WAFWA Report



SOUTH DAKOTASTATE REPORTKelly Hepler, SecretarySouth Dakota Game, Fish and Parks523 E. CapitolPierre, SD 57501Pollinator Habitat EffortsAs part of an effort to avoid federal listing of the monarch butterfly, South Dakota is participating in conservation planning spearheaded by the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (MAFWA). Designed as an alternative to federal listing, each MAFWA member state is preparing a state plan to meet the needs of monarchs in particular and native pollinators in general. Nearly all MAFWA states have used a stakeholder gathering to aid their state planning effort by inviting representatives of groups that can influence opinion in their respective areas and help deliver pollinator practices on the ground. South Dakota’s Monarch Summit was held on October 18-19 in Mitchell. Priority was given to crafting an invitation list that represented important stakeholders, with an emphasis on agricultural representation. The meeting was designed as a facilitated brainstorming event rather than a more typical public meeting with communication moving primarily one way. Significant time was spent drafting an invitation list to include a cross-section of publics representing agriculture, wildlife, public and private land management, garden and beautification, and educators. Fifty-seven individuals participated in one or both days of the summit, which resulted in a list and description of many current pollinator practices, ideas for imagining success, sector-derived suggestions for increasing pollinator accomplishments in the state and suggestions for successful implementation of the state’s future plan for native pollinators. Individual participants also shared their specific interest in future participation and made suggestions for additional groups that should be included in this effort. A meeting report is due from the meeting facilitator, and SDGFP made specific commitments for follow up. The summit was a successful session where factual information was shared with participants and all input was considered in an open and respectful manner.Game, Fish and Parks is also cooperating and providing expertise to the South Dakota Department of Transportation to establish pollinator habitat along the Interstate highway system. Key rest areas and other locations have been identified to establish pollinator plots to promote awareness of pollinator habitat and to provide showcase plots for the public to view. Game and Fish is providing technical expertise on establishment, seeding mixtures, and maintenance of these parcels. Request for proposals have been published for outside entities to submit bids for the work of preparation, establishment, and maintenance for the immediate future.The department has established pollinator habitat as a priority initiative on state managed properties (Game Production Areas) and on private lands. Land managers overseeing the establishment and maintenance of Game Production Areas are including permanent pollinator plots within management plans as well as annual plots which provide flowering species throughout the growing season. A grant was submitted to Bayer Company and the department was a recipient of a $5,000 award to use towards highly diverse pollinator plantings on department lands. Private land’s habitat biologists continue working with interested landowners to establish various kinds of pollinator habitat which also includes providing a seed mix (brood habitat plot) that has flowering plants throughout the growing season but also serves the dual purpose of providing critical pheasant brood habitat. 2017 Walk-In Area Program for Hunter AccessThrough the use of a grant from the Voluntary Public Access & Habitat Incentive program, 8,423 acres of private land not previously open to public hunting were added to the existing 1.23 million acres enrolled statewide in the Walk-In Area (WIA) program providing public hunting access by 1,458 cooperators. GFP also leased private land for public hunting access through our Controlled Hunting Access Program (CHAP) which provides additional flexibility for the landowner and more control of the number of hunters using the area. Twelve CHAP areas totaling over 22,500 acres were enrolled statewide in 2017 providing over 1,250 hunter days of use.Animal Damage Control & Wildlife Damage ManagementIn 2017, GFP spent over $3 million cooperatively working with landowners and producers to reduce all types of wildlife damage in South Dakota. Through these cooperative efforts, GFP worked with more than 2,200 landowners and producers.One primary area of focus has been GFP’s predator control program. GFP has been providing funding to USDA-Wildlife Services to operate a second aircraft for enhanced levels of aerial predator control since 2015. These operations have been functioning well and providing high levels of aerial predator control across the state. In 2017, the two aircraft that conduct aerial predator control flew nearly 1,000 hours and removed 2,396 coyotes, statewide. GFP’s comprehensive predator control program in cooperation with USDA-Wildlife Services removed a total of over 6,900 coyotes and red fox which directly impacted over 900 producers. In 2017, there was legislation passed that earmarked additional monies for wildlife damage management activities. A work group of landowners, sportsmen and women, legislators, and GFP commissioners was established and developed recommendations for GFP to consider as they utilize these new monies to better meet the demand of landowners that request assistance with deer depredation. In an effort to be more proactive as recommended by the work group, GFP held eight open houses across the state, made over 200 additional individual landowner contacts, and provided information in news releases, Landowners Matter newsletter, and numerous radio shows on the services GFP offers to landowners that deal with deer damage. This past winter, was the first winter after several program changes (i.e. increased contract amounts and the ability to purchase hay directly from landowners) were implemented. South Dakota experienced deep snow and severe winter conditions in some areas and these new options helped address severe deer depredation in some areas. Over 120 landowners requested assistance from SDGFP with deer damage to stored livestock feeds. Most deer depredation assistance involved the use of protective fencing and panels as well as hazing techniques. Pheasant Population Status & HarvestDuring the 2017–2018 pheasant hunting season, 53,175 resident and 65,865 non-resident hunters harvested an estimated 829,000 rooster pheasants. Total pheasant hunters decreased by 17% while total harvest declined 29% from the previous year. Harvest averaged 1,513,000 during the previous ten years. The pre-hunt population estimate was 4.6 million, a 44% decrease from the previous year estimate of 8.2 million. The previous ten years’ average was 8.4 million. Fewer hunters and lower hunter success were expected given the 45% decline in August roadside pheasant surveys. The pheasant population is well below levels observed in 2007 (11.9 million) when 1.5 million acres of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands were available to nesting pheasants. Current CRP acreage is approximately 1 million acres.SD Deer Collaring EffortAnnual rates of change within a deer population are influenced primarily by adult survival and the number of fawns that reach one year of age. Thus, the primary objective of these efforts is to estimate annual survival rates of whitetail and mule deer adults, juveniles, and fawns in agricultural, prairie and forested landscapes throughout South Dakota. These data were used to model deer populations and rates of change, and ultimately assisted GFP staff and the Commission in developing the 2017-18 deer season structure. In 2017, survival monitoring for white-tailed deer was conducted in 5 study areas – Grand River, Black Hills, Upper James River, Lower James River, and Big Sioux River. White-tailed deer survival rates varied depending on study area and age class, and preliminary rates documented as follows: adult females (n=484) ranged from 83-85%, juveniles (n=321) ranged from 55-78%, fawns (n=221) ranged from 65-66%, and adult males (n=176) was 63% in 2 study areas. Survival monitoring for mule deer was conducted in 4 study areas – Black Hills, White River, Belle Fourche River, and Upper Missouri River. Preliminary survival estimates for mule deer were documented as follows: adult females (n~370) ranged from 80-84%, juveniles (n~170) ranged from 50-83%, and fawns (n~170) ranged from 57-62%. Adult and juvenile deer were again captured and radio-collared in the winter of 2018 in order to supplement sample sizes and replace mortalities. In addition, one white-tailed deer survival monitoring study area was added (Prairie Coteau). Overall, winter captures added 850 radio-collared deer to the survival monitoring efforts across the state. Furthermore, approximately 210 fawns will be captured in early summer of 2018. Private Lands Habitat Program SummaryFrom the multitude of wildlife species dependent upon its diverse landscapes to its world-famous pheasant hunting, South Dakota’s natural resources contribute greatly to our overall quality of life. With approximately 80% of South Dakota’s land area in private ownership, farmers, ranchers, and landowners continue to be the most influential habitat stewards for resident and migratory wildlife populations.South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks (SDGFP) recognizes landowners as an essential partner in ensuring we meet our agency’s responsibility of managing South Dakota’s fish and wildlife trust resources. Wildlife management not only involves biological and science-based habitat management practices, but also gives careful consideration to the wide array of social values held by the public and South Dakota landowners.SDGFP offers a variety of voluntary habitat incentives to landowners though the Private Lands Habitat Program. The principal objective of the program is to provide cost-share incentives to cooperating landowners who establish wildlife habitat on their lands, thereby helping to sustain and enhance local wildlife populations. Habitat incentives are designed to (1) meet the biological needs of both resident and migratory wildlife species, (2) complement conservation program opportunities offered through the federal Farm Bill, and (3) meet the needs and desires of private landowners seeking to restore, protect, and enhance wildlife habitat on their lands.Successful program implementation and delivery improves both wildlife habitat and wildlife populations, while also providing opportunities for countless hours of consumptive and non-consumptive wildlife related recreation activities to many South Dakotans and visitors to the state. Landowners cooperating with SDGFP through these programs agreed to open their lands to reasonable use by the public. The following specific habitat practices are offered through the Private Lands Habitat Program:Wildlife Habitat Fencing - This practice involves using exclusionary fences to protect and enhance existing wildlife habitat such as woody cover plantings and nesting cover from livestock grazing.Grassland Habitat Enhancements - This practice involves reestablishing grassland vegetation on previously farmed areas as nesting, brood rearing, foraging, and winter cover for wildlife. Plantings involve either a dense nesting cover mixture of alfalfa, sweet clover, and wheatgrasses; or a mixture of native warm and cool season grasses and native forbs. Grassland habitat restoration activities on previously cropped land have also become a widely utilized practice by cooperators who are reseeding marginal cropland areas back to grass as part of managed grazing systems. Grassland habitat enhancements also include cost-sharing development of infrastructure (e.g. cross fences) as part of managed livestock grazing systems to protect and enhance wildlife habitat and better manage livestock grazing to benefit grassland dependent wildlife, with a special emphasis placed on riparian areas and large tracts of intact native rangelands. Additionally, this practice provides cost-share to replace woven wire fences on managed grazing systems with three- and four-wire wildlife-friendly fence designs in western South Dakota’s pronghorn range.Woody Habitat Establishments - This practice involves planting woody cover plots to benefit resident small and big game species. Eligible practices included costs incurred for plant materials (trees & shrubs), actual planting costs, and weed barrier fabric and installation.Small Game Food Plots - This practice involves planting and maintaining annual food habitat plots to benefit resident small game species.Wetland Restoration and Enhancement - This practice involves restoring, enhancing, or creating wetland habitat to benefit myriad migratory and resident wildlife species.In 2017, SDGFP accomplished the following through its Private Lands Habitat Program:Management PracticeCooperatorsAcresGFP ExpendituresWildlife Habitat Fencing25181$45,352Grassland Enhancements13733,360$567,837Woody Cover Establishments45140$196,443Small Game Food Plots90410,509$282,258Wildlife Friendly Fences53.73 miles$9,109Wetland Restoration/Enhancement2496$105,600TB Surveillance Efforts in South DakotaIn March of 2017, a cattle herd in northwestern South Dakota (Harding County) was confirmed with bovine tuberculosis (TB). South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP) worked closely with South Dakota Animal Industry Board (SDAIB) to implement a wildlife surveillance plan to assist in the monitoring of this TB incident and to determine if wildlife within the affected area have been exposed or carrying the disease. The objective is to implement a surveillance program which will consist of both a short-term and long-term surveillance effort. Aerial removal of mule deer, white-tailed deer, and pronghorn was conducted from March 28-29, 2017, with a contracted helicopter on areas within the sampling area where landowner permission has been obtained. All salvageable deer and pronghorn removed from this surveillance effort were processed and stored until test results became available. In total 55 whitetail deer, 56 mule deer, 42 pronghorn antelope, 37 coyotes, and 9 raccoon were removed and samples submitted. In addition, 23 whitetail deer samples were voluntarily collected from hunters during the 2017 deer hunting season from the targeted area. All samples collected from were shipped to the USDA-APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa for testing. All samples tested negative for the two sampling periods.In November of 2017, a cattle herd in southcentral South Dakota (Tripp County) was confirmed with bovine tuberculosis (TB). South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP) worked closely with South Dakota Animal Industry Board (SDAIB) to implement a wildlife surveillance plan to assist in the monitoring of this TB incident and to determine if wildlife within the affected area has been exposed or carrying the disease. The objective is to implement a surveillance program which will consist of both a short-term and long-term surveillance effort. To respond as quickly as possible and utilize hunter-harvested deer for sampling, a direct mailing was sent to those deer hunters who possessed a 2017 deer hunting license for the targeted area. Hunters voluntarily provided samples from 23 whitetail deer for testing.In addition, a public meeting was held on January 17, 2018 in Colome, South Dakota, to present a wildlife surveillance plan to the landowners and producers of Tripp County in response to the recent discovery of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle. Approximately 50 members of the public attended the meeting. SDGFP staff members from SDGFP and the South Dakota Animal Industry Board were present and answered many questions. As a result of feedback obtained from landowners within the targeted area, kill permit tags were issued by SDGFP to landowners and others at their discretion from January 17- February 28, 2018. A total of 62 whitetail deer were collected. Heads from all deer were dropped off at a local meat processor and stored until collected by SDGFP for lab submission. All salvageable deer taken under this permit were utilized for human consumption or will be donated to Sportsmen Against Hunger/Feeding South Dakota once lab results have been obtained. In addition, 14 coyotes were removed from an aerial hunting operation and 6 raccoons, and one opossum were trapped from the targeted area. On March 26, 2018, all samples were removed and shipped to USDA-APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa for testing.Deer License Drawing Structure Public InputDuring the development of the statewide deer management plan, which was finalized in July 2017, several social management considerations were identified through stakeholder group meetings and public comments. One area which received considerable attention from the public was deer license allocation. As a result, the Commission tasked the Department to identify alternatives which would increase the number of hunters who draw their preferred deer license.Department staff along with feedback from the deer stakeholder committee developed three alternatives to the current license allocation process, with the third alternative being no change to the current allocation system. An email invitation was then sent out to all 2017 resident deer applicants (18 years and older), requesting public involvement participation and attendance at one of the nine focus groups meetings being held across the state. Approximately 780 deer hunters responded to the request and a random draw was conducted to cap each focus group meeting to 45 participants. The main objectives of the focus groups include; 1) provide draw statistic and background information; 2) discuss the potential alternatives; 3) receive feedback on level of support or opposition for the alternatives; and 4) determine how participants would apply for deer licenses under each alternative using mock applications.The meetings are scheduled to be completed by mid-May and the Department plans to provide the Commission with a summary analysis at the July Commission meeting emphasizing public involvement themes, draw simulation results from the mock applications and overall feedback. T&E Species Status ReviewA status review was drafted for each species currently listed as state threatened or endangered. If sufficient information existed, draft criteria for downlisting and/or delisting were included. If such information was lacking, the review described additional monitoring or research needs to gather information needed to draft delisting and downlisting goals. For species also listed as federal threatened or federal endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act, separate state recovery goals were not drafted. For those, SDGFP will continue cooperating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to meet identified recovery goals or assist in recovery planning.The draft document was presented to the SDGFP Commission in October 2017, with a 60-day public comment period. SDGFP staff reviewed comments received and made appropriate changes to the draft document. The reviews were approved by the SDGFP Commission in April 2018. These status reviews will be revisited at least every two years to comply with the biennial review schedule of the state list of threatened and endangered species. The 2018 document is posted on the SDGFP website: Translocation of bighorn sheep from Badlands National Park to Custer State ParkSDGFP has been cooperatively managing bighorn sheep at Badlands National Park and the surrounding area for many years.? Recently the department has assisted Badlands with research on bighorn sheep.? A number of bighorns have been radio collared to document movement, survival and cause specific mortality.? All bighorns captured have been tested for disease and to date all have come back negative for any disease.? Research and surveys conducted have documented a healthy and expanding herd of bighorn sheep in Badlands.? It is estimated that there are more than 200 bighorns in Badlands and the surrounding areas.? The GFP Commission approved a new hunting unit adjacent to Badlands and bighorn sheep will be hunted there for the first time ever.? SDGFP has also worked with Badlands National Park to plan a transplant of bighorns from the Badlands area to Custer State Park.? That transplant took place on February 14, 2018.? Twelve bighorn ewes we captured, fitted with radio collars, tested for disease and then transported to Custer State Park for release.? All of the bighorns transplanted are doing well in their new environment and all tested negative for any disease.Education PlanThe South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks’ (GFP) mission is to provide sustainable outdoor recreational opportunities through responsible management of our state's parks, fisheries and wildlife by fostering partnerships, cultivating stewardship and safely connecting people with the outdoors. Education programs are a large part of this mission. Education staff members interact with the public on a daily basis and help to distribute essential information to sportsmen, outdoor recreationists, and community partners. Because of this vital role, the education team embarked on a planning process to develop a comprehensive Education Plan to unite all GFP educators across the state. After engaging in several strategic planning sessions over the past three years, the education team spent the month of October, 2017 identifying the goals and strategies that are priorities within South Dakota. Those action items were formed in support of the Strategic Plan’s missions to expand our customer base by identifying who we are currently serving and then recruiting under-represented target audiences, standardize our universal programs, and measure our successes to drive data-based decision making. The SD GFP Education Plan was adopted by the commission in January of this year. In order to accomplish the goals and strategies within the Education Plan, six action teams were assembled. After five months of implementing the Education Plan, some of their major accomplishments include: Developed and adopted class standards for all core education classes. Created formal and informal assessment tools to use in education classes to track success of the class. Designed a cross-division education conference for collaborative planning and professional development. Designed and implemented a centralized class data tracking and reporting system. Assembled standard intern and seasonal training binders to be distributed at mandatory intern/seasonal onboarding. Researched target audiences and reported on best practices for target audience recruitment. Hunter and Angler Recruitment2017 marked our first sessions of Harvest SD. This is a “field-to-fork” hunter and angler education program that aims to recruit?under-represented diverse audiences into the sports of hunting and angling. Often this population did not grow up hunting and fishing, nor do they have someone in their life to show them how. We play the role of establishing a social network that is concerned about reconnecting with nature, being self-sufficient, and is confident enough with their skills to pursue outdoor recreation independently. Harvest SD goes beyond introductory programing.?This is an intensive multi-session course that highlights the virtues of locally-harvested, quality food. Each class has a food component and students walk away from the class having engaged in lessons on ethics, fair chase, hunting tactics, field dressing, processing, wildlife management, cooking,?habitat education, shooting experience and regulations. We kept our pilot program small to evaluate and learn. From those initial 20 students, we found an overwhelming amount of support from our public and department. The majority of our students were in the 21 to 30 range. We now have added a fly fishing session and will expand the hunting opportunities this year. Hunting and Fishing 101classes have also seen success in 2017 and 2018. With comprehensive hunter and angler class series targeted at women, college-aged students, active duty service members at local air force bases, and whole families, both outdoor campuses are seeing an influx in adult class participation in a field that was previously dominated by youth under the age of 12. The Outdoor Campus-West – New Additions for Archers and AnglersThe Outdoor Campus West facility is growing and expanding. Currently, we are in the process of building a new public archery park. This construction project includes a small building dedicated for educational classes in archery, BB guns, game cleaning, hunter education, and more. The more public aspects of this addition include a fourteen station practice archery range (with targets ranging from 20-80 yard and 2 ADA accessible stations) and a fourteen station walking field course (with targets ranging from 11 to 80 yards and 4 ADA accessible stations). In the coming year, we will also be improving one of the stream-fed ponds on our property. The improvements will include dredging & removing sediment plus the addition of two fishing piers. The pond will then be stocked and opened up as a public, urban fishing pond (there are residential neighborhoods within easy walking distance). Outdoor Campus-EastOutdoor University is an event for families featuring all kinds of outdoor skills to try. Families try fishing, shooting, fly fishing, disc archery, camping, kayaking, canoeing, camp fire cooking and much more. They have the chance to meet habitat managers, wildlife biologists, conservation officers and other GFP staff who attend for a chance to meet the public in a fun setting and have conversations about real issues and concerns. The event also features many NGO booths like Pheasants Forever, Walleyes Unlimited and many more. There are activities for all ages and food trucks on site allow families to spend all day at the event. Nearly 4,000 people attend the Sioux Falls event each year. Direction from our Strategic Plan and Education Plan led TOC – E to offer more programs for adults and families. This summer the team started free, drop-in events every Saturday in fishing, paddling and archery. The new program was advertised in the program brochure, area magazines, on the radio and social media. New adult programs include trailer backing, advanced fishing classes, new cooking classes and date nights for couples who want to fish or try archery together. Citizen Science classes and training sessions will be held in the summer as well, raising awareness of management methods and habitat needs while creating a community of people who want to help biologists gather data. Hunter EducationIn 2017 South Dakota certified 3,268 HuntSAFE students with 151 classes offered. There are two different methods a student can take, traditional and independent study. The independent study class allows students ages 12-16 to study content online before participating in a live fire field day. In 2018, GFP is in the process of developing an independent study course for resident students over the age of 16. This course will be completed all online, at completion of the course the student will be HuntSAFE certified. In 2017 South Dakota held 19 classes, during which 2,108 Bowhunter Ed students were certified, 1,857 of which were completed online. This year, South Dakota is in the process of reviewing a proposal to remove the requirement to have Bowhunter Ed certification in order to hunt. The results of that review process have yet to be seen. Minimum Age Changes for Mentored Hunting in 2018Mentored hunting provides an opportunity for adults to expose young people to the hunting lifestyle prior to the young person acquiring the hunter safety certification and purchasing their own license.? During the 93rd South Dakota Legislative Session, Senate Bill 137 removed the minimum age requirement for mentored youth hunting. Previously, youth had to be at least 10 years of age to participate in a mentored hunt. Effective July 1, 2018, there is no minimum age for the mentored hunter, but they must not be older than 15 at the time of hunting.In order to participate in a mentored hunt, the following regulations still apply. The mentored hunter must be accompanied by an unarmed parent, guardian, or designated mentor who is a resident of South Dakota AND has taken the hunter safety course. The mentor is required to have their HuntSAFE card in their possession while acting as a mentor and must be within immediate control (arm’s length) and supervision of the mentored hunter.The mentored license must be applied for by the parent or guardian and the license will be in the parent or guardian’s name. This does not affect their eligibility for their own big game tags.Additional mentor resources can be found at Archery in the School ProgramNational Archery in the School Program (NASP). NASP began as a pilot program with 12 schools participating. The first training for these schools was held in February of 2007. As of April 2018, 300 schools are participating in the program with a total of 22,805 students engaged in archery shooting as an in-school activity.In 2018 GFP held two statewide archery tournaments with over 800 participants competing. The two tournaments are bullseye target, and 3D target. These tournaments where held in Rapid City and Yankton. In order to train NASP instructors more efficiently, GFP has begun holding periodic NASP Instructor Trainings with classes of education students at local colleges. This allows future physical education instructors to enter the work force prepared. In conjunction with that initiative, South Dakota is also working with colleges to form archery clubs with the hope to begin collegiate archery tournaments in the state within the next 3 years. Fishing ClinicsIn 2017, 393 fishing clinics were held statewide with 7,823 people participating. 347 of these fishing classes were taught through The Outdoor Campus West in Rapid City and the Outdoor Campus East in Sioux Falls. Fishing clinics continue to be very popular and are growing. Locations such as Rapid City, Sioux Falls and Custer State park now hold scheduled weekly fishing clinics as well as classes where students catch, clean and cook their catch. In 2018 there have been four ice fishing classes taught attended by 55 adults and families, which continue to be a growing demographics in GFP programming. Trout in the Classroom program 27 classrooms participated in Trout in the Classroom during 2018. Three classrooms are now sponsored by Trout Unlimited with one located in Lennox, another in Clear Lake and one in Sisseton. Two classrooms are also sponsored by the Black Hills Fly Fishers located in Rapid City. Trout were raised from eggs starting in mid-February and are now being released in May. 910 students are participating in the program. The program included a mandatory lesson on Invasive aquatic species as well as a fishing component so students in the program attended a fishing clinic while other teachers used the loaner fishing equipment to teach the students about fishing and how to fish. Youth Conservation Camp The 2017 Youth Conservation Camp was held from June 4th through June 10th and attended by 92 high school students from all over the state. Classes included Custer State Park hikes, range management, fire ecology, lake and stream survey, fly fishing, reservoir fishing, shooting sports such as archery, handgun, shotgun, muzzleloader and rifle; turkey hunting, trapping, waterfowl hunting, Dutch Oven cooking, boating basics, and building your own bow. Classes were taught by GF&P staff as well as volunteer instructors and partnership organizations such as the National Wild Turkey Federation, Cabela’s, Black Hills fly fishers, NAVDA dog group, and Walleye Unlimited. Becoming an Outdoor WomanIn 2017 BOW was held on September 15th through the 17th at Outlaw Ranch near Custer and was attended by 98 women. Classes included backpacking, fly fishing, shore fishing, canoe fishing, upland bird hunting, making turkey calls, wilderness survival, Dutch Oven cooking, wild game cooking, campfire cooking, paddling, and the shooting sports. Shooting classes offered included Hunt Safe; archery, shotgun, black powder and handgun shooting. The 2018 BOW will be held at NeDoSak camp near Waubay, September 7th through the 9th. 2018 Lake Oahe Fisheries UpdateThe Lake Oahe fishery is still recovering from the effects of the 2011 Missouri River flood. Adult walleye abundance is below the long-term average, but has increased since a low in 2015-2016. In addition to an increase in abundance, we saw a jump in the body condition of adult walleyes larger than 20 inches, but body condition of 10-19 inch walleyes dipped slightly below average during 2015-2017. Changes in body condition are probably due to the recent recovery of the rainbow smelt population.Like the walleye population, the rainbow smelt population has struggled to recover since the flood of 2011. A large number of smelt were flushed through the dam, causing the population to crash, and the walleye population to lose its main food resource. The rainbow smelt population has been steadily increasing since 2014.Usually, the upper zone of Lake Oahe has the highest abundance of walleye, and 2017 followed this pattern. The upper zone of Lake Oahe had 2.7 (average: 3.7) Walleye per net, and the lower and middle zone each had 1.3 walleye per net (average: 3.1). Overall, fishing pressure was down slightly in 2017, with anglers spending about 638,390 hours fishing on Lake Oahe during May-July, versus the long-term average of 787,637 hours of fishing. Catch rates were high on Lake Oahe in 2017, and anglers averaged 1.05 walleye per hour over the course of the summer months. However, these high catch rates were mostly driven by fishing in the upper zone of Lake Oahe, where 65% of walleye were caught during 2017.Although the walleye fishery has faced some challenging conditions the past few years, it seems like the population is on the rebound. In addition to walleye, Lake Oahe has a thriving channel catfish population, which made up about 49% of the total catch in our annual gill net survey. Lake Oahe is also home to a top-notch smallmouth bass fishery that is growing in popularity, as well as a nothern pike fishery that has the potential for fish weighing over 20 pounds.Fisheries Data Management System OperationalGame, Fish and Parks staff have been working to implement a new data management system over the past 5 years. The new system is designed to allow for faster data entry capabilities, better analysis options and more options for anglers and researchers to access aquatics data in South Dakota. In 2018, all fisheries offices were outfitted with field tablets that have various applications designed to collect a wide array for fisheries data. Staff have been trained and will begin implementing the new data input process during this field season. A new “Fisheries Report Viewer” has also been designed and went live earlier this year. This tool provides fisheries stocking information back to the early 1900’s. It also provides various searchable reporting options that allow anglers to research fish populations around the state. An interactive map is currently up and running that allows an additional option for anglers to view data spatially. This tool will be added to and improved over time to become a “one stop shopping” option for those searching out specific fisheries information. GFP staff are excited about the new system and ready to begin testing it this year. South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Shovelnose Sturgeon Tagging ProjectAside from the free-flowing stretch of the Missouri River below Gavins Point Dam, little is known about shovelnose sturgeon in South Dakota. We initiated a research project to examine growth, recruitment, mortality, movement patterns, and habitat use of shovelnose sturgeon in Lake Sharpe.During the springs of 2017 and 2018, SDGFP biologists captured and tagged 880 Shovelnose sturgeon on Lake Sharpe. All Shovelnose sturgeon were measured, weighed, and marked with plastic floy tags. Pectoral fin rays were collected for future age estimation and genetic analysis. Tagging and recapturing efforts will continue through 2019. We will use this information to estimate mortality, conduct a population estimate, and monitor growth of Shovelnose sturgeon in Lake Sharpe.Surgically implanted acoustic transmitters are also being used in combination with passive and active telemetry receivers to track seasonal movement patterns and habitat use. To date, 25 Shovelnose sturgeon have been implanted with telemetry tags. The first week of June, biologists plan to implant another 25 Shovelnose sturgeon with telemetry tags. Tracking efforts will continue through 2019.Atlantic Salmon Rearing Under WayTwo year classes of Atlantic salmon are currently being reared at both McNenny and Cleghorn Springs State Fish Hatcheries. A small number of eggs were obtained in 2017 and 2018 from the National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center (USDA ARS). After 20 months of rearing, these fish will be released into Lake Oahe in an attempt to provide additional coldwater recreational angling opportunities. The Department currently manages an artificially-maintained Chinook salmon fishery that experiences considerable fluctuations in angler harvest and fish available for spawning. Approximately 5,000 pounds of Atlantic salmon will be stocked in the fall of 2018, with 10,000 pounds released the following fall. The future of this experimental program is dependent on adequate post-stocking survival, angler catch and satisfaction, and suitable numbers for feral broodstock spawning.Walleye Broodstock Mortality Study CompletedSouth Dakota conducted a study of short-term mortality of female walleye spawned in state egg take operations with the results published in the North American Journal of Fisheries Management. Short-term (i.e., 5 day) mortality of female walleye spawned during artificial spawning operations was estimated during 2015 to 2017 in four eastern South Dakota natural lakes (2015 Swan Lake, 2016 Long Lake, 2017 Antelope Lake and Reid Lake). Each year 25 female walleyes were stripped of their eggs and 25 female walleyes were included as reference fish. No walleyes died in 2015, four fish that were stripped of eggs at Long Lake died in 2016 and one stripped of eggs at Reid Lake died in 2017. Overall short-term mortality was minimal during the study at 6.8% (5 of 73 fish). No reference fish expired during the 3 years. Contusions were apparent on ovaries of both egg stripped and reference fish. We believe that if fisheries personnel follow standard walleye artificial spawning procedures the amount of mortality will be low and should not impact populations of mature female walleyes. ................
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