Hunting Guide 2015

HUNTING

GUIDE

A special supplement to The Daily Republic and Advisor

HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

2015 South Dakota hunting license and season information

Hunting season dates

Pheasant Resident only: Oct. 10-12 Youth only: Oct. 3-7 Statewide: Oct. 17 to Jan. 3, 2016. *Future opening dates: The pheasant season traditionally opens on the third Saturday in October.

Prairie chicken/grouse Sept. 19 to Jan. 3, 2016.

Sage grouse Closed for 2015 Ducks Low Plains — north zone: Sept.

26 to Dec. 8 Low Plains — middle zone: Sept. 26 to Dec. 8 Low Plains — south zone: Oct. 10 to Dec. 22.

High Plains: Oct. 10 to Jan. 14, 2016.

Youth: Sept. 19-20.

Deer Youth: Sept. 12 to Jan. 15, 2016 Archery: Sept. 26 to Jan. 15, 2016, with exceptions East River: Nov. 21 to Dec. 6.

West River: Nov. 14-29 Black Hills: Nov. 1-30 Muzzleloader: Dec. 1 to Dec. 31 Antelope Archery: Aug. 15 to Oct. 2 and Oct. 19-31.

Firearms: Oct. 3-18.

Fall turkey Nov. 1 to Jan. 31, 2016.

Sandhill crane Sept. 26 to Nov. 22 *For those seasons not listed here, see the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department website at gfp.sd.gov.

Places to buy hunting licenses in Mitchell

Non-resident fees Small game (two 5-day periods): $121 Youth small game, ages 12-15: $10 Waterfowl (valid 10 days): $121 Waterfowl (valid 3 days): $86 Early fall Canada goose: $50 Spring light goose conservation

order: $50 Youth spring light goose conservation order, ages 12-15: $26 State migratory bird certification: $5 Predator/varmint: $40 Furbearer: $40 Shooting preserve (annual): $121

Shooting preserve (5-day): $76 Shooting preserve (1-day): $46. *2015 licenses are valid Dec. 15, 2014, through Jan. 31, 2016. *2016 licenses will be valid Dec. 15, 2015, through Jan. 31, 2017.

(Note: Prices above do not include licensing agent fee, which can be $2 to $4 per item.)

Cabela’s, 601 Cabela Drive.

Coborn’s, 1800 N. Main St. County Fair Foods, 1305 W. Havens Freedom Valu, 512 S. Sanborn Kmart, 1313 S. Burr.

Leader Sporting Goods, 515 E. Spurce Northside Sinclair, 1905 N. Main.

Walmart, 1101 E. Spruce.

Westside Sinclair, 1527 W. Havens

Cost for licenses Resident fees Combination (small game and fishing): $55 Senior combination (age 65 and up): $40 Junior combination (ages 16-18): $27 Small game: $33 One day small game: $12 Youth small game (ages 12-15): $5 State migratory bird certification: $5 Predator/varmint: $5 Furbearer: $30

Matt Gade/Republic

A hunter unpacks a box of shotgun shells on a hunting trip last season near Mitchell.

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

Table of contents Page A5: Pheasant numbers bounce back for 2015, up 42 percent.

Page A6: Pepsi-Cola helping raise funds for pheasant habitat in the Mitchell area.

Page A7: The state looks to up goose numbers in South Dakota.

Page A9: Duck hunting is set for solid year in South Dakota.

Page A12: GF&P encouraging hunters to use phones to carry licenses digitally.

Page A14: Doctors encourage hunters to prepare for staying healthy on the hunt.

Page B1: Sportsmen Against Hunger is preparing for another important season in the effort to feeed those in need.

Page B3: Minnesota has modeled a pheasant habitat program after what was done recently in South Dakota.

Page B4: Hagen: Early season or late season is a big choice when hunting waterfowl.

Page B5: Regional outdoors news Page B7: Pheasants Forever’s Dave Nomsen provides some thoughts on the organization’s role in South Dakota Page B9: Wiltz: Recalling my greatest shot, 30 years later.

Credits

Republic File Photo

A group of pheasant hunters walks a field near Mitchell during the 2014 hunting season.

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Thank you, and have a Safe and Enjoyable Hunting Season.

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Cover art: Stacey Schleich/Republic Guide editor: Marcus Traxler/Republic

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

Pheasant count jumps 42 percent Biologist: ‘Getting back to where hunting is good again’

By MARCUS TRAXLER The Daily Republic

Good news, pheasant hunters.

Officials with the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department said earlier this year the pheasant count numbers are up by more than 40 percent this year compared to a year ago.

The 2015 statewide pheasants per mile index of 3.80 is up from 2.68 last year and more than double the total of 2013, when the count was 1.52 pheasants per mile. The 42 percent increase is attributed to better weather, with milder winters and favorable spring weather for reproduction purposes.

GF&P Senior Upland Game Biologist Travis Runia said it will continue to be a long haul to get back to where the state was 10 years ago, but it’s significant progress from just two years ago, when the dwindling pheasant population was entering crisis mode.

“I think we’re getting back to where hunting is good again,” he said.

This year’s statewide pheasants per mile index is similar to 2011 when hunters harvested 1.56 million roosters over the course of the season.

“The weather really dictates so much when it comes to the pheasant See PHEASANTS, Page A11

Matt Gade/Republic

Terry Erwin, of St. Louis, Mo., shoots down a rooster pheasant as he and his friends took part in a hunting trip at Firesteel Creek Hunting Lodge off U.S. Highway 281 in November 2014 near Plankinton.

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

Deer numbers slowly recovering in state Central SD numbers doing well, state biologist says

By GARRICK HODGE The Daily Republic

Deer numbers in South Dakota are slowly on the rise.

According to South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks Big Game Biologist Andy Lindbloom, deer numbers are recovering in most areas of the state after low numbers in recent years.

“There’s a multitude of reasons for this,” Lindbloom said. “There’s been low harvest rates on deer population, we’ve had a couple mild winters now and we’ve had some relief from (Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease) disease, so an outbreak has been avoided.”

The projected statewide deer harvest last season was 46,526, a 16 percent decrease from 2013. This projection included 26,704 whitetail bucks, 14,453 whitetail does, 4,396 mule bucks and 973 mule does. A decrease in overall harvest of nearly 9,000 deer with a significant reduction in the number of tags issued resulted in a 10 percent increase in harvest success

from 2013.

Harvest success in 2014 went from 45 percent to 35 percent in 2013. Respondents reported hunting an average of 5.18 days per hunter.

In Davison County last season, 144 deer were harvested. Respondents reported hunting an average of 4.84 days per hunter, with a 48 percent hunter success rate. Tripp County had the highest harvest in The Daily Republic’s coverage area, with 1,265 total deer harvested.

To increase harvest numbers, Lindbloom said it’s a priority to increase the population of whitetail and mule deer throughout the state.

He noted that the whitetail numbers in the central part of the state are where the GF&P wants them to be.

While the mule deer population is taking longer to develop, Lindbloom said he’s optimistic the population will recover, but added there could be factors that halt growth.

See DEER, Page A10

Pepsi-Cola, Phesants Forever partnering on conservation

For the second consecutive year, Pheasants Forever and PepsiCola of Mitchell are teaming up for wildlife conservation by renewing Pepsi’s Refresh & Conserve Program. Through the program, Pepsi will donate 1 cent to Pheasants Forever for every trademarked Pepsi product sold between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31 in the Mitchell, Pierre, Huron and Chamberlain areas.

“As an avid outdoorsman, I’m excited to continue the Pheasants Forever partnership with the Refresh & Conserve program for a second year,” said Michael Shinstine, sales manager for Pepsi-Cola of Mitchell. “Pheasant hunting plays an important role in the South Dakota economy — I look forward to working with our local communities and giving back to a cause that I am so passionate about.”

Pheasants are an important part of the South Dakota economy and Pheasants Forever is focused on working with state conservation policy and business leaders to enhance upland habitat for long-term sustainability of pheasant hunting traditions. All proceeds from Pepsi’s Refresh & Conserve Program will help improve South Dakota’s pheasant habitat. With a phenomenal pheasant season in store for 2015, upland hunters are encouraged to purchase Pepsi products and contribute to the future of “The Pheasant Capital.”

“Environmental sustainability is one of six strategic imperatives for Pepsi-Cola which helps local communities build and secure strong futures. In South Dakota, communities are built, in part, on pheasant hunting and sustained with quality wildlife habitat,” said Brad Heidel, director of corporate sales for Pheasants Forever. “The folks at Pepsi-Cola of Mitchell understand this important connection and have become a phenomenal partner with Pheasants Forever and by extension, the residents of South Dakota and pheasant hunters throughout the nation.”

— Source: Pheasants Forever

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

SD GF&P searching for adequate number of resident Canada geese Special harvest, weather influencing birds

By LUKE HAGEN The Daily Republic

Courtesy photo

South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks has spent $2.4 million on Canada goose depredation since 2010. In that time, the population peaked at 270,000 resident geese in 2012 and has dropped to 155,000 this year.

PIERRE — Controlling the overabundant population of South Dakota’s resident Canada geese has cost millions of dollars in recent years, but the efforts seem to be paying off.

Officials say a number of factors — including a special August Management Take — have helped in the decline of an estimated 115,000 resident Canada geese in South Dakota in the past five years. During that time, the GF&P has spent $2.4 million on goose depredation.

“It’s been a big, challenging issue over many, many years,” said Keith Fisk, the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department’s Wildlife Damage Program administrator. “So it’s really nice to see that population start to nose over and decrease.”

The recent peak in the Canada goose population came in 2012 when there were 270,000 in the state, according to numbers estimated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This spring, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated there were 155,000 resident Canada geese in South Dakota.

The decline in numbers should be pleasing to the state’s farmers, because groups of Canada geese are known for damaging sections of corn, beans and wheat fields.

Because of that, GF&P has put forward hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to control the population. As goose numbers increased, so did the funding to mitigate damage.

In 2012, GF&P spent about $717,000 on Canada goose depredation, which includes installing electric fencing, initiating buffer-strip contracts, destroying nests and other programs.

But now that the population has dipped, less has been spent on controlling Canada geese. In 2015, which had its fiscal year end June 30, $384,000 was spent.

“We certainly have issues with (agriculture) depredation,” said GF&P Senior Waterfowl Biologist Rocco Murano. “That’s where the vast majority of that money goes to. The vast majority of the geese are on private land, so we have to have a balance between landowner and sportsmen expectations of the population.”

See GEESE, Page A13

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

SD set for strong year of duck hunting National number of birds continues record rise

By ERIC MAYER The Daily Republic

Courtesy photo

In this undated photo, ducks swim atop a pond of water during the fall season.

Waterfowl hunters should expect another strong season in South Dakota.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service breeding pair and habitat survey, a record number of 49.5 million ducks were counted in the United States and Canada, up from the 2014 total of 49.2 million.

South Dakota Department of the Game, Fish and Parks Senior Waterfowl Biologist Rocco Murano said the growth in duck population comes down to water conditions.

“We’ve had consecutive years of very good water across the majority of the Prairie Pothole region,” Murano said. “In South Dakota, we were dry in May, but that was the exception in the entire breeding area for continental waterfowl. We’ve had consistent water across the region.”

While the survey found that duck numbers and pond numbers dropped from 2014, Murano said summer and recent rains should provide hunters with plenty of ample opportunities.

“Fewer ducks settled in South Dakota, but that’s the nice thing about migratory birds, they can go to where the water is,” Murano said. “We have fewer ducks in South Dakota breeding, but we have got a lot of rain from mid May to late September.

We’ve had very good rains in June, July and August, so the birds that did breed in South Dakota should have had really good breeding conditions.”

In eastern South Dakota, the May 2015 pond estimate was 21 percent lower than the 2014 number of 772,000, but 11 percent higher than the long-term average.

The total duck estimate was 19 percent below last year’s number of 4.07 millions ducks and 42 percent above the long-term average. Mallard numbers were similar to 2014 but still higher than the long-term average of 536,000.

Murano said based on what he’s seen during his time out in the field, South Dakota waterfowl hunters shouldn’t have See DUCKS, Page A12

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DEER

Continued from Page A6

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In this undated photo, a whitetail deer buck stands on a hillside ridge.

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“We can get two hard winters in a row here.

There’s no ability to predict that,” he said.

“There’s a lot of things that impact deer population and we hope that deer will continue to grow. Our mule population is growing slowly though. But we will have to wait in see.”

In terms of hunting licenses issued, the results have been a mixed bag.

For East River deer, 26,825 regular resident licenses will be issued, a 3 percent increase from last year. Meanwhile, West River will issue 18,060 regular licenses, a 1 percent decrease from a year ago.

There were 31,949 licenses issued for the 2014 East River Firearm Deer season (26,083 regular, 656 Special Buck and 5,210 Landowner Own Land Only) for a total of

39,161 tags.

Lindbloom said the rise in East River licenses could be attributed to white tail deer populations in the central part of the state growing, giving more opportunities for hunters.

There were 22,771 licenses issued for the 2014 West River Firearm Deer season (19,828 regular, 1,000 Special Buck and 1,943 Landowner Own Land Only) for a total of 25,749 tags.

Statewide in 2014, there were a total of 94,274 licenses sold that represented a total of 104,464 tags, a decrease in 15,583 licenses and 54,653 tags from 2013.

Hunting season for deer begins in the East River on Nov. 21 and ends on Dec. 6. Antlerless Only tags are valid Dec. 26 through Jan. 3. “Any” deer tags no longer convert for this extended season. The West River season starts on Nov. 14 and ends Nov. 29.

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

PHEASANTS Continued from Page A5

population,” Runia said. “On a year to year basis, it’s really weather that drives the boat.”

The report from GF&P says the abundance of birds is highest in the Missouri River corridor, including in The Daily Republic’s coverage area.

In the Chamberlain area, the 2015 survey showed 8.84 pheasants per mile, up 35 percent from last year. The Winner area is up to 5.97 pheasants per mile, up 58 percent from a year ago.

Mitchell is up 49 percent this year, now at 4.55 pheasants per mile. All three areas remain below their 10-year averages, though, and the decade-long downward trend of lost habitat is a concern.

But for this year, the hunting should be strong. The improvement in the bird population has been witnessed first-hand by Marshall Springer, who owns Buffalo Butte Ranch, a hunting lodge that operates 18 miles

on a local city, and the index current habitat situation.” value of each local city area is Mike Stephenson, who works then compared to index values of as a regional field representative the previous year and the 10-year for Pheasants Forever, said the average. Statewide, 85 of the 109 birds had no problems bouncing back in the places that have great survey routes showed an increase habitat. But the state has seen its in pheasants per mile from 2014.

Stephenson said the effort and Conservation Reserve Program, attention focused on pheasants is or CRP, acres drop from nearly working.

1.5 million at its peak in 2007 “There’s been a lot of attention to about 880,000 acres in South on the state and local levels and Dakota during 2014. people realize how big a part From late July through mid-August, GF&P surveyed 109, of the economy,” Stephenson said. “There’s always going to be 30-mile routes across the state elements that are outside of our to estimate pheasant production and calculate the PPM index.

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control, such as the weather. But the habitat, we can control, and I think if we do that, you’ll have that bounce back.”

Runia said it’s a good sign there was consistent growth in population numbers across the state.

“You look back at 2013, and that was a hunting season that probably left a lot of people with a sour taste in their mouth,” he said. “We’re trying to get back on track and I think it’s paying off.”

The statewide pheasant season opens Oct. 17.

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north of Gregory. His family has been hosting hunters on their lands for about 50 years.

“A month ago, when they were just starting to hatch, we were seeing all kinds of birds,” Springer said. “Now that we’ve had so much rain, the cover has really grown. You don’t see as many birds now, but you know they’re out there.”

He said once they get out in the field and do some hunting, he expects a fun season.

“We were really optimistic,” Springer said. “We’re going to see some of the improvements over the last few years, mainly because we’ve had a few mild winters in a row and that’s really helped us.”

The survey index remains 56 percent below a recent high in 2008, when hunters bagged nearly 2 million birds.

“We’re about half of the level we were at in 2007 and 2008,” Runia said. “A lot of those 10-year averages came at the time when we had a lot of things going right, and it’s going to be tough to get back to that at the

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

SD GF&P offering e-licenses on smartphones this fall

By ERIC MAYER The Daily Republic

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks department is now offering hunters, anglers and trappers the option to carry their licenses electronically on their smartphone devices ( A ndroid, iPhone, etc.) .

This electronic version is now an acceptable method of carrying a small game, fishing or trapping license. If you choose to print and carry a paper copy of your small game, fishing or trapping license, that continues to be an allowed practice.

Before heading to the field this fall, hunters, anglers and trappers can now log into their GF&P account from their device and view their small game, fishing or trapping license and take a picture or screenshot of it with their device. The license will have a barcode in the upper right hand corner and this barcode allows GF&P officers to electronically scan the

license on the smartphone device.

GF&P communications manager E mily K iel said offering electronic license on smartphone devices is something the GF&P has wanted to do in recent years.

“W e just needed to ensure our conservation officers were eq uipped with the hardware and technology to be able to check licenses electronically,” K iel said via email to the The Daily Republic. “A llowing people to save their small game hunting, fishing and trapping license to their smartphone is just another customer service feature that we have initiated to meet the needs of our customers and those who hunt, fish and trap in South Dakota.”

K iel said the electronic licenses are convenient for hunters, anglers and trappers, as well as GF&P officers.

“GF&P conservation officers carry smartphones with app technology that allows them to electronically scan the barcode or Q R

code on individual licenses from smartphone devices while in the field in lieu of a paper copy,” K iel said. “They do not need cellular coverage from their phones to do the scan.”

K iel said hunters, anglers and trappers can take a picture of the paper copy of an electronic license and store in on their smartphone device or log into their GF&P account and take a screenshot.

The electronic license does not apply to federal waterfowl stamps, tags and licenses mailed from the GF&P licensing office. These stamps, tags and licenses must be carried in the field while hunting and all tagging req uirements apply.

H unters, anglers and trappers should also be prepared to provide a driver’s license, state-issued ID card or another form of valid identification upon req uest by a conservation officer or another law enforcement officer in addition to the license.

DUCKS

Continued from Page A9

trouble finding ducks.

“I saw a lot of ducks, and I think local duck production should be pretty good,” he said. “H unting water should be good. A t least right now, it looks promising.”

Duck limits will be similar to last year with a six-duck bag limit of which may be comprised of no more than five mallards.

It’s also the second year of the bonus blue-winged teal limit. Typically, the fall teal hunting season is a short-lived event and teal are one of the first species to migrate out of the area. The bonus season allows two additional teal to be taken for the first 16 days of the season ( Sept. 26-Oct. 11) . This allows for 8 ducks to be taken ( as long as 2 bluewinged teal are part of the bag) until Oct. 11.

“The bonus blue-wing teal is an attempt to allow northern production states a chance at harvesting some extra bluewing teal, which has a high

harvest potential,” M urano said. “The three-year experiment will be evaluated by the U.S. Fish and W ildlife service and will see if there’s any impact on blue-wing teal.”

This year, duck season started on Sept. 26 and ends Dec. 8 for the L ow Plains N orth and M iddle z ones, which cover all of eastern South Dakota except the southern border. Duck season opens Oct. 10 and ends Dec. 22 for the L ow Plains south z one, which is the southern border of eastern South Dakota. The H igh Plains, which is all of W est River and some areas east of the M issouri River, begins on Oct. 10 and ends J an. 14, 2016.

Right now, there are around 13,000 active duck hunters in South Dakota and M urano said the sharp decline of duck hunters maybe over.

“Duck hunters have leveled out,” M urano said. “W e had a decline from the late 19 9 0s to mid-2000s, but it’s largely leveled out. W e’re not seeing a big increase or decline, it’s basically stabiliz ed.”

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

GEESE

Continued from Page A7

The GF&P issued its first-ever Resident C anada Goose M anagement Plan in 19 9 8, and issued updated versions in 2005 and 2010. Fisk said a new five-year plan will be assembled sometime in early 2016.

One of the purposes of the management plan is to provide objectives on populations so there is enough geese for hunters to harvest, but not too many to be a nuisance. W hile it’s encouraging there has been a dip in resident C anada goose numbers recently, the state is still above its current management goal of 80,000 to 9 0,000.

“There are hunters who want to see the population stay high for more opportunities, and landowners who want it lowered,” M urano said. “The management plan helps try to balance those expectations and desires.”

Part of the 2010 management plan suggested South Dakota residents receive a new A ugust M anagement Take, which was implemented later that year. A t the time, the resident population of C anada geese was 165,000.

From 2010 to 2014, hunters have harvested 135,367 C anada geese during the A ugust M anagement Take, which is only for counties in which C anada geese have proven to be nuisances on crops, mainly

eastern and northeastern South Dakota.

Daily bag limits started at eight in early years of the A ugust M anagement Take and later jumped to 15. This year, the A ugust M anagement Take started on A ug. 15.

Fisk pointed out there are other factors infl uencing the decline in the resident population. There is an early C anada goose hunting season for a wider range of the state that starts on Sept. 1. Sportsmen A gainst H unger has opened arms to receiving C anada goose meat to give to needy families, which encourages harvest.

A nd weather dynamics, including brutal weather in 2013 that saw cold temperatures and a bliz z ard in M ay, infl uenced the birds’ breeding success.

“H arvest definitely plays a pretty significant role, but we can’t put all the credit out there on hunting,” Fisk said.

A stakeholder group, M urano said, has already been organiz ed to discuss components for the new Resident C anada Goose M anagement Plan, including a potentially new figure for the management population goal. H e said any components to the plan are open for public commentary.

Fisk and M urano both emphasiz ed people get involved if they feel passionately about the number of resident C anada geese in South Dakota.

“W e’re starting here in September and it will be a six- to nine-month process to revise the management plan,” Fisk said.

Make plans to attend – all are welcome!

30th Annual

Pheasant Country PF Chapter Banquet and Auction The Chapter with the Largest PF Membership Banquet in US and Canada ”Mitchell’s Pheasant Opener Kickoff Celebration”

At the World’s Only Corn Palace

Friday, October 16th, 2015 Doors Open at 5:00pm

Includes a roast pheasant dinner with a cash bar The Corn Palace will be decked out in beautiful fall colors!!

Over 50 guns to be given away!

Auction includes: Canada Bear Hunt, Buffalo Head, Mark Anderson, John Green, James Green, Nicole Heitzman original artwork finished at the Banquet, a Puppy, Custom Pistol, and many more unique items…

Numerous Raffles: Mystery Gun, Winner Take all Table, Youth Gun Pyramid, Dice game, Cabela’s table, Winchester shell pyramid, silent auction, $1,000 Case of Cash, 30 Gun Raffle Bash, 3 gun YOUTH pyramid, a Miller Lite Table, and many more raffles!

Veteran’s Raffle, Free to all Veterans Over 50 Guns to be Given away!

TICKETS: Tickets can be purchased from committee members, at the door, Leader Hardware, and also at Cabelas’s on October 15th & 16th.

Only 650 tickets will be sold on a first come basis. We have had a huge response and apologize in advance for anyone who does not receive a ticket.

Contact: Dave Allen, President (605)996-8649 or dallen0570@hotmail.com Brad Zimmerman (605)770-7095 for more information

www.pheasantcountry.org

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

Staying healthy for the hunt Hunters at risk for heart attack encouraged to check in with doctors

Republic File Photo

Hunting is an enjoyable activity for many South Dakotans, but it’s not without risk for those with medical conditions.

While you’re getting your hunting gear together this fall, it’s also important to make sure your body is ready for the increased activity and time spent plodding through nature.

In addition to accidents that happen this time of year, heart attack is also a concern for hunters, said Dr. David Balt, with Avera Medical Group Emergency Medicine Mitchell. This is a great time to check in with your provider, especially if you are managing a chronic condition such as heart disease, asthma or diabetes.

“Your provider can help make sure you’re healthy for the hunt, so you can have fun in the fields,” Balt said.

If you have known issues with your heart or lungs your provider may recommend a lung or heart screening but it doesn’t necessarily mean you should stay home.

“We hate to tell people you can’t do things,” said Dr. Nathan Timmer of Avera Medical Group Family Medicine See HEALTHY, Page A15

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

HEALTHY

Continued from Page A14

Mitchell. “If you feel well and your doctor says it’s OK, then go hunting, but you need to be prepared.”

Here are a few tips for getting ready for the hunt: • Check in with your provider for a routine physical.

• Be ready for stressful conditions such as dust or elevation changes that can affect your health.

• Make sure to bring your medications and take them as prescribed.

• Be prepared with supplies for any medical needs while you are out, such as low blood sugar or an asthma attack.

• Wear layers so you are ready for both warm and cold weather.

• Stay hydrated before, during and after your outings.

• Be ready for the increased exercise by walking more before your outings.

Adults should do some activity for 30 minutes on most days of the week, whether that’s walking, running, swimming, biking, playing sports, etc.

“I think people should exercise all year to stay in shape,” Timmer said. “It’s not something they can think about in the middle of August and be ready for

September. You need to be walking more than you’re used to and remember that walking in a field is going to be more difficult than walking on a sidewalk or roadway.”

If you’re out of condition, you may feel a little out of breath as you’re out walking the fields. But shortness of breath also is among warning signs of heart attack, along with the following: • Chest discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

• Discomfort in the upper body: in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach • Other symptoms such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness While chest pain is the most common symptom of heart attack, women can experience a heart attack without the chest pressure. Instead, they may experience shortness of breath, pressure or pain in the lower chest or upper abdomen, dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting, upper back pressure or extreme fatigue.

If you or one of your hunting companions develops symptoms like this out in the field, don’t wait: Call 911.

— Source: Avera Health

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

Matt Gade/Republic

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HUNTING

GUIDE

A special supplement to The Daily Republic and Advisor

Section B

Game meat donations down but future promising

By RON FOWLER South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger

Donations of game meat to needy families by hunters through South Dakota Sportsmen A gainst H unger ( SA H ) were down in 2014 due to decreased deer harvest but the forecast for 2015 is optimistic. Deer populations are starting to recover from unusually high losses in recent years, and the number of deer hunting licenses for 2015 have been increased in a number of areas including E ast River and the Black H ills.

In addition to a favorable outlook for deer donations,

ANALYSIS an additional increasingly significant source of game meat has been C anada geese and pheasants. W ith about eq ual amounts of C anada geese and pheasants being donated the total increased from about 9 ,000 pounds in 2013 to over 11,000 pounds in 2014. A s populations of these game birds continue to be the same or higher than last year, and as hunters become increasingly aware of the opportunity for donating game birds, donations are expected to continue to increase.

E ven though donation of game meat from all sources decreased from 48,100 pounds in 2013 to 37 ,600 pounds in 2014, the number of meals of meat provided to needy families is still significant ( over 150,000 meals in 2014) .

H owever, much more is needed. A ccording to Feeding South Dakota, one in eight people of South Dakota live at poverty level and one in five kids go to bed hungry. A primary need is fresh meat which is in high demand and difficult for lower income families to afford. Of particular demand is game meat because of its nutritional value

in having low fat and high protein content.

The willingness and ability of hunters to provide this much-needed meat to poverty-level families has continued to grow in relation to opportunity. A dditionally, SA H continues to look for and utiliz e other opportunities for obtaining game meat such as from city deer reduction programs, salvageable road-kills, and game confiscated by the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks.

A nd with help of the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks in publiciz ing

opportunities for donation of game meat through SA H , the 40-plus game processors across the state who process donated game meat at reduced fees ( SA H helps pay for processing of antlerless deer) , and the numerous food pantries associated with Feeding South Dakota who distribute donated game meat to needy families, the future of SA H being able to arrange for donation of game meat to needy families is promising.

For more information on South Dakota Sportsmen A gainst H unger and how to donate, visit www.feedtheneedsd.com

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

Minn. follows SD’s lead in creating pheasant plan Neighboring state wants to increase quality and quantity of habitat acres

By DAVE ORRICK Forum News Service

NICOLLET, Minn. — Amid a backdrop of prairie grasses in a landscape dominated by corn and soybeans, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton released a 10-point plan in September intended to increase the number of pheasants and pheasant hunters in the state.

The plan focuses on increasing protected native grasslands on public and private property in the pheasant’s range — roughly the southern half of the state — as well as increasing the quantity and quality of acreage open to public hunting.

From focusing on creating larger, connected complexes of wildlife habitat to rekindling near-dormant efforts to protect grasses in roadside ditches during spring nesting season, the plan gives weight to many ideas conservationists and pheasant and duck hunters have been demanding for years.

The popular game bird and its related hunting culture and economy are the primary targets, but water, monarch butterflies, birds and bees should be ancillary beneficiaries, Dayton said.

“Pheasants are one barometer,” Dayton said in announcing the “Pheasant Summit Action Plan,” the work product of a December Pheasant Summit convened by Dayton. A pheasant hunter himself, Dayton called the summit, in response to a years-long decline

of pheasants on the landscape and pheasant hunters in the field.

The move follows what neighboring South Dakota did at the end of 2013 and through 2014, with Gov. Dennis Daugaard leading a pheasant habitat summit and putting forth a plan to help deal with concerns about the South Dakota state bird’s dwindling population and habitat for the birds. In the last two years, state counts have shown an increase, although that’s been attributed to better weather through the winter and spring seasons.

The decline roughly parallels a decline in natural habitat through farm country.

At the sport’s height in 1961, Minnesota boasted 270,000 pheasant hunters; in 2014, that figure was roughly 58,000, according to state figures.

Dayton’s controversial plan to require natural vegetative buffer strips between row crops and waterways has been the highest-profile outcropping of the summit; stepping up the state’s buffer requirements and enforcement was the top priority expressed by the summit’s 350 or so attendees. But, in his words, buffers were just “a first step,” and implementation of the plan eventually approved by the legislature is considered part of the 10-point plan.

Few of the ideas are new, and many are echoed throughout an assortment of state policies and initiatives. But, supporters said, never before have they become state policy issued by the governor.

“This action plan provides a real way forward to improve upland habitat,” said Matt Holland, director of grant development for Pheasants Forever, a White Bear Lake, Minn.-based conservation organization that was among several interest groups involved in advising the Department of Natural Resources, which came up with the plan in consultation with farm groups and government agencies as well.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Landwehr said it would cost “hundreds of millions of dollars,” but it’s unclear exactly how much it will cost — or from where additional funding would come. One source identified by Landwehr and Dayton is the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, a sales tax-hike approved by voters in 2008.

“I can’t tell you how much it’s going to cost,” Dayton said to a supportive crowd at the Nicollet Conservation Club, about 20 miles west of Mankato. “But I can tell you what it’s going to cost if we do nothing.”

Without change, he said, water quality will continue to deteriorate, pollinators will continue to disappear, and the number of pheasants and pheasant hunters will continue to decline.

“There’s no magic bullet,” said Landwehr, a former pheasant biologist himself. “We know what we need to do to grow more pheasants in Minnesota … The difference here is the governor’s support, to be candid.”

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Safety Rules

2.To be extra safe, unload guns while traveling to and from the hunting site.

3. Always wear distinctive hunter’s orange clothing.

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4. When storing a gun, always unload it first.

5. Please be responsible, report any shooting of power equipment or lines to the local authorities.

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As another season begins, we ask hunters to pay extra attention to the rules of hunting.

1. Obtain specific permission before hunting on private property. Use current maps and pay careful attention to boundaries so as not to intrude on populated areas.

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

With waterfowl, early or late is the question of the season L uke H agen Managing editor lhagen@

mi tchellrepublic.com

There’s something to be said about the waterfowl hunters who stick it out throughout the season.

So many people hit the sloughs for duck opening weekend, and then they fizzle out as the weather gets colder and South Dakota’s other hunting seasons get underway.

It happens every year.

But what is it about opening weekend that drives people to get out?

Is it the warmer weather or the abundance or local ducks? Is it the thrill of shooting the blue-winged

teal that fill our potholes in Eastern South Dakota in September?

There’s nothing like seeing that first flock of ducks near your decoys on the first hunt of the year, especially since it’s been months since firing the last shot. With duck hunting, the old saying rings as true as ever: waiting is the hardest part.

Opening day is undoubtedly special.

Early-season duck hunting certainly has its perks, but there’s a darn good reason true waterfowl hunters stick it out throughout the season into the cold, windy days.

When the late-season migration gets underway, the flocks of fully colored mallards is a must-see. And those flocks can get big.

Really big.

It’s later in the season when the snow starts fly-

ing, and those weather patterns make ducks go into a frenzy. It’s late in the season when you earn your stripes as a waterfowler, fighting the conditions to see the massive strings of birds jumping from field to field while feeding.

While most waterfowlers at least hunt on opening weekend, there are some who then wait until late season to get serious.

Surely there are benefits of hunting ducks and geese early and late in the season.

Though, it’s sad that more hunters don’t follow the season start to finish.

It’s something to watch the different species of ducks migrate throughout the season, and it’s really something to be a part of it.

Early and late season provide for different opportunity, but what’s important is to enjoy what’s in

avoiding the cold temperatures. But a late-season hunt can bring success and fully plumed birds that are beautiful to admire.

No matter when you

decide to chase waterfowl, appreciate the hunt for what it is. Because the season is always worth the wait.

C ourtesy photo

A fl ock of ducks fl y ov er a rural, open body of water.

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

Area Missouri River parks to stay open longer this fall PIERRE — A recent agreement between several government agencies will keep three Missouri River state parks open longer this fall.

Visitors to Chief White Crane Recreation Area near Yankton, Randall Creek Recreation Area near Pickstown and Oahe Downstream Recreation Area near Fort Pierre will have several more weeks to enjoy the parks than in previous years.

Portions of the three parks, known roosting sites for bald eagles, would previously close as early as Oct. 1 to limit human impact in roosting areas. An updated agreement between South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, narrowed the closure period to Nov. 15 through the last Friday in March, based on a re-evaluation of park use.

Southeast Region Park

Supervisor Jeff VanMeeteren expects many park visitors to take advantage of the additional use period.

“There’s a growing trend in fall season use, from camping to outdoor recreation,” he said.

“These parks are very popular and I think folks will be thrilled to have some extra time to spend in them this fall.”

VanMeeteren reminds visitors to the parks to be respectful of the eagles in the area and obey all signage limiting use and access. During the closure period, no camping or vehicle traffic is allowed in the affected areas.

Camping reservations for the parks are accepted as much as 90 days before arrival at www. campsd.com or by calling 1-800710-2267.

— Source: South Dakota GF&P

SD moves to a multi-year setup for setting hunting seasons PIERRE — At the start of 2015, the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and

Parks moved to a new multi-year format for setting several hunting season schedules in South Dakota.

Historically, the SD GF&P and its commission reviews and discusses all hunting and fishing seasons as well as other regulatory items at monthly commission meetings held across the state.

At times, season date changes and regulation changes occur; especially to big game hunting seasons and corresponding license and tag allocations. At other times, no changes are made for several seasons for multiple years.

The multi-year season setting process was a recommendation of the independent big game management review in 2013.

“This revised process will help us be more efficient with our time and more effective with our management strategies,” stated Tony Leif, director of the GFP Division of Wildlife. “Setting multi-year seasons allows us to spend more time collecting important data and drafting plans to guide the direction of big game management and ulti-

mately the structure of the hunting seasons.”

Hunting seasons for big game species such as elk, deer, antelope, mountain lion, turkey and fishing regulations will now be reviewed and set in two-year intervals. Hunting seasons for species such as pheasant, quail, grouse, dove and partridge will now be reviewed and set in three-year intervals. Depredation hunts and any refuge seasons will also be reviewed and set in three-year intervals. Waterfowl and nonresident waterfowl hunting seasons will continue on an annual cycle due to the federal framework set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the new authority granted to the Commission to set nonresident license numbers and license distribution.

— Source: South Dakota GF&P

N.D. pheasant numbers up 30 percent

By Forum News Service

BISMARCK — North Dakota’s roadside pheasant survey conducted in late July and August

indicates birds are up 30 percent this year with the booming growth in the southern half of the state, while the northern half saw declines.

Stan Kohn, upland game management supervisor for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, said the survey also found brood observations were up 23 percent, while the average brood size was up 9 percent.

The summary is based on 259 survey runs made in late July and August along 105 brood routes across North Dakota.

“Our late summer roadside counts indicate pheasant hunters are going to find more birds in the southern half of the state this fall, with the southwest having the strongest population of young roosters,” Kohn said. “Hunters will also find average habitat conditions on the landscape.”

The 2015 regular pheasant season opens Oct. 10 and continues through Jan. 3. The two-day youth pheasant hunting weekend, when legally licensed residents and nonresidents ages 15 and younger can hunt statewide, is set for Oct. 3-4.

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

Get ready for an exciting fall season of hunting IN OTHER WORDS

pened that bodes well for the ringnecks longterm future.

Our new Brookings Dave Nomsen has been office is up and with Pheasants Forever since 1992. In 2014, he took over running. Thanks to as the organization’s South Governor Daugaard Dakota headquarters director and the South Dakota in Brookings, returning to legislature, the where he earned his master’s new South Dakota degree in wildlife manageConservation Fund has ment in 1992 from South been established and Dakota State University.

NOMSEN by this fall is expected to support the first It’s promising to be a great round of habitat focused projfall afield across South Dakota. ects benefitting pheasants and Whether chasing sharpies and other wildlife. In addition, the chickens, partridge, or our Governor has pledged an addiiconic roosters, time afield will tional $1 million in funding that be well spent. This past seawhen combined with an equal son, thanks to a little help from match will be available for even mother nature and excellent more habitat work. weather conditions, the birds The South Dakota field team responded and it areas of quality of farm bill biologists are ready habitat the birds are up substanand available to assist farmers tially over last year (some 42 and ranchers with designing percent statewide). high quality habitats that fit in In response to alarming drops harmony with existing operain pheasant numbers in 2012-13 tions. This team is in place with and the subsequent outcries for support from partners including assistance, much has hapthe South Dakota Game Fish

and Parks and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Popular projects right now include the available continuous conservation reserve program or CCRP practices including CRP –SAFE practices specifically designed to benefit pheasants.

Check out the newly released “habitat pays” website for more information.

Habitat does pay dividends — to local landowners for incorporating wildlife habitat needs into their operations, to pheasants and other wildlife, to local communities in terms of access for hunting, and environmental benefits for soil and water and to sportsmen and sportswomen afield.

Enjoy your fall afield across the great state of South Dakota.

Our rich hunting heritage will continue to grow and strengthen from times afield with families and friends. Importantly, our focus on improving the habitat base that is critical to preserving those traditions will continue.

Good Hunting!

Matt Gade/Republic

A group of roosters are piled on the ground during a hunting trip at Firesteel Creek Hunting Lodge off U.S. Highway 281 near Plankinton in 2014.

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

From 30 years ago, the story of my greatest shot is a ‘tad unbelieveable’ Roger Wiltz Freelance columnist

rwiltz@charles-mix.com

The hunting tale I spin today is a tad unbelievable. Whitetail bucks don’t round up twenty does at a time, and deer herds don’t often run single file at forty yard intervals. This being said, I’ll give you my word that the following occurred exactly as described.

When The Daily Republic informed me that it was once again time for the annual hunting guide story, I wondered what I would write about.

Our mail that day included a copy of the 2015 Sporting Classics magazine’s annual Guns & Hunting edition, a special publication in addition to

the bi-monthly issues. I soon learned that the magazine contained a feature called “My Greatest Shot,” a description of greatest shots by six notable outdoor writers. After reading the piece, I felt that some of my shooting encounters were equal to or superior to theirs. I now had a topic for this year’s Daily Republic Guide.

I borrowed an idea from Tripp native Ron Spomer, one of the six writers and a personal friend. Ron talked about ridiculous, lucky shots he called “Stupid Attempts.” He reminded me of myself as I’ve made such shots, and two personal “stupid attempts” come to mind.

When I was about 12, I received a Mossberg Model 46B .22 bolt-action repeater as a gift.

Dad, my brother, and I were target practicing out by an area quarry when I spotted a sparrow in a naked winter tree about 200 yards away. I put the scope’s crosshairs about two feet over his head and fired. He fell dead

from the tree. Stupid? Firing a gun into the horizon within Chicago city limits? The rifle should have been taken away from me. I still think about the Biblical line, “There’s a special providence in the fall of a sparrow.” Not too many years ago nostalgia made me buy a 46B at a Sioux Falls gun show.

I was 19 when I made my second “stupid attempt” shot.

I had just bought an H&R .22 revolver. It was springtime, and we were on a bluff overlooking a lake near Sinai. As ducks flew by beneath us, I took a 60 yard shot at a passing teal. By watching the water, I could tell how close I came to the duck.

The duck fell. I still harbor guilt feelings over that episode, but I suspect that many of us could relate a “stupid attempt” tale.

I’ll quote what Duncan Grant, one of the six, had to say. “Hunt for more than 60 years and you’ll likely make a handful of great shots.” I’ve carried a shotgun or rifle for more than 60

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years. Grant’s statement is right on. For this reason, it’s difficult for me to choose a greatest shot.

However, one does stand out in my memory.

The South Dakota 1985 East River deer season found Walt Nedved and me hunting some Missouri River bottom land near Choteau Creek. Victor, a Mexican exchange student who relished hunting, accompanied us. Though the day was moderately cold but wind free, conditions couldn’t have been much worse as crusty snow blanketed the ground. Moving quietly was impossible as we “telegraphed” our presence a half mile in front of us.

Choosing a stand on the Charles Mix County side of the Choteau Creek appeared to be my only workable option, but deer movement that morning was all but nonexistent, and I saw nothing. In the meantime, Victor decided to sit on top of the area’s highest hill and scan the slopes and bottoms for

movement with his binoculars.

He was excited when we met for lunch as he had seen a “beeg” buck bolt across the Choteau Creek with twenty does somewhere west of me. Though I was somewhat skeptical about his sighting, Victor was adamant.

Around sunset I began walking across a pasture on my way back to the pickup when a volley of gunfire erupted from the southeast. The continuing shots told me that whatever the distant hunters were shooting at had not been hit. There was also the chance, though slim, that the running game, hopefully a deer, might be coming my way. I froze midway across the pasture and faced southeast toward the Choteau.

Within twenty seconds a whitetail doe sprang into the southeast corner pasture and ran toward the northwest, crossing east of me at a distance of forty yards. Ten seconds later a second doe appeared. She See WILTZ, Page B10

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HUNTING GUIDE OCTOBER 2015

WILTZ

Continued from Page B9

was followed by and third and a fourth at 10-second intervals. The parade continued.

Victor’s 20 does then occurred to me. Would the 21st deer be Mr. “Beeg” Buck? I remained motionless but clearly visible.

Deer number 21 brought up the rear. He was physically large, and his antlers spread beyond his ears. As he closed within forty yards, he kicked it into high gear when I raised my Browning .30-06 bolt-action rifle. He had just begun a great leap, his front and hind legs outstretched as he rose higher into the air. I swung on him and fired when my scope’s crosshairs led him by a foot.

His head dropped as his hindquarters rose. He seemed to float like Air Jordan as his entire body did a full counter-clockwise 360 in mid-air.

That buck never heard the shot. Fortunately for me, Walt helped me drag him back to the pickup.

In wrapping up today’s feature, I want to comment on one of the other writer’s Greatest Shot, a shot taken by Larry Weishuhn. I was disappointed in Larry’s choice of what fellow writer Ron Spomer would have called a “stupid attempt.” Larry was in pursuit of a zebra stallion that had been killing foals on a Texas ranch. He killed the zebra at 783 yards with a brain shot from a Ruger Super Redhawk pistol in .480 Ruger caliber.

Though Larry once befriended me by critiquing my story “Choteau Creek Buck” before I submitted it for publication, it is my opinion that he had no business taking that shot.

Speaking of my story “The Choteau Creek Buck,” it was edited and published in South Dakota Magazine as ”Close Encounter at Choteau Creek.”

The shot I made in that story was no doubt better than the shot on the 21st deer, but the 21st deer stands out most in my mind’s eye. Google “Roger Wiltz – The Choteau Creek Buck,” and you can read that story.

Submitted photo from Roger Wiltz

Roger Wiltz, left, and his foreign exchange student friend Victor, right, pose with the prized big game in 1985.

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