SCI Greater Dacotah Chapter

Directions Website Contact the organization

SCI Greater Dacotah Chapter Providing value to members by shaping policies and legislation that protect the freedom to hunt locally, nationally and internationally.

The Greater Dacotah Chapter (GDC) is proud to be part of SCI’s great tradition of ensuring ethical and sustainable hunting opportunities through scientific based management & research by wildlife professionals! Greater Dacotah Chapter
Mission Statement: To protect and enhance the freedom to hunt and the conservation of our wildlife resources, while connecting people to outdoor opportunities! Vision Statement: The Greater Dacotah Chapter is a strong and effective voice to promote wildlife conservation and management, through the utilization of hunting as a primary management tool to ensure sustainable wildlife populations worldwide. Keeping members informed regarding issues that impact hunting while educating and providing members with engaging articles and opportunities! Promoting a positive image of hunters and portraying them as responsible citizens who fund wildlife conservation, education and other programs which benefit the community

Safari Club International (SCI) is the world’s leading hunter-conservationist group and has more than 200 active chapters worldwide. The Greater Dacotah Chapter (GDC) is proud to be part of SCI’s great tradition of ensuring hunting opportunities and preserving wildlife resources. The GDC is very active in local conservation programs and working with the Game Fish & Parks on wildlife management options. Our chapter members include everyone from hunters who travel far and wide to hunters who love to hunt around the Dakotas. What we have in common is a love of hunting and a desire to protect our wildlife resources for future generations.

Maria Davidson, Large Carnivore Program Manager for Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF), has been honored with t...
08/02/2026

Maria Davidson, Large Carnivore Program Manager for Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF), has been honored with the Excellence in Wildlife Conservation Award from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in recognition of her outstanding leadership and contributions to wildlife conservation, public safety, and education across Wyoming.

Presented by Dan Smith, Chief of Wildlife for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the award recognizes Davidson's dedication to advancing innovative bear safety and conflict mitigation initiatives through a strong partnership between SCIF and the Department. Her work has helped develop programs that are making a measurable difference for both wildlife conservation and outdoor recreationists throughout the state.

Under Davidson's leadership, SCIF helped coordinate and fund Wyoming Game and Fish's spring and fall bear safety training programs in 2025, educating more than 12,000 participants on how to safely recreate in grizzly bear country. These hands-on trainings focus on conflict avoidance, proper food storage, and the effective use of bear spray. Participants receive bear spray at no cost upon completion of the program. Davidson also helped secure funding for thousands of training canisters, a remote-controlled charging bear used during demonstrations, and specialized equipment that enables the trainings to reach communities across Wyoming.

Beyond training initiatives, Davidson helped lead SCIF's support for the installation of more than 40 bear-resistant food storage boxes at Wyoming Game and Fish Wildlife Habitat Management Areas and U.S. Forest Service campgrounds. These installations help reduce human-wildlife conflicts while improving safety for both people and bears. Davidson also played a key role in developing three major public education campaigns focused on bear safety, including videos shown at Yellowstone Regional Airport, on gas station fuel pumps, and a hunting-specific bear safety video. Together, these campaigns reached more than two million people, significantly expanding public awareness of responsible recreation and hunting practices in bear country.

In its nomination, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department highlighted Davidson's impact.

"The conservation efforts of Maria and SCIF have done more than simply promote bear safety; the interactions provide the people of Wyoming with information that promotes conservation, awareness and enhance support for Game and Fish projects and personnel."

Reflecting on the recognition, Davidson's work exemplifies SCIF's commitment to science-based conservation, collaborative partnerships, and practical solutions that benefit both wildlife and people. Through her leadership, SCIF continues to demonstrate that conservation is most effective when education, stewardship, and partnership work hand in hand.

This donation is for a South Eastern Ibex. Your host and guide will be Jose Marie Aranda who continues to guide hunters,...
07/28/2026

This donation is for a South Eastern Ibex. Your host and guide will be Jose Marie Aranda who continues to guide hunters, every year, to impressive animals that qualify for the SCI record book. The hunting trip can be extended to include additional animals and days per current price list, hunters, at $850 per hunter, and $500 per non-hunter per day.

Your point of arrival and departure will be Madrid, Spain. From there you will proceed to a hunting area appropriate to the species. The hunt will provide you with a bronze medal level animal. You can select to upgrade this to a silver or gold per current pricing.

All expenses incurred before or after the hunt are not included in this offering. Additionally, there is a $200 permit and a $200 license fee that will be the buyers responsible. As with all European hunts a 21% VAT, on the value of the hunt, will be assessed. If you elect to use your own firearm a current Department of Homeland Security US Customs & Border Protection for 4457 is required. A fi****ms permit is required prior to arrival in Spain. The application request is filed with the Spanish Embassy in Washington DC.

Here is a rare opportunity to harvest trophy class animals not normally available outside a national convention. Combine this with extra days to see and visit world class historical and cultural sites and events. This is a hunt and opportunity you cannot afford to pass up. The best that Spain has to offer and members of GDC have hunted with 4-Aces with great success.

Hunt dates: 2026/2027, One hunter, Three-day 1x1 hunt

Oregon's Anti-Hunting Initiative Petition Fails!In a significant win for hunters, anglers, and conservationists, Oregon’...
07/28/2026

Oregon's Anti-Hunting Initiative Petition Fails!

In a significant win for hunters, anglers, and conservationists, Oregon’s Initiative Petition 28 (IP 28), that aimed to ban all hunting and fishing in the state (along with many agricultural, veterinary, and other practices), has failed to qualify for the November ballot. On July 24th, the Secretary of State announced the results of the signature verification process, finding the initiative proponents only submitted around 104,000 valid signatures, falling below the required threshold to place the initiative on the November ballot.

SCI has actively opposed the initiative since it was first filed, along with similar versions filed in previous years. SCI Vice President of Advocacy Chris Tymeson and SCI Western State and Local Liaison Keely Hopkins both serve on the Oregon Sportsmen’s Conservation Partnership, a coalition of over 30 hunting and fishing conservation organizations that initially united in response to proposed ballot initiative threats. Hopkins was also on the ground in Oregon opposing the initiative, attending events at the Capitol to educate Oregonians about IP 28, and meeting and speaking with SCI members, including during the SCI Portland Chapter Banquet in February.

This outcome is an important win for science-based wildlife management and the role hunters play in conservation funding. SCI will continue to fight on behalf of our members to protect the freedom to hunt and ensure that hunters always have a seat at the table.

Commerce and State Department Reduce Burdens for Hunters Traveling Abroad with SupressorsSCI welcomes companion interim ...
07/28/2026

Commerce and State Department Reduce Burdens for Hunters Traveling Abroad with Supressors

SCI welcomes companion interim final rules from the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security and the Department of State Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, which modernize export regulations and reduce unnecessary burdens on law-abiding hunters, sportsmen, and firearm owners traveling internationally. The rules, which do not go into effect until November 20, 2026, transfer jurisdiction over certain suppressors from the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to Commerce’s Export Administration Regulations and expand eligibility for export license exceptions applicable to temporary travel and lawful sporting activities. Under the rules, U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents may temporarily take eligible suppressors abroad for legitimate hunting, sporting, scientific, and personal protection purposes without navigating the more burdensome licensing requirements previously associated with ITAR-controlled exports.

“SCI strongly supports policies that remove unnecessary regulatory barriers for law-abiding hunters while maintaining appropriate national security safeguards,” said Jeff Meyerl, President of SCI. “The rules recognize that suppressors are valuable hearing-protection devices and that responsible hunters traveling internationally for lawful hunting activities should not face excessive export-control burdens when trying to use them. SCI is pleased to have successfully engaged with State and Commerce on this issue on behalf of international hunters, and thanks the Trump Administration for crossing the finish line in this important area.”

Saturday night was a special night for Gary, Christi, and luke attending the 36th annual Weatherby Collectors Associatio...
07/20/2026

Saturday night was a special night for Gary, Christi, and luke attending the 36th annual Weatherby Collectors Association banquet which was held in Rapid City this year. There were lots of great people in attendance and wonderful friendships were made. Gary was one of the guest speakers and gave a presentation on the new Pete Lien & Sons Shooting Sports Complex to the group. After the dinner there was an auction and awards presentation. Gary received the Founders Award trophy for best display of Weatherby items.
As an incredible act of kindness, President Sean Duffy, who won a shotgun in the raffle, called Luke up to the front and gave it to him. Thank you, Sean, Luke will never forget that. I am proud to be a member of this amazing group. Luke's comment to Shaun is my Weatherby collection has started at twelve.

SCI Supports FEES Act to Reform EAJA AbuseSCI applauded Representatives Tom Tiffany (R-WI) and Harriet Hageman (R-WY) fo...
07/20/2026

SCI Supports FEES Act to Reform EAJA Abuse

SCI applauded Representatives Tom Tiffany (R-WI) and Harriet Hageman (R-WY) for introducing the Fix Our Forests and End Excessive Spending (FEES) Act, legislation aimed at restoring the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) to its original purpose.
Key points:
• EAJA was originally designed to help small businesses and individuals challenge government overreach.
• From 2019–2024, approximately $24.8 million in EAJA awards were issued by the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture.
• Roughly 76% of those funds went to a small number of environmental organizations and their attorneys.
• SCI supports reforms that prevent abuse of taxpayer-funded litigation and ensure conservation dollars are directed toward wildlife and habitat management rather than lawsuits.
During SCI’s Annual Congressional Fly-In, members advocated for EAJA reform in more than 150 congressional meetings.

Stewardship beyond politicsWhat does Public Lands Rule repeal mean for wildlife professionals and conservation?When the ...
07/17/2026

Stewardship beyond politics
What does Public Lands Rule repeal mean for wildlife professionals and conservation?
When the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued the 2024 Public Lands Rule, placing conservation squarely alongside grazing, energy, recreation and other multiple uses in federal land management decisions, it felt like a long-awaited and much-needed recognition of the work wildlife professionals were doing.
The truth is more nuanced. From its enactment in 1976, FLPMA has required the BLM to manage public lands on “the basis of multiple use and sustained yield” and to “prevent unnecessary or undue degradation” of public lands and their various resource values. The quality of scientific, scenic, ecological, environmental and wildlife values are specifically listed within the law as resource values to be managed without permanent impairment. Further, FLPMA specifically mentions that the “harmonious and coordinated management of various resources” does not necessarily mean “the combination of uses that will give the greatest economic return or the greatest unit output.”
These legal mandates remain intact. The Public Lands Rule repeal removes the regulatory framing that elevated conservation as a more explicit “use” under FLPMA’s multiple-use mandate, but it does not remove conservation-related mandates from the text of FLPMA, nor does it bestow preferential treatment to public land uses that produce the greatest revenue.
If we accept the narrative that conservation has been erased, we risk something more dangerous than a policy rollback. We risk increasing polarization of public opinion, moving us further away from the harmony envisioned in FLPMA land management decisions. Perhaps more importantly, we risk doing real damage to the morale of wildlife professionals across agencies, NGOs, academia and private industries who work every day to support conservation on public lands distinct from the political rhetoric.
Moving forward without losing our way

The repeal of the Public Lands Rule is not a reason for despair, nor is it a time for complacency. The wildlife profession has an opportunity to lead with confidence and professionalism by rejecting narratives that diminish our role or the tools we still possess; by leaning into science, data and field expertise in every planning and permitting process; by strengthening collaboration across different sectors; and by advocating clearly and constructively for conservation outcomes within existing frameworks.
Wildlife conservation on public lands has always depended on more than rules. It depends on the people committed to carrying it out across all sectors. The same individuals working to support conservation under the Public Lands Rule are the same individuals working to support conservation today. As divisive narratives take hold on the national stage, it’s important that those divisions don’t fracture the diverse entities and relationships necessary to support conservation work on the ground. Ultimately, the regulatory structure and boundaries of FPLMA will evolve. Courts will consider novel legal questions, new administrations will alter their rules and Congress will tweak the statute’s text.

This article written by Cameron J. Kovach is excellent and gives everyone an objective overview of the FLPMA, and the 1924 Public Lands Rule.

A recent hunt and Bell Blue Bag delivery highlight how sustainable-use conservation can support wildlife management, hum...
06/25/2026

A recent hunt and Bell Blue Bag delivery highlight how sustainable-use conservation can support wildlife management, humanitarian outreach, and local communities.

In a demonstration of how hunters impact communities around the world, the Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) Bell Family Blue Bag Program combined humanitarianism, fellowship and conservation in a recent mission to a Botswana Community.

Demonstrating the principles of sustainable wildlife conservation, Claude Howard, Antonio of Iber Hunting, and Zander Osmers Safaris carried out an ethical elephant hunt. With conservation and wildlife management objectives in mind, Claude Howard and the Zander Osmers Safaris team tracked, stalked and harvested the oldest bull in the herd.

Like many conservation-minded hunters, their work did not end with the hunt. After speaking with the local tribal chief, the team ensured the elephant meat was not wasted and donated instead to help feed 1,500 members of the Botswana community.

The SCIF Bell Family Blue Bag Program continued its mission with a visit to a village school, where Bell Blue Bags filled with soccer balls, sports equipment, Bibles, candy, and other supplies were delivered. Howard and his team met with students, teachers, the tribal chief, and the school’s headmaster. The gift of soccer balls quickly created smiles and connection, opening the door for a message rooted in hope and faith.

During the school visit, Howard took the opportunity to explain how Safari Club International Foundation, hunters, and local communities work together to support hunting, wildlife management, habitat conservation, anti-poaching efforts, and economic support. He used the donated elephant meat as an example of how sustainable resources can directly benefit the community.

This Bell Blue Bag mission to this Botswana community reflects the vision of the SCIF Bell Family Blue Bag Program, showcasing how hunters contribute towards sustainable-use conservation and supporting local communities. the Greater Dacotah Chapter is also a sponsor with Goulet Cares Foundation is South Africa and Dream Team Safaris providing opportunities for the Morester Orphanage. You can donate to this project at the SCI banquet and Auction August 29th at the BOX Event center from 10:00AM-2:00PM. Please join us and learn about our mission.

Are Shooting Ranges Effective for Hunter Recruitment in the U.S.?Shooting ranges are a proven and effective tool for hun...
06/25/2026

Are Shooting Ranges Effective for Hunter Recruitment in the U.S.?

Shooting ranges are a proven and effective tool for hunter recruitment in the U.S., especially when integrated into broader Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation (R3) strategies.

Why ranges work for recruitment
Target shooting is more than a pastime — it’s a gateway to hunting. It builds discipline, familiarity with fi****ms, and a connection to the outdoors, which can spark interest in hunting U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) have long recognized that access to safe, public shooting facilities is essential for attracting new participants, including kids, families, and urban dwellers without prior mentors U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service+1.

Evidence of impact
A 2023 national study by the NRA Hunters’ Leadership Forum and NSSF found that access to shooting and hunting land is more important than mentorship or knowledge of regulations for participation NRA Hunters' Leadership Forum. Without adequate access, even the best R3 programs fail. Public ranges help bridge that gap by providing low-cost or free entry points for learning and practice.

Scale and funding
Federal Wildlife Restoration funds, generated by manufacturer excise taxes under the Pittman-Robertson Act, have supported the construction and maintenance of over 800–850 public target ranges nationwide U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service+1. These ranges serve both target shooters and hunters, often hosting hunter education programs and youth shooting events.

Examples of success
Ranges like Idaho’s Black’s Creek Public Shooting Range, The Pete Lien & Sons Shooting Sports Complex in South Dakota have become major hubs, drawing thousands of hunters and shooters annually, with improvements funded through state and federal grants partnerwithapayer.org. Events such as large trap shooting championships also attract diverse groups, including students and adaptive athletes, expanding the potential hunter pool partnerwithapayer.org.

Best practices for recruitment

Integrate with hunter education: Many ranges host or partner with hunter education programs, which are a key entry point for new hunters partnerwithapayer.org.

Target youth and families: Youth shooting programs can build early interest and skills that translate to hunting later.

Ensure accessibility: ADA-compliant facilities, affordable fees, and easy access improve participation from diverse groups partnerwithapayer.org.

Promote as part of R3: Ranges should be marketed alongside other R3 activities like field trips, mentorship, and reactivation events U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service+1. The Greater Dacotah Chapter of SCI and the Safari Club International Foundation are proud supporters of this SD Game Fish and Parks public shooting complex.

Join The Greater Dacotah Chapter to Celebrate the Sponsor Event.Sponsor Showcase Event June 27th-28th at the Pete Lien a...
06/11/2026

Join The Greater Dacotah Chapter to Celebrate the Sponsor Event.
Sponsor Showcase Event June 27th-28th at the Pete Lien and Sons Shooting Sports Complex 14514 Bill Janklow Road, Piedmont SD

Address

PO Box 9455
Rapid City, SD
57709

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when SCI Greater Dacotah Chapter posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to SCI Greater Dacotah Chapter:

Shortcuts

Share

Category