Why It Matters: Drone technologies present an opportunity for lawful hunters to minimize harvest loss and increase recovery rates. Recognizing this, states like Iowa and South Dakota have introduced legislation to allow the use of drones to recover mortally wounded game, which the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) has been active in supporting. Highlights: The Congressional …
Drone-Assisted Game Recovery Legislation Introduced in the Great Plains Read More »
Introduction Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) are four-digit identifiers used by payment networks to broadly categorize a merchant’s line of business (e.g., grocery, hardware, sporting goods). Recently, the creation and contemplated use of a firearm-specific MCC has raised concerns that financial institutions could flag, track, and/or halt lawful purchases by hunters and recreational shooters. To protect …
Why It Matters: The 2026 legislative session is off to a hot start in the Great Plains, with legislation impacting sportsmen and women already on the move. Some states have CSF priority legislation that is carried over from the 2025 legislative session in addition to new legislation that was introduced in 2026. Highlights: Iowa Senate Joint Resolution 7 (SJR 7) is a proposed constitutional amendment for …
Early Legislative Action Signals a Busy Year for Sportsmen in the Great Plains Read More »
Why It Matters: The duck hunting season in Nebraska and South Dakota is right around the corner. Duck hunters in these states have two options when it comes to bag limits when they are registering for their Harvest Information Program numbers. The two-tier option aims to address the issue of declining duck hunter numbers and …
Two-Tier Program Seeks to Reduce Barrier to Entry for Duck Hunters Read More »
Why It Matters: The South Dakota legislative session saw its fair share of sportsmen-related legislation. Fortunately, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), working with partners and the South Dakota Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, was able to defeat bills that could have led to a transfer of funds from the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks and a …
Two Additional Policy Wins Notched in South Dakota as Session Adjourns Read More »
Why It Matters: The legislative session in South Dakota provided no shortage of legislation that would have both positive and negative impacts on sportsmen and women. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) was active in supporting legislation that would ensure that responsible firearm owners can possess, transport, and use these important sporting tools, and was active …
Why It Matters: Like many Midwestern states, approximately 80% of the land in South Dakota is privately owned, making public access for sportsmen and women a limiting factor in the state. The Department of Game, Fish, and Parks (GFP), relies heavily on limited public lands to promote quality fish and wildlife conservation efforts while providing …
Future Hunting and Fishing Access Threatened in South Dakota Read More »
Why It Matters: Firearm and ammunition laws and regulations are often intricate, confusing, and, without state preemption laws, can vary from locality to locality. Recently, South Dakota introduced and passed a firearm preemption bill of their own, restricting homeowner’s associations from placing restrictions on the possession and use of firearms or ammunition. Firearm preemption legislation …
Contact: Bob Matthews, Senior Coordinator, Upper Midwestern States Why It Matters: Modern night-vision scopes and binoculars produce clear images that allow hunters to reliably identify targets. Although South Dakotans were already permitted to hunt predators on public lands at night, they were not permitted to use night-vision devices, which hindered their ability to hunt predators …
Predator Hunting Will Soon Be Safer and More Effective in South Dakota Read More »
Contact: Nick Buggia, Upper Midwestern States Manager, and Kent Keene, Senior Coordinator, Lower Midwestern States and Agriculture Policy Highlights: Why it matters: Efforts designed to achieve conservation successes naturally vary from place to place. Even within the same region, these objectives can vary between properties, specifically between privately owned properties whose owners hold different values …
Conservation Challenges and Opportunities – Focus of CSF’s Midwest Policy Forum Read More »
Stay current with the latest news, policy activity and how to get involved.
Sign up for Newsletters
