Resident-only Pheasant Season Oct. 14-16
Source: www.sdgfp.info
Published: Oct. 11, 2006
PIERRE, S.D. - Residents eager for the start of the pheasant season can sharpen their hunting skills this weekend during the resident-only pheasant season Oct. 14 through Oct. 16.
The season was established by the Game, Fish and Parks Commission as a way to provide residents with the opportunity to hunt public lands free of competition from nonresident hunters.
“This season represents an opportunity for residents to enjoy some of the finest wing-shooting in North America as the state’s public lands normally host strong populations of relatively ‘undisturbed’ pheasants,” said GFP Wildlife Division Assistant Director George Vandel.
“Public areas and walk-in tracts in many areas of the state receive light pressure during this weekend. That makes it a great opportunity for beginning pheasant hunters, occasional pheasant hunters or those who may not have access to private land during the regular opener.”
The three-day season for resident hunters carries with it a few special regulations. Shooting hours begin at noon Central Daylight Time all three days and last until sunset. The daily possession limit is three cock pheasants.
The possession limit accrues at three cock pheasants per day through the three-day season for a total of nine pheasants. During the resident-only season, public lands are open for hunting.
Those lands include:
- Property owned, managed or leased by the S.D. Department of Game, Fish and Parks. This includes Game Production areas open for pheasant hunting during the regular season and Walk-In areas.
- Waterfowl Production Areas managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land adjacent to the Missouri River.
- U.S. Forest Service National Grasslands.
- U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Land.
- Areas managed by the S.D. Office of School and Public Lands.
- State parks, recreation areas and lakeside use areas.
Special regulations also govern hunting on road-rights-of-way during the short season. Hunting on rights-of-way is limited to roads adjacent to or part of the public hunting areas listed above.
Hunters should remember to use non-toxic shot when hunting pheasants. Non-toxic shot use is mandatory for small game hunting with shotguns on all state game production areas, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Wildlife Production Areas managed by GFP, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuges and Waterfowl Production Areas.
Regulations governing the resident-only pheasant season can be found on pages 16 and 17 of the 2006 edition of the South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook.
The handbook is available at GFP offices, most license agents and it may be downloaded from the department’s Web site at www.sdgfp.info.
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