FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  April 30, 2008
CONTACT:  Ronette Rumpca, Ronette.Rumpca@state.sd.us, (605) 773-6011

Learn about field dressing big game at Cultural Heritage Center

PIERRE, S.D. -- Bang! The shot is dead-on, and the 8-point buck falls. Now what? Treating big game properly in the field makes a big difference in the quality of the meat.

Caleb Gilkerson of Steamboat Game & Fish in Pierre will talk about field dressing big game at the Cultural Heritage Center on Sunday, May 4, at 2 p.m., sponsored by the South Dakota State Historical Society. The free program, “Now That It’s Dead, What Do I Do With It? Field Dressing Big Game” will be held in the Education Room.

Gilkerson has been an avid hunter his entire life. He started cleaning wild game when he was 14 years old. He has been running Steamboat Game & Fish for the last eight years. Each year the company processes about 800 deer and elk. They make between 30,000 and 40,000 pounds of sausage annually.

“Hunting puts food on the table for many South Dakotans,” said Helen B Louise, Director of the Museum of the South Dakota State Historical Society. “This program lets everyone learn about steps taken when the animal is first killed to make it good eating later. The audience need not worry – there will be no actual dead animals used for the program.”      

The Historical Society is featuring Sportsman’s Paradise: Hunting and Fishing in South Dakota in the Hogen Gallery of the Cultural Heritage Center through fall 2008. The exhibit looks at the important history hunting and fishing have in the state and the vital role these sports play in wildlife habitat management. A portable deer stand, complete with a bow hunter in full camouflage, is part of the exhibit. A hands-on area lets visitors handle and identify animal hides including a white-tailed deer, elk, beaver, muskrat and red fox.

There is free admission to the museum this coming Sunday and the first Sunday of each month. Museum hours are 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1-4:30 p.m. on Sundays.