07-18-2008, 06:10 PM
RAPID CITY, S.D.-As South Dakota's antelope population reaches a near-record size, the state Game, Fish and Parks Commission has approved a hunting season that offers significantly more licenses and tags.
<br>To increase the harvest of antelope, the 2008 season will offer two new types of licenses: a three-tag license good for any antelope and two doe/fawn antelope and a three-tag license good for three doe/fawn antelope.<br>
<br>GFP Game Program Administrator Tom Kirschenmann said one of the reasons for offering the three-tag licenses was to increase the harvest without necessarily putting more hunters in the field. He said the increase in licenses and tags was necessary because "we are very, very close to having a record antelope population."<br>
<br>Overall, the 2008 season will offer 15,361 licenses and 40,484 tags, up from 12,928 licenses and 25,210 tags offered in 2007.<br>
<br>Season dates will be Oct. 4 through Oct. 12 and Oct. 11 through Oct. 19 in units with a split season. Those areas include Corson, Dewey, Harding, Perkins, Butte, Ziebach and Fall River counties, most of Meade County and a portion of Custer County. The season runs from Oct. 4 through Oct. 19 in other units that include the remainder of West River as well as Walworth, Potter, Sully, Hyde and Hughes counties.<br>
<br>In a change from last year, unfilled doe/fawn tags from Butte, Harding, Meade and Perkins counties may be used anywhere in that four-unit area during the West River deer season. Also during the West River deer season, unfilled "any antelope" tags from those counties will convert to doe/fawn tags and may be used in anywhere in that four-unit area.
<br>To increase the harvest of antelope, the 2008 season will offer two new types of licenses: a three-tag license good for any antelope and two doe/fawn antelope and a three-tag license good for three doe/fawn antelope.<br>
<br>GFP Game Program Administrator Tom Kirschenmann said one of the reasons for offering the three-tag licenses was to increase the harvest without necessarily putting more hunters in the field. He said the increase in licenses and tags was necessary because "we are very, very close to having a record antelope population."<br>
<br>Overall, the 2008 season will offer 15,361 licenses and 40,484 tags, up from 12,928 licenses and 25,210 tags offered in 2007.<br>
<br>Season dates will be Oct. 4 through Oct. 12 and Oct. 11 through Oct. 19 in units with a split season. Those areas include Corson, Dewey, Harding, Perkins, Butte, Ziebach and Fall River counties, most of Meade County and a portion of Custer County. The season runs from Oct. 4 through Oct. 19 in other units that include the remainder of West River as well as Walworth, Potter, Sully, Hyde and Hughes counties.<br>
<br>In a change from last year, unfilled doe/fawn tags from Butte, Harding, Meade and Perkins counties may be used anywhere in that four-unit area during the West River deer season. Also during the West River deer season, unfilled "any antelope" tags from those counties will convert to doe/fawn tags and may be used in anywhere in that four-unit area.