It is true on township roads in South Dakota.
Not that it really affects me, because road/ditch hunting law is the same either way. But is there a way to distinguish county roads from township roads?
I know when a sign says state/county/whatever, that's who owns it. And right, I'm not very interested in hunting along busy roads. Too busy & too noisy. But is your average, run-of-the-mill SD gravel road (the kind that criss-cross the state every mile) owned by the county or a township? In general.
Majority of your grid roads are township roads. Google earth/maps is about 85-90% accurate on indicating county roads for eastern SD. Plat books often indicate county roads as well.
see new regulation regarding road hunting with your dog
I wouldn't bet on it, but yes, in theory, if the dog is actually in the ditch, it shouldn't matter what he's wearing around his neck. It'll come down to how big a stink a landowner wants to make. I don't believe you'd be obligated to show a license to anyone other than a law official if you're hunting ditches. (maybe) But if the warden shows up & the landowner makes a good case, then I think the warden is probably obligated to charge you with something. My guess is paw prints on the wrong side of the fence (or obviously video taken w/ a phone) would be all they'd need to charge you with trespassing.Any dog with an E Collar on in the ditch would be considered under control IMO.
Can't imagine SD would ever prohibit ditch hunting...
In December and early January, most of the fields are plowed and little cover is left, except in the ditches.
I assume the state is responding to land-owners and their complaints about hunters moving on their land vs staying in the ditch. Controlling a hard-charging dog to stay in a narrow ditch will be challenging!