State officials are reminding South Dakota landowners that assistance is available to control prairie dog encroachment.
The Departments of Game, Fish and Parks and Agriculture and Natural Resource work together to operate the program.
Game, Fish and Parks helps landowners who are seeing prairie dogs encroaching from public land. The DANR helps when there’s problems between two private landowners.
According to a press release, Game, Fish and Parks will control prairie dogs that have encroached onto private land from adjacent public land, with a few exclusions. Landowners who have encroachment problems on their property from adjacent public land must be within one mile of the public land and have at least ten acres of actual prairie dog colonies to be eligible for assistance.
Landowners must register at at the state's prairie dog control website before Aug. 15 to request assistance with unwanted prairie dogs. Landowners with questions about the program can contact GFP at (605) 394-6788. Once eligibility is verified in the fall, GFP staff or a department representative will begin control measures on the private land.
Landowners who are experiencing encroachment from adjoining private land can contact the DANR at (605) 773-3299.
The South Dakota Prairie Dog Management Plan is available online.