Bad News for Non-Resident Antelope Hunters in South Dakota

[noharleyyet]

July 13, 2012.

South Dakota's 2012 antelope regulations are out, and this year they state "Significant change from 2011: Firearms Antelope season limited to South Dakota residents only."

A couple paragraphs later, the prohibition is clarified with the note: "No licenses are available to nonresidents until the Third Application Drawing period...."

So, in theory, nonresidents can still hunt rifle antelope. But only if any tags are left after they've been picked over by residents in the First and Second drawings.

I haven't been able to get a statement on why this change has been made. Presumably it's driven by tough winters, over-harvest, and drought conditions. Hopefully, it's not permanent.

Here's the full regs: http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/licenses/limited/forms/Antelope.pdf

 

[mtmiller]

I saw that the other day. I don't want to hunt lopes down there now, but figured I could pick up a point. Gal at SDFWP, got back to me and said that was not possible. Not sure why thye didn't want my free money, but no point for me. Seems silly to turn away point money.

 

[Big Fin]

SE Montana, not too far away from there, is getting another hair cut on tag numbers, also. Three years ago we were at 13,000 antelope tags for Region 7. Looks like this year we will be around 3,000 and many say that is still too many.

Weather, mostly brutal winters, and diseases have hammered them. Unfortunately, we were a year or two behind the curve of getting tag numbers cut, so human harvest just "piled on" to what was already a dismal situation.

Bad deal for MT, ND, and SD on the antelope front. They can rebound quickly, but that will still take four or five years, with good weather and moisture, along with limited harvest, to get us back to where we were. Dang.

 

[cowboy]

Weather, mostly brutal winters, and diseases have hammered them. Unfortunately, we were a year or two behind the curve of getting tag numbers cut, so human harvest just "piled on" to what was already a dismal situation..

Agreed - no truer statement ever made. Frustrating at times how long it takes Mt. Game and Fish to make any changes in the status quo.

With all the fires we have had this year over there and with the poor vegetation, things have to drastically change or we're really setting ourselves up for a wreck if we have a tough winter.

 

[MTbowhunter84]

I have a friend in Perkins County, SD who last year drew one of 50 tags and just ate the tag. Hope to see more of that. As of recently I have seen better numbers in my area, but north of here where they used to flourish they are still in rough shape. Glad to see FWP reduce tag numbers, but as Fin said still way to many. I missed the draw this year, which i never do, but looking at numbers not to disappointed other than if I drew I don't know if I would have hunted. More time to invest in archery elk and deer now. I couldn't tell you about how the fires have affected numbers, but I'm sure it took its toll. Went to a public meeting in Ashland and the USFS stated about the mortality to cattle, which sounded like great loss for local ranchers, I didn't hear anything about wildlife. I did hear from a couple of fire crews that they were seeing good numbers of elk on the roads from bulls to calves so some good news there. In time things will rebound. I know in SD the antelope took a really hard hit after the 96 97 winter and hunting was completely shut down for a few years and they eventually bounced back very well.

 

[sluggo6850]

I hunt deer every year up in perkins county and i can count on one hand the amount of goats we have seen in the last few years.I have an opportunity to go down in fall river county on a ranch where the rancher has an over abundance of them. Hopefully i will draw a tag and get a chance at them.

 

[cornfed]

Well that sucks. I was planning on sneaking away next week while I'm in the black hills to do some scouting. Don't really see a need for that now.Hope someday my points will be worth something.

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

hopefully theyll open it back up for non-residents when the numbers improve,sounds bad up there compared to what is normal for that area?

 

[mconway951]

I had been getting points there for last 3 or 4 years wonder if those points are gone now even if/when they open it back up to us non residents

 

[sdkhunter]

I saw that the other day. I don't want to hunt lopes down there now, but figured I could pick up a point. Gal at SDFWP, got back to me and said that was not possible. Not sure why thye didn't want my free money, but no point for me. Seems silly to turn away point money.

Not sure why, but if SD shuts down a season they don't let anyone buy any points either...

Last September I put 1500 miles on my truck checking out many areas that in the past had goats everywhere. Found a few areas with a little higher densities but there were areas that were seemingly void of goats all together....

Even as a resident, I'm jumping across the border and doing WY this year... If we get a few light winters & GF&P doesn't do crazy things with tag numbers, hopefully numbers will get back on track...

 

[sdkhunter]

I had been getting points there for last 3 or 4 years wonder if those points are gone now even if/when they open it back up to us non residents

You don't loose the points - they just freeze them.... No one looses any, no one gains any... Just make sure you start applying or buying PP's again once they open it up...

 

[BBwheelgunner]

Dang... I hunted in Butte Co. in 09 and had a blast. I had heard the population had taken a beating with the last few winters, but didn't know they pretty much shut down NRs in the draw. I was just looking for a population update cause I'm trying to plan for this fall... apparently not good. my points will have to wait! hope they rebound.

Might have to look at WY for a hunt now