South Dakota 2026 Pronghorn Aerial Surveys

The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks is seeking qualified vendors to conduct aerial wildlife survey services for pronghorn antelope in the Black Hills region through a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP). The procurement involves systematic grid transect surveys across 34,310 square miles encompassing 23 prairie antelope management units, requiring fixed-wing aircraft operations. Contractors must provide experienced pilots, aircraft (preferably Cessna 172 or similar), crew, equipment, and comprehensive logistical support to complete approximately 264 total flight hours of survey work. Key qualifications include minimum 1,000 flight hours of low-level wildlife aerial survey experience, submission of references from three previous similar contracts, and detailed documentation of pilot qualifications and aircraft specifications. Evaluation criteria will focus on contractor experience, technical capabilities, and proposed costs. The RFP is due February 6, 2026, at 5:00 PM CST, with an anticipated award decision by February 27, 2026, and a contract term running from April 10 to June 20, 2026, contingent upon adequate spring green-up conditions.

No specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises were mentioned in the RFP documentation. The total contract value is not to exceed $175,000, with bidders required to provide itemized costs including per-flight-hour survey expenses, ferry fees, daily crew per diem, and other applicable charges. Contractors must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage, including $1,000,000 in commercial general liability, professional liability, and business automobile liability, as well as workers' compensation as mandated by South Dakota law. Multiple aircraft and pilot proposals are encouraged, and contractors must comply with Federal Aviation Administration regulations and maintain current airworthiness and airman certificates. Proposals must be submitted as one original and two identical copies, plus an electronic copy in Microsoft Word or PDF format. No incumbent vendor information was provided in the available documentation, and no specific infrastructure or technology integration requirements were outlined beyond the aerial survey specifications.