Rick Ludt, president of the South Dakota Sport Hunting Association and manager of the South Fork Lodge in Dallas, SD recently wrote the article below voicing his opinion on recent request to raise the bag limit for South Dakota hunting preserves from 15 to 20 per hunter per day.
In this article, Rick makes some great points:
- Preserves are regulated by the SDGFP and follow strict release rules based on the total number of pheasants they take annually.
- Game take limits are set based on population. If the population of preserves is based on an unlimited supply, how does adding the option of taking 5 additional birds negatively affect the hunt?
- Raising the limit from 15 to 20 will not necessarily mean all hunters will partake. The additional 5 is based on those that want to pay – given the option, some may and others may not.
- Preserves are one part of a very lucritive SD Tourism / hunting industry. They are a part that pays taxes, create jobs and generate millions of dollars in revenue for the state.
Times are changing and hunting is no acception. Many times this change is hard to accept especially for resident hunters that have not been able or do not want to experience a preserve hunt.
Personally, I have hunted preserves across the country and as I write this, I can recall my first Colorado preserve hunt. Upon arriving, my group was asked how many birds we wanted to take - the number was unlimited (including hens). My South Dakota roots would not allow me to take hens, but our group enjoyed a full day of hunting and our daily take was well over the proposed increased South Dakota limit of 20.
Article taken from Arguleader: Rick Lutt - Author
Why raise the pheasant limit from 15 to 20 on preserves?
On the first impression, this seems to be an unreasonable request, but given proper information for an informed opinion, there are a few reasons to raise the limit.
As president of the South Dakota Sport Hunting Association, I was in favor of making the request, and I am in full support of the association’s desire to have this measure adopted.
First off, a person needs to understand how a preserve works in South Dakota. Preserves are licensed and monitored by the Game, Fish and Parks Department. Through the licensing process, we are scrutinized as far as location to public hunting, size of preserve and other factors.
Throughout the year we are required to keep records of birds harvested, date of release, and wild and released birds harvested.
One requirement is that we release 600 minimum full-feathered roosters and release one bird for every one harvested (wild or released) over the 600.
The general rule of thumb is that you release 11/4 to two birds before your hunt for a good quality hunt for your clients. One reason for this is that predators take their share and some leave the hunting area.
Another misconception is that preserves attract birds from a large area. The wild birds are territorial and seldom go farther than a mile from where they were hatched.
Currently on a preserve, we can harvest 15 roosters per person per day. For argument’s sake, say I have groups of 20, and they shoot their limit, which is 300 birds. This could happen every day of the season, and I would keep releasing birds to meet the minimum, but in reality a lot more to keep the quality of hunt.
My goal is opening day every day. But if I have groups of five hunters, they can harvest only 75 birds on the same preserve. So the request that this group of hunters shoot a total of 100 seems like a very reasonable request.
One of the major concerns of the Sport Hunting Association board and myself was the public view of raising the limit.
Right now, the GF&P allows a harvest of 20 snow geese and unlimited crows. This is because they have determined this is reasonable with the population.
In years past when the pheasant population was higher, they raised the limit, even allowing hens. A request to shoot 20 rooster pheasants in a controlled environment from a virtually unlimited supply is a very reasonable request.
It should also be noted that this 20-bird limit will not be widely used because of the extra cost. It also takes more guides and dogs to conduct a hunt, and some places aren’t set up to accommodate an expanded hunt. This is a decision that will and should be made by each preserve.
The preserves seem to be viewed as hurting the hunting industry. Far from the truth. Like it or not, the hunting industry is changing, and we need to react to this before it is too late. Preserves in other states have no limits on their birds and also allow hens to be shot. In these difficult economic times, we need to do what we can to keep hunters coming to South Dakota and the preserves thriving.
More than $700,000 in preserve license sales, not counting nonresident small game permits and resident permits, were sold in 2008. I don’t have the dollar amount for purchase of birds, but it has to be in the millions.
Preserves also spend millions on wages, construction, habitat development and countless other expenses, all in South Dakota. Is five more birds worth it to keep South Dakota preserves competitive? I think so.
As president of the South Dakota Sport Hunting Association, I would like to publicly invite the GF&P, Wildlife Federation and any other organization to sit down together with the board to work on goals for the future.
Though we have some differences, we basically have the same goals. We need to keep South Dakota as the top destination for the best hunting experience available.
In years past when the pheasant population was higher, they raised the limit, even allowing hens. A request to shoot 20 rooster pheasants in a controlled environment from a virtually unlimited supply is a very reasonable request.
It should also be noted that this 20-bird limit will not be widely used because of the extra cost. It also takes more guides and dogs to conduct a hunt, and some places aren’t set up to accommodate an expanded hunt. This is a decision that will and should be made by each preserve.
The preserves seem to be viewed as hurting the hunting industry. Far from the truth. Like it or not, the hunting industry is changing, and we need to react to this before it is too late. Preserves in other states have no limits on their birds and also allow hens to be shot. In these difficult economic times, we need to do what we can to keep hunters coming to South Dakota and the preserves thriving.
More than $700,000 in preserve license sales, not counting nonresident small game permits and resident permits, were sold in 2008. I don’t have the dollar amount for purchase of birds, but it has to be in the millions.
Preserves also spend millions on wages, construction, habitat development and countless other expenses, all in South Dakota. Is five more birds worth it to keep South Dakota preserves competitive? I think so.
As president of the South Dakota Sport Hunting Association, I would like to publicly invite the GF&P, Wildlife Federation and any other organization to sit down together with the board to work on goals for the future.
Though we have some differences, we basically have the same goals. We need to keep South Dakota as the top destination for the best hunting experience available.
South Dakota Sport Hunting Association President Rick Lutt manages the SouthFork Lodge in Dallas.
