The South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks Commission has approved regulation changes for what archers can use in the field.
Scott Simpson is the administrative resources chief with the G-F-and-P. He says the department proposed scrapping a series of requirements on archery equipment. Simpson says the goal was to streamline regulations while also maintaining standards of fair chase and the ethical harvest of animals.
"We had restrictions in place that covered anything from the size of the bow or the length of the bow. We use the term axle-to-axle height that's a standard industry kind of term. We removed that axle-to-axle requirement. There were some weight requirements that you had to have a certain level of poundage on your bow that was a minimum. And, if you used a certain minimum poundage you had to use a certain broadhead. You had to have an arrow that was a certain length and you had to have an arrow that had to have a certain amount of grains."
Simpson says the commission implemented many of their suggestions. He says they decided to not adjust policies with regard to electronic devices and telescopic sights on bows.
Simpson says archers must use a bow with a draw weight of 40 pounds for elk and 30 pounds for other big game species.
The rule adjustment comes as more South Dakotans are using bows and arrows to hunt. Simpson says the agency sells about 23,000 archery licenses per year and numbers are higher than in the past.