RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Rapid City Public Works Committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday to review a proposal from the Parks and Recreation Department to harvest 100 deer within city limits during the 2026 season.
The proposal is a component of the city’s annual deer harvest plan. If the committee approves the measure today, it will move to the Rapid City Council for a final vote on Monday night.
The harvest recommendation follows the annual Deer Trend Survey conducted by the Rapid City Parks Maintenance Division in November. Based on those results, the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department recommended the removal of 100 deer, which marks the lowest harvest number since the 2016-17 season.
POUNDS OF MEAT PROCESSED/DONATED
TO FEEDING SOUTH DAKOTA
2025: 4,186
2024: 5,576
2023: 7,088
2022: 6,401
2021: 6,594
2020: 6,959
2019: 5,500
2018: 4,893
2017: 3,835
2016: 3,558
2015: 4,038
DEER HARVEST NUMBERS (by year):
2025-26: 100 (recommended)
2024-25: 150
2023-24: 200
2022-23: 250 (actual harvest: 237)
2021-22: 250 (actual harvest: 240)
2020-21: 250
2019-20: 250
2018-19: 250 (actual harvest: 226)
2017-18: 150
2016-17: 100
2015-16: 100
2014-15: 150
City officials plan to begin the harvest next month, targeting antlerless deer during late evening hours. The program is expected to conclude by the end of February. Certified shooters will carry out the harvest, and the resulting meat will be donated to Feeding South Dakota.
The Parks Division has established partnerships with Black Hills Sportsmen and Sportsmen Against Hunger to cover meat processing costs. During the 2025-26 winter harvest, nearly 4,186 pounds of meat were donated to Feeding South Dakota.
Over the last 11 harvest seasons, the program has provided 58,628 pounds of meat to the organization, including 28,845 pounds over the last five seasons.
The Deer Management Program aims to maintain healthy deer populations in Rapid City while minimizing negative impacts such as deer-vehicle collisions, property damage, and aggressive encounters with wildlife. Since its inception in 1995, annual harvest totals have fluctuated between 100 and 300 deer based on survey data.
“The Deer Harvest Program allows the City to effectively manage deer in the City limits at a safe and healthy level,” said Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Biegler. “The meat is then donated to people in need so the program continues to be a success on various fronts.”
Rapid City Parks Division Manager Scott Anderson noted the collaborative nature of the initiative.
“It’s a great partnership between the City, Black Hills Sportsmen and Sportsmen Against Hunger,” Anderson said. “The two sportsmen groups contribute a considerable amount of money towards the processing costs, which enables the meat to be donated to Feeding South Dakota.”
The survey data has been shared with the Rapid City Urban Wildlife Committee and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. The Public Works Committee meeting will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall.
