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Fewer Residents Hunting Waterfowl
PIERRE (AP) — Fewer South Dakotans have been hunting ducks and Canada geese in recent years, state wildlife officials say.
Game, Fish and Parks Department officials released numbers this week showing that 13,376 resident hunters pursued ducks last year, down from 15,601 in 2005. The number of residents who hunted Canada geese last year also fell to 13,463, down from 16,719 in 2005.
However, South Dakota has continued to draw about the same number of nonresident waterfowl hunters over the four-year period. Nearly 2,500 nonresidents hunted geese in South Dakota last year, and slightly more than 4,000 people from other states hunted ducks in South Dakota in 2008.
Tony Leif, director of the state Wildlife Division, said he had wondered if people were not hunting ducks because of the complexity of regulations setting bag limits for different species.
But Larry Gigliotti, who does research for the department, said preliminary results of a survey indicate hunters are not put off by duck-hunting regulations but instead are choosing to hunt other game that takes less time and preparation.
Gigliotti said the number of duck hunters is dwindling because few young people are taking up the sport. “Every year the average age is going up,” he said.
The Game, Fish and Parks Commission is proposing little or no change to duck and goose hunting seasons, but final decisions will be made in August after federal regulations set rules for the states.
Game, Fish and Parks Department officials released numbers this week showing that 13,376 resident hunters pursued ducks last year, down from 15,601 in 2005. The number of residents who hunted Canada geese last year also fell to 13,463, down from 16,719 in 2005.
However, South Dakota has continued to draw about the same number of nonresident waterfowl hunters over the four-year period. Nearly 2,500 nonresidents hunted geese in South Dakota last year, and slightly more than 4,000 people from other states hunted ducks in South Dakota in 2008.
Tony Leif, director of the state Wildlife Division, said he had wondered if people were not hunting ducks because of the complexity of regulations setting bag limits for different species.
But Larry Gigliotti, who does research for the department, said preliminary results of a survey indicate hunters are not put off by duck-hunting regulations but instead are choosing to hunt other game that takes less time and preparation.
Gigliotti said the number of duck hunters is dwindling because few young people are taking up the sport. “Every year the average age is going up,” he said.
The Game, Fish and Parks Commission is proposing little or no change to duck and goose hunting seasons, but final decisions will be made in August after federal regulations set rules for the states.
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