Relevant information.
http://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/hunting/Pheasant/SocialAspects.htm
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About 80,000 resident and 90,000 nonresident pheasant hunters spend in excess of $100 million annually on their sport. Consequently, the impact of pheasant hunting touches more than outdoorsmen and women.
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Farmers and ranchers continue to search for alternate sources of revenue to supplement traditional farming income. Charging for hunting access is one such alternative. GFP has not attempted to either promote or discourage charging access fees for hunting. This is free enterprise, and free enterprise system is the economic foundation of this country.
However, GFP recognizes and will ardently defend the fact of law that wild animals in this country are owned by no one. Rather they are held in trust by the people for the people. In addition, GFP is very serious about the state of South Dakota’s responsibility to manage wild animal populations that reside within the borders of our state. Consequently, as long as the legal ownership designation of wildlife is not eroded, GFP will not attempt to restrict farmers and ranchers from generating income for hunting access to their property.
GFP will, however, work to develop all available opportunities to enhance and preserve free access to hunting opportunities. If hunting is a sport reserved only for the wealthy, then its appeal to the non-hunting population will diminish and its support from the general population will dissolve. The loss of public support would result in a weakened position to defend against special interest groups whose mission it is to make hunting an illegal practice.
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Road hunting is one of the most contentious hunting issues for many rural residents. In turn, many hunters covet road hunting as the one guaranteed option of having access to public hunting opportunities.
As described above, GFP is an advocate for promoting free hunting access opportunities to the general public. However, the behavior of some hunters while hunting road rights-of-way can make the practice difficult to defend. Rural residents have a legitimate basis to be critical of the behavior of some road hunters that shoot close to their homes and livestock.
GFP and the state legislature have taken action to lessen conflicts between road hunters and rural property owners. State laws providing buffers around farmsteads and livestock where hunting is prohibited are in place and are taken very seriously by state Conservation Officers. If compliance with these regulations were improved, most conflicts between rural residents and hunters that like to hunt road rights-of-way would be eliminated.
GFP will continue to support the rights of hunters to legally hunt road rights-of-way as long as state law permits the practice. In addition, GFP will continue to vehemently enforce laws intended to protect rural residents and their property from the unlawful hunting of road rights-of-way.
https://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/Economics/Huntingeconomics.htm
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Some hunting economic facts:
Hunters spend $605 million on hunting dogs, far more than the $513 million skiers spend on ski equipment.
Each year hunters spend more on food for hunting trips than Americans spend on Domino’s Pizza.
Hunters support more than 500,000 jobs.
The $2.4 billion in annual federal income-tax money generated by hunters’ spending would be enough to cover the annual paychecks of 100,000 U.S. troops.
It is estimated that these hunters bring almost $13 million in state sales and motor fuel taxes to South Dakota. There are over 5,500 jobs related to hunting activities resulting in over $100 million in salaries and wages.
Pheasant Economics by county in 2006
https://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/hunting/Pheasant/Economics.htm
Non-residents pumped $69. million into Beadle County last year (where Huron is I believe).