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PIERRE – A new elk hunting season has been approved by the Game, Fish and Parks Commission that will give elk hunters a chance at harvesting an elk outside of Custer State Park and the regular Black Hills elk units.
Before, elk units in Gregory and Bennett counties had been in the Black Hills elk season. Those counties have now been split into a new, firearms prairie elk season.
Bennett County has five units with different season dates for each unit. The Gregory County unit (Unit 330A), which includes an adjacent area of Boyd County, Neb., will be open from Sept. 1 through Nov. 9, and from Nov. 19 through Dec. 31. A total of 42 licenses are available.
"The new season will hopefully increase hunter’s interest to apply for and accept licenses to hunt in these prairie areas," said Game Management Specialist Ron Fowler. "Previously, many hunters avoided prairie elk units, because drawing a license would affect their eligibility for the Black Hills elk units."
A person that is eligible may apply for an elk license in more than one season, but there are still restrictions that limit the number of elk licenses a person can possess.
"Anyone drawing elk licenses for more than one season may only accept one," Fowler noted. "Eligibility and preference will not be affected by unaccepted licenses."
Preference will apply. Anyone with a preference certificate for Gregory or Bennett county elk units can use it in either the prairie elk season or in the Black Hills season for 2001 only. Elk license applicants with preference points for the Black Hills elk season may not use their preference for the prairie elk season. In 2002, preference can still be switched within season units, but not between different seasons.
Black Hills firearms elk season dates have changed for units 401B, 404A, 405A and 406B; divided unit 409A into two units with different hunting dates; and increased the number of licenses available from 1,100 to 1,124.
Black Hills archery elk has added Unit 430B in Gregory County and Boyd County, NE; and expand season dates in unit 425A to Sept. 1-30.
Uploaded: 4/19/2001
Uploaded: 4/19/2001