SOUTH DAKOTA

STATE REPORT

Kelly Hepler, Secretary

South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks

523 E. Capitol

Pierre, SD 57501

Governor’s Pheasant Habitat Work Group

Back in October 2013, Gov. Dennis Daugaard announced that he would host a Pheasant Habitat Summit to discuss the future of pheasant habitat and hunting in South Dakota. That summit took place on Friday, Dec. 6, at the Crossroads Convention Center in Huron with approximately 400 interested individuals in attendance from landowners, sportsmen and women, conservationists, government officials, members of the tourism industry and others who were there to learn about pheasant habitat in South Dakota.

From there, Gov. Daugaard created a 13 member work group charged to identify ways to improve pheasant habitat compatible with agricultural production in the state. A combination of eight meetings and conference calls were completed by the group during the summer of 2014. A final report was submitted to the governor that September (2014) to carry out eight recommendations to enhance habitat efforts across South Dakota.

As of May 1, 2015, the following is a status update on each of the eight recommendations. More information on the work group’s efforts and a current status report can be found online at:

#1 Recommendation: Facilitate greater collaboration among conservation partners to better utilize available resources for improving habitat management.

  • Status Update: On December 10, 2014, the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks hosted a meeting with conservation partners to discuss the development of a habitat central website.
  • Status Update: On May 12, 2015, a smaller work group was developed to continue working on website ideas and its structure to further enhance partner collaboration. The group will continue to meet throughout the summer months.
  • Current Status: Tentative launch date for the habitat central website is September 2015.

#2 Recommendation: Establish a long-term, dedicated Conservation Fund and appropriate $1 million dollars in one-time funds to bolster private fundraising efforts.

  • Status Update: Governor Daugaard presented a $1.5 million dollar legislative bill (HB1192) for the establishment of the Conservation Fund.
  • Completed: December 5, 2014
  • Status Update: The Conservation Fund legislative bill (HB1192) was passed with an appropriation of $350,000 from the general fund.
  • Completed: March 13, 2015
  • Status Update: The Conservation Fund legislative bill (HB1192) was signed by Governor Daugaard.
  • Completed: March 30, 2015
  • Status Update: Form a small work group of select conservation partners to determine how to turn funding into habitat.
  • Current Status: First meeting took place on April 23, 2015, in Pierre. Conservation partners are drafting by-laws and selecting a Board of Directors to administer funds included in the Conservation Fund (legislative appointed funds and donations from the public).

#3 Recommendation: Develop and implement the South Dakota Conservation Certification Program.

  • Status Update: In the fall of 2014, a request for one full time employee (FTE) and base funding for FY2016 was submitted by the South Dakota Department of Agriculture to initiate the South Dakota Conservation Certification Program. Funding for the program may be pursued in future fiscal years when favorable state budgetary conditions return.
  • Current Status: Ongoing

#4 Recommendation: Create a “Habitat Pays” education and awareness campaign.

  • Status Update: In conjunction with recommendation #1, the same small work group comprised of staff from the South Dakota Departments of Game, Fish and Parks, Agriculture and Environment and Natural Resources, a Pheasants Forever Farm Bill biologist, two landowners and two staff from the SDSU Extension Office met on May 12, 2015. The group will begin a draft communications plan to identify, research and evaluate target audiences, key messages and barriers and delivery methods to further increase education and awareness of habitat management practices in South Dakota. In addition to that, the habitat central website will also be unveiled.
  • Current Status:The State is partnering with a well-known and respected marketing firm within the agricultural community to provide consulting and marketing services as we work to develop branding and messaging tactics to engage with key target audiences. The marketing firm will also provide video development and production and focus group testing services.

#5 Recommendation: Revisit the current practices pertaining to mowing public rights-of-way.

  • Status Update: The South Dakota Department of Transportation Commission held a public input session on November 20, 2014, to discuss current roadside mowing regulations. The Commission continues to review this topic and will determine whether new administrative rules are necessary to bring forward for public testimony.
  • Current Status: Ongoing

#6 Recommendation: Petition the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency (USDA-RMA) to include all South Dakota counties as eligible for crop insurance coverage on winter wheat.

  • Status Update: The South Dakota Department of Agriculture submitted a letter to USDA-RMA in
    support of the winter wheat insurance recommendation on January 30, 2015. This letter accompanied materials also submitted by South Dakota Wheat, Inc. and South Dakota State University.
  • Current Status: Most recently, USDA-RMA has sent this request in for further evaluation. A decision is anticipated in June.

#7 Recommendation: Encourage South Dakota School and Public Lands to include a land management plan as a condition for securing a lease.

  • Status Update: The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks began discussions during
    the winter of 2014 with School and Public Lands on the concept of implementing management plans.
  • Current Status: Ongoing

#8 Recommendation: Support Congressional efforts to raise the federal Duck Stamp from $15 to $25.

  • Status Update: The State of South Dakota expressed support to state delegation for the increase in the federal duck stamp.
  • Completed: Fall 2014
  • Status Update: Legislation passed and signed by the President.
  • Completed: December 18, 2014

Big Game Management Program Independent Review

In response to public concerns about big game management, an independent review was ordered of the department’s big game management programs. A Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued to examine the big game program and identify strengths and weaknesses, and provide recommendations to improve various aspects of the big game management program.

The review included public meetings, public comments received via electronic media, one-on-one interviews with representatives from identified interest groups or individuals of the public, interviews with commissioners (present and past), and interviews with GFP staff including administrators, biologists, and conservation officers

A 43-point action plan was generated by the department from the recommendations contained in final report and presented to the GFP Commission. The action plan was divided into four categories: population monitoring, management plans, communication, and commission regulation development. Thirty-seven of the 43 action points were either completed or begun in the first year of implementing the action plan. All action items were assigned a lead person(s) and are time bound. The GFP Commission is provided a status report for each action item at their regularly scheduled meetings following the completion date assigned within the action plan. A 2014 year-end review was provided, highlighting changes or completed activities within the four main categories.

The Work Plan from the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI), consulting contract with WMI, final report, and action plan are posted on the GFP website at

2014 Walk-In Area Program for Hunter Access

Over 1.25 million acres of private land were enrolled statewide in the Walk-In Area (WIA) program providing public hunting access by 1,370 cooperators. In 2008, GFP implemented the Controlled Hunting Access Program (CHAP) which provides additional flexibility for the landowner and more control of the number of hunters using the area. Ten CHAP areas totaling 20,851 acres were enrolled statewide in 2014.

Aerial Predator Control

South Dakota’s predator control program is operated cooperatively between South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP) and USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services (USDA-WS). SDGFP provides predator control primarily with ground methods (i.e. traps, snares, calling, shooting, poisons and limited aerial control) while USDA-WS provides predator control via aerial control. USDA-WS flies approximately 700 hours annually in South Dakota with SDGFP contracting for an additional 100-200 hours with private contract pilots.

In 2014, the number of requests for service was down 15 percent from the previous year. However, SDGFP staff still responded to over 1,200 requests for service regarding coyote predation to livestock (i.e. loss of livestock or potential loss) and removed over 6,500 coyotes in cooperation with USDA-WS and local predator control districts. In 2013, SDGFP increased predator control services by implementing additional hours of aerial predator control as well as adding three additional field positions. These additional resources have allowed SDGFP to provide more efficient services to better meet the demands of livestock producers.

Pheasant Population Status & Harvest

Pheasant hunting improved substantially compared to the 2013-2014 season when pheasant harvest dipped below 1,000,000 for the first time since 1997. Approximately 63,000 resident and 79,000 non-resident hunters bagged 1,233,000 roosters during the 79 day season. The 2014-2015 pheasant season harvest was lower than the previous 10-years average of 1,696,000. The estimated pre-hunt population of 7,524,000 birds was lower than the previous year and the previous 10-year average of 8,662,000. The increase in population from 2013 was likely in response to a mild winter and near normal moisture and temperature patterns during the important nesting and brood-rearing period. Although an inter-year increase in population occurred, pheasant abundance has trended downward since 2007 as CRP grassland acreage has been on a steady decline.

Canada Goose Depredation and August Management Take (AMT)

During the spring of 2014, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) estimated that nearly 175,000 resident Canada geese occurred in South Dakota, well above the state’s population objective of 80,000 to 90,000 birds. This population continues to exceed management objectives. Favorable nesting conditions, row-crop expansion, high commodity prices, and lowered landowner tolerance all contribute to high demand for assistance from the Department. Although down from a record high in 2012, SDGFP responded to nearly 700 requests for assistance regarding crop damage and spent more than $432,000 in 2014. SDGFP utilizes a diversity of wildlife damage abatement techniques which have proven to be successful at reducing crop damage and include: fencing, food-plots, vegetative buffer strips, hazing and the use of decoys and other deterrents as well as lethal control and egg addling techniques.

South Dakota also implemented its fifth “August Management Take” (AMT). The AMT utilizes sportsmen/women to harvest resident Canada geese with the goal of reducing the resident Canada goose population. In 2014 over 2,300 hunters harvested an estimated 20,671 Canada geese. In addition, SDGFP worked closely with the USFWS and the South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger program to allow interested commercial meat processors to obtain a special permit from the USFWS to process donated hunter-harvested geese that were ultimately distributed to local food pantries.

Avian Influenza

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N2) has been detected at commercial poultry operations in eight counties across South Dakota as of May 15. Our agency is partnering with USDA APHIS on sampling ducks in eastern South Dakota through a research project being conducted by South Dakota State University. Seventy-nine ducks were sampled with no high path-positive results. To date no wild bird mortality events have been observed and no wild birds have tested positive for HPAI in South Dakota. Future surveillance efforts will likely occur during pre-season banding operations as well as hunter harvested birds this fall.

Elk Management Plan

Following an extended 3-month public comment period, the GFP commission formally approved the Department’s Elk Management Plan. The re-establishment of elk in South Dakota is a wildlife management success story, as today several thousand wild elk roam free, primarily in the Black Hills forested region along with several smaller herds occupying prairie and agriculture landscapes. Public demand for elk hunting and viewing opportunities is strong and continues to increase. This plan provides important historical background and significant biological information for the formulation of sound elk management. Current elk survey methods and management tools are presented, along with a thorough discussion of objectives and strategies to guide management of this important resource into the future. This plan is intended to guide managers and biologists over the next five years, but should be considered a working document that will be amended as new biological and social data provide opportunities to improve management of elk resources. Furthermore, this plan will aid in the decision-making process of the agency and SDGFP Commission, and serves to inform and educate the sportsmen and women, landowners, and other publics of South Dakota to whom it will ultimately benefit.

The Black Hills population goal (excluding Custer State Park and Wind Cave National Park) is 7,000 elk, ranging from 6,000 to 8,000 depending on range and habitat conditions. South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks will adjust elk hunting licenses to slowly increase elk populations to this goal by 2019. The current population objective for Custer State Park (CSP) is 800, ranging from 700-900 elk. These goals were developed from the thorough analyses of elk population data, available habitat resources on public land, private land depredation issues, and substantial input from a wide variety of publics with an interest in elk management in South Dakota. While considering numerous factors that may impact population performance (e.g. available forage, drought, harvest, predation, human disturbance and landowner tolerance), SDGFP will adopt harvest strategies that will progressively allow the elk population to reach these population goals. Management unit direction will be based on an annual collection and evaluation of biological data, population performance models, habitat conditions, and social data.

The management of elk and their habitats can be complex for wildlife and habitat managers. While not an exclusive list, the following topics were discussed during the plan development and include: habitat; additional forage since the 1997 Black Hills National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan; depredation; inter-state and tribal coordination; prairie elk management; elk-vehicle collisions; hunting regulations; disease; captive cervid game farming; predation management; multiple use; and mining, energy development and transmission. These challenges and opportunities serve as the foundation for the objectives and strategies outlined in the plan and will be addressed to ensure this plan is successfully implemented.

To achieve these population goals, the following objectives have been identified.

  1. Maintain, manage, and protect existing elk habitat throughout the Black Hills
  2. Manage for biologically and socially acceptable elk populations in each elk management unit within the Black Hills, CSP, and Prairie units of South Dakota
  3. Manage elk populations in the Black Hills and CSP for quantity and quality recreational hunting opportunities, with an emphasis in CSP on view ability for visitors to the park
  4. Engage and collaborate with the public to manage elk populations and maintain “acceptableelk unit management directions”
  5. Cooperatively work with private landowners to resolve elk depredation to growing crops, stored-feed supplies, and private property
  6. Monitor and evaluate risk and impact of disease in wild elk herds in South Dakota
  7. Provide the public with access to private and public land for quality hunting opportunities
  8. Evaluate research and management needs and prioritize frequently
  9. Promote public, landowner, and conservation agency awareness of elk and habitat management issues of highest conservation concern
  10. Provide opportunities for public involvement in elk management. Time-specific and measurable strategies have been identified to ensure these objectives are delivered and achieved.

Bighorn Sheep Transplant

On February 10th 2015 26 bighorn sheep were captured on Luscar Mine near Hinton Alberta Canada and translocated to the Deadwood-Lead area of the northern Black Hills. Before translocation sheep were radio-marked and tested for disease. There were 23 adult ewes, 2 lambs (1 male, 1 female), and 1 2-year old male translocated. All sheep tested negative for pathogens associated with pneumonia, of particular interest Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae was not present. As of late April there has been one mortality which occurred in early March and this mortality was associated with stress from the translocation. Movements have been somewhat stable and most sheep have remained near the Deadwood release site. A few sheep have made some exploratory movements 6-10 miles from the release site and movements to lambing areas are being monitored by a graduate student from South Dakota State University.