Working to Preserve South Dakota's Hunting & Fishing Heritage
By James Eli Shiffer and Jared Whalen Published on April 14, 2025 Published in collaboration with the Mississippi River Ag & Water Desk as part of their series "Down the Drain: A watershed moment for America's greatest wetlands." Before the American expansion west...
Pierre, S.D. April 12, 2023. Opening the door to additional nonresident waterfowl hunters would see a further erosion of South Dakota resident waterfowl hunting opportunity and access. South Dakota Wildlife Federation requests that the Game Fish and Parks Commission...
There are 4 days left in the regular run of the 98th legislative session. Tax relief and in what form that will take will be the big issue of the week. Reduction in food tax, general sales tax, or tax relief for homeowners appear to be the options. Looking at it today...
The legislative bills relative to Game Fish and Parks that we have been following have all been sent to the 41st day. Likelihood of new bills or hoghouse bills being introduced in the last 3 weeks of the legislative session are very slim. We will be watching the...
We passed the halfway point this week so it’s all downhill from here! Very light year for outdoor, wildlife, recreational issues with this year’s legislature with 450 bills introduced. I attribute that to having 29 new members in the House, they’re figuring it out and...
House Bill 1100, An Act to authorize landowner-on-own-land elk licenses, was deferred at the request of the prime sponsor till Thursday February 2nd in order to work on the language and possible amendments. The proponents have reached out to us to have some dialogue...
The Game Fish and Parks is not testifying in favor or against HB 1100, An Act to authorize landowner-on-own-land elk licenses. This will be heard in House Agriculture on Thursday at 7:45. They are simply watching the bill. It's important for you to contact the...
HB 1100 will be heard on Thursday at 7:45 AM, text of the bill is below. This bill allows for a landowner only elk license. This is supposedly for a prairie elk license but the bill does not specify that and would leave it up to the GFP to create the units for this...
Very slow week for bill introductions this week. The one bill of interest that came in on Friday morning is HB 1100 An Act to authorize landowner-on-own-land elk licenses. This is a similar bill to last years SB 184. That bill did not pass and you can see the bill and...
Mitch Richter will be lobbying this legislative session assisted by Dave Nauman and volunteer lobbyist George Vandel. Mitch Richter is a former legislator serving 8 years from Sioux Falls in the House and for the past 20 years has been lobbying in Pierre as a contract...