ARCHERY AND FIREARMS ELK SEASON PROPOSED PIERRE, S.D. - The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission proposed the 2016 and 2017 archery and firearms elk seasons Thursday at their March meeting.
The proposed archery season would run Sept. 1-30 in 2016 and 2017. In comparison to the 2015 season, the proposed season has an additional three any elk licenses and 84 additional antlerless elk licenses.
The Commission also proposed the 2016 and 2017 Black Hills elk hunting seasons with an increase of 768 licenses from 2015; with 13 additional any elk licenses and 755 antlerless licenses. The proposed season would run Oct. 1-31, 2016, for hunters possessing an any elk hunting license.
The Commission also proposed an antlerless hunting subunit in Unit 2, and a new format and timeframe for antlerless hunting. In Units 2 and 3, there will be subunits with an antlerless license allocation and each will have approximately a two week period to hunt. Those time periods will be either the second half of October, first half of December, or the last half of December. In all remaining antlerless hunting units, hunters will have the ability to hunt the second half of October and the ability to come back during the first half of December to hunt.
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 [email protected]. 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.
