The mission of South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger is to encourage and facilitate donation of wild game meat to needy people in South Dakota.
ANTLERLESS DEER: No testing for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) required except deer from Sully County.
BUCK DEER: No testing for CWD required except deer from Sully County.
Antlerless deer or elk:
Testing for CWD required. (If hunters want to collect tissue samples themselves, CWD testing kits are available at any GFP office.)
Head collection and carcass donation procedure:
Step 1.
During the Department of Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) CWD surveillance sampling period (November 13-28, 2021) the head of the antlerless deer or elk must be delivered to one of the GFP CWD Sample Collection Sites (or see GFP map).
During deer and elk hunting season dates OUTSIDE of the GFP CWD surveillance sampling period, the head of the antlerless deer or elk must be delivered to a designated GFP office (see CWD Sample Collection Sites or GFP map).
Step 2.
Instructions are posted at the sample collection site or GFP office for the hunter on how to fill out an ear tag provided by GFP for attaching to the deer or elk head. Information needed includes:
Step 3.
GFP will pick up the head from the GFP CWD sample collection site or GFP office for tissue sampling and testing.
Step 4.
The deer or elk carcass is delivered by the hunter to a SAH Big Game Processor for deboning and meat storage pending test results.
Step 5.
The processor will give the hunter a set of instructions for contacting SAH to make sure SAH has the hunter information and the name of the processor where the deer or elk carcass was delivered for donating and processing.
Step 6.
A SAH Processing Certificate from the processor is filled out by the hunter and given back to the processor which will count as $75 toward the cost of processing an antlerless deer. The hunter will pay any remaining processing costs.
Step 7.
Test results will be provided by GFP to SAH who will then notify the appropriate processor so meat processing can be completed if the deer or elk tests negative.
Buck deer or bull elk - for hunters who DO NOT want to keep the head of their buck deer or bull elk.
Testing for CWD required. (If hunters want to collect tissue samples themselves, CWD testing kits are available at any GFP office.) Head collection and carcass donation procedure:
Step 1.
During the GFP CWD surveillance sampling period (November 13-28, 2021), the head must be delivered by the hunter to one of the GFP CWD Sample Collection Sites (or see GFP map), or a designated GFP office (see CWD Sample Collection Sites (or see or GFP map).
During deer or elk hunting season dates OUTSIDE of the GFP CWD surveillance sampling period, the head must be delivered by the hunter to a designated GFP office (see CWD Sample Collection Sites or GFP map) for tissue sampling.
Step 2.
Instructions are posted at the GFP CWD sample collection site or GFP office for the hunter on how to fill out an ear tag provided by GFP for attaching to the deer or elk head. Information needed includes:
Step 3.
GFP will pick up the head from the GFP CWD sample collection site or GFP office for tissue sampling and testing.
Step 4.
The deer or elk carcass is delivered by the hunter to a SAH Big Game Processor for deboning and meat storage pending test results.
Step 5.
The processor will give the hunter a set of instructions for contacting SAH to make sure SAH has the hunter information and the name of the processor where the deer or elk carcass was delivered for donating and processing.
Step 6.
The hunter would pay the full cost of processing.
Step 7.
Test results will be provided by GFP to SAH who will then notify the appropriate processor so meat processing can be completed if the deer or elk tests negative.
Buck deer or bull elk - for hunters who WANT TO KEEP the head of their buck deer or bull elk.
For animals taken during any hunting season. Head collection and carcass donation procedure:
Step 1.
The hunter must arrange for delivery of the buck deer or bull elk head to a designated GFP office (see CWD Sample Collection Sites or GFP map for tissue sampling by GFP staff.
Step 2.
Information provided by the hunter to accompany the tissue sample will include:
Step 3.
GFP staff will submit the tissue sample for testing.
Step 4.
The hunter will deliver the deer or elk carcass to a SAH Big Game Processor for deboning and meat storage pending test results.
Step 5.
The processor will give the hunter a set of instructions for contacting SAH to make sure SAH has the hunter information and the name of the processor where the deer or elk carcass was delivered for donating and processing.
Step 6.
The hunter would pay the full cost of processing.
Step 7.
Test results will be provided by GFP to SAH who will then notify the appropriate processor so meat processing can be completed if the deer or elk tests negative.