Game Fish and Parks

COMMENTARY
Zebra mussels on a rock pulled out of Lake Kampeska at Watertown, and washed-up piles of aquatic weeds. (Brad Johnson, for South Dakota Searchlight)

State is content to be a benchwarmer in aquatic invasive species battle

BY: - September 22, 2023

Pathetic best describes South Dakota’s response as zebra mussels and other aquatic invasive species transform the state’s lakes and rivers. While Minnesota invests heavily in education and research to counter the impacts of zebra mussels, our state gives lip service.  Leadership flows down from Gov. Kristi Noem and, since protecting our water is not important […]

A duck hunter sits amid cattails and reeds along a publicly conserved wetland south of Madison. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

State launches efforts to fight duck-hunting decline and protect habitat

BY: - September 18, 2023

State officials are embarking on a comprehensive plan to boost duck-hunter numbers that have been declining for two decades, and to preserve waterfowl habitat in the process. The plan focuses on providing better access for hunters. It’s a joint venture between the South Dakota Wildlife Federation, the South Dakota Waterfowl Association, and the state’s Department […]

Members of the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission hear testimony during a meeting Sept. 7, 2023, in Watertown. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Commission denies expanded hound hunting for mountain lions after hundreds of comments

BY: - September 7, 2023

WATERTOWN — After receiving hundreds of written public comments, the state Game, Fish and Parks Commission denied a proposal Thursday that would have allowed the use of dogs to hunt mountain lions in a broader area of the Black Hills.  However, the commission directed the Department of Game, Fish and Parks to reassess its mountain […]

A human-made beaver dam in the Black Hills National Forest, which the Forest Service calls a “beaver dam analog.” (Courtesy of U.S. Forest Service)

Leave it to beavers to help restore streams in the Black Hills

BY: - June 11, 2023

Beavers may not realize it, but they’re at the heart of a project in the Black Hills National Forest to restore areas adjacent to creeks.  These spaces, called riparian zones, are crucial in maintaining water quality, preventing erosion, regulating water flow and providing habitat for aquatic and land animals.  Black Hills National Forest officials say […]

Ducks become flashpoint in growing debate over resident vs. nonresident hunting

BY: - May 24, 2023

HECLA — Alex Russo never intended to start a hunting lodge and guiding service. But he was honorably discharged from the Marines about a decade ago after serving overseas and suffering knee and back injuries. “Honestly, what I want to be doing is over there, serving with my brothers,” Russo said.  Russo always had a […]

Fish populations affected by severe winter kill, restoration efforts underway

BY: - May 11, 2023

Winter kills had a larger-than-average impact on the state’s fish populations in 2022-23, the state’s fisheries program manager told the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission last week. “It was, unfortunately, really prime conditions for winter kill across South Dakota,” said Jake Davis. “All regions experienced some winter kill to some level on some […]

A South Dakota hunter walks the tall grass with his dog.

Commission approves more out-of-state duck hunting licenses, despite opposition

BY: - May 4, 2023

Some South Dakota duck hunters are upset over the Game, Fish and Parks Commission’s Thursday decision to increase the number of duck hunting licenses available to hunters from outside the state.  The approved proposal allows for 100 more nonresident licenses, to be used on private land only, in two areas of the northeastern corner of […]

An antelope walks through dry grass. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

State caps non-resident archery licenses on public land

BY: - March 9, 2023

South Dakota will join most other states in capping deer and antelope archery licenses for out-of-state hunters on public land. The state Game Fish and Parks Commission unanimously approved the change Thursday at a meeting in Pierre. South Dakota had been one of the few states that allowed an unlimited number of non-resident bowhunters on […]

Dana Rogers, a spokesperson with South Dakota Bowhunters, testifies in a legislative committee on Jan. 2, 2023, at the Capitol in Pierre. (Joshua Haiar/SD Searchlight)

Bill to let landowners bag an elk every year gets grilled, dies in committee

BY: - February 2, 2023

PIERRE – The elk population is a “two-sided coin,” according to Jeremiah Murphy, a lobbyist for the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association. “It’s a trophy and it’s trouble,” he told legislators Thursday at the Capitol. A bill that tried to reconcile those two sides of the coin died in a legislative committee on an 11-1 vote. […]

Officials: Cause of Huron dam fish die-off unclear

BY: - January 24, 2023

A recently completed James River dam project was the site of a massive fish die-off in Huron last week, but state officials say the cause of the deaths is unclear. A state official says they are monitoring the situation on the ground and may restock the affected area of the river. The fish kill was […]

Game, Fish and Parks Secretary Kevin Robling addresses the Legislature's House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 17, 2023, at the Capitol in Pierre. (Joshua Haiar/SD Searchlight)

Public access programs enroll a record amount of private land

BY: - January 17, 2023

PIERRE — A record 1.48 million acres of private land are enrolled in public access programs around the state, according to the state’s Game, Fish and Parks secretary.  “We’ve never had that number that high before and it’s a compliment to the efforts from our teams up there working with producers, building relationships,” said Kevin […]

Kids float down French Creek; a sign stands near the city of Custer's treated wastewater discharge point along Flynn Creek. (Courtesy photos)

Landowners feel sidelined as Custer plans wastewater discharge into French Creek

BY: - December 16, 2022

Critics of a city’s decision to release treated wastewater into a scenic and historic Black Hills creek say it could pollute the water and is being done without sufficient input from affected residents. The city of Custer is upgrading its wastewater treatment system because of projected population growth and maintenance problems with the current system. […]