GFP Commission Finalizes New Bag Limit Choice for South Dakota Duck Hunters
PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Commission finalized a proposal to offer duck hunters a “3-Splash” daily bag limit option at their March meeting.
The option focuses on recruiting and reactivating waterfowl hunters.
The “3-Splash” proposal will allow any hunter to choose the option of shooting any three ducks, regardless of sex or species. Those three ducks will be that hunter’s bag limit for the day. Hunters can choose this option, or the traditional option at the time of purchasing their license for the year and will not be able to switch back and forth during the season.
The experimental option will be available for three years and then evaluated by Nebraska, South Dakota and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Commission also set season dates and traditional daily bag limits for the 2021-2022 hunting season.
The duck season dates will be:
Season Dates and Open Areas:
High Plains Zone:
- October 9, 2021 – January 13, 2022
Low Plains North & Low Plains Middle Zone:
- September 25 – December 7, 2021
Low Plains South Zone:
- October 23, 2021 – January 4, 2022
Daily Limits:
Ducks: Tier 1 (Traditional) Option
- 6 The duck limit may be comprised of no more than: 5 mallards (which may include no more than 2 hens), 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 1 pintail and 1 scaup.
- 2 Bonus blue-winged teal (first 16 days of the season only)
- Mergansers: 5 (may include no more than 2 hooded mergansers).
Tier 2 (3-Splash) Option
- 3 The duck limit may be comprised of three ducks of any species or gender (including mergansers). The bonus blue-winged teal would not be available to hunters choosing this option.
- Coots: 15
Possession Limits: Three times the daily bag limits.
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