GF&P looks into rebuilding Rosehill Dam

After Mother Nature released a torrent of rainfall resulting in breach of Rosehill Dam on the evening of July 29, 2010, the question on the minds of many people who enjoyed the outdoor recreational opportunities at the quiet, pristine location in southeastern Hand County is: “Will the dam be repaired or replaced?”

Pheasant brood route survey shows healthy numbers

PIERRE, S.D. – This autumn, hunters in South Dakota will enjoy pheasant numbers that continue to be some of the best in the state’s history. The 2010 brood survey count shows a small increase from the 2009 survey.

West Nile scarce in S.D.

SIOUX FALLS — There’s plenty of water and plenty of mosquitoes, but surprisingly low evidence of the West Nile virus in South Dakota, apparently because the sometimes-deadly disease didn’t get a foothold in the bird population this summer.
Only four human West Nile infections have been reported. Trapping and testing have found no infected mosquito pools, although traps collect only a tiny percentage of the vector mosquito population available to transmit the disease among birds and from birds to humans.

Opinion: Preserve hunts can have many outcomes

Later this month friends and I are going on an Idaho elk hunt. We will hunt with Rulon Jones, the former Denver Broncos defensive end. Rulon owns property in both Idaho and Utah. Check his website at utahelkhunt.com. We can hunt 70,000 acres of unfenced land , or 10,000 acres of fenced land – what Rulon calls “the largest hunting preserve in the world.” These horseback hunts are guided one-on-one, and we may choose either a spike camp with tents or the comfort of a lodge.

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Opinion: Daley opposes our Second Amendment

Political corruption is synonymous with Illinois. While I was a kid living my high school years in Chicago during the 1950s, Mayor Richard J. Daley’s political machine dictated every Illinois politician’s next move. It included the neighborhood alderman as well as a string of governors who spent time behind bars. Today, we have another arrogant ex-governor who will hopefully spend time behind bars.

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Opinion: Fishing for big pike can be rewarding

A continuation of last week’s column, today I’ll conclude the recent road trip to Pickle Lake, Ontario, Canada, and the subsequent fly-in to Kwinigans Lake by eight Wagner-area anglers. After my last Kwinigans adventure, I told myself that if I ever return, I would put down my walleye rig, as much fun as it is, and make a concerted effort to take some of the lake’s large northern pike. That is exactly what I did, even though many of the big pike that have been caught in the past came on small jigs by walleye anglers.

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Opinion: The ‘Magnificent Eight’ head to Canada

We were munching fresh, pan-fried walleye during a shore lunch when someone yelled, “Moose!” A cow and calf were frolicking in the water off an island a quarter-mile southeast of us. Some of the guys jumped into a boat and sped toward the duo for pictures. One of our boats had earlier observed woodland caribou. A boreal paradise surrounded us.

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Several area boat ramps still closed after heavy rains

After heavy rains hit the state in mid June, many boat docks around the area were closed and remain closed due to high water.

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Area boat ramps still closed due to high waters

After heavy rains hit the state in mid June, many boat docks around the area were closed and remain closed due to high water.

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Opinion: My closer-to-home ‘bucket list’

One of my favorite old T-shirts has a picture of a venerable Bass-o-reno on the back. Across the front it says, So Many Lures — So Little Time. These words seem profound. The “bucket list” concept, or things to do before it’s too late, isn’t new to this column. I’ve talked about it before, and I occasionally think about running out of time before I get to try these things. Some are within two days’ drive, and I want to talk about them today along with a few that are practically on our doorstep! International Falls and the Rainy River are an easy day’s drive. In April, large sturgeon are spawning in the river, and they love night crawlers.

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Opinion: Flooding’s effect on the fish

My fishing boat, though Spartan in nature, has a live well under the center seat. There are no pumps or batteries. When I want to keep a fish, I lift the lid on the center seat, pull the plug in the bottom of the chamber, and watch it fill with water to the same level as the waterline outside the boat. The water constantly circulates. At the end of the outing, the live well drains when I crank the boat onto the trailer. I remove the fish and replace the plug. It is pure simplicity that does nothing but work!

Some local boat ramps still closed due to high water

Several boat ramps around the area are still closed due to high waters. The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department has an update list of the status of the boat ramps on its website, sdgfp.info.

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Always use caution when watching fireworks from the water

One of the great things about living along South Dakota’s waterways is the ability to watch the Fourth of July fireworks displays from our rivers and lakes. While it can be a memorable event, boaters should exercise care to make sure they are safe and legal. Among the things that can be done to ensure a safe and enjoyable evening are: - Check and utilize proper boat lighting.

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Davison County harvests about eight pheasants per hunter in 2009

More than 7,000 hunters, both residents and nonresidents, harvested about 58,000 pheasants in Davison County in 2009, according to South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Department research that was recently released. That gave the average hunter in the county 8.27 birds for the season, which was slightly up from 2008, when about 8,000 hunters harvested nearly 66,000 pheasants, averaging 8.25 birds per season.

Opinion: Antlers — worth the price of the hunt?

I don’t really want to tell you about this, for I made a fool of myself the other day, and risked injury to Betsy on top of it. I was going fishing, and I asked Betsy, fresh from hip replacement surgery, to come along. She was hesitant as my little john boat didn’t have a seat with a backrest. Like always, I had a solution. We’ll take a plastic lawn chair with us, and put it in the boat for her.

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