PIERRE – The S.D. House of Representatives approved a bill Monday that would allow nonresident landowners to get deer and antelope hunting licenses if they fail to get a license in the West River prairie deer season or the firearm antelope season.

According to HB1184, a nonresident landowner would be able to hunt on his land and an immediate family member would also be eligible for the licenses. The nonresident must have a minimum of 640 acres to qualify.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Thomas Brunner, R-Nisland, said the law was similar to a program already in place for resident landowners.

Rep. Herman Otten, R-Lennox, said last year the Game, Fish and Parks Department offered 11,000 West River deer tags. He wondered if the new licenses would be added to that number, putting too much pressure on the deer population, or included in the 11,000 licenses and crowding out resident hunters.

Brunner said that according to GFP, the new law would pertain to about 700 landowners and if all of them got a license for themselves and a family member, that would be about 1,400 licenses.

“You’re not talking a lot of numbers,” Brunner said. “Biologically, it’s insignificant, the number it would affect.”

Rep. Tom Pischke, R-Dell Rapids, warned against out-of-staters buying up land to qualify for the deer licenses.

“We are guaranteeing that nonresidents get a tag,” Pischke said.

Rep. Lee Qualm, R-Platte, said it was ridiculous to think that someone would spend $1 million on land just to be guaranteed a deer license.

“They’re already out there paying taxes,” Qualm said of the nonresident landowners, noting that they also contribute to animal habitat. Nonresident landowners are “feeding them every single day.”

Rep. Dayle Hammock, R-Spearfish, said last year the state spent $900,000 reimbursing landowners for deer depredation costs.

“Anything to decrease the number of animals is going to help lower costs,” Hammock said.

The bill was approved by the House on a vote of 54-14 and now goes to the Senate.