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12/21/2005

SD Hunters Encouraged to Take Advantage of Leftover Licenses

Monday, Dec. 19, 2005 PIERRE, S.D. – With two weeks remaining in South Dakota’s fall turkey season, and eight days of deer hunting available beginning Jan. 1, hunters are encouraged to pickup leftover licenses and go hunting.

“The state’s turkey season is open through Dec. 31, and with close to 2,000 fall turkey licenses remaining for the prairie units, hunters have some good opportunities to get out and turkey hunt,” said Game, Fish and Parks Regional Wildlife Manager John Wrede of Rapid City. ”Some ranchers and farmers may be open to have hunters help trim area turkey and deer populations.”

He added that close to 8,000 antlerless deer licenses also remain for the West and East River hunting seasons that reopen Jan. 1 – 8.

Also, hunters can take advantage of archery and muzzleloader seasons for antlerless deer that run though Jan 31 for most of the state. A person may purchase up to two archery antlerless licenses and one for muzzleloaders. Both single and double tag licenses are available for both these seasons.

“The youth deer season is also open through the end of December,” Wrede added, “and that is a great chance to take a kid hunting or introduce one to the sport.”

Deer hunters who are looking for private land to hunt antlerless deer are reminded that they can add their names, contact information and up to three counties that they are interested in hunting to a web-based list via the GFP website at www.sdgfp.info. Once there, one should hold their cursor over “What’s New” and click on the link titled “Antlerless Deer Hunter Program.” Landowners interested in contacting deer hunters can access the list for those who are registered.

“The harvest of does is a crucial part of our deer management,” Wrede said. “Hunters are the most cost effective and most efficient management tool we have for controlling deer populations, and we rely on them to harvest the antlerless deer numbers that are needed to effectively manage South Dakota’s deer herd.”