Pierre, SD -(AmmoLand.com)- The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission proposed the 2016 early goose hunting season with two changes from 2015; changing the start date of the season from Sept. 1 to the first Saturday in September and to modify the boundaries of Units 1 and 2 by adding portions of Yankton, Clay and Union counties near the Missouri River to Unit 2.
To view current and proposed unit boundaries, visit http://gfp.sd.gov/agency/commission/default.aspx.
Only areas in Unit 1 are open to the early fall Canada goose season, which would run from Sept. 3-30 in 2016 and Sept. 3-30 in 2017. This season has a proposed daily limit of 15 and a possession limit of 45.
The Commission also proposed to remove Brookings, Brown, Clark, Codington, Day, Deuel, Hamlin, Hanson, Hutchinson, Grant, Kingsbury, Lake, Lincoln, Marshall, McCook, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Roberts, Spink, Turner and Union counties from open areas for the August Management Take. This would leave Pennington County west of the Cheyenne River as the only open area to hunt Canada geese during the Aug. 20-31 dates.
The proposed August Management Take would allow for a daily bag of 15 geese, no possession limit and is open to residents only.
The Commission will finalize these proposals during their April 7-8, 2016, meeting at the McCrory Gardens in Brookings. Written comments can be emailed to wildinfo@state.sd.us. To be part of the official public record, comments must be received by 12 p.m. CDT on April 7, 2016. Please include your full name along with the city and state of residence.
If you would like to comment in person, the public hearing will be April 7, 2016, at 2 p.m. CDT.
About The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP):
The purpose of the Department of Game, Fish and Parks is to perpetuate, conserve, manage, protect, and enhance South Dakota’s wildlife resources, parks, and outdoor recreational opportunities for the use, benefit, and enjoyment of the people of this state and its visitors, and to give the highest priority to the welfare of this state’s wildlife and parks, and their environment, in planning and decisions.
For more information, visit: gfp.sd.gov.