South Dakota Game Fish and Parks has announced a partnership with the South Dakota Wildlife Federation and South Dakota Waterfowl Association to create a comprehensive plan to boost duck-hunter numbers and preserve waterfowl habitat.
According to numbers released by GFP, duck season participation dropped 29 percent from 33,950 in 2005 to 24,166 in 2022. Digging into the numbers further, in 2009 two-thirds of the state’s duck hunters claim they have difficulty finding a place to hunt.
Some of the plan includes investing into the James River and Big Sioux River watershed conservation efforts and to create new routes to prime public hunting spots.
