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South Dakota Considers Big Game Changes for 2010

March 15, 2010.

The South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Commission is considering a variety of changes for the 2010 big game seasons. The Commission will take final action on the proposals at its April 8-9 meeting.

Antelope

The South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Commission has proposed two changes to the 2010 Firearms Antelope Hunting Season.

The first change would no longer allow hunters to fill antelope tags during the west river deer season.

The Commission also has proposed that all unsold or unfilled tags at the conclusion of the Firearms Antelope Season be converted to “doe/kid” tags and be valid for nine consecutive days, beginning on the Saturday after Christmas.

Although the 2010 Firearms Antelope Season has been set for Oct. 2-17, license allocations will be considered at the June Commission meeting.

Deer

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission has decided to increase the number of Special Buck licenses available for the 2010 firearms deer season.

The action will provide 500 Special Buck licenses to resident East River firearms deer hunters. The move will equalize the allocation of licenses available to residents for both West River and East River Deer Seasons and help address the demand for those licenses for the East River Season.

Special Buck licenses are good only on private land.

Elk, Sheep, and Mountain Goat

The proposed Archery Elk Season would see a reduction in elk licenses available from 114 “:any elk” and 71 “antlerless elk” licenses in 2009, to 96 “any elk” and 49 “antlerless elk” licenses this year.

The proposed Firearm Elk Season would reduce available licenses from 605 “any elk” and 760 “antlerless elk” licenses in 2009 to 495 “any elk” and 570 “antlerless elk” licenses in 2010.

The proposed Firearm Prairie Elk Season would see an increase in tags available from 45 “any elk” and 86 “antlerless elk” in 2009 to 50 “any elk” and 86 “antlerless elk” this year.

“While the aggressive harvest approach a few years ago reduced the overall elk population and reduced depredation complaints from ranchers and landowners, the department direction is to increase the elk population in some areas and that process includes the reduction of licenses another year,” said GFP Chief of Terrestrial Resources Tom Kirschenmann.

The GFP Commission is also proposing the Black Hills Bighorn Sheep Season, which will retain five "any bighorn sheep" licenses available, but extending the season from Nov. 30-Dec. 31.

The Commission will keep the season closed on mountain goats in South Dakota.

The Commission will take final action on the proposed Elk Seasons and Bighorn Sheep Season at its April 8-9 meeting at the Crossroads Hotel in Huron.

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