Tomorrow, February 24, the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee is scheduled to hear HB 1265, an important bill to help South Dakota continue its title as “Pheasant Capital of the World.” The Legislature is moving quickly on this. It has already passed the House with strong support.
Use the Take Action button to contact the committee and urge them to support HB 1265. This common-sense piece of legislation puts wildlife conservation power back into the hands of those who care most, the sportsmen.
Unintentional Loss of Ground-Nesting Birds
Every year, thousands of pheasant, grouse, wild turkey, and other ground-nesting birds’ nests are unintentionally lost during routine agricultural work or mowing. Currently, if you were to step in and try to save those eggs, you could be charged with a Class 2 misdemeanor.
The Avian Special Purpose Salvage Permit
HB 1265 changes that. It creates a new Avian Special Purpose Salvage Permit that costs no more than $10 and allows you to:
- Legally Salvage Eggs: Rescue game bird eggs from nests that are accidentally disturbed.
- Hatch and Raise: Incubate and care for these birds until they are ready to thrive.
- Rebuild the Population: Band and release these birds back into the wild to bolster our upland numbers.
Securing the Future of Upland Traditions
This bill isn’t just about saving eggs. It’s about protecting the future of our upland game bird traditions by ensuring that more pheasants and grouse make it to adulthood and back into the fields we hunt.
Hearing Details and Live Access
The committee is scheduled to meet at 8 a.m. in room 423 of the State Capitol. If you are unable to attend in person, you can still listen to the hearing live online.
Mobilize Your Network for Wildlife Conservation
Don’t forget to share this important alert with your family, friends, and fellow sportsmen. Urge them to Take Action today to help ensure our state stays the “Pheasant Capital of the World.”
The future of our uplands isn’t just a matter of luck, it’s a matter of action. By supporting HB 1265, we ensure that the next generation of hunters inherits a field full of birds and a heritage worth defending. Urge your family and friends to join you and the Sportsmen’s Alliance today to ensure our traditions remain strong tomorrow. The legacy of hunting, fishing, and trapping depends on our actions today.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance guarantees hunting, fishing, and trapping for the American sportsman now and forever. We’re there when sportsmen need us most. We are the only organization specifically created to protect the individual hunter, angler, and trapper – no matter the threat. We will never compromise when it comes to defending our way of life in the courts, in the legislatures, in the public square, and at the ballot box. We make this promise to the American sportsman: we will never give up and never give in while proudly securing our future against those seeking to destroy our values, beliefs, and traditions. Stay connected to the Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
