About

Welcome to the South Dakota Wildlife Federation!

Hunting, fishing, camping and boating are all great outdoor activities in South Dakota. But did you know that private interests are getting roads closed to public areas under the guise of safety? Did you know that private interests are trying to commercialize and privatize our wildlife to make a profit? Did you know that South Dakota’s outdoor sporting heritage is in jeopardy?

As early as 1945, a group of concerned outdoor enthusiasts recognized that public access to the state’s natural resources would be lost if they didn’t act. As a result, they established the South Dakota Wildlife Federation (SDWF), the state’s most important voice in the protection of hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation.

SDWF is the state’s oldest conservation organization and the state’s only conservation organization actively involved in developing legislative policy impacting outdoor sporting activities. Its political arm, the Camo Coalition, employs two full-time lobbyists to monitor legislative action concerning South Dakota’s outdoor recreation. SDWF also works closely with the state’s Game, Fish and Parks Department to develop wildlife management policies.

SDWF actively supports

• Managing the state’s wildlife using the best scientific information available to set limits and seasons
• Limiting the number of non-resident waterfowl hunters
• Allowing the Game, Fish and Parks Department to purchase land from willing landowners to increase hunting opportunities
• Using a percentage of license fees to build stack yards, fencing, and feed sites to decrease property damage caused by wildlife
• Road hunting and the right to hunt section lines and right-of-ways

SDWF opposes

• Commercializing and privatizing wildlife because all wildlife in the state is owned by the people and held in a public trust
• Closing roads to public lands and public waters
• Lowering the acreage limit for landowners to get big game tags
• Allowing landowners to transfer big game tags
• Allowing the legislature to manage the Game, Fish and Parks budget
• Preventing game wardens from entering private property for game checks

SDWF is an affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation, the largest conservation organization in the world. The close working relationship between the state and national organizations ensures effective, coordinated conservation action at all levels of government.

For over sixty-five years, SDWF has been leading the fight to protect the interests of South Dakota’s current and future outdoor sports enthusiasts.