Rapid City Council approves 2024 deer management program

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - On Monday, Dec. 18, the Rapid City Council approved the 2024 deer harvest for the city.

With the Rapid City Council’s approval for the 2024 deer management program, up to 250 urban deer can be harvested by the city this year. This number has been consistent for the past six years and comes from the annual deer trend survey conducted by the city’s parks maintenance division.

“Right after the holidays, we will start that harvest, and it’s done with individuals in our department that are certified for their proficiency with a rifle by the Rapid City police department,” explained Rapid City’s Parks and Recreation director Jeff Biegler.

Starting in January, the harvest will only take place at night to help keep the public safe, and only antlerless deer and white-tailed deer will be harvested by the city during this period. Plus, for the city to properly process the meat, Rapid City does get help from outside organizations as well.

“We do get help from the Black Hills Sportsmen and Sportsmen Against Hunger; they help us with some of the cost of processing the meat,” explained Biegler.

The processed meat will go to feeding South Dakota, where it will be distributed to people who need it.

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