PIERRE, S.D. - The state Game, Fish and Parks Commission set the 2016 season for hunting Black Hills bighorn sheep Dec. 10.
The commission agreed there wouldn't be any changes from this year's regulations. That means the commission doesn't need to hold a public hearing.
The commission will make three licenses available for the 2016 hunt. Two will be selected by random drawing of applications. The third will be again designated for private auction by the Wild Sheep Foundation's Midwest chapter.
The commission provided a license to the foundation each of the past three years.
The tag for 2015 drew a winning bid of $63,000. The top bids for the two previous years were $101,000 and $83,000. The auction for the 2016 tag will be part of the foundation's fundraiser March 18-19 at the Minneapolis Marriott Southwest.
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The foundation provides proceeds to the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department for use in bighorn sheep management.
Chad Lehman, a senior wildlife biologist for GF&P, told the commission about a research project planned for the Hell Canyon herd regarding spread of pneumonia.
Several other states are assisting on the project. Sheep that are ill will be removed from the Hell Canyon herd. The Rapid City herd will serve as the control group, with sick sheep allowed to remain in the herd. It will be one of three studies on sheep mortality in several states.
"This has implications for sheep west-wide," Lehman said.
John Kanta, a regional wildlife manager, said there are about 300 bighorn sheep in the Black Hills and 100 to 120 that are protected in Badlands National Park.
There were about 6,500 applications for the two drawing licenses available in 2015, according to Kanta. He said there were just over 1,000 applications in 2000. The 2016 season will run Sept. 1 through Dec. 31.
