• South Dakota’s Draft Wildlife Plan Available For Comment
• Carp Dying At Brant Lake
• Portion of the Mickelson Trail to be Redirected Aug. 1-24
• Duck and Goose Hunting Seasons Proposed
• 2005 Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Workshop Registration Now Available Online
• More Anglers Taking Too Many Walleye
• West Whitlock Hosts Car and Motorcycle Show, Bean Bag Tournament
• 2005 Antelope Season Set With More Licenses, Split Season
• GPS: Toy or Tool? Learn More at Big Sioux Recreation Area
• Sage Grouse Season Set
• Status of Waterfowl Breeding Populations

PIERRE, S.D. - South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks is seeking comments on a draft document called the South Dakota Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan.

"All states and territories have been receiving special appropriations for several years to help fulfill their responsibilities for fish and wildlife species and related habitats," Stukel said. "With this funding, called State Wildlife Grants, came an obligation to submit a Comprehensive Plan or Strategy to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by Oct. 1. Each state is taking its own approach to best fit individual challenges and strengths. These local approaches are encouraged as long as certain required elements are satisfied. South Dakota’s approach is a combination of evaluating current ecosystems compared to historical conditions while addressing the needs of rare species."

Game, Fish and Parks welcomes people’s thoughts on the draft and, in particular, encourages comments on suggested conservation actions for the species of greatest conservation need and related suggestions for monitoring species and habitats.

PIERRE, S.D. - Hundreds, maybe thousands, of dead carp have been washing onto the shores of Brant Lake in eastern Lake County during the last two weeks, prompting a Game, Fish and Parks investigation to determine the cause.

"It’s not unusual to have a few dead fish during the heat of the summer, " said Todd St. Sauver, GFP regional fisheries manager from Sioux Falls. "But, when we started getting reports of hundreds, we decided to investigate."

When St. Sauver and Resource Biologist Bruce Johnson arrived at the lake, they found the reports to be true. The shorelines were littered with bloated carcasses, and many more could be seen floating in the lake.

Effective diagnosis can only be accomplished by obtaining freshly killed or sick, but live, fish, so St. Sauver and Johnson launched their boat to search for a useable specimen. Within an hour, they were able to find three suitable specimens that were taken to Sioux Falls for analysis.

The first step was an external examination. "We found large, open ulcers on the belly and gills of two fish, and all three had parts of their fins eaten away, " St. Sauver said. "We also discovered there were fluid-filled sacs under many of the scales."

Next, the carp were dissected to examine the internal organs. "The first thing we noticed was that the egg sacks on the females were gray instead of yellow," he noted. "We also noticed the liver was bright orange instead of the normal color, purple."

Digital pictures of the carp were taken and sent to McNenney State Fish Hatchery Manager/GFP Fish Health Specialist Rick Cordes of Spearfish. Cordes examined the photos and suggested the carp may be dying from an Aeromonas salmonicida infection. Bacterial cultures may be taken in the future to confirm this.

Aeromonas bacteria are found in all natural waters and do not affect healthy fish. However, when a fish becomes stressed or injured, they are much more likely to be attacked.

"The carp in Brant Lake are in the middle of their spawning season, and when carp spawn, they move into very shallow water," St. Saver noted. "The male and female thrash about wildly as eggs and milt are released, and during this process, the fish frequently lose scales or get cuts and scrapes. Add warm water temperatures to the mix and you have the perfect breeding ground for infection." He added that infected fish can also pass the bacteria to other fish through bodily contact.

"Fisherman and property owners at Brant Lake have two main concerns with this occurrence," St. Sauver said. "First, is there any danger to game fish populations, and second, is there any danger to humans?

"All the game fish like perch and walleyes finished spawning a long time ago, and since the bacteria mainly attack stressed or injured fish, they should be fine," he said. "Aeromonas can infect humans, but it needs a pathway into the body, such as a cut in the skin or by swallowing lake water. Symptoms can range from a mild skin infection and diarrhea to gangrene and severe dysentery. Because Aeromonas is present in all waters, swimming with open wounds or swallowing untreated lake water is never a good idea."

"Our hope is that this outbreak will be fairly short lived," St. Sauver said. "Reducing the carp population is not usually a bad thing, but it can be when it makes such a mess for the anglers and people living around the lake."

-GFP-

• Low Plains North and Middle Zones: Sept. 24 through Nov. 1 for canvasbacks and pintails, and Sept. 24 through Dec. 6 for all other ducks, coots and mergansers.
• Low Plains South Zone: Oct. 8 through Nov. 15 for canvasbacks and pintails, and Oct. 8 through Dec. 20 for all other ducks, coots and mergansers.

PIERRE, S.D. – The Outlaw Ranch near Custer will be the setting for Game, Fish and Parks’ 11th Annual Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) workshop. Ladies interested should mark their calendars for Sept. 16 - 18.

"The biggest news for ladies wanting to attend this year’s workshop is the new online registration system," explained Chad Tussing, education services coordinator for GFP. "This is a live, up-to-date system that will allow prospective participants to see which classes are open and which have filled. While we will still accept paper applications, we are encouraging participants to use the new online system. They will be able to instantly see what classes are available and register accordingly."

The BOW workshop is designed for anyone age 18 and over who interested in learning new outdoor skills, improving existing skills or meeting other individuals with similar interests. This year’s workshop offerings include game cleaning, kayaking, geology, fly-fishing, an all-day backpacking trip, plant identification, game calling and more. A total of 34 different classes are offered.

PIERRE, S.D. -- Game, Fish and Parks officials say Lynn Lake in Day County is another example of where anglers have had troubles obeying laws for daily fish limits.

"During the month of June, Conservation Officers issued 30 citations to people for being over their limit for walleye," said Day County Conservation Office Bob Losco. "Since the daily limit on Lynn Lake is two walleye per day, most of the anglers have been cited for being two walleye over their daily limit, which has given most violators a fine of $104, a possible loss of fishing privileges and pending civil damages of $100.00."

Losco noted that the most drastic case on Lynn Lake involved Philip Turner, 66, Ft Dodge, IA and Russell Johnson, 68, Ft. Dodge, IA. Each angler was charged with being two walleye and six crappie over his daily limit, paid a $448 fine, had one-year of fishing privileges revoked and are pending civil damages of $400.

East River anglers are reminded to check pages 15-19 of the 2005 SD Fishing Handbook for lake-specific harvest limits and lake-specific regulations.

Anglers should also note that if a person pleads guilty or is found guilty of a wildlife violation in South Dakota that carries the additional penalty of loss of privilege, such loss of privilege may affect that person’s ability to engage in that same privilege in one or more of the 19 states involved in the Wildlife Violator Compact. "If an angler’s conviction in South Dakota results in a loss of fishing privileges, it is that angler’s responsibility to determine whether his/her loss of privilege in South Dakota will affect his/her ability to lawfully engage in angling in the other compact states," Losco said.

PIERRE, S.D – If cool cars, classic cruisers, and custom vehicles are your passion, head to West Whitlock Recreation Area near Gettysburg. The park invites both competitors and spectators to attend the Car and Motorcycle Show on Sat., July 30.

The show will feature vehicles in nine classes: Antiques, Convertibles, Street Rods, Muscle Cars, Stock Cars, Pick-ups, and three classes of Motorcycles - Cruiser, Custom, and 1200 CC and under. The Antique class limited to vehicles made in or before 1954 and the Convertibles and Street Rods classes are limited to those made in or after 1955. All model years are eligible to compete in all other classes. Trophies will be awarded to the top two places in each class as well as for the automobile and motorcycle Best of Show and overall People’s Choice.

Registration for the competition begins at 11 a.m. at the park’s main entrance. Judging will take place throughout the day, with the winners announced at 3 p.m. The $15 entry fee includes a free dash plaque and the vehicle’s entrance to the park for the day.

In addition, a bean bag tournament will be held beginning at 11 a.m. Two-person teams will be composed by a drawing of all participants. First and second place teams will receive trophies.

Concessions will be available for purchase throughout the day’s events.

There is no fee for car show spectators or to participate in the bean bag tournament. A valid park entrance license is required of all vehicles entering the park, except those entered in the show.

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota’s 2005 antelope season has been extended from 9 to 14 days, and a few selected units in the main antelope range have split into two, seven-day seasons.

"The season finalized represents an increase in tags that is 91 percent higher than last year." said Game, Fish and Parks Assistant Wildlife Director George Vandel.

Vandel also explained that because most of South Dakota’s antelope are in four northwest counties and Fall River County, the commission chose to split the season in these counties that make up the state’s main antelope range. "Splitting the season in these areas will help to distribute hunters and provide better opportunity for landowners to host hunters," he said.

The longer, 14-day season is split into two, seven-day seasons in units:

• 15A/E, 15B/F (Butte County),
• 35A/E, 35B/F (Harding County),
• 53A/E, 53B/F(Perkins County),
• 49A/E, 49B/F (Meade County),
• 27A/E and 27B/F (Fall River County).

Season dates include:

• Oct. 1 – 7 for units 15A, 15B, 35A, 35B, 53A,53B, 49A, 49B, 27A and 27B.
• Oct. 8 – 14 for units 15E, 15F, 35E, 35F, 53E, 53F, 49E, 49F, 27E, and 27F.
• Oct. 1 – 14 for all other units.

PIERRE, S.D. - In technical terms, it's GPS, or Global Positioning System. For some, it's a toy. For others, it's a tool. Discover which it can be for you at Big Sioux Recreation Area near Brandon on Saturday, July 30.

The park is hosting a GPS class beginning at 10 a.m. at the park's picnic shelter. A 30-minute class will introduce participants to the basics of using a GPS unit. Following the class session, visitors will get hands-on experience on the park's GPS Adventure Trail. A limited number of GPS units are available to participants, though visitors are welcome to bring their own GPS units to use in the class.

There is no cost for participation, although a park entrance license is required. Participants should dress appropriately for the weather. Hiking boots or sturdy shoes and insect repellant are recommended for use on the trail.

For additional information on the GPS class or the GPS Adventure Trail, contact Big Sioux at (605) 582-7243 or email BigSioux@state.sd.us. The park is located four miles southwest of Interstate 90, exit 406 to Brandon.

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota’s sage grouse hunting season has been set for this Sept. 28 and 29.

"This year will be the sixth-consecutive year for a sage grouse hunting season, following 20 years of season closure," said GFP Regional Wildlife Manager John Wrede of Rapid City. "The limited season provides an extraordinary opportunity for bird hunters, and concurrently, allows the collection of biological data from harvested birds. This information aids in determining the range, status, sex and age composition of the sage grouse population."

The season is open to all residents and nonresidents who hold the appropriate South Dakota small game license

PIERRE, S.D. – Game, Fish and Parks officials say South Dakota’s duck breeding population is down slightly from last year.

"This year’s waterfowl surveys flown by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in May indicate that the duck breeding population in South Dakota was 1.6 million, down from last year’s 1.7 million and down 26 percent from the long-term average (LTA) of 2.2 million," said Game, Fish and Parks Waterfowl Biologist Spencer Vaa of Brookings. The LTA is a data set from 1959 – 2005.

Pond counts this year were down significantly (- 38 percent) from the LTA. However, Vaa notes that significant rainfall since the survey in early May has enhanced wetland and grassland habitats, and duck broods and re-nesting hens should fare quite well. "I have observed many duck broods across eastern South Dakota in July, and grassland cover looks great statewide," he said.

The resident population of giant Canada geese appears to have stabilized, as this year’s survey of 108,000 is virtually identical to last year and to the 10-year mean of 109,000.

South Dakota comprises only a small portion of the area surveyed during the spring Waterfowl Breeding Pair and Habitat Survey. In this vast area stretching across the Northcentral U.S., Canada and Alaska, the total duck population estimate in 2005 was 31.7 million, similar to last years 32.2 million and five percent below the LTA.

"Of special interest to South Dakota duck hunters are the status of Mid-continent mallards and the number of ponds in the Canadian prairies and parklands," Vaa noted. "The number of mallards in the traditional survey area and the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, along with the number of ponds in the Canadian prairies and parklands, are important factors in the selection of a regulatory package under Adaptive Harvest Management. This year there were approximately 7.5 million mallards compared to last years’ 8.3 million in the traditional survey area, plus the three lake states. On the other hand, pond numbers jumped from 2.5 million in 2004 to 3.9 million in 2005."

Vaa explained that final federal frameworks governing season length and bag limits will be known in late July, and South Dakota’s regular duck and goose hunting seasons will be set in early August.