UPDATED 2/28/25: HB1236 Failed to Pass as a full Senate Floor Vote. the vote was 5 Yes, 29 No. Thank you to everyone who contacted their elected officials and to the legislators who stood for public access.    South Dakota has a long tradition of hunting culture. It's low population density, vast open expanses, and access programs are a perfect combination for hunters seeking to take to the roads in search of upland birds, waterfowl, or other opportunities. A new bill proposed in the South ...

In recognition of Public Lands Month, SD BHA leaders earned their conservation karma last weekend packing out trash at Thompson Lake as a part of South Dakota Game, Fish, and Park's Adopt-A-Lake program. The program started in 2018 in an effort to keep fishing and recreation sites clean across the state. "We did what we could with the small crew we had, but I think we made a little big of an impact," said SD BHA Chapter Leader, Kevin Healy, who led the effort. They packed out a tire, fan, ...

Happy Spring! Cabin fever is setting in and turkey season is right around the corner. The days are getting longer and we're starting to stir - here's what we've been up to:   Policy We expressed our opposition to the Golden Crest Exploration Drilling Project. A win from the 2024 legislation session is the passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution 605, which recognizes the value of grassland ecosystems and the importance of farmers and ranchers as managers. This is an exciting recognition of ...

BHA members enjoy world-class hunting and fishing and year-round recreational opportunities in South Dakota’s Black Hills National Forest. This area is home to robust populations of elk, mule deer, whitetails, and turkeys. It’s also an area where the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management have asked the Secretary of the Interior to implement a 20-year mineral withdrawal of 20,574 acres of public lands. Specifically, the proposal focuses on the Pactola Reservoir-Rapid ...