Longer SoDak pheasant season?

According to the Associated Press, the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission is considering adding almost a month to that state’s popular pheasant hunting season.

In recent years the season has ended on the first Sunday of January. But a proposed rule change would extend the season to Jan. 31. Opening day this fall is Oct. 18.

A vote on the proposal is expected April 3-4 when the wildlife commission meets. Biologists say a longer season would not have much impact on pheasants.

“This is not a biological issue. We know we have the birds out there. It comes down to the social end of it,” said Tom Kirschenmann, game program administrator for the state Game, Fish and Parks Department.

Apparently the South Dakota department got numerous calls from people asking for a longer season or higher bag limit.

Can you imagine that? Not here, of course. But it would surely be nice to live in a state where there were so many roosters we could contemplate lengthening the season.