South Dakota "3 Splash Proposal"
Proposed two tiered duck regulation with a 3 Splash option in order to get increase license sales (decrease hunter decline) and simplify regulations? Thoughts?
https://gfp.sd.gov/UserDocs/nav/PRO1..._8QfNFtq71d1lw
• Duck hunter trends: Duck hunter participation in South Dakota and the Central Flyway is
declining (Figure 1). Historically, duck hunter numbers rose and fell with duck numbers.
Unfortunately, since the mid 1990’s this trend as not held with declining hunter numbers and
abundant waterfowl (Figure 2).
• Current duck regulations: maximize harvest potential, complex system of species-specific
regulations. Challenge for inexperienced hunters.
o The ability to identify ducks on the wing has been identified as a potential barrier to
duck hunter recruitment, retention and reactivation (R3).
• Potential future regulations: increase participation in duck hunting by providing two options
for all hunters to choose from. Duck hunters would register themselves under one of two
different regulatory options
o Tier 1: The current regulatory package: would maximize harvest potential with current
species-specific regulations (i.e., current daily bag limits with all species-specific daily
bag restrictions).
o Tier 2: A new “3-splash” regulatory package: available only to those who desire it.
Simplified regulations (i.e., 3-splash daily bag limit).
• Regulation development: Working cooperatively with the all flyways and the USFWS, a
study design and evaluation plan has been developed and approved by the Service
Regulations Committee (SRC) for the states of Nebraska and South Dakota.
o If approved by both commissions, beginning in the 2021-2022 duck hunting season
both states will implement and evaluate a pilot two-tier system of duck hunting
regulations for a minimum of 4 years.
• GOAL: To see if experimental regulations can flatten the decline, if not increase participation
in waterfowl hunting.
Listen to your elders. Not because they are always right but because they have more experiences of being wrong.
"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give" Sir Winston Churchill
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