Rog's Rod & Nimrod

A recent regional tabloid has taken a negative shot at our South Dakota Outdoors. In the August 9, 2019 issue of Wisconsin Outdoor News, Tony Peterson’s “Commentary” did just that. Tony, a Wisconsinite who admittedly loves to archery hunt South Dakota deer, sees a problem.

His gripe? Starting this year, nonresident archery hunters won’t be able to hunt South Dakota public lands during the month of September. Tony claims it’s a big win for resident South Dakota bow hunters and the lobby that worked hard for the change, but he goes on to say that South Dakotans aren’t big fans of anyone who hails from somewhere else. I, for one, have never felt that way.

Tony states the loss goes beyond nonresident hunters as it affects those who depend on nonresident revenue. He also says that he and his buddies will now find a friendlier state in which to bow hunt. I’ll be interested in seeing how much this policy change affects the sale of our nonresident archery tags.

Tony then goes on to say and I’ll quote, “…..That it’s still just fine to shoot deer on private land (where you’ll likely pay to hunt, not coincidentally) pretty much tells you what you need to know about the motivations behind the new rule.” In trying to see this issue through Tony’s eyes, I would like to know more about the motivation for this change. Up to this point, I have assumed that most of South Dakota’s resident archery hunters hunt on private land, and in most instances, do not have to pay for the privilege.

Peterson’s final point is thought provoking. He comments that this movement represents a loss of hunting opportunities that didn’t come from anti-hunters. It came from hunters, and that bothers both Tony and me. I have good friends in the hunting business, and I plan to ask them if commercial hunting interests are at least a part of this policy change.

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I believe that many South Dakota hunters and fishermen fail to fully appreciate the simple, easily obtainable opportunities that surround us. Hopefully my thinking is based on a wisdom that comes with age, but it might also be a rationalization that enables me to accept my inability to bag monster bucks and catch oversized walleyes with regularity.

Come next December, I will thoroughly enjoy the hunting opportunity made possible by my Brule County antlerless whitetail tag. Don’t get me wrong. I look forward to trying to put my “any whitetail” tag on a good buck, but if the rancher where I usually hunt feels that his whitetail numbers are down, I will knock on doors, make new friends, and see some new country. I will relish the challenge of the hunt, and I will feel good about donating my doe to the food bank. A doe hunt is what one makes of it, and it is readily available for a nominal license fee.

I enjoy pulling plugs and bottom-bouncers for elusive walleyes, but this is a hit or miss proposition for me at this time of the year. I am equally excited about putting my boat in beneath the Randall Dam and heading downstream where I will drop anchor and fish the bottom for catfish and drum, and look forward to a good carp fight. A good-sized cat or drum will give me all the fight that I can handle, and it’s something that I can count on.

Simpler yet, head to a local lake or stock dam with some bobber rigs and a can of worms, and catch a mess of bluegills from the bank. They might be a bit small, but they can still be filleted with a little patience. It beats sitting in front of a TV set or computer screen. Yesterday Betsy and I had bluegills for dinner. The pieces weren’t much bigger than French fries, but it was as good a fish meal as we’ve ever eaten. Talk about simple – how do you beat the fresh corn-on-the-cob or tomatoes we have this time of the year?

See you next week.