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SD Game, Fish and Parks Commission meeting, Pierre, SD and Zoom
March 6 @ 12:00 pm - March 7 @ 11:00 am
SD Game, Fish and Parks Commission meeting, Pierre, SD and Zoom, March 6-7 The meeting started at 1:00 pm CT on Thursday and was supposed to have ended by 12 pm CT on Friday.
The Agenda was published on the GFP Commission “Current Meeting Overview” web page a few days before the meeting and will remain up there until they post April meeting info.: https://gfp.sd.gov/commission/information/
A proposal to increase access for hound hunters of mountain lions to prairie unit public land was orinally be up for a finalization review and vote in March but they continued it to April meeting. . Right now, the hound hunters can only go to certain public lands in the prairie, if hunt starts on private land and moves to public land. With the change that is proposed, they can start a hunt on private or public land. Prairie Hills Audubon Society opposes this rule change.
The proposal was amended on 3/6/25 to cross of section 10 of the rule – Modify the rule § 41:06:61:06 to exclude section listing some public land areas that are closed to hunting, i.e.: Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Park, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. We think this is a “clean up” amendment, as with the expansion of lion hunting to public land in the prairie unit, they would need to list other parks and monuments, that don’t allow hunting – such as Badlands National Park, Minuteman Missile Silo National Historic Site & some areas of Missouri National Recreational River. What federal lands are open to various types of hunting can be complex. In discussion, they say folks need permission of land owner to hunt, but it doesn’t say that in the rule – but I suspect it is assumed hunters are supposed to know that. The finalization was continued until April 3rd, 2025 meeting of the Commission
January version #1: https://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/Mt-Lion-proposal.-Commission_Book_-_January_9-10_2024.pdf
March version 2 – I have posted the new Mt lion hunting season rule change proposal with new amendment added:
Oppose hound hunting of mountain lion, especially on public land. Talking points against hound hunting – https://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/Hound-hunting-objections.pdf
Visit our cougar alert page for information on SDGFP cougar management. https://phas-wsd.org/cougar-alert/
There was a public hearing & open forum on Thursday at 2 pm CT – testify in person and remotely on Zoom . Written comments were due, the Sunday (3/2/25) before the Thursday, before midnight CT. The is a web site to post comments to is: https://gfp.sd.gov/forms/positions/.
If your written comments are late, they are shared with Commission for the next Commission meeting.
Unless you want to communicate directly with each Commissioner (those comments will not be in the public record)– https://gfp.sd.gov/commission/members/ (no deadline). You can see phones and home address at this link. Here are likely e-mails for them.
The three new commissioners e-mails likely are: – Jim.White@state.sd.us, , Bruce.Cull@state.sd.us, Travis.Theel@state.sd.us,
At the hearing they reviewed a rule change proposal to have a season for Jack rabbits, instead of 365 days of unlimited harvest. The Commission rejected the proposal
Issues we are concerned about
1. Allowing hound hunting of lions on the prairie unit to originate on public and private land, with consent of owner. This would be a change from status quo which allows hound hunting on private land and only on public land if the chase moves from private to public land. We oppose this rule change and urge folks to write or testify in opposition to this, as it has been continued to April 3rd meeting. The public comment tally>>> Of written comments on this issue – 39 opposed it , 20 supported it. Link to public comments – mt lion public comments (39 oppose, 20 support ) https://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/mt-lion-only-PC-from-March_2025_Commission_Book-4-3.pdf At the hearing 2 folks testified against it. Go to our web site on Mt Lions for talking points..
2. Allowing a rocky mountain sheep to be shot in the Deadwood unit – concern is that population is too low to support killing one sheep. We are investigating this rule change and will likely oppose the harvest limit at Deadwood population.There were many public comments on this issue. Here is the proposal – https://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/BHS-from-March_2025_Commission_Book-2.pdf
3. Allow the SDGFP the hunting area of the west river prairie elk season to be increased to overlap west river Reservations, so Caucasians can hunt elk on private land in-holdings within the reservations. The tribes oppose this. At the public hearing on 3/6/25 representatives from Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and Oglala Sioux Tribes spoke against the rule change. We are investigating this rule change.