10 Broadcaster Press October 23, 2018 www.broadcasteronline.com South Dakota’s 100th Pheasant Season By Gov. Dennis Daugaard October in South Dakota is a glorious month. I love the crisp mornings, chilly evenings and weekend sounds of marching bands in homecoming parades. And I truly love the annual gathering of family and friends for pheasant season, the best fall classic of them all. When I was a boy hunting with my dad or my school friends, the sharp cackle of a rooster pheasant flushed from fireweed along a fencerow or from a strip of un-harvested corn or milo set my heart pumping. All these years later that unmistakable sound still has that effect. The tradition of fall pheasant hunting may not be unique to South Dakota, but I’m convinced we do it better than anybody else. But, then, we should. We’ve been doing it for a century now. This year marks the 100th pheasant season in South Dakota. Think of that. From a few visionaries who introduced that first hunting season in Spink County in 1919, the fall hunt has grown to an event that draws thousands upon thousands, residents and non-residents alike. I tell people the hunt is a tradition nearly as old as South Dakota itself. The 100th anniversary proves my point. It’s one of many reasons our state is such a great place to live or visit, and it’s a big reason so many former residents return to their roots each fall. They are drawn by a tradition instilled in them by the generations before them. Pheasant season in South Dakota is always a great experience. This year could be especially so. The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks brood survey earlier this year showed a 47 percent increase in bird numbers over last year. The survey uses a pheasants-per-mile index, and the GFP biologists tell me this year’s count is 2.47 birds per mile, up from 1.68 last year. The survey also shows more birds – and therefore more hunting opportunities – are spread across a broader area of the state. That’s exciting news. The statewide season opens Oct. 20 and runs through Jan. 6. The GFP Walk-in Area program added 39,000 acres of hunting land this year, meaning about 1.1 million acres of public hunting land is available in the heart of the pheasant range. The department has a web-based interactive map of public lands and private lands leased for public hunting. It may be found at: https://gfp.sd.gov/ hunting-areas/. Whether you hunt public or private land, I encourage you to be courteous with others and respectful of the land and the wildlife. Conditions are right for a memorable hunting season. As I walk the fields, I intend to pause now and then to celebrate the tradition, enjoy the company of my hunting partners and revel in simply being outdoors in the fall in the best place in the world. South Dakota Monarch Plan Available For Public Comment PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) is asking for public comment on a draft strategic plan for the monarch butterfly. The plan is available for review until 5 p.m. CDT on Oct. 26. South Dakota and other Midwestern states have been working together to determine how to provide for the long-term needs of the monarch butterfly. The state planning process began a year ago. Since then, a committee has helped GFP prepare a strategic plan to guide future activities. “GFP is coordinating the planning effort, but many public and private partners have been working on pollinators for many years,” said Eileen Dowd-Stukel, wildlife diversity coordinator for GFP. “This cooperative theme is critical for future success.” Following the finalization of the strategic plan, work will begin to identify specific tasks, schedules and commitments to carry the strategic plan to implementation. The monarch is being considered for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will announce a listing decision for the eastern population of the monarch butterfly in June 2019. South Dakota’s commitment to this species will be one consideration in the decision. The public can submit comments on the plan online at gfp.sd.gov/forms/positions. Vote For Earn as much as $400+ this month & $120 this week South Dakota ACT Scores Remain Steady, Above National Average PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota’s average ACT composite score is up slightly from 2017 and remains above the national average. South Dakota’s average ACT score for 2018 was 21.9, compared to the national average of 20.8 and last year’s statewide average of 21.8. The composite score reflects sub-scores for English, math, reading and science. ACT is a commonly recognized college entrance exam. In South Dakota, 77 percent of 2018 graduates took the ACT, compared to 55 percent nationally. According to ACT, 92 percent of South Dakota’s 2018 graduates who took the ACT indicated that they aspire to pursue postsecondary education. “The fact that so many students are interested in a postsecondary experience is great,” said Interim Secretary of Education Mary Stadick Smith. “That said, it’s critical that we help these students find pathways that make sense for them based on their skills and interests, and that have alignment to workforce need.” All six South Dakota public universities and four technical institutes recognize ACT scores, as well as scores on the 11th grade state test, for admission and placement into courses. This month, public school seniors who have achieved qualifying scores on either of these tests will receive guaranteed general acceptance into those institutions, through the state’s proactive admissions initiative. In addition, students who don’t meet the benchmark will receive information about specialized coursework they can do throughout their senior year to get them ready for college entrance. For more information, visit ACT’s website at act.org. More information about the proactive admissions and college readiness coursework programs is also available online. Morse’s Market e- -farm fresh produc PumPKins All Sizes • 2# - 50# Large White Pumpkins Round & Flat • Great For Pies John Volume Discounts Mini Pumpkins • Gourds Melons • Fall Squash GORS local Honey Straw Bales & Corn Stalks Open 7 days a week • M-F 12 Noon-6:30pm Sat & Sun 10:30am - 5:30pm STATE HOUSE 3 Blocks South of Cotton Park Soccer Field • 708 S. Dakota St. 605-677-7852 or 605-624-9330 • Mitchel Morse Paid for by John Gors for State House Visiting Specialists Flu Shot Clinics Available for persons 6 months and older. * BOARD CERTIFIED AUDIOLOGY Jason R. Howe, M.S., FAAA, CCC-A DERMATOLOGY James W. Young, D.O., FAOCD* GENERAL SURGERY Jesse L. Kampshoff, M.D.* NEPHROLOGY Byron S. Nielsen, M.D.* Thursday OBSTETRICS/GYNECOLOGY 1 - 6 p.m. ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY Curtis M. Adams, M.D.* Jill F. Sternquist, M.D., FACOG* October 25 Jeremy Kudera, M.D., ABOS* No appointment necessary. $40 each with insurance billling available. We accept most major insurances. PULMONOLOGY Lori A. Hansen, M.D., FACP, FACCP* RHEUMATOLOGY Leann Bassing, M.D.* UROLOGY George Fournier, Jr., M.D., FACS* CLINIC PHYSICIANS 101 S. Plum St., Vermillion, SD 57069 PEDIATRICS FAMILY MEDICINE BOARD CERTIFIED BOARD CERTIFIED Matthew D. Krell, MD, FAAP Catherine Mitchel, MD FAMILY MEDICINE Charles C. Yelverton, MD BOARD CERTIFIED FAMILY MEDICINE Michelle Chaussee, MPAS, PA-C FAMILY MEDICINE Amy Fluit, MPAS, PA-C 605-624-8643 www.VermillionMedicalClinic.com/Flu