South Dakota HB 1236, Expanding Safety Zones for Road Hunting

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

All,


I know there are a few SD residents on the forum, I encourage you all to reach out to your senator and request that they vote no on HB 1236 which was approved by the house and now moves to the Senate.

Loading... | South Dakota Legislature

sdlegislature.gov

I won't go through all the specifics, but in general it increases the the safety zone while road hunting to 440 yards from the current 220 yards. This is applicable to all occupied structures and livestock. This mainly affects road hunting for pheasants.




Anyone else interested can email SD senators, non residents bring in millions every year for pheasant hunting and this will reduce the amount of public everyone is able to hunt. For those that are unfamiliar, in many areas of South Dakota the best pheasant hunting is road side ditches, primarily dirt roads. Many areas in particular have very limited public land otherwise. In increasing the safety zone we are reducing our available public lands.



Here is an easy form if you'd like to keep it easy to reach out and request a no vote:

Take Action

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is the voice for our wild public lands, waters and wildlife.

www.backcountryhunters.org

 

[Mallardsx2]

What a joke. The amount of crap that has hit the house this year has been unreal.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

What a joke. The amount of crap that has hit the house this year has been unreal.

Agreed. They're throwing everything imaginable. At this point I'm shocked when things fail anymore....

 

[warmer]

The outfitter/guide/hunting lodge industry drives the pheasant hunting in this state. Unfortunately, they also drive the bus that the rest of us regular sportsmen and women get thrown under every year in Pierre. This will fly thru with no resistance. The big money will see to that. SMFH

 

[warmer]

They even pressured the GFP to oppose the bill to license guides and outfitters. Thats how much power they have.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

They even pressured the GFP to oppose the bill to license guides and outfitters. Thats how much power they have.

A separate bill that failed I assume?

 

[Matthew57]

That is ridiculous, i hope it fails.

 

[warmer]

A separate bill that failed I assume?

HB 1215

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

HB 1215

Didn't even make it out of committee. No surprise. Why would they want to be forced to register as legit?

 

[mtmiller]

The big money will see to that. SMFH

By "big money", you mean leadership?

BTW, I agree, there is no rational for the 440.

I grew up walking ditches in SD and having phenomenal opportunities. This bill is made to cripple that opportunity.

 

[warmer]

One of the Rep's asked in Committee how many people have been prosecuted for shooting inside the current 220 yards, she didn't get an answer. It's not about yards , its about enforcement, and that won't happen because there isn't enough officers to catch people.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

For those following, the bill has made it through committee and will move to the senate floor vote.

I encourage any and everyone to email SD senators requesting they vote no when it comes to the floor for a vote.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

First email I got back from a senator one district over :

I will be voting no on this bill. It is a slippery slope to greater distances and the room was full of private game lodge owners all in support.




That's exactly who I figured were pushing for this law. I hope more senators are like minded

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Update, law failed in the senate, 5 yeas, 29 nays


Listened to a bit of the debate and many came up to say the current zone is adequate for shotguns.


Glad to see a win

 

[warmer]

I listened to the Senate debate. One of the opponents to the bill mentioned that if the intention was to eliminate road hunting completely, then bring it as a bill to do that. That's exactly where this is headed. The lodges are losing to many boughten birds to road hunting.

 

[Matthew57]

I listened to the Senate debate. One of the opponents to the bill mentioned that if the intention was to eliminate road hunting completely, then bring it as a bill to do that. That's exactly where this is headed. The lodges are losing to many boughten birds to road hunting.

If and when that happens, hunters will just have to rally and defeat it again.