includes:
Numerous Raffles:
Here’s a list of what hunters need to know ahead of the hunting seasons in the Mitchell area.
► Pheasant
• Resident only: Oct. 8-10
• Statewide: Oct. 15 to Jan. 31, 2023.
• *Future opening dates: The pheasant season traditionally opens on the third Saturday in October, which is Oct. 21 in 2023 and Oct. 19 in 2024.
• *Shooting hours: 10 a.m. Central time to sunset for the entire season. (Central time is used for opening shooting hours statewide.)
► Prairie chicken/grouse
• Sept. 17 to Jan. 1, 2023.
► Ducks
• Low Plains — north zone: Sept. 24 to Dec. 6
• Low Plains — middle zone: Sept. 24 to Dec. 6
• Low Plains — south zone: Oct. 22 to Jan. 3, 2023.
• High Plains: Oct. 8 to Jan. 12, 2023.
► Deer
• Mentored/Apprentice: Sept. 10 to Jan. 1, 2023
• Archery: Sept. 1 to Jan. 1, 2023.
• East River: Nov. 19 to Dec. 5; Dec. 10-18 (antlerless only in Dec.)
• West River: Nov. 12-27; Dec. 10-18 (antlerless only in Dec.)
• Black Hills: Nov. 1-30
• Muzzleloader: Dec. 1 to Jan. 1, 2023.
(Mentored hunting is available for South Dakota residents only, and hunter safety practices are required for individuals ages 1216 who are not participating in a mentored hunt.)
► Antelope
• Archery: Oct. 17 to Oct. 31.
• Firearms: Oct. 1 to Oct. 16.
► Fall turkey
• Nov. 1 to Jan. 31, 2023.
*For those seasons not listed here, see the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department website at gfp.sd.gov.
• Cabela’s, 601 Cabela Drive.
• Coborn’s, 1800 N. Main St.
• Cubby’s, 1000 S. Burr St. or 1700 W. Havens Ave.
• Northside Sinclair, 1905 N. Main St.
• Runnings, 1313 S. Burr St.
• SoDak Sports, 515 E. Spruce Ave.
• Walmart, 1101 E. Spruce Ave.
• Westside Sinclair, 1527 W. Havens Ave.
► Resident fees
• Habitat Stamp: $10
• Combination (small game and fishing): $55
• Senior combination (age 65 and up): $40
• 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
► Non-resident fees
• Habitat Stamp: $25
• Small game (two 5-day periods): $121
• Youth small game, ages 12-15: $10
• Waterfowl (valid two, five-day periods, lottery only): $116
• Waterfowl (valid 3 days, lottery only): $81
• Predator/varmint: $40
• Furbearer: $275
• State migratory bird certification: $5
• Shooting preserve (annual): $121
• Shooting preserve (5-day): $76
• Shooting preserve (1-day): $46
• 2022 licenses are valid Dec. 15, 2021 through Jan. 31, 2023.
• 2023 licenses will be valid Dec. 15, 2022 through Jan. 31, 2024.
*Habitat Stamps are required for most hunting, fishing and trapping in South Dakota. License holders can purchase one-time, good for the entire license year. Purchase is not required for oneday licenses, any youth license, private shooting preserve licenses or landowner hunting licenses.
Weight: Male ring-necked pheasants weigh 2 to 3 pounds, while
average 2 pounds.
Length: Males measure 24-35 inches long with a rooster’s tail often accounting for more than 20 inches of that length. Hens are smaller with a much shorter tail.
Flight speed: 38-40 mph but can reach 60.
Favorite foods: corn, seeds, and insects.
Preferred habitat: undisturbed grass.
Average nest initiation: early May.
Average incubation start: late May.
Length of incubation: 23 days.
Average first hatch: mid-June.
Average clutch size: 12 eggs.
Average nest success: 40-60 percent.
Average hen success: 50-70 percent.
Average rate of chick survival: 50 percent.
Major nest predators: fox, racoon, skunk.
Major adult predators: man, fox, hawks, owl.
Survival rate: mild winter, good habitat, 95 percent.
Survival rate: severe winter, good habitat, 50 percent.
Survival rate: mild winter, poor habitat, 80 percent.
Survival rate: severe winter, poor habitat, 20 percent.
Mitchell Republic
Due to Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) being found by the Department of Game, Fish and Parks in deer and elk in many counties of central and western South Dakota, Sportsmen Against Hunger (SAH) required testing of donated deer and elk harvested by hunters in these areas the last two years.
However, testing results indicated a very small percentage of the deer tested positive for CWD. With the low CWD occurrence rate, and since public health officials have found no link between CWD and any neurological disease in humans, SAH is no longer requiring testing of donated deer and elk for CWD.
When adding to this the knowledge that hunters do not knowingly harvest sick animals, and game processors do not process meat which does not appear healthy, the risk of processed donated deer and elk meat being diseased or contaminated is extremely low.
Since there is still some degree of risk, SAH is putting a “Notice” label on the SAH burger bags of donated venison to say that the venison has not been tested for disease or lead contamination. This will let clients of food pantries, where the donated venison is made available to families in need, decide for themselves if they want to take and eat the meat.
Even with the requirement that hunters who took deer or elk from out-of-state or the CWD endemic
area of West River South Dakota had to have their animal tested for CWD before it could be donated, the number of animals donated remained high. In 2021, a total of 152 deer were donated by 134 hunters.
Other game donated by sportswomen and sportsmen last year included seven antelope, 258 pheasants, 2,417 Canada geese, and 480 walleye. With the additional salvage processing of elk and deer, such as from the Rapid City deer reduction program, the total amount of donated processed game meat last year was 18,615 pounds.
Adding this amount to historical donations since inception in 1993, Sportsmen Against Hunger, the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, participating game processors, and food pantries associated with Feeding South Dakota has now been responsible for more than 1 million pounds of game meat being provided to families near the poverty line. This translates into 4 million meals of meat for these families in need.
The mission of South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger is to encourage and facilitate donation of wild game meat to individuals in need in South Dakota. For families struggling with food insecurity, a primary shortage is fresh meat. Many families enjoy game meat because of its nutritional value, low fat, and high protein.
Mike Kuchera, Owner of Mike Kuchera’s South Dakota Guide Service Inc., Mitch ell, South Dakota, will be celebrating his 50th year in the pheasant hunting business with the 2022 South Dakota pheasant hunting season beginning on October 15th. Mike started hunting pheasants as a kid on the family farm in southeastern North Dakota with his dad and brothers. As a youngster he developed a deep passion for hunting birds and for wildlife and developing bird habitat. After high school, Mike moved to Mitchell and later created his own pheasant hunting guide service. In 1985, he became one of the founding members of Pheasant Country Ltd., Mitchell, which later affiliated with Pheasants Forever. It was in the late 80’s when he met Debra, who became his wife and partner in the hunting service. Debra runs a pack of Labrador retrievers and has run numerous hunting dog breeds throughout the years. She trains her dogs specifically for Mike’s service and handles them through out the season. Many of the hunters comment that they “just love to see Deb’s dogs work”. Mike and Debra thank God for their health and the many blessings bestowed upon them and for enabling them to continue following their passion for hunting and sharing it with others. Over the years, Mike and Debra have been able to escort groups to Scotland many times, which has been a bonus. They are thankful for the many friends they have gained from across the globe through this business. May everyone have a fun and safe 2022 pheasant hunting season!
PIERRE, S.D. — Timely rains across South Dakota have set the stage for an excellent pheasant hunting season in 2022.
That’s according to the recently released 2022 Ringneck Outlook from South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, which indicates the additional moisture in prime pheasant habitat country has helped break the drought conditions that plagued much of the territory during the 2021 season.
“South Dakota experienced spring and summer rains across much of the primary pheasant
range, which have been very positive for nesting and broodrearing habitat,” the report reads. “These rains turned much of the primary pheasant range lush and green, providing a surge in plant growth beneficial for nesting and brood-rearing habitat.”
The primary pheasant habitat zone occupies the east-central portion of the state and runs from the North Dakota border and Nebraska border.
The Ringneck Outlook essentially replaced the traditional pheasant brood count survey, which was discontinued in 2020
after 70 years. The new report is not based on science-backed numbers and is compiled through more anecdotal sources than its predecessor.
Tom Kirschenmann, director of wildlife for South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, indicated last month that conditions did indeed look good for hunters hoping to bag some birds this fall.
“We’re in a really, really good spot right now when it comes to pheasant hunting and pheasant production out there right now,” Kirschenmann told the GF&P commission at its meeting in July.
“Since three or four months ago, we’ve had some significant rainfall across the state, in particular in the primary pheasant range. Habitat conditions look fantastic out there right now.”
The combination of mild winters, such as the one in 202122, and normal temperatures and precipitation in the spring and summer have traditionally provided a boost to pheasant health and numbers, Kirsechnman said. Bird survival over the winter was likely excellent, according to the report, which means more nesting hens in the spring.
mean more water and food
survival
four to six weeks of life.
the
the crucial
“In the grand scheme of things, habitat conditions look great, whether it be finalizing those initial nesting attempts or renest attempts, we’re going to have quality habitat out there,” Kirschenmann said. “With great habitat, we’re going to have a brood habitat where those hens are going to be raising those young, and with that lush habitat comes a high number of bugs and insects, which is the primary food source for those young birds.”
Those older birds who were able to come through the mild winter are also more likely to survive the occasional severe weather event that can roll through during the summer, Kirschenmann said.
“We’ve had significant storm events all across South Dakota, not just in pockets. The great thing about those is that typically as birds get a little bit older they can survive those types of events,” Kirschenmann said in July. “Very localized events can certainly have an impact on bird numbers, but when you look at it from a statewide perspective, we don’t see or forecast a negative impact to pheasant production out there.”
SEASON: Page 8
The pheasant hunting season
provides a major
impact to the state economy, drawing hunters from inside the state, outside and state and even internationally. In 2021, the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks estimates that resident hunters generated $86.4 million in revenue for the state, while non-resident hunters brought in $160.4 million, for a total of $246.8 million.
Resident hunters, which numbered 54,411 last year, and non-resident hunters, which numbered 75,606, harvested 473,728 and 593,695 birds, respectively, for a total of 1,067,423 total, according to statistics from South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks.
Brown County topped the list of dollars generated by resident and non-resident hunters in 2021, with $4.2 million and $12.4 million brought in, respectively, for a total of $16.6 million. Lyman County was second with $2.4 million and $9.3 million, totaling $11.7
million; Brule County was third with $2.3 million and $9.2 million for a total of $11.5 million and Tripp County came in fourth with $2.2 million and $9 million for a total of $11.3 million.
Davison County just missed the top 10, coming in 11th with $2.1 million and $5 million, totaling $7.1 million.
Officials hope to see this year’s pheasant season at least match, if not exceed those numbers. And while conditions look positive for the start of the season, there are potential challenges every year.
“Certainly there is always the concern this time of year of all the haying activity going on, but that is nothing new. That is something that happens and coincides with the pheasant hatch and those new broods coming out,” Kirschenmann said.
The 2022 Ringneck Outlook also indicated that South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks is prioritizing cultivating good habitat for state wildlife, such as the kind found on land
enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program. The GF&P is looking at enrolling the James River Watershed Conservation Resource Program (CREP) to the fully allocated 100,000 acres and enrolling 25,000 in a new Big Sioux Watershed CREP.
But all in all, hunters of every stripe should find birds when they head out on the hunt in the coming weeks.
“We are very, very positive and very optimistic of what we’re seeing right now, just because of the rain events and what that has done for habitat conditions, and we anticipate those things will carry over into the fall,” Kirschenmann told the commission in July. “It’s great to have rain because it always has an impact on that necessary habitat for nesting and for brood survival and raising those young chicks out there. I would say things look beyond fantastic right now.”
The resident-only pheasant hunting season runs from Oct. 8-10 and the traditional season from Oct. 15 through Jan. 31.
MITCHELL
new partnership between
Unlimited and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is part of a five-year project and $17 million
and much of eastern South Dakota, in addition to parts of North Dakota and Montana, is set to benefit.
Part of a region known as the Prairie Pothole, 34 of 44 counties in eastern South Dakota are included in the target area of a Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) known as the “Scaling Soil Health in the Prairie Pothole Region” project.
Announced in June 2022, the project’s goal is “to help farmers and ranchers improve soil health, restore grasslands and improve rotational livestock grazing infrastructure,” per a Ducks Unlimited press release from June.
With RCPP roots in the so-called farm bills of 2014 and 2018 and funding coming from the USDA as part of a five-year grant, the project has several avenues available to reach one overarching outcome.
“One of our primary goals is to keep those wetlands intact and healthy and try to find ways to work with farmers and ranchers to keep them involved in working lands conservation in a way that makes sense for them,” said Bruce Toay, the manager of conservation programs for Ducks Unlimited in South Dakota.
According to Toay, a resident of Ipswich, a new opportunity was identified in the more recent farm bill through an element called the “alternative funding arrangement.” Generally, it allowed increased flexibility for conservation partners to deliver cost-share programs, leading to this three-state RCPP proposal, which was put together in 2020.
“The project will enable the integration of cover crops and small grains into reduced tillage cropping systems and the restoration of large tracts of native grassland. Livestock grazing infrastructure assistance for things like fencing and water development will also be available,” Ducks Unlimited said.
As Toay puts it, the RCPP, which also includes conservation partners in South
Dakota such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, South Dakota Grassland Coalition and South Dakota Soil Health Coalition is “bringing together a lot of attractive conservation practices in a way that we hope will be attractive to farmers and ranchers.”
But there are also components of the project that include education — part of which includes mentorship programs available through various partners — and data collection to help quantify the RCPP’s effectiveness in efforts such as improving soil health.
Though the current RCPP and grant have a five-year timeframe connected, Toay wants to see such efforts continue for many years beyond.
“It has to make sense for them to have a long-lasting impact,” Toay said of the project and accompanying programs. “As these farm bills develop, I’m hopeful we can continue a Phase 2 or 3 down the road once we figure out a model that works. There are always things that we haven’t thought of, so part of the program is we want to learn from the producers we work with. … We certainly want to be adaptive in a way that’s going to help us build better in the future.”
-Bruce Toay, the manager of conservation programs for Ducks Unlimited in South Dakota
BY ZECH LAMBERT Mitchell Republic
MITCHELL — Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is an issue that’s becoming more and more prevalent throughout South Dakota.
CWD is a disease that affects deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer and moose, according to the CDC. It often isn’t noticeable in the animal until later stages, but it spreads easily through bodily fluids.
In recent years, the disease has spread east of the Missouri River, and in an attempt to stop the human spread of the disease, the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks implemented regulations roughly two years ago with regards to carcass transportation and disposal.
While Hunters can transport a deer or elk anywhere in the state, they are required to “dispose of all carcass remains with a waste management provider” if they transport it to another county than where it was harvested, according to the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks website. And while hunters are not
required to dispose of carcasses in a landfill if they remain in the county of harvest, it is still illegal to dispose of the remains on public lands or on a road ditch.
Steve Griffin is a big game and wildlife biologist and said despite the implementations of the regulations there’s no way to track if they are effective.
“There’s no way to measure it,” Griffin said about the rate the disease spreads. “What you can assume is with the regulations that it will move slower, because the disease will not be transported around as readily.”
Still, it’s impossible to completely stop the spread since CWD will still naturally spread. When there is a positive case, the Game, Fish and Parks will test the next year within a 25-mile radius. Such is the case in Buffalo County, just east of the Missouri River.
With a hunter reporting a case there last year, testing will be done within 25 miles of the area where the positive case was found to see if the disease has spread or not.
“(In) Buffalo County, we basically know that it’s probably there. So we’re moving on and putting our effort to the counties to the east of that to see if it’s in those counties,” Griffin said. “We’re trying to follow the front of the disease and the best way to do that with our manpower and cost and all of that is to move to wherever might be going and follow that front to determine where it is.”
With no way of telling if the regulations are working or not, Griffin said there are no plans to implement any further regulations, citing the ones in place are already “pretty restrictive.”
As the second full year that the regulations have been in effect rolls around, Griffin is urging hunters to submit samples when requested.
He expects South Dakota’s CWD rules to remain as-is for years to come.
“They will be the same in effect this fall again and I would expect that this would be (that) they’re set rules,” Griffin said. “We have to follow them every year. … We appreciate the support of our hunters when we ask for samples because that assists us in finding out what’s going on with the disease in the state.”
In the South Dakota CWD Surveillance period of July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022, a total of 1,314 samples were collected for CWD surveillance. Of the 118 elk sampled, 10 were found to be positive for CWD; 13 of 221 mule deer sampled were positive with CWD and 31 of 975 white-tail deer were positive with CWD.
All it took was one guy to say, “Sure, go ahead” to restore my hope in South Dakota hunting.
The first few weeks of my first fall here were tough sledding.
But a McCook County landowner changed the sour tune’s note to positive.
That’s been nearly 15 years ago, and boy, do I still appreciate that permission slip.
LUKE HAGEN
I ran into some head-shaking and sorrys when I knocked on doors to ask if I could access someone’s property and chase ducks and geese.
Getting landowner permission is earning a Willy Wonky golden ticket. Not necessarily because getting access is elusive or hard to find, but because you feel so great when you’ve got it. You leave the doorstep from the farmer’s house feeling the same way as those kids in the movie when they open the candy bar and see they’ve landed some luck.
Remember, the hunting community needs private landowners and we need to appreciate them when getting access onto property.
It is intimidating to ask someone you don’t know for something you want. But landowners are always happy when you ask. These people are typically strong conservation-minded folk who think about how the environment impacts their land — it’s why wildlife are using that property in the first place. Agriculture and nature go hand-in-hand, and we as outdoor enthusiasts need to do a better job recognizing that. It also never hurts to drop off a gift card, an Easter ham or send a Christmas card with pictures from the hunt. Leave a good impression for all hunters.
It’s unfortunate when calling or asking for permission to hunt and hearing disappointing stories of previous hunters who’ve left gates open to allow for cattle to roam free, or left a garbage pile (including spent shotgun shells — pick them up please). It is true that one bad experience can ruin access for people for years down the road.
From Page 14
And while every year I’ve gotten denied permission here and there, sometimes due to those rulebreakers that I had nothing to do with, the green lights make it all worthwhile. I’ve met some fantastic people knocking on doors seeking hunting access, people who I’ve shared some of my life’s most cherished moments with and with whom I’ve made lifelong friendships.
A couple years after gaining access to that first landowner’s private property, I rolled into a tilled cornfield one early morning and a set of headlights and a trailer was already parked where I wanted to set up. Someone had beaten me to the spot.
I approached and rolled down my window. The other vehicle did the same.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Morning,” I responded. “You
must have permission, too?”
“Yeah. How many guys do you have hunting?” he asked.
“Three, including me.”
“Let’s set up together, all four of us can hunt together. I’m by myself.” he said.
Now, veteran hunters know that’s not always how those situations usually turn out. When a landowner gives access to more than one person and both want to hunt, most often a wrestling match ensues and an argument breaks out.
That morning, we were both just happy to be able to hunt where the birds wanted to be.
More than a decade later, he and I have spent hundreds of hours together hunting. We formed a bond and share a love of waterfowling and have enjoyed countless memories.
All because one landowner told a couple of guys they could hunt his field.
"IT IS IN INTIMIDATING TO ASK SOMEONE YOU DON'T KNOW FOR SOMETHING YOU WANT. BUT LANDOWNERS ARE ALWAYS HAPPY WHEN YOU ASK."
