“MDF Dedicates the John Stengle Game Production Area”
Mule Deer Foundation adding Habitat through Partnerships
The Mule Deer Foundation is proud to announce the dedication of “The John Stengle Game Production Area”. A 560-acre addition to the Frozen Man Creek GPA in Stanley County, South Dakota.
How we do it:
Mule Deer Foundation volunteers lead by Jeff Gutenkauf spearheaded this effort for our Missouri Breaks Chapter. This project started through Pheasant’s Forever offering to purchase 541 acres of state land containing prime mule deer habitat, west of Pierre, SD. This land purchase will ensure that those acres are available to the public and will be a walk-in area.
Funds allocated from SD MDF Chapters to assist in the purchase: The Missouri Breaks Chapter-Pierre, Dakota Gray Ghost Chapter – Sioux Falls, Rosebud Chapter – Winner, Western Dakota Chapter – Rapid City and the Sandstone Chapter-Hot Springs. These chapters allocated $20,000.
Partners:
The Mule Deer Foundation worked with Pheasants Forever’s Build a Wildlife Area®initiative, which strives to create functional landscapes that support wild, sustainable populations of upland birds and other wildlife, while providing natural resources and community benefits.
OnX Hunt, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, as well as numerous other partners, High Plains Wildlife and additional private donors coordinated to complete the John Stengle Game Production Area project.
Impact:
Eric Sharpe MDFs Regional Director for South Dakota said this of the project,
“Nothing we do happens in a vacuum. We know the future of conservation in the Great Plains depends upon the coordination and cooperation between groups like PF and MDF. This amazing piece of land will provide hunting access to all and habitat for Mule Deer, Pheasants, antelope, grouse and many more plains species”
If you would like to know how to access this and many other pieces of public hunting land in South Dakota consider buying OnX: https://www.onxmaps.com
Thank you to all who worked to make this a reality!
Good luck this fall everyone please send any success pictures or stories from the field to Web@muledeer.org and you could be featured on our website or in our magazine. If this article or any of our articles have helped you become a better hunter or conservation steward, consider becoming a member of the mule deer foundation for only $35 dollars a year. Click here to join: https://muledeer.org/product-category/membership/
Trevor J Hubbs https://www.instagram.com/trevorhubbs/
Trevor is the Communications Manager for the Mule deer Foundation. He grew up hunting and fishing the eastern edge of the Ozark mountains for quail, ducks, and bucks. Trevor is a contributor for “Fur, Fish, and Game”, Lethal Minds Journal, Strung Magazine, Fly Fisherman, and Shooting Sportsman among others.
