South Dakota wildlife officials are pulling back on hunting pressure after localized EHD (epizootic hemorrhagic disease) outbreaks hit the state’s deer population.
While the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Department notes that overall EHD reports are fairly in line with what they typically see this time of year, the localized impact on certain herds has forced them to adjust.
What's Been Done in the Past?
In response to the continued disease reports, wildlife managers are actively reducing the number of hunts in specific hard hit counties to protect the remaining deer numbers.
The state has already taken several steps to ease the pressure on local herds:
- Eliminated mentored and youth deer licenses in nine southeastern counties that have battled outbreaks over the last two years.
- Pulled 62 unsold licenses from the shelf, specifically in McPherson and Dewey counties.
- Changed archery licenses rules from “any-deer” to “buck-only” to protect surviving does.
What's New?
Now, the biggest news for hunters holding tags in those zones is that the state is allowing them to return those licenses for a full refund.
If your hunting area is on the affected list, you have a decision to make. You can return your tag to the GFP and get your money back, or you can stick it out and hunt.
Just keep in mind that if you choose to hunt, you should expect to see significantly lower deer densities in those impacted counties.
The state continues to monitor the situation as hunters wait for the first hard frost of the season to finally kill off the remaining midges and halt the spread of the virus.
Hunters should check the official South Dakota GFP website for the exact list of affected counties and instructions on how to process a tag refund.
