFP Secretary Jeff Vonk said. “The James River corridor has been a primary pheasant area for the past 60 years. We have the opportunity to produce valuable nesting cover for pheasants as well as other wildlife that depends on wetlands and grassland.”

“We have seen a reduction of 500,000 acres of CRP in the last five years. CREP will help mitigate those losses in an area where we can maximize benefits to upland nesting game birds like pheasants,” Vonk said. “In addition, certain tracts of expired CRP acres in the project area may qualify for re-enrollment in CREP.”

Sign up for the program begins on Nov. 23. Landowners interested in more information on CREP may contact the GFP District Office in Huron (605/353-7145), their local USDA service center, or a Pheasants Forever Farm Bill biologist (www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/PrivateLands/PFBiologists.pdf).

“CREP is a win-win-win for agriculture producers, wildlife, and sportsmen,” Vonk said. “This program will provide an economically sound land management option for landowners, thousands of acres of habitat to benefit wildlife, and access to private land for hunters and anglers.”

Contact: Rocco Murano or Matt Grunig, GFP Huron Office (605/353-7145)

More information on the CREP program is available at this link to the Farm Service Agency Web site: www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=copr&topic=cep

South Dakota Fish, Game & Parks

CUSTER STATE PARK, S.D. –-(AmmoLand.com)- This morning was a busy one in Custer State Park as park staff corralled 1,500 buffalo during the 44th annual roundup. Initial reports indicate that attendance was up significantly from last year.

“Custer State Park hosted 2,861 cars and 40 motor coaches for the Roundup this year,” said Craig Pugsley, Visitor Services Coordinator at Custer State Park. “That is up dramatically from 2,360 cars and 29 motor coaches in 2008.”

Guests arrived from 41 states, three Canadian provinces and many foreign countries. Journalists from across the globe covered the event for their readers and viewers back home.

“This has grown to be a great event and we’re happy we can share a little bit of the Old West with those who are here for a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” added Pugsley.

The annual roundup serves as a tool to help manage the park’s buffalo herd. Around 200 buffalo will be sold at the park’s annual auction on Saturday, Nov. 21. For additional information on the auction, contact the park by phone at (605) 255-4515 or by email at CusterStatePark@state.sd.us.

South Dakota Fish, Game & Parks

PIERRE, S.D. –-(AmmoLand.com)- GFP counted an average of 6.32 pheasants per mile in 2009, the fourth highest statewide count in the past 45 years. Although this year’s statewide index has decreased from last year, the 2009 statewide pheasant per mile count is 13 percent higher than the 10-year average.

In 2007 GFP reported the highest brood route survey count in over 40 years. The count went even higher in 2008 with a nine percent increase. Even though pheasant numbers remain strong, the 2009 survey reveals a 26 percent decrease from 2008.

“The pheasant brood route survey is the standard for gauging how the pheasant population is doing,” GFP Secretary Jeff Vonk said. “Our data represents a very good reflection of pheasant numbers in the areas we survey. While our pheasant population is down from 2008 record, the good news is there are still a lot of pheasants out there heading into the hunting season.”

“In the past 45 years only 2005, 2007 and 2008 have a higher pheasant per mile count then we found this year,” Vonk said

GFP surveys 110 routes of 30 miles each over a three week period from late July to mid August. Survey data is used to calculate a pheasants per mile index for these routes. GFP can then compare the number of pheasants within each local area on a year-to-year basis, and also against a 10-year average.

“Considering the tremendous pheasant populations we’ve had the past couple of years, I believe even with this decline South Dakota will continue to offer the premier pheasant hunting opportunity in the nation,” Vonk said. “For a historical perspective, we had a pheasant per mile count of 2.69 birds in 2002, yet hunters still harvested over 1.2 million roosters that year.”

According to Vonk, one key element that has sustained good pheasant populations over the past several years has been the quality habitat resulting from the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Federal cutbacks in the program have resulted in a loss of 24 percent of the CRP land in South Dakota over the past three years.

South Dakota’s regular pheasant season opens on Saturday, Oct. 17 and runs through January 3. The statewide youth season is Oct. 3 through Oct. 7, and the resident-only season on public land runs Oct. 10 through Oct. 12.

The detailed 2009 Pheasant Brood Survey Report, complete with a look at pheasant counts in the different local areas around the state, can be found on the GFP Web site at: www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/Hunting/Pheasant/Outlook.htm.

South Dakota Fish, Game & Parks

PIERRE, S.D. –-(AmmoLand.com)- A tough winter and low reproduction this summer has resulted in a lower then expected antelope population in northwestern South Dakota, and that will mean fewer licenses available to hunters.

Aerial surveys were conducted during the month of May and June to estimate the number of adult antelope. However another important aspect in estimating the antelope population in South Dakota is a count of the number of fawns per doe, which is not available at the time that the Game, Fish and Parks commission sets the antelope season.

Substantially lower recruitment rates obtained in recent doe/fawn antelope surveys, coupled with lower overall antelope numbers has prompted GFP to eliminate all unsold licenses remaining after the first two drawings for Harding and Perkins counties, where current estimates show a considerable drop in the antelope population compared to 2008.

“Over the past few years we have attempted to increase harvest due to high antelope numbers in the northwest corner of the state,” GFP Terrestrial Program Administrator Chad Switzer said. “Because of that effort and abundant antelope, hunters have had many opportunities in Harding and Perkins County to harvest antelope.”

A few areas have an increased antelope population, but overall, numbers have decreased approximately 20 percent throughout their range. Surveys in Harding and Perkins counties indicate as much as a 50 percent decline.

“Through the years we have seen our antelope numbers rise and fall, often in the span of a short period of time,” Switzer said, adding that allowing the initial sale of licenses to proceed will still provide hunting opportunity and help keep the antelope population in check.

“Even though the challenge of an antelope hunt will be greater this year then last, South Dakota still has one of the best antelope populations in the country” Switzer said. “The prairie is as lush as it has been in some time. It will be a great chance to leave your vehicle parked, and walk in and enjoy a truly unique hunting experience. As always, hunters should be sure to get permission before hunting on any private land.”

Pheasants Forever

Mitchell, SD – -(AmmoLand.com)- Pheasants Forever announces Greg Wolbrink as the organization’s new Farm Bill Biologist in Mitchell, South Dakota. Wolbrink joins PF after two years as a wildlife technician with South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks (SDGF&P). The new position was created in partnership with the Mitchell-based Pheasant Country Chapter of Pheasants Forever and SDGF&P. Wolbrink will be based out of the USDA Mitchell Service Center’s Natural Resources Conservation Service office.

Pheasants Forever’s Farm Bill Biologist program is designed to educate farmers and landowners about the benefits of conservation programs, as well as assist those farmers and landowners after programs have been implemented. The program originated in South Dakota, and Pheasants Forever now has 36 biologists working in six states – Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. In just over six years, Farm Bill Biologists have contacted and consulted 28,065 landowners, resulting in the improvement of nearly 1.3 million acres! In South Dakota, seven Farm Bill Biologists have contacted and consulted 8,316 landowners, resulting in 434,362 acres that have benefitted from habitat recommendations.

“This is a dream-come-true for local landowners and those who believe in the mission of Pheasants Forever,” said Mike Kuchera, a board member with the Pheasant Country Chapter of Pheasants Forever, “This chapter annually works with 300 landowners a year to create pheasant habitat, and now, with the addition of a local Farm Bill Biologist, we will have the ability to do it even better. Landowners are lining up to have their acreage evaluated by Greg for habitat management.” Pheasant Country chapter president David Allen added that though South Dakota remains the country’s premiere pheasant destination, work is required to keep it that way. “If you’re not working to create habitat, you’re losing habitat,” he said, “The loss of expiring Conservation Reserve Program acres is one of just many serious concerns. A Farm Bill Biologist in this area will help meet these challenges head on.”

“Greg Wolbrink has a diverse background in the wildlife field, from research to working with landowners to solve wildlife-related issues. This experience will come in handy as he assists landowners in finding the right program and funding to meet their personal habitat and land-use goals,” said Jim Inglis, Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist Coordinator.

A native of Aberdeen, Wolbrink earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from South Dakota State University. He can be contacted at (605) 201-3217 or via email at GWolbrink@pheasantsforever.org. To contact a Farm Bill Biologist in your area, click here. For more information on the Farm Bill Biologist program, contact Jim Inglis, Farm Bill Biologist Coordinator, at (419) 569-1096 or via email at jinglis@pheasantsforever.org.

About:
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 125,000 members in 750 local chapters across the continent.

For additional information about Pheasants Forever, please visit www.PheasantsForever.org