PIERRE, S.D. — A Game, Fish and Parks Department survey of landowners’ opinions about wildlife on their property offered some surprising results. After years of hearing about the state’s booming deer population, the majority of landowners who responded to the survey in Hughes, Roberts, Grant and Ziebach counties said they didn’t have enough white-tailed deer on their property.
 
That was one of the findings of the Wildlife on Private Lands Status Report recently released by the S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Department. “The data in the report is non-scientific,” according to Larry Gigliotti, GFP planning coordinator/human dimensions specialist. “However, it can be used as a supplement to biological data as the department makes deer management decisions.”
 
On average, landowners responded that white-tailed deer numbers were just about right in Marshall, Moody, Hutchinson, Gregory, Jackson, Haakon, Stanley, Corson, Harding, Codington, Deuel, Lake, Turner, Lincoln, Hanson, Douglas, Charles Mix, Lyman, Tripp, Bennett, Fall River and Perkins counties. The majority of landowners in other counties reported that to varying degrees there were too many white-tailed deer on their property.
 
“We were frankly surprised by some of these findings,” said Wildlife Division Director Tony Leif. “However, these landowner responses provide us with a good framework regarding which areas of the state need more work in depredation control.”
 
In addition to white-tailed deer, landowners were also given the opportunity to respond about depredation problems caused by mule deer, elk, antelope, turkey and Canada geese.
 
The department contacted the landowners through its Landowners Matter newsletter which has about 16,000 subscribers. Of those who got the survey, 3,260 responded. “Not only did we get the landowners’ perspective on various wildlife species, we also got the chance to respond to their inquiries,” Gigliotti said.
 
Five information packets on specific topics were made available to survey respondents. There were 1,341 respondents who requested 2,059 information packets. “In 163 cases where additional information was requested, a conservation officer or trapper was dispatched to handle the landowner’s request,” Gigliotti said.
 
In addition to detailing the survey responses landowners gave about the presence of various wildlife species, the status report also lists all of the 1,170 comments made by respondents who were asked to provide their ideas and concerns regarding wildlife management.
 
The full status report, as well as a special supplement about white-tailed deer, is available on the GFP Web site at http://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/privatelands/LandownersMatter/Index.HTM. A hard copy of the report can be requested by writing to Larry Gigliotti at 523, E. Capitol Ave. Pierre, SD 57501.