South Dakota Wildlife

SD Common Furbearers Track Identification

Black bear sightings in MP2 are not unusual from spring to fall. According to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department the closest bear population is in the Bighorn Mountains. The occasional bear sighting in the Northern Hills is of transient individuals. At this time there is no evidence of an established black bear population in South Dakota.

Please keep garbage bins and compost piles securely covered. Bears habituated to garbage can feeding become a danger and may result in the forced removal of the animal. The most humane act is not to provide unnatural food sources so the bear will instinctively move on to a more natural and appropriate habitat.

There have been no sightings of Gray Wolves in MP2. No known population exists in South Dakota, and the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks does not manage for Gray Wolves. Transient wolves from surrounding states have been documented traveling through South Dakota, but are very uncommon.

Wolves are currently federally-protected under the Endangered Species Act. As of Dec. 23, 2014, harvesting gray wolves through recreational hunting or trapping across South Dakota is prohibited. However, an endangered species, such as the gray wolf, may be taken in defense of human life.