City's Annual Deer Harvest Yields Two Tons of Meat for Feeding South Dakota

CITY’S ANNUAL DEER HARVEST YIELDS TWO TONS OF MEAT FOR DONATION

• Meat from 148 deer donated to Feeding South Dakota

• Nearly 30,000 pounds donated over past 5 years

RAPID CITY, SD—More than two tons of meat – 4,186 pounds -- have been donated to Feeding South Dakota as a result of this winter’s annual City deer harvest conducted by the City’s Parks Division.

            More than 58,600 pounds of meat (58,628) have been donated to Feeding South Dakota over the past 11 harvest seasons, including nearly 30,000 pounds of meat (29,845) over the past five seasons dating back to the winter of 2020-21. 

             Based on City surveys and the recommendation of the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department, a total of 148 deer were harvested this winter as part of the City’s Deer Management Program. The deer harvest was conducted between January 26 and February 17 with the use of four certified Parks employees.

             The City’s deer harvest program is administered by the City’s Parks Division and provides for the management of deer within the city limits.  Initiated in 1995, the program is an effort to foster healthy deer populations, address problems associated with an overabundance of deer within the boundaries of Rapid City and to donate the meat to Feeding South Dakota. Issues with an overabundance of deer in the city include deer/vehicle collisions; landscape, garden and property

            “We’ve had fewer tags the past two years based on the survey projections, but a lot of meat was again processed and donated,” said City Parks Division Manager Scott Anderson.  “Anytime you can provide over two tons of meat to Feeding South Dakota for distribution to families in need, that’s a win-win situation by helping those in need and managing deer in the city limits at a safe and healthy level.”

            Anderson said this year’s deer harvest program was supported by Sportsmen Against Hunger, which contributed resources towards the processing costs.

            In early January, the Rapid City Council approved the harvest recommendation of 150 deer with concurrence from the City’s Urban Wildlife Committee and Parks Division.

Issues with an overabundance of deer in the city include deer/vehicle collisions; landscape, garden and property damage; and public safety issues including aggressive encounters with deer.

POUNDS OF MEAT PROCESSED/DONATED

TO FEEDING SOUTH DAKOTA

2025:   4,186

2024:   5,576

2023:   7,088

2022:   6,401

2021:   6,594

2020:   6,959  

2019:   5,500

2018:   4,893

2017:   3,835

2016:   3,558

2015:   4,038

DEER HARVEST NUMBERS (by year):

2024-25: 150 (actual harvest: 148)

2023-24: 200

2022-23: 250 (actual harvest: 237)

2021-22: 250 (actual harvest: 240)

2020-21: 250

2019-20: 250

2018-19: 250 (actual harvest: 226)

2017-18: 150

2016-17: 100

2015-16: 100

2014-15: 150