In action taken at its March meeting, the Game, Fish and Parks Commission has finalized rules that amend the definition of male turkey, primarily for the benefit of spring turkey hunters in South Dakota. The amended definition for a male turkey is a wild turkey with a visible beard or spurs. The beard on a turkey is a feathered appendage that protrudes from a turkey s breast. This new definition will make it legal for a hunter who has a license valid for a male turkey only, particularly during the spring turkey hunting season, to legally take a hen turkey that has a beard.
Bearded hens do occur naturally in certain areas of the state.
As in the past, a hunter who has a male turkey license is required to leave the leg and foot with the tag attached to the turkey to transport their bird. Now, that rule has been expanded to include transporting a bearded hen that has no spur on its leg. In this case, in addition to the leg and foot with the tag attached, a hunter must also leave attached the visible beard. The Black Hills bighorn sheep season will be open in the portion of Pennington County, west of S.D. Highway 79. Two any bighorn sheep tags will be available for this season.