South Dakota GFP
Pierre, S.D.- The South Dakota Departments of Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) and Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) want to remind South Dakota landowners to register for assistance with prairie dog encroachment. The deadline for enrollment is August 15.
The state’s prairie dog control program is cooperatively operated by GFP and DANR. GFP manages encroachment issues for prairie dogs that move from public lands to adjacent private lands, while DANR and county weed supervisors deal with issues between private landowners.
GFP will control prairie dogs that have encroached onto private land from adjacent public land, with a few exclusions. Landowners who have encroachment problems on their property from adjacent public land must be within one mile of the public land and have at least ten acres of actual prairie dog colonies to be eligible for assistance. Eligibility will be verified for every control request through GPS mapping, whether it is a new or recurring request.
Landowners must register at prairiedogcontrol.sd.gov before August 15 to request assistance with unwanted prairie dogs. Landowners with questions about the program can contact GFP at 605.394.6788. Once eligibility is verified in the fall (Aug-Oct), GFP staff or a department representative will begin control measures on the private land. Timing can vary depending on several factors such as weather and location, thus control may not take place immediately following eligibility verification.
Those landowners experiencing prairie dog encroachment from adjoining private land should contact DANR at 605.773.3299 or their local weed and pest supervisor, to file a complaint which can result in enforcement action by the county weed and pest board. No funding or control assistance is available for prairie dog encroachment from private lands, only for those with neighboring public lands.
The South Dakota Prairie Dog Management Plan is available online at gfp.sd.gov/management-plans.
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