FROM THE PRESIDENT

Hello.
As I sit here to write this article, my mind travels to the 9/11/01 date and all the tragedy associated with that fateful day. It is much of the news since the calendar changed to September. It seems so unfair to me that we have spent so much energy on being afraid and mourning the loss of so many innocent lives and the destruction caused that day. It has changed all of us in some way, shape, or form. I bring this to your attention because I feel we all have lost something, or someone, or just our trust and our innocence that day. Each year as that day rolls around......more

MONARCH BUTTERFLY RESEARCHERS WANTED

Citizens interested in the study of the monarch butterfly can call The Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls to assist with their annual fall butterfly count and tagging.

"We're looking for places where migratory monarchs hang out in the evening," Thea Miller Ryan, director, said. "Migrators hang out in trees and bushes by the thousands from the last week in August to the second week of September."

Volunteers interested in helping tag butterflies are also being sought. "This is a great activity for the whole family," Ryan said.

Sign up to help tag or report migratory monarchs, by calling The Outdoor Campus (SD Game, Fish and Parks) at (605) 362-2777.


Thea Miller Ryan
Director, The Outdoor Campus
SD Game, Fish & Parks
www.outdoorcampus.org
Discover Your Own South Dakota!


Events in Your SD State Parks
Becky Graff

People typically think that the summer ends after Labor Day weekend. True enthusiasts know that September has some of the best camping and outdoor recreation weather. South Dakota State Parks recognize this with some parks accepting camping reservations until mid-October and many more offering weekend activities through Halloween. The following is a list of the activities you can take part in at your local state parks.

September
10 - KKMK Family Fun Ride, Mickelson Trail, time TBA
10 - 28th Annual Homesteader Day, Beaver Creek Nature Area, 1:00 PM
10-11 - 3-D Archery Shoot, Hartford Beach, time TBA
15-17 - 9th Annual Mickelson Trail Trek, Mickelson Trail, Pre-registration required
15-17 - Vietnam Memorial Dedication, State Capitol in Pierre. Free park entrance at Pierre area state parks this weekend.
23 - Fall Foliage Hike WITP, Sica Hollow, 2:00 PM
30-10/1 - 13th Annual Buffalo Roundup Arts Festival, Custer State Park (CSP), 8:00 AM

October
1 - 17th Annual Buffalo Wallow Chilli Cook-Off, CSP, 11:00 AM
2 - 41st Buffalo Roundup, CSP, 7:00 AM
7 - Fall Frolic, Fort Sisseton, 1:00 PM
7 - FestiFall, Newton Hills, 1:00 PM
7 - Candle Light Walk WITP, Newton Hills, 7:00 PM
27-28 - Halloween Night Hike WITP, CSP, 5:30 PM both days. Pre-registration required.
28 - Spooktacular Trails, Big Sioux, 5:00 PM
29 - Trick or Treat Trails WITP, LaFramboise Island, 4:30 PM
WITP = Walk in the Park

For information on individual park events, contact the park directly or visit the Game, Fish & Parks website: http://www.sdgfp.info/Parks/Calendar.htm.


Black Hills Moon Walks
A Series of Natural History Walks During a Full Moon

Sponsored by the Black Hills National Forest & Black Hills Parks and Forests Association.

Final Moon Walk of the Season:
October 7 – Sounds of the Forest

This walk is located near Cement Ridge Lookout. Forest wildlife biologists will present a program featuring the sounds of wildlife in the forest, which may include elk bugling, raptors, songbirds and more.

For More Information Contact:
Amy Ballard, 343-1567
Black Hills National Forest
803 Soo San Drive
Rapid City, SD 57702
605-343-1567
www.fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills


SD Second Amendment Sisters Ladies’ Handgun Shoot

Sunday September 24, 9:00 AM
SD National Guard Range, Rapid City

Guns, ammo, eye and ear protection provided. Supervised by NRA Certified Range Safety Officers.

SAS Member Fee $5.00, non-members $10.00. You must reserve your space in advance.
For more information and to register, contact Nancy First at (605) 343-9544 or 721-5860 evenings.

 

Processing certificates make deer meat donations easier
SD Game, Fish & Parks News Release
August 28, 2006

A new program instituted this year will make it easier for South Dakota hunters to donate game to the needy.

Deer hunters will be eligible for a $30 certificate to assist in paying the costs of processing a donated antlerless deer. Funding for the certificates has been made available through a combination of donations and South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department license revenue.

“Everyone wins with this program,” said Jeff Olson, Rapid City, president of South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger and a member of the GFP Commission. “Hunters win because they don’t have to bear the full cost of processing. Landowners win because of the likelihood of fewer depredation problems from a smaller deer population. And, best of all, more hungry people in South Dakota are going to get nutritious meals of venison.”

The processing certificates are available to hunters with Black Hills, West River and East River deer licenses. Certificates can be ordered online at http://apps.sd.gove/applications/GF79SAHEntryForm.aspx. Hunters without Internet access can order the certificates through a friend or relative who has Internet access or get help with the process at a GFP office.

Each hunter may have and use up to four certificates. Only one certificate can be used for the processing of each donated antlerless deer. Hunters should note that the cost of processing may be more than $30 and they should contact processors directly to learn the total cost of donating deer to the program.

A list of processors who will accept the certificates is available on the GFP Web site. As more processors commit to participate in the program, they will be added to the list. This information is also available 24 hours a day by calling (800) 456-2758.

Last year hunters in South Dakota donated almost 39,000 pounds of meat to the program, providing meat to families in need for 156,000 meals. “Hunting is a sport steeped in tradition,” Olson said, “and giving to the less fortunate is one of the most noble of those traditions.”

Tax-deductible donations to the program may be made to South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger, P.O. Box 1172, Pierre, SD 57501. Hunters can also make tax-deductible donations by using a check-off provision available on both online and paper applications for hunting licenses.

To learn more about Sportsmen Against Hunger, go to the GFP Web site at www.sdgfp.info, hold the cursor over the subhead “Get Involved” and click on the link to “Sportsmen Against Hunger.”
 

 

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