South Dakota West River, Black Hills deer seasons proposed

PIERRE — People who hunt in the West River deer season in South Dakota can take to the field beginning Nov. 13 if a Game Fish and Parks Commission proposal is adopted in June.

The commission has also proposed season dates of Nov. 6-9 and Nov. 22-28 in Gregory and Mellette counties and Nov. 6-28 in Dewey, Ziebach and Corson counties.

Other proposed changes from last year’s season would:

- reduce resident one-tag licenses by 500;

- increase two-tag licenses by 3,150;

- reduce three-tag licenses by 4,520;

- reduce nonresident one-tag licenses by 40;

- increase two-tag licenses by 252;

- reduce three-tag licenses by 362;

- change rules language to correctly reflect that the number of licenses issued to nonresidents may not exceed 8 percent, except in unit 58D (the current rule reads 58B);

- for Unit 02A, change the unit boundary road name from “Viewfield-Hereford Road” to “New Underwood Road”;

- update language on licenses issued to landowners to reflect a new state law allowing qualifying landowners to receive two antlerless deer licenses free of charge for use during this season.

A proposal to offer fewer deer licenses for the Black Hills will also be considered next month by the commission.

The proposed season would run from Nov. 1-30, and would offer residents 100 fewer any deer tags; 500 fewer any whitetail tags; 300 fewer antlerless deer tags; and 1,400 fewer antlerless whitetail tags.

Nonresidents would be offered eight fewer any deer tags, 40 fewer any whitetail tags, 24 fewer antlerless deer tags and 112 fewer antlerless whitetail tags.

People who want to provide written comments on the Black Hills or West River deer seasons proposals may do so until 5 p.m. June 2. Comments may be mailed to Game, Fish and Parks Commission, 523 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, SD, 57501, or e-mailed to wildinfo@state.sd.us. All comments must have the senders’ full names and addresses in order to be included in the public record.

Comments may also be presented in person during the GF&P Commission public hearing, which is scheduled for 2 p.m. June 3 at Cedar Shore Resort in Oacoma.

Tags: sports, outdoors, hunting, deer