BROOKINGS — Brookings Wildlife Federation President Bob Kurtz will share stories of three recent hunting and fishing adventures in Texas, the Black Hills and Canada.

The infolunch will be at the Brookings County Outdoor Adventure Center, 2810 22nd Ave., at noon on Nov. 3.

Bob writes “I’ll share stories and pictures of my Texas hog hunt in October last year plus my conservation Buffalo hunt in Custer State Park last Halloween along with a Canadian fishing adventure last June.”

Bob added information about the BWF free-will lunch, saying, “Alice and I are providing buffalo sloppy Joe’s and fixings for the lunch.”

Bob traveled to Texas and Canada, but stayed in South Dakota for a bison hunt. Both the bison hunt and the Texas hog hunt are called conservation hunts because hunters harvest animals to help regulate the population. In the South, feral hog populations are increasing, and the animals damage property and are a nuisance.

The purpose of the bison hunt in Custer Park is to remove excess cows and bulls, (primarily 2 year old bulls), from the herd in addition to the auction sale after the bison roundup. A guide locates this class of bison for the hunter’s selection. Non-trophy bulls are typically 2 1/2 years of age and range from 900- to 1,100-plus pounds. In 2022, there were 15 licenses, and 720 applicants.

The park also has a conservation management hunt for trophy bulls. The hunt is a management tool to remove the oldest breeding bulls from of the herd.

The bulls are typically 10-plus years old. After the summer rut, these bulls leave the herd and winter by themselves or in small groups throughout the park.

In 2022, there were eight trophy bull permits and 843 applicants.

The BWF is affiliated with the South Dakota Wildlife Federation and the National Wildlife Federation. The BWF is in its 43rd year of supplying conservation information and activities to the Brookings community. For more information, contact Kurtz at 605-695-1361.