shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com October 2, 2018 • Page 9 2018 Pheasent and Deer Hunting Informtaion Accessible Areas Contact GFP Permitting Office 20641 SD Highway 1806 | Fort Pierre, SD 57532 | 605.223.7665 Accessibile Game Production Areas Game Production Areas (GPAs) enhanced for accessibility will permit access with all-terrain vehicles or other vehicles on special designated roads and trails for individuals who have obtained a disabled hunter permit. Due to safety concerns, potential fire danger and to protect and maintain wildlife habitat, vehicles are not allowed to travel off trails, except for a direct trail line to retrieve downed game. Any passengers in or on the disabled hunters permittee's vehicle must be non-hunters, and all firearms must be fully cased and unloaded while the vehicle is in motion or transit. The access vehicle must come to a complete stop with the motor turned off while aiming, firing, or shooting a weapon. Disabled hunter permittees cannot use vehicles to retrieve game for other hunters and cannot use vehicles to chase, harass, pursue or intercept wildlife. Accessible trails and hunting blinds have been selected for ease of access, adequate pull-off areas, and are located in areas where a person will have a likely opportunity to view various wildlife and game species. Please be aware that such public hunting areas will expose disabled hunters or other persons with physical disabilities, to various degrees of physical risk. Due to variability of the terrain and topographical conditions on these areas, not all parts of these GPAs will be entirely accessible to hunters with disabilities. Please remember, these public hunting areas are unattended, and there is little chance GFP personnel would be in the local area in the event of an accident or if emergency assistance is needed. It is the hunter's responsibility and right to decide if these areas are safe for their use and so will need to judge their own ability to safely access and use these areas. Accessible Public Hunting Areas The following Game Production Areas are managed for wildlife production and public hunting opportunities. • Badger GPA- in Lawrence County is located 3 miles west and 2 miles south of Spearfish. This area offers hunting opportunities for deer, elk, and turkey. • Carpenter GPA- in Lyman County near Chamberlain. This area is adjacent to the Missouri River (Lake Francis Case) and located 1 mile west, 1 mile south, 2 1/2 miles west, and 3 miles south of Oacoma. The area has a combination of row crops, grassland, shelterbelts, and river breaks. This area offers hunting opportunities for deer, pheasants, grouse, and coyotes. • Long Lake GPA- in Jerauld County is located 7 miles west and 6 miles north of Wessington Springs. The area features deer and waterfowl hunting. • Byre GPA in Lyman County is located 7 miles south of I-90 on highway 47. This area contains a disabled access trail and offers hunting opportunities for pheasant, deer and turkey. • Hololubek GPA- in Brule County in located 4 miles west and 12 miles south of Kimball and contains an accessible duck hunting blind and vehicle access. • Buffalo Lake GPA- in Minnehaha County, located 7 miles northwest of Colton and contains an accessible waterfowl hunting blind. • Kamp GPA- in Moody county, located 6 miles south of Brookings and contains an accessible hunting blind offering opportunities for deer and turkey hunting. • Mydland Pass GPA - in Day county is located 8 miles north and 7 miles west of Webster. This area has a primitive trail that can be traveled using off-road vehicles. It offers deer, waterfowl and pheasant hunting. • Ortley GPA - in Roberts county is located ½ mile west and 1 mile north of Ortley. This area has a trail that can be traveled with a vehicle and offers deer and turkey hunting. • Besler Ranch- Walk In Area in Perkins County contains a designated area exculsively available to hunters with disabilities and offers hunting opportunities for deer, pronghorn and pheasants. • Cooperative Management Areas – COOP areas are private land leased for public hunting access that permit disable hunter permit holders to drive on them to hunt. Most are located in the northeast part of the state and primarily provide deer, pheasant, and waterfowl hunting opportunity. See the public hunting maps for the locations of these areas. Pheasant What is South Dakota known for? Pheasants and Mount Rushmore of course! Without a doubt, South Dakota is the pheasant hunting capitol of the world. Pheasants and pheasant hunting are solidly engrained in South Dakota culture for good reason. First successfully introduced in 1908, this game bird native to China thrives in South Dakota’s diverse landscape of grasslands, croplands, wetlands and shelterbelts. Since 1919, the tradition of pheasant hunting has brought friends and families together in holidaylike fashion. Every year opening weekend brings unprecedented enthusiasm, excitement, and activity to cities and rural communities across the state. Pheasant Survey Indicates 47% Increase for South Dakota’s 100th Hunting Season This year's pheasant brood survey shows a 47 percent increase over last year. The 2018 statewide pheasants-per-mile (PPM) index is 2.47, up from the 2017 index of 1.68. The full report provides an overview of upland habitat; which remains a concern for all wildlife across the state. Just as changes in landscape-level habitat conditions have produced peaks and valleys in the pheasant population for 100 years, habitat will again be the key to preserving pheasant hunting for another century. More details are below. TRADITIONAL Variety of Game Meat Again Donated By: Ron Fowler, South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger Thanks to the interest and effort of many sportswomen and sportsmen, a variety of game meat was again donated in fall of 2017 through Sportsmen Against Hunters (SAH) to families in need across the State. In addition to these hunters the success of this game donation program was made possible by participating game processors and by public food pantries associated with Feeding South Dakota. Expansion of the SAH game donation program over the years to provide this variety of game meat is greatly appreciated by the food pantries since they are better able to meet the requests of needy families. The variety of game donated this past year included 614 deer, 21 ante- lope, 16 elk, 1,739 pheasants, 1,918 Canada geese, and 152 walleyes. This, plus game meat donated through SAH food drives, resulted in 34,015 pounds of game meat delivered to food pantries either directly or through Feeding South Dakota food banks for distribution to families in need. Over 200 hunters took advantage of the SAH Processing Certificate Program to pay for processing of donated antlerless deer. Also, over 100 hunters used the SAH processing certificates available from participating SAH processors to pay processing costs of donated Canada geese. Funds used in backing processing certificates came from nearly 14,000 hunters who made cash donations through the Department of Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) hunting license application check-off system. Hunters are encouraged to continue using the GFP application check-off cash donation system and the SAH Processing Certificate Program. For more information on Sportsmen Against Hunger go to website www.feedtheneedsd.com. PHEASANT SEASON Daily Limit: 3 rooster pheasants Possession Limit: 15 rooster pheasants, taken according to the daily limit. The limit accrues at the rate of 3 birds a day, and 15 birds may not be possessed until after the fifth day of hunting. Open Area: All of South Dakota except the following: Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Brown County, Renziehausen Game Production Area and Game Bird Refuge in Brown and Marshall Counties, Gerken Game Bird Refuge in Faulk County and White Lake Game Bird Refuge in Marshall County are open Dec. 11, 2017 - Jan. 7, 2018. Shooting Hours: Noon Central Time for the first 7 days of the season; 10 a.m. Central Time, to sunset the rest of the season. Central Time is used for opening shooting hours statewide. License Requirements: Residents: Small Game License, any Combination License, Youth Small Game License or 1-Day Small Game License Nonresidents: Nonresident Small Game License or Nonresident Youth Small Game License (each valid for two 5-day hunting periods; start dates must be identified before license issued). Multiple licenses may be purchased to hunt more than the two 5-day periods allowed by one license. Pheasant Season -Youth Only Season Dates Start: Oct 6, 2018 End: Oct 10, 2018 Pheasant Season Resident Only Season Dates Start: Oct 13, 2018 End: Oct 15, 2018 Pheasant Season Traditional Season Dates Start: Oct 20, 2018 End: Jan 6, 2019 DEER In the 1900's hunting seasons established by the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks Commission allowed deer populations to recover from historic lows. Deer hunting seasons have occurred regularly since the 1950s, with deer hunters harvesting approximately 95,000 deer during the recent record year of 2010. White-tailed deer and mule deer are the most highly sought after big game species in South Dakota and throughout North America. Hunting remains the number one tool for managing deer populations across South Dakota and harvest strategies are intended to ensure the well-being of the species and its habitat while maintaining populations at levels compatible with human activity and land use. Key Dates Deer Season - Archery Season Dates Start: Sep 1, 2018 End: Jan 1, 2019 Deer Season - Archery Antlerless Only Whitetail Season Dates Start: Sep 1, 2018 End: Jan 1, 2019 Deer Season - Apprentice and Youth Season Dates Start: Sep 8, 2018 End: Jan 1, 2019 Deer Season - National Wildlife Refuge Deer See application for season dates. Start: Oct 17, 2018 End: Jan 1, 2019 Deer Season - Custer State Park See application for season dates specifics. Start: Nov 1, 2018 End: Dec 15, 2018 Deer Season - Black Hills Season Dates Start: Nov 1, 2018 End: Nov 30, 2018 Deer Season - West River Season Dates Start: Nov 10, 2018 End: Nov 25, 2018 Deer Season - West River Landowner Season Dates Start: Nov 10, 2018 End: Nov 25, 2018 Deer Season - West River Special Buck Season Dates Start: Nov 10, 2018 End: Nov 25, 2018 Deer Season - East River Special Buck Season Dates Start: Nov 17, 2018 End: Dec 2, 2018 Deer Season - East River Landowner Season Dates Start: Nov 17, 2018 End: Dec 2, 2018 Deer Season - East River Season Dates Start: Nov 17, 2018 End: Dec 2, 2018 Deer Season - East & West River Antlerless Season Dates Start: Dec 8, 2018 End: Dec 16, 2018 vSouth Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Pre-Owned Specials Rifles starting at $119 Shotguns starting at $159 Remington • Mossberg • Winchester • Savage • Ruger • Marlin • Browning • Stevens A-1 Pawn 515 E. 4th, Yankton • 605-665-3182 Triple T Hunting Adventures Lynch, NE www.triplethunt.com Early “Bird” Rate: * Limit of 5 birds per hunter * Receive a home cooked meal * Birds cleaned & packaged for travel ALL FOR 200 $ Hunts may be booked from October 1st through December 31st, 2018. Other packages are available upon request. Pheasant Hunts Are Conducted On A CONTROLLED SHOOTING AREA. All Nebraska hunting rules apply. Contact Tom Allen: (402) 388-4366 or go to www.triplethunt.com Offering Pheasant Hunts