SOUTH DAKOTA PRONGHORN MANAGEMENT PLAN 2019 …

SOUTH DAKOTA PRONGHORN MANAGEMENT PLAN

2019 ? 2029

SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF GAME, FISH AND PARKS PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA WILDLIFE DIVISION REPORT draft May 2019

This document is for general, strategic guidance for the Division of Wildlife and serves to identify what we strive to accomplish related to Pronghorn Management. This process will emphasize working cooperatively with interested publics in both the planning process and the regular program activities related to pronghorn management.

This plan will be utilized by Department staff on an annual basis and will be formally evaluated at least every 10 years. Plan updates and changes, however, may occur more frequently as needed.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This plan is a product of substantial discussion, debate, and input from many wildlife professionals. In addition, those comments and suggestions received from private landowners, hunters, and those who recognized the value of pronghorn and their associated habitats were also considered.

Management Plan Coordinator ? Andy Lindbloom, South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks (SDGFP).

SDGFP Pronghorn Management Plan Team that assisted with plan writing, data review and analyses, critical reviews and/or edits to the South Dakota Pronghorn Management Plan, 2019 2029 ? Nathan Baker, Chalis Bird, Paul Coughlin, Josh Delger, Jacquie Ermer, Steve Griffin, Trenton Haffley, Corey Huxoll, John Kanta, Keith Fisk, Tom Kirschenmann, Chad Lehman, Cindy Longmire, Stan Michals, Mark Norton, Tim Olson, Chad Switzer, and Lauren Wiechmann. Cover art was provided by Adam Oswald.

All text and data contained within this document are subject to revision for corrections, updates, and data analyses.

Recommended Citation:

South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. 2019. South Dakota Pronghorn Management Plan, 2019 ? 2029. Completion Report draft. South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, Pierre, South Dakota, USA.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.......................................................................................................... II

TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................ III

LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................... V

LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................... VI

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................ IX

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.......................................................................................................... XI

INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.................................................................................................... 1

SEASON SETTING PROCESS .................................................................................................... 5

SDGFP RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................................. 5 SDGFP COMMISSION ACTION............................................................................................................ 9 POST-SDGFP COMMISSION ACTION ................................................................................................. 10

PRONGHORN HUNTING ....................................................................................................... 12

HISTORICAL HARVEST...................................................................................................................... 12 HUNTING SEASONS......................................................................................................................... 12 LANDOWNER LICENSES AND PREFERENCE SYSTEM ................................................................................ 13 PRONGHORN HUNTER PROFILE ......................................................................................................... 17

HUNTER ACCESS .................................................................................................................. 18

ECONOMICS ........................................................................................................................ 20

CONSUMPTIVE USE ........................................................................................................................ 20 NON-CONSUMPTIVE USE ................................................................................................................ 22

PRONGHORN POPULATION SURVEYS................................................................................... 23

DATA ANALYSIS UNITS .................................................................................................................... 23 HARVEST SURVEYS ......................................................................................................................... 25 AERIAL SURVEYS ............................................................................................................................ 30 HERD COMPOSITION SURVEYS .......................................................................................................... 32 SURVIVAL MONITORING .................................................................................................................. 34 POPULATION MODELING ................................................................................................................. 36

PRONGHORN RESEARCH IN SOUTH DAKOTA........................................................................ 38

MOVEMENTS AND HOME RANGE ...................................................................................................... 38 SEASONAL HABITAT & RESOURCE SELECTION ...................................................................................... 39 DIET AND NUTRITION...................................................................................................................... 40 DISEASE ....................................................................................................................................... 41 SURVIVAL ..................................................................................................................................... 42

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PUBLIC LANDS ..................................................................................................................... 43

SDGFP........................................................................................................................................ 43 SDSPL......................................................................................................................................... 47 BLM ........................................................................................................................................... 47 USFS .......................................................................................................................................... 50 NPS ............................................................................................................................................ 52

PRIVATE LANDS ................................................................................................................... 53

SDGFP WILDLIFE PARTNERS PROGRAM ............................................................................................. 54 SDGFP WETLANDS AND GRASSLANDS PROGRAM ................................................................................ 54 USDA FARM BILL PROGRAMS .......................................................................................................... 54 OTHER STATE, FEDERAL, LOCAL, AND NGO PROGRAMS ........................................................................ 55 DEPREDATION MANAGEMENT .......................................................................................................... 55

TRIBAL COORDINATION ....................................................................................................... 59

INTER-STATE COORDINATION .............................................................................................. 60

CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT AND OUTREACH.............................................................................. 61

PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS ............................................................................................................... 62 PUBLIC MEETINGS/OPEN HOUSES..................................................................................................... 62

HABITAT AND GRAZING BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES..................................................... 63

ECOLOGICAL SETTING AND GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS ........................................................................... 63 PRONGHORN HABITAT BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES......................................................................... 65

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES...................................................................................... 68

HABITAT LOSS, CONVERSION, AND FRAGMENTATION ............................................................................ 68 HUNTER ACCESS ............................................................................................................................ 74 HUNTING REGULATIONS .................................................................................................................. 75 HARVEST STRATEGIES...................................................................................................................... 81 HUNTING SEASON SETTING PROCESS ................................................................................................. 82 LEAD BULLET FRAGMENTATION......................................................................................................... 82 PREDATION MANAGEMENT.............................................................................................................. 84 SOCIAL TOLERANCE ........................................................................................................................ 86 WINTER SEVERITY AND DROUGHT ..................................................................................................... 86

GOALS, OBJECTIVES & STRATEGIES ...................................................................................... 91

POPULATION GOALS ....................................................................................................................... 91 OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES............................................................................................................ 92

LITERATURE CITED ............................................................................................................... 98

APPENDIX.......................................................................................................................... 111

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LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Harvest statistics for landowner-own-land licenses, 2008-2017................................... 15 Table 2. Resident "any pronghorn" licenses and landowner preference statistics, 2008-2017. 16 Table 3. Pronghorn license options available to qualifying landowners. .................................... 17 Table 4. Number of unique resident and nonresident pronghorn hunters and estimated

expenditures while pronghorn hunting in South Dakota, 2008-2017.............................. 21 Table 5. Firearm pronghorn harvest summaries, 2010-2017. ..................................................... 26 Table 6. Custer State Park harvest summaries, 2011-2017......................................................... 28 Table 7. Archery pronghorn harvest summaries, 2008-2017...................................................... 28 Table 8. Mentored Youth pronghorn harvest summaries, 2008-2017........................................ 30 Table 9. Herd Composition survey results, 2018. ........................................................................ 33 Table 10. Pronghorn survival estimates from multiple research projects conducted in South

Dakota, 2002-2018............................................................................................................ 35 Table 11. Preseason population estimates of pronghorn in each DAU of South Dakota, 2008-

2018. ................................................................................................................................. 37 Table 12. Predicted pronghorn population growth rates (decrease [], stable [], increase [])

based on recruitment, survival, and harvest rate. Survival rates of adults and juvenile pronghorn (in the absence of harvest) are primarily influenced by severe weather and predation, and are categorized as follows: 1) High = Does ~ 90%, Overwinter Fawns ~80%, 2) Average = Does ~ 80%, Overwinter Fawns ~70%, 3) Low = Does ~ 65%, Overwinter Fawns ~ 50%. ................................................................................................. 38 Table 13. Dry forage (lbs), population objectives, and allocation table for large ungulates in Custer State Park, (Keller 2011). ....................................................................................... 47 Table 14. General Habitat types on BLM administered lands in South Dakota. ......................... 49 Table 15. Names and contact information of South Dakota tribes and reservations. ................ 61 Table 16. License draw statistics for the highest demand pronghorn firearm hunting units in 2018, South Dakota........................................................................................................... 79 Table 17. Resident "any pronghorn" licenses issued to those applicants with landowner preference for the firearm pronghorn hunting season, 2008-2017................................. 80 Table 18. Percent of "any pronghorn" licenses by hunting unit issued to those applicants with landowner preference for the firearm pronghorn season, 2014-2017............................ 81 Table 19. Harvest management strategies used by SDGFP managers and biologists dependent on unit objectives and population estimates. .................................................................. 83

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