Hunting in South Dakota: 4 Animals Designated Nongame, Endangered, Threatened, and Protected Species

Wednesday, 03 Jun 2015 06:58 PM

By Shana Raley-Lusk

South Dakota's pristine backdrops and plentiful game make it a dream destination for hunters and outdoorsmen around the world. While it is known for both large and small game, South Dakota also is home to a number of species which are off limits when it comes to hunting. These animals are protected because they are either endangered or threatened or have been designated as nongame for some other reason, making it illegal to hunt them.

Here is information about four protected species in South Dakota.

3. Peregrine Falcon

An endangered species in South Dakota, the peregrine falcon has no known nesting sites in the state at this time, though it is still prevalent in other areas of the country. Until 1999, the bird was protected by the federal Endangered Species Act. It remains protected under various other laws, although specific and highly limited use by falconers is now being permitted. Projects are currently in the works to help restore the birds to the region. When new falcons are released into the area, they are fitted with markers so that they may beidentified, according to the Game Fish and Parks Department.

4. Osprey

Although a small group of these rare birds still exists in the Black Hills area, it is rare in other parts of the state. It is listed as threatened in South Dakota but is common in other parts of the country. Efforts currently are being made by the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks Department to restore this species, although they are considered to be poor candidates for relocating to new areas outside their present nesting area.

Read on

Official: Birds along Missouri River could change

APRIL 11, 2014 : Updated: April 11, 2014 10:33am

VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) — A biology researcher at the University of South Dakota says life will likely be changing for birds along the Missouri River over the next 100 years.

Chris Merkord, a post-doctoral research associate, presented his findings Thursday. They showed that the changing nature of the cottonwood forests along the river in South Dakota will impact what type of birds can live there in the future.

The cottonwood forests along the river are not growing back and Merkord says that's partially because of the lack of sandbars that foster forest growth, The Daily Republic reported (http://bit.ly/R9nt1Q ). Cottonwoods along the river grow best in bare, moist sediment areas but those opportunities are limited.

"We don't have the sediment coming through the (Fort Randall) dam," Merkord said. "We have the erosion going on and we don't have any sediment coming in from upstream to replace it, so the river is sort of eating itself into its current banks."

Merkord studied a 39-mile stretch of the river between the Fort Randall Dam and Running Water, a small town southwest of Springfield.

Species like ovenbird and hairy woodpeckers could see their populations decrease up to 40 percent over the next 100 years, and the northern flicker and Baltimore oriole species also could see reduced populations.

Other bird populations are expected to grow, Merkord said. Birds like the common yellowthroat, indigo bunting, blue jay and song sparrow will benefit from the next generation of trees, like ash, elm and box elder species.

Continued

Frozen Vultures Fall From Sky On Adam Weber's House During Snowstorm

Sometimes you just can't stop cold turkey.

Two frozen turkey vultures fell out of the sky on a home in Sioux Falls, S.D. during a snowstorm earlier this week.

Adam Weber told the Argus Leader that his wife was making breakfast Wednesday when she shouted, "A large bird just fell out of the sky!"

The bird, which was completely covered in ice, was still alive when it landed on the deck, and disappeared sometime during the night.

A second vulture had landed on the roof, but Weber told the Leader on Wednesday he thinks the bird is dead, because it hasn't moved since it fell.

Weber had called Animal Control about the incidents, but staff told him that there wasn't much they could do. They noted that they had received other, similar reports from the area.

You really have to watch our for those animals falling from the sky, seemingly at random. In October 2012, a Florida teacher was injured when a mackerel came plummeting out of the air and landed on him.

Earlier that year, 100 blackbirds tragically died and fell to the ground after a fireworks display in a small Arkansas town disoriented them, causing them to fly into objects and each other.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/12/frozen-vultures-fall-from-sky_n_3069944.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news