Briefs: Application needed for fishing tourneys

By Journal staff and South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks | Saturday, November 08, 2008

Previous Page

Share

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• NewsVine
• Fark

Print

Email

PIERRE — Fishing tournament organizers need to make sure that they have filled out the proper Game, Fish and Parks Department paperwork when planning their event.

Applications for fishing tournaments and special events must be filed with GF&P no later than 30 days before the event is scheduled to take place.

“During that 30 days the department can collect the necessary signatures and take care of any special requirements,” according to Jeanne Uecker, special events permits coordinator for GFP. “Some events will require a proof of insurance or a special waiver.”

The 2009 application includes important information for tournament organizers like the dates during the year when fishing tournaments aren’t allowed to be hosted as well as the dates when salmon and walleye catch and release tournaments are restricted.

Completing the event paperwork as soon as possible helps all of the parties involved avoid confusion.

“This advance notice helps us make sure that there isn’t another event already planned at the same time at the same location,” Uecker said.

Fishing tournament and special event applications may be found on the GFP Web site at http://www.sdgfp.info /Publications/SpecEventFishTournApplForm.pdf or they can be obtained from a conservation officer or park manager.

Hunters Can Help Manage Big Game, Feed the Hungry: Big game hunters in South Dakota have a chance this fall and winter to help manage growing wildlife populations while at the same time helping to feed the hungry.

Hunters who fill their tags and their freezers may be struck by the amount of hunting opportunity that remains this year. Wildlife managers and Sportsmen Against Hunger officials are hoping that hunters will take advantage of the increased opportunity and donate the game meat to the needy.

 “The recent downturn in the economy has created an even greater need for donated game meat,” said Sportsmen Against Hunger President Jeff Olson. “We’ve heard from the food banks and pantries we serve that more families are requesting game meat and more families are qualifying for assistance.”

New to Sportsmen Against Hunger this year is the inclusion of antelope in the processing certificate program. “Once again processing certificates are available directly from the processor,” Olson said, “and in many cases, the processor is accepting that certificate as full payment for processing an antlerless deer or doe/fawn antelope.”

A complete list of participating processors, including those who accept a Sportsmen Against Hunger certificate as full payment for processing, can be found at the organization’s Web site, www.feedtheneedSD.com.

Hunters interested in applications for West River deer, East River deer and antelope hunting seasons should visit the GFP Web site at www.sdgfp.info. On the home page, hold the cursor over “Licenses and Reservations” and then click on “Apply for Limited Issue Licenses.”

 

Cellulosic Biofuel and Wildlife Study to Begin in South Dakota: With the nation intent on discovering alternative sources of energy, research about to begin in South Dakota will provide the best management practices to maximize the production of cellulosic biofuel while taking into consideration the needs of wildlife resources.

 Cellulosic biofuel is produced from extracting lignocellulose, a structural material that comprises much of the mass in plant materials.  With technological advances in the production of this biofuel, energy researchers are considering renewable resources such as switchgrass and other perennial grasses as a source for cellulosic biofuel production.

 South Dakota State University was awarded funds through the 2007 National Fish & Wildlife Foundation “Budweiser Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation Research Prize” to evaluate renewable energy for industrial application while demonstrating measurable benefits for wildlife conservation.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, S.D Game, Fish and Parks Department and cooperating landowners are partnering with SDSU researchers to determine which combination of stubble height and season of harvest are most beneficial for maximizing biomass production and nesting success for pheasants and breeding waterfowl.

Beginning Nov. 1, haying operations commenced on study sites found on private land and areas identified on state Game Production Areas and federal Waterfowl Production Areas.  These study sites are located in Beadle, Bon Homme, Brookings, Hutchinson, Kingsbury, Lake, Moody, Turner and Yankton counties in eastern South Dakota.

 Hunters may come across one of these public areas being used in the study and find a portion of the area has been hayed.

“While some wildlife habitat will be removed, hunters are reminded that this research project will provide recommendations for future energy policy and federal biofuel production programs that will be designed to maximize the benefits to upland nesting birds and other wildlife,” according to Chad Switzer, GFP’s senior upland wildlife biologist.

Designated research locations on these public areas will be signed to inform users and they are still open to public access. “Though there may be some minor inconvenience to hunters during this three-year study, South Dakota is taking the lead in discovering how to maximize the wildlife benefits from a source of energy that could provide numerous environmental benefits in the future,” Switzer said.

 

Shooting Hours End at Sunset: All good things, even a day of hunting, must come to an end. In South Dakota, that means when the sun sets, it’s time for hunters to call in the dogs and call it a day.

“Shooting hours stop at sunset for waterfowl and small game hunting,” said Tim McCurdy, an S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Department conservation officer based in Beadle County. “Hunters need to remember that this is an important regulation because the darker it gets, the greater the chance of an accident.”

Judging when the sun has actually set can be a tough call at dusk. McCurdy reminds hunters that in order to stay in compliance with the law they should wear a watch and have with them a copy of the 2008 edition of the GFP Hunting and Trapping Handbook.

“The sunrise-sunset schedule at the back of the handbook is a good reference for judging when shooting hours are ending,” McCurdy said. “If you’re unsure when the sun will set in your area, keep in mind that it’s always best to stop hunting a little early to stay in compliance with the law. By stopping early you’ll also have a little light left to help you make your way safely to your vehicle.”

The sunrise-sunset schedule is on page 59 of the handbook which is available from GFP regional offices or retailers who sell hunting licenses. It can also be downloaded from the department’s Web site at www.sdgfp.info.

Hunters should note that the sunrise and sunset times on the schedule are in error for the date of Nov. 2. The times on that date should be an hour earlier because daylight savings time ends early in the morning of Nov. 2.

Pheasant hunt set for Thursday and Friday: Tom Osborne, former Nebraska football coach, will join other pheasant hunters for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters fourth annual Hunt for Kids’ Sake set for Nov. 11 and 12 at Southfork Lodge in Dallas, S.D.

Individuals wishing to attend this event can call the BBBS of the Sioux Empire office in Sioux Falls at 605-334-1632 or access the Web site at www.bbbsse.org.

Funds raised will assist the mentoring programs in Sioux Falls, including Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Mentor Moms, the Amachi program and Native American Scholars.