For years debate has simmered among members of the state Game, Fish and Parks Commission and the hunting public at large about whether rifles should be legal for turkey hunting in South Dakota.
State Wildlife Division officials came forward this week with a proposal to outlaw the use of rifles during the 2010 spring turkey hunt. The proposal includes other changes, including one that would lengthen the season in some years depending upon how the weekends of May fall on the calendar.
Only five of the eight commissioners were on hand Thursday to consider the proposal. Parliamentary rules used by the commission require a majority of the appointed members — that’s at least five of the eight — vote to formally propose a rule change or adopt a rule change.
That meant on Thursday anything the five commissioners did had to be unanimous or there would be deadlock. And they deadlocked, for a while, on the turkey proposal.
Commissioner Susie Knippling of Gann Valley set the mark. She favors preserving the option for turkey hunters to use rifles in the Black Hills and in the 11 prairie units where they’ve been legal. Chairman Spencer Hawley of Brookings on the other hand favored eliminating rifle use statewide.
Unless the four other commissioners had Knippling’s vote, they couldn’t propose any changes for the 2010 season. Instead the 2009 regulations would remain in place for 2010.
Knippling’s motion to keep rifle use for 2010 initially lost because commissioner Jeff Olson of Rapid City voted against it. After further wrangling, Knippling’s motion was reconsidered and passed on a voice vote. Whether it was unanimous wasn’t clear because no roll was taken. Let’s just say it didn’t sound like five voices saying “aye.” But no one voted “nay” and the proposal was forwarded with rifle use intact.
The amended version of the proposal now goes to a public hearing at 2 p.m. on Dec. 3 when the commission meets again in Pierre. As it now stands, the proposal calls for offering 260 more tags for the prairie units, opening Jerauld County to archery hunting, eliminating the split season for units in Deuel, Grant and Hamlin counties, and changing the season ending date.
As proposed the main season would open April 10 and run through May 23. Currently the rule calls for the season to end the third Sunday of May. The proposed change would end the season eight days before Memorial Day. Wildlife Division officials calculated that would mean a slightly longer season in three of the next 10 years.
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