No game bird, including a wild turkey, may be possessed, placed in public storage, transported, or accepted for shipment unless the following minimum requirements are met for each listed species:

1. (1) Waterfowl shall conform to 50 CFR § 20.36 and 50 CFR § 20.43;
2. (2) Pheasants and grouse, unless processed at a wildlife processing facility and accompanied by the receipt, or at the domicile of the possessor, shall include at least one of the following attached: the head, a fully feathered wing, or a foot;
3. (3) Wild turkeys, unless processed at a wildlife processing facility and accompanied by the receipt, or at the domicile of the possessor, shall include the attached leg and foot bearing the tag issued with the license. Any person who lawfully takes a wild turkey may remove edible portions from the turkey while in the field and transport, provided the person also has in that person's possession the beard, leg, and foot with the attached tag until the bird has arrived at the domicile of the processor. Any person licensed to take "any turkey" is exempt from transporting the beard;

4. (4) All other game birds, unless processed at a wildlife processing facility and accompanied by the receipt, or at the domicile of the possessor, shall include the attached head or an attached fully feathered wing.

   If the head or wing is used for identification, it shall have sufficient plumage attached to allow for prompt identification of the game bird. Game birds, if frozen, shall be packaged no more than two per package in order to facilitate identification and count of the species. No game bird may be transported by unlicensed individuals, unless accompanied by a valid transportation permit issued by the department. However, at the conclusion of hunting a licensed hunter may transport a game bird legally taken by another person to a wildlife processing facility if the bird is tagged with the name of the hunter, the hunter's address, the total number and species of bird taken, the date the bird was killed, and signature of the hunter.

   For purposes of this section, the term, grouse, includes sharp-tailed grouse, ruffed grouse, and prairie chicken. Game birds are birds defined as small game in § 41-1-1 and those birds enumerated in § 41-11-4.

Source: SL 1975, ch 16, § 1; 9 SDR 171, effective July 13, 1983; 10 SDR 76, 10 SDR 102, effective July 1, 1984; 27 SDR 13, effective August 27, 2000; 27 SDR 101, effective April 18, 2001; 35 SDR 47, effective September 8, 2008; 45 SDR 124, effective April 17, 2019; 46 SDR 116, effective April 29, 2020.

General Authority: SDCL 41-2-18(1)(2).

Law Implemented: SDCL 41-2-18(1)(2) , 41-14-4 , 41-14-7.

Prior versions effective: 2019-04-17, 2008-09-08.