SD spring snow goose update
Tuesday, March 16
Low flying flocks near St. Charles in Gregory County.
Monday, March 15
Just wanted to let you know that while at work on the east side of sioux falls sunday mid-afternoon I had seen about 1,000 snows and blues flying about 70 yards high in a northerly direction. I believe there were more but these were the only ones that I could see clearly. Good hunting everyone.
The first snow geese arrived to day at dusk. This is in the area of Lake Henry and Lake George in Western Lake County.
Today a couple large flocks were flying north over tea
Monday, first flock of snow geese circled Aberdeen in the early AM hours. Estimated 200-300 in this flock.
Monday after daylight, first small flock of Canada geese overflew Aberdeen heading north.........
Have not seen any in the west bend area where I work, just a lot of dark geese so far.
Traveled from Brookings to Pierre late Sunday afternoon 3-14, and there were numerous large flocks of snows from Arlington to Huron. Great numbers in the DeSmet area.
2 flocks, approximately 50 in each going North, of Hwy. 34 between Harrold, SD. and Miller, Sd. today 3-15-10, About 1:00PM
Seen two flocks of snow geese probably with 50 in each flock and also 2 flocks of Canadian geese with around 15 in each flock, all east of Faulkton.
2 small flocks of 30-40 snow geese flying low in Frederick area 1 mile west of 281
I live on Lake Madison. I am looking out my window right now and there are snow geese flying over the house. They are not stopping. Headed north. I was up to Arlington today and the same thing…not a white goose in the fields just heading north been going by since about noon today.
Several large flocks of snow geese moving north through western Minnehaha County this afternoon. Very few geese witnessed on the ground.
We are seeing snow geese in Freeman.
There are large numbers of snow geese throughout both Turner and Hutchinson counties. Snow geese were landing on Silver Lake north of Freeman on Sunday afternoon. There were geese landing in a winter wheat field near Kaylor on Monday morning.
Many small flocks of snow geese seen while driving 10 miles west of Huron. Current foggy conditions have geese flying extremely low.
Flock of several thousand snow geese seen near Redfield just off Highway 281.
Flock of around 200 snow geese seen south of Mellette in Spink County.
There is a good number of snow geese in southern Union County in the southeast corner of the state. The main eastern migration right now runs from Vermillion through Davis, and in the Hurley and Parker area. There are good numbers of birds through this whole stretch.
Several large flocks of snow geese are moving through south of the Gayville area, between Yankton and Vermillion in southern Yankton County. There continues to be large numbers of geese moving through the area.
Sunday, March 14:
70-80 snow geese spotted about five miles west of Sand Lake Refuge
Posted by: Doug Leier on 3/16/2010 at 10:24 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: hunting, snow geese, south dakota, spring
archery in schools a hit in North Dakota
North Dakota’s National Archery in the Schools Program is growing fast, if this year’s state tournament is any indication.
“It was a great turnout,” according to Jeff Long, NASP coordinator for the State Game and Fish Department. “We had 160 student archers, more than twice as many as last year. Our goal is to have 50 percent of the schools participating in NASP within the next five years.”
NASP is a national program that helps schools incorporate archery target shooting into physical education curriculums. The Game and Fish Department provides grants to help schools purchase equipment, and also has equipment that schools can share.
The 2010 state tournament was the first held on-site at a central location, at the NISHU Bowmen’s indoor archery range in Bismarck on March 6. Last year, students completed their tournament rounds at local sites and scores were compared statewide.
Griggs County Central and Medina claimed top honors in the team competitions. Middle (grades 7-8) and high school (grades 9-12) students from Griggs County Central won their respective divisions, while Medina students finished first in the elementary school (grades 4-6) competition.
The first-place team and top five boys and girls in each division qualify for the national tournament in Louisville, Kentucky. Additionally, teams that achieve minimum scores set by NASP also qualify for the national tournament.
Top individual honors in the high school male and female divisions went to Jordan Bruce, Dunseith, and Ashley Landsiedel, Wing. Middle school honors went to Griggs County Central students Kevin Heinz and Tristin Johnson. Elementary student winners were Tyler Gravseth and Deena Monson, also from Griggs County Central.
Also qualifying for the national tournament in the high school boys division were Griggs County Central students Adam Larson and Josh Johnson, Dunseith student Zach LaFloe and Mandaree student Dylan Costello; high school girls Amanda Young and Jaci Fayant of Dunseith, Beth Jochim of Griggs County Central and Abby Dalin of Burke Central; middle school boys Ben Halvorson, Justin Hanson, Gavin LaPlant and Rusty Stokkeland, all of Griggs County Central; middle school girls Shayla Zaun of Griggs County Central, Amy Landsiedel of Wing, Katie Pfleger of Bismarck St. Mary’s, and Keirra Hawkins of Burke Central; elementary boys Ashton Synnes of Killdeer, and Nick Muncy, Jesse Iverson and Jacob Heinz of Griggs County Central; and elementary girls Maddy Vincent and Alison Goplen of Griggs County Central, Micayla Brown of Hope-Page and Aidan Bird of Killdeer.
Posted by: Doug Leier on 3/15/2010 at 12:16 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: archery, high school, nasp, national archery in schools, north dakota, sports
South Dakota sets pheasant season
Statewide Pheasant Season Proposed; Youth and Resident Season Finalized
PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Commission has proposed a statewide traditional pheasant season this year that is similar to 2009 and a slightly longer season for pheasant hunters at Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Brown County. The Sand Lake proposal would adjust the season-ending date from Dec. 31 last year to the first Sunday of January.
The traditional Pheasant Hunting Season would run from Oct. 16-Jan. 2, 2011. Sand Lake Refuge has closed at an earlier date in the past,, but under the proposed change would close at the same time as the main pheasant season.
The Commission has finalized the 2010 Youth and the Resident-Only Pheasant Hunting seasons. The Youth Season will be held October 2-6, and the Resident-Only Season will be October 9-11.
The Commission will take final action on the Pheasant Season proposal at their April meeting, which will take place at the Crossroads Hotel in Huron, April 8-9.
Information on the proposed traditional Pheasant Season and Sand Lake Season is available on the GFP Web site at www.sdgfp.info under the headings “About Game, Fish and Parks” and “GFP Commission.”
Residents who would like to provide written comments on the proposals may do so up until 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 7. Comments may be mailed to Game, Fish and Parks Commission, 523 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, S.D., 57501, or e-mailed to wildinfo@state.sd.us . All comments must have the sender’s full name and address in order to be included in the public record.
Comments may also be presented in person at the GFP Commission meeting during the public hearing, which is scheduled for 2 p.m. CDT on Thursday, April 8.
-GFP-
Posted by: Doug Leier on 3/14/2010 at 11:02 | Comments (0) | Permalink
weekend Outdoors Live radio
Saturday at 5PM outreach biologist and past elk tag holder in North Dakota Marty Egeland takes us through some of the considerations BEFORE sending in your moose-elk-bighorn sheep applications. Private Lands Open to Sportsmen is a very successful hunting access program and Kevin Kading is in for the run down, and waterfowl biologist work in the winter with biologist Mike Szymanski.- as always we bring the latest from across the state with Pat Stockdill and our Central Dakota Outdoors report.
Listen live on AM 790 http://www.kfgo.com
podcast at http://www.outdoorslive.podcastpeople.com
http://twitter.com/dougleier
http://www.facebook.com/doug.leier
Posted by: Doug Leier on 3/13/2010 at 5:02 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: doug leier, facebook, fishing, hunting, kfgo am 790, north dakota, podcast, radio, twitter
2010 South Dakota Elk, Big Horn Sheep Seasons Proposed
PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Commission has proposed changes for the 2010 Archery, Firearm and Prairie Elk Seasons.
The proposed Archery Elk Season would see a reduction in elk licenses available from 114 “:any elk” and 71 “antlerless elk” licenses in 2009, to 96 “any elk” and 49 “antlerless elk” licenses this year.
The proposed Firearm Elk Season would reduce available licenses from 605 “any elk” and 760 “antlerless elk” licenses in 2009 to 495 “any elk” and 570 “antlerless elk” licenses in 2010.
The proposed Firearm Prairie Elk Season would see an increase in tags available from 45 “any elk” and 86 “antlerless elk” in 2009 to 50 “any elk” and 86 “antlerless elk” this year.
“While the aggressive harvest approach a few years ago reduced the overall elk population and reduced depredation complaints from ranchers and landowners, the department direction is to increase the elk population in some areas and that process includes the reduction of licenses another year,” said GFP Chief of Terrestrial Resources Tom Kirschenmann.
The GFP Commission is also proposing the Black Hills Bighorn Sheep Season, which will retain 5have five "any bighorn sheep" licenses available, but extending the season from Nov. 30-Dec. 31.
The Commission will keep the season closed on mountain goats in South Dakota.
The Commission will take final action on the proposed Elk Seasons and Bighorn Sheep Season at its April 8-9 meeting at the Crossroads Hotel in Huron.
Information on season proposals is available on the GFP Web site at www.sdgfp.info under the headings “About Game, Fish and Parks” and “GFP Commission.”
Residents who would like to provide written comments on the proposals may do so up until 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 7. The comments may be mailed to Game, Fish and Parks Commission, 523 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, S.D., 57501, or e-mailed to wildinfo@state.sd.us . All comments must have the sender’s full names and address in order to be included in the public record.
Comments may also be presented in person at the GFP Commission meeting during the public hearing, which is scheduled for 2 p.m. CDT on Thursday, April 8.
-GFP-
Posted by: Doug Leier on 3/12/2010 at 23:00 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Red River Area sportsmens Club Fishing Seminar
The great folks at the Red River Area Sportsmens Club is providing a FREE...yes FREE fishing seminar. Friday March 19, 2010 at the Wahpeton Community Center. 6:30 PM doors open, seminars at 7PM.
Bow fishing with Darrell & Tammie Schreiber of the Land of Lakes Bowfishing Association
Invasiv species with Nathan Olson of MN DNR
Walley fishing with Ross Hagemeiser an Ottertail Lake fishing guide
also included are a jigmaking table, luremaking along with door prizesand refreshments.
Posted by: Doug Leier on 3/12/2010 at 14:49 | Comments (0) | Permalink
