• American Burying Beetle Project
• Remember To Carry Valid License and I.D. When Hunting
• Make Plans to Attend Special Events in SD State Parks
• South Dakota’s Draft Wildlife Plan Available For Comment
• Antelope And East River Deer Applications Available
• SD State Parks Seek Recipes From Outdoor Cooking Chefs
• Rollings GPA To Be Open For Rifle Sighting, Shotgun Patterning

PIERRE, S.D. - An endangered beetle, the American burying beetle, is currently under investigation by the South Dakota Dept. of Game, Fish, and Parks.

"We have been monitoring this American burying beetle population since 1995" said Game, Fish and Parks Wildlife Diversity Biologist Doug Backlund. "Now, with the availability of State Wildlife Grants, we are able to fund a project that will allow us to estimate the size of the population." Population size will be calculated by marking and recapturing individual American burying beetles in areas of southern Tripp County.

In ten days of sampling last June, 168 American burying beetles were marked and released. Thirty-seven beetles were later recaptured. The area being sampled is about 100 square miles in size. The population estimate will allow South Dakota to help meet the goals in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recovery plan.

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota’s fall hunting seasons will soon be opening, and Game, Fish and Parks officials are reminding hunters they must have in their possession both a valid hunting license and the identification used to purchase the license.

"Proper forms of identification include a valid, state-issued driver's license, a state-issued- and expiration-dated identification card, or for those under age 16, the HuntSAFE card," said Game, Fish and Parks Licensing Supervisor Scott Simpson.

This requirement applies to both resident and nonresident hunters. "We are trying to get the word out to nonresidents to remind them of this requirement, so if a resident has nonresidents who plan to visit and hunt, I would ask they remind them of this requirement," Simpson said. "This is an important part of our license process."

Simpson added that the last four digits of the hunter’s social security number are required of both residents and nonresidents when purchasing a license.

"We keep this information confidential, and it does not show up on the license, but is required by state and federal law as part of an effort to track delinquent child support payments," he said. "This is a requirement for all hunters, including youth."

Youth under age 16 are required to present their hunter safety card to a license agent when they purchase their license.

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks will be holding several special events in state parks on Aug. 20. These free activities are a great way to spend a summer day.

Make plans to attend the following events:

Also, Game, Fish and Parks will be hosting an open-house at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center in Rapid City (2111 N. LaCrosse Street), Badlands room from 6 to 8 p.m. (Mountain Time) on Aug. 15. People can view hard copies of the draft document and provide comments.

"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. – Big game hunters should note that applications for South Dakota’s 2005 East River deer and firearms antelope seasons are available.

Firearms antelope paper applications must be postmarked on or before Friday, Aug. 12. Online applicants have up to midnight on Monday, Aug. 15 to apply online.

East River deer paper applications must be postmarked on or before Friday, Sept. 2. Online applicants have up to midnight on Monday, Sept. 5.

PIERRE, S.D. – Are you a master at cooking all sorts of foods in a Dutch oven, or do you have an outdoor cooking recipe that draws people from across the campground? If so, the South Dakota Departments of Game, Fish and Parks and Health are asking you to share your recipes and tips with others.

"Outdoor cooking has grown from a necessity into a recreational activity," said Linda Sandness, coordinator of visitor services with the SD state parks. "It has evolved far beyond roasting hot dogs on sticks to entire meals that the whole family can create together. We see more and more people in the parks making delicious and healthy meals over the campfire. We’re asking these outdoor chefs to share some of their recipes and expertise in order to help others enjoy preparing delicious food."

According to Sandness, outdoor cooking recipes don’t always need to include heat.

"There are a number of fun ways to get even young kids involved with no-heat recipes that they can make themselves," she says.

For more information on outdoor cooking, including tips and recipes, visit the SD state parks online at www.sdgfp.info/Parks. Also available for free download from the website is the S.D. Department of Health’s Roughin’ It Lite cookbook, which features several healthy outdoor cooking recipes.

PIERRE, S.D. – Shooters in the Sioux Falls area will have some chances to sight in their rifles and pattern their shotguns for South Dakota’s upcoming hunting seasons. The supervised opportunities are scheduled at the Rollings Game Production Area (GPA) near Hudson.

"People have a legitimate need to practice their shooting skills and sight in their rifle prior to the hunting seasons, but target shooting has caused considerable damage on GPAs, such as destruction of signs, fences and littering," said Game, Fish and Parks Regional Habitat Manager Steve Vanderbeek of Sioux Falls. The Rollings GPA near Hudson has a shooting range on it, and we wanted to make that available to people and hopefully reduce the problems we have had with target shooting on other areas."

People interested will have from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the following dates:

• Saturday, Aug. 13
• Sunday, Aug. 28
• Saturday, Sept. 10
• Saturday, Nov. 5

The Rollings GPA is located on the north side of Hudson. From Canton, drive south on I35 to County Road I52, then East to Hudson.

The Rollings GPA will be closed to hunting on the open range dates.