Fewer hunters pursuing ducks, geese

By Bob Mercer
state capitol Bureau
Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, Jul 01, 2009 - 11:30:10 pm CDT

PIERRE — South Dakota remains a popular spot for non-residents to hunt waterfowl. But the numbers of South Dakotans hunting ducks and Canada geese continue to decline.

State Wildlife Division officials presented data Wednesday showing there were 13,376 resident hunters for ducks in 2008, down 2,225 since 2005.

There was an even larger drop for resident hunters of Canada geese. They fell to 13,463, a drop of 3,256 since 2005.

The state Game, Fish and Parks Commission discussed the hunter-participation information as part of proposing the 2009 duck and geese seasons Wednesday.

The final decisions on seasons will come at the commission’s next meeting in Mobridge Aug. 6-7.

In the meantime, wildlife biologists from the Central Flyway states will gather July 23-24 in Bismarck to discuss the federal regulations which will serve as the parameters for the states to use for their migratory waterfowl seasons.

The decline in hunter participation is a concern for members of the South Dakota commission and the Wildlife Division.

Larry Gigliotti, who performs hunter-opinion research for the division, is finishing work on a current survey regarding waterfowl hunting.

He said the findings indicate that hunters are choosing to do other things rather than being discouraged by the extensive bag-limit and season regulations involved in waterfowl hunting.

“It just isn’t fitting in, and having other hunting priorities that are easier,” Gigliotti said. Waterfowl hunters are giving up the sport faster than new hunters are taking it up. “Every year the average is going up.”

Commissioner Tim Kessler of Aberdeen, who is an avid waterfowl hunter, observed that the amounts spent by Game, Fish and Parks per hunter “is really out of whack” for waterfowl in comparison to pheasants.

“It’s a dying sport, no question,” Kessler said.

Non-resident hunters of ducks totaled 3,917 in 2005, reached 4,349 in 2006 and stood at 4,058 last year. For Canada geese, the non-resident hunters stood at 2,426 in 2005, climbed to 2,789 in 2006 and were 2,483 last year.

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Comments

1 comment(s)

SD Mike wrote on Jul 2, 2009 2:44 PM:

" I've tried to waterfowl hunt several times and personally I do a lot of hunting, but because there are fewer hunters it seems the law enforcement, which would border on harrasement, just plain turned me off. Its one of the first hunting seasons of the year and the the law enforcement is just itching to arrest someone. I was hunting ducks in Brookings county one year and the game warden was standing on the shore yelling at us to come over to him so he could check us out and it wasn't even 7:30am and we were still hunting. "

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