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PrintSouth Dakota's Antelope, East River Deer, and Refuge Deer Seasons Proposed
PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Commission is proposing significant changes to the 2012 Antelope Firearms Season.
The Commission recommends that the 2012 season be open to South Dakota residents only. A reduction of 165 one-tag and 1,015 two-tag licenses compared to 2011 is being considered.
The proposed Antelope Firearms Season would run from Sept. 29 – Oct. 14.
The Custer State Park Firearms Antelope Season was finalized with no changes from 2011. There will be three Any Antelope licenses available to residents. The season will run from Oct. 9-17.
The Commission is proposing a total reduction of 16,360 tags for the 2012 East River Deer Season. Much of the reduction is from the elimination of three-tag licenses.
Only unfilled Any Antlerless Deer and Antlerless Whitetail Deer tags are valid during the antlerless deer season extension, beginning on the Saturday after Christmas.
The proposed East River Deer Season would run from Nov. 17 – Dec. 2 and an antlerless extension from Dec. 29, 2012 – Jan. 6, 2013.
The Commission is also proposing the following deer-hunting season changes for three National Wildlife Refuges in South Dakota:
· Issue zero licenses for the fourth deer season on the Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge
· Replace the 150 Any Deer plus Any Antlerless Deer licenses and the 50, two-tag Any Antlerless Deer licenses issued in 2011 with 80 Any Deer and 40 Any Antlerless Deer licenses for resident Sand Lake Refuge hunters.
· Replace the 15 Any Deer plus Any Antlerless Deer” licenses and the five, two-tag Any Antlerless Deer licenses issued in 2011 with eight Any Deer and four Any Antlerless Deer licenses for nonresident Sand Lake Refuge hunters.
· Offer resident hunters 10 more two-tag Antlerless Whitetail Deer licenses for Lacreek Refuge hunters.
· Offer resident hunters 15 less Any Deer licenses for Waubay Refuge than 2011.
The proposed 2012 National Refuge Deer Hunting Seasons would be:
Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge – Nov. 10-14, Nov. 15-19, Nov. 20-25, Nov. 26 –Dec. 2, Dec. 3 -9 and Dec. 29, 2012 – Jan. 6, 2013.
Lacreek National Wildlife Refuge –Oct. 17 -24 and Nov. 28 – Dec 4.
Waubay National Wildlife Refuge – Nov. 9-13, Nov. 14-18, and Nov. 19 – Dec 2.
The first season on Sand Lake, both seasons at Lacreek and the first two seasons at Waubay are restricted to muzzleloaders with open sights.
To comment on any of those proposals, send an email with your full name and city of residence to wildinfo@state.sd.us or send a letter to the Game Fish and Parks Department, 523 E Capitol Ave., Pierre, SD 57501. Please include your full name and address for the public record. All letters and emails must be received by 5 p.m. CDT, July 6.
Testimony may be given in person at the Commission’s monthly meeting on July 9 at the Pierre Ramkota. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. CDT, with the public hearing beginning at 10 a.m.
