Hunting is a state passion that doubles as an economic driver. It's been a staple in South Dakota culture and economy since the first pheasant hunt in the state in 1919.
Thousands of hunters from around the country flock to South Dakota ever year. The Department of Tourism said hunters spend roughly seven times more money than the average tourist.
Kevin Nyberg is a Sioux Falls business owner. He said the economic figures speak for themselves.
“How important is hunting to the South Dakota economy? It's huge. $723 million dollars spent annually on hunting. All types of hunting. 270,000 people hunt in South Dakota each year,” said Nyberg.
The economic impact hunting provides leads to the importance of maintaining habitat for wildlife. Multiple organizations work throughout the state to help educate South Dakotans on how to generate viable habitat.
Chris Kalis is the Vice President of Corporate Partnerships for Pheasants Forever. He said focusing on generating good habitat for wildlife is the key to economic growth.
“It takes all of us, right? It's not any one of us, we all have to come together to help these birds thrive and when the pheasants thrive so do all the other wildlife around it," said Kalis. "White-tail deer, mule deer, turkeys, you know, song birds. The water quality and quantity on the landscape soil health."
A focus on sustainable habitat has been an asset to wildlife for years. Much like habitat sustainability, hunting is a passion typically passed down generation after generation.
Teri Schmidt is the CEO of Experience Sioux Falls. She said that the passion South Dakotans have for hunting will continue to make it an economic driver.
“So we are very very fortunate that we live in the state that we do and we have such beautiful land and caring people to make this continue to be a tradition for many many years to come,” said Schmidt.
After a harsh winter, hunters are split on whether the wildlife numbers were impacted in a negative way. This fall will provide more accurate numbers when hunting season begins in November.
