The 2023 South Dakota Elk and Bighorn Sheep Application Period Breaks Records for Second Consecutive Year

The 2023 South Dakota Elk and Bighorn Sheep application period has once again set new records for the number of applications for these seasons. This marks the second consecutive year of unprecedented demand for these highly coveted hunting opportunities.

South Dakota residents may apply during a specific time-period each year for the opportunity to be drawn for a limited license for specific seasons that are available. Licenses are drawn in sequence from season to season. The 2023 application period ended May 18, 2023, revealing a remarkable boost in interest, with an 8% increase in applications compared to the previous year, and an astounding 40% surge compared to 2021.

South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks (GFP) launched its new licensing and campground reservation system in December 2021 and soon after began to see an increase in Elk and Bighorn Sheep applications. Since the new system launched, Elk applications increased from 37,345 in 2021, to 39,380 in 2022. The Bighorn Sheep applications grew from 8,272 to 11,312 during this same time-period. To the excitement of Brandt and GFP, we have seen yet another successful application period in 2023, totaling over 12,000 Bighorn Sheep and nearly 40,000 Elk applications.

“Customer service is one of our top priorities and working with Brandt we have successfully been able to ensure our customers are aware of these opportunities, are easily able to submit their applications, and ultimately able to get where they want to be, outdoors,” stated Nick Harrington, GFP Communications Manager.

With recent improvements to the users’ experience, targeted emails, and mobile app push notification reminders, the Go Outdoors South Dakota system is providing better communications with sportsmen and women, while driving conservation efforts.

Brandt Information Services Recognized as a GovTech100 Company for 2023

Brandt Information Services is pleased to announce we have been recognized by Government Technology as a GovTech 100 company for 2023! The GovTech 100 list is comprised of companies that have made a difference in the technology space for local and state government agencies. We are proud to offer a licensing and permitting system that allows for a user-friendly experience for customers and serves as a revenue driver for state agencies.

“This year we have seen an exponential increase in gov tech market activity – from new companies starting up to help government tackle complex challenges, to existing companies joining forces for scale through consolidations, gov tech as an industry is clearly showing its recession-proof characteristics. Each of the GovTech 100 companies demonstrates the energy of our market across all gov tech segments,” stated Dustin Haisler, Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer for Government Technology. 

Winners will be featured in the January/February issue of Government Technology magazine and GovTech Daily’s newsletter

Check out the full list of awarded companies: http://www.govtech.com/100!

Brandt Information Services Named Best & Brightest Company to Work For Seventh Consecutive year

Brandt Information Services is honored to have been selected for the seventh consecutive year as one of the 2022 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® In The Nation. Brandt has been named as one of 135 winning organizations out of 1,000 nominations across the country. We will be honored at the virtual Illuminate Business Summit week in February 2022.

With over 20 years of experience conducting the Best and Brightest competitions, the National Association for Business Resources (NABR) have identified numerous best Human Resource practices and provided benchmarking for companies that continue to be leaders in employment standards. All 2022 companies that will be selected to be recognized nationally as a Best and Brightest Company to Work For® will be featured in the online edition of Corp! Magazine and in the Wall Street Journal.

About the Best and Brightest Programs
The Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® competition identifies and honors organizations that display a commitment to excellence in operations and employee enrichment that lead to increased productivity and financial performance. This competition scores potential winners based on regional data of company performance and a set standard across the nation. This national program celebrates those companies that are making better business, creating richer lives and building a stronger community as a whole.

To learn more about Brandt’s culture and career opportunities, please visit the Brandt Careers page.

Go Outdoors NE is the New and Improved Permitting System for Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

On November 15, 2022, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and Brandt launched Go Outdoors NE, a new permitting system for the state’s hunt, fish, and parks needs. The new user-friendly system will allow customers to purchase all fishing and hunting permits by creating a customer account or looking up their account information. Customer information has been migrated into the new system to prepare for this transition. Park entry permits, Nebraskaland Magazine subscriptions, and donations may be made as a guest user and do not require an account.

2023 permits are available for purchase in the GoOutdoorsNE system; however, the previous system will remain operational through January 31, 2023.

Durable hard cards are available in two designs, crappie or pheasant (artwork by Bryan Owen and Ed Anderson).

“We are excited for the launch of Go Outdoors Nebraska! It has been a collaborative effort between the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and Brandt’s Terra team to implement a new system that makes the process simpler and more efficient for the state’s constituents,“ stated Richard Wise, CEO of Brandt.

GoOutdoorsNE is available exclusively online at http://GoOutdoorsNE.com!

Learn more on outdoornebraska.gov.

Go Outdoors Florida’s New Hard Cards

Our partner, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) released new license card designs! Hard cards are collectible, credit-card style documents that are an alternative to paper licenses. Cards are printed with a customer’s most up-to-date licenses and permits for easy access when hunting or fishing.

Customers can purchase the designs at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com or using the app. Funds from hard cards help support conservation efforts and marketing initiatives for our state partners. The new cards feature art from Guy Harvey and Ed Anderson. Check out the designs!

KDWP’s New Flatlander Podcast Episode on Go Outdoors Kansas Licensing System

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks released an episode of their Flatlander Podcast focused on our new Go Outdoors Kansas system. Our digital license approach has accounted for over 60% of transactions to occur electronically through the Go Outdoors Kansas app or website. This, along with the new electronic check-in/check-out process, makes this one of our most feature-filled installs to date. We are excited about what the new system has in store for KDWP staff and its constituents! Check out the podcast episode here or listen below: https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWP-Info/News/Flatlander-Podcast

Go Outdoors Louisiana Offers a New Reservation System for Louisiana State Parks

Louisiana State Parks and Brandt launched Go Outdoors Louisiana on June 1, 2022, a full-service parks and camping reservation system. The new launch included the release of a new central reservation system, point-of-sale system, call center, and golf course management system. The new reservation system will allow for a more streamlined booking process for customers at GoOutdoorsLouisiana.com to reserve campsites, cabins, purchase park passes, buy merchandise, and make a donation.

“With the launch of Go Outdoors Louisiana, we continue to expand our product offering and provide simple, modern and secure well-designed systems for our state partners. We are excited for the increase in revenue that this system will bring to Louisiana State Parks and its conservation efforts,” stated Richard Wise, CEO of Brandt.

About Brandt

Brandt Information Services provides simple, modern, and secure technology solutions to conservation agencies and their public users that transform the outdoors experience. The company serves organizations in the fishing, hunting, boating, and parks and camping industry with licensing, registration, reservations, and e-commerce technology and services.

Go Outdoors Kansas is the New Licensing System for Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks launched its new licensing system, Go Outdoors Kansas, on May 1, 2022. The new efficient system is designed to improve the user experience for KDWP, license agents, boat vendors, and its more than two million public license holders. “We are transforming the outdoors experience with our simple, modern, and secure Go Outdoors Kansas solution,” announced Richard Wise, Brandt CEO. Through the Go Outdoors Kansas website and mobile app, customers can purchase hunting and fishing licenses, complete harvest reports, register boats, and more.

Public customers may log in at GoOutdoorsKansas.com or download the mobile app GoOutdoorsKS. Durable license cards are available in two designs, crappie or pheasant, with artwork by KDWP’s Dustin Teasley and full card design by Brody Latham.  

The iOS and Android mobile apps allow users to access their licenses easily on their phones, view regulations and sunrise/sunset times in the field, and report harvests after hunting. Also included in the release is a private law enforcement mobile app for conservation officers to scan license documents and/or hard card QR codes to confirm customer status in the field, with or without cell phone reception. 

Over 500 license agent and boat vendor locations are now processing transactions through the online system. 

“Brandt will continue to work side by side with state agency partners on innovative new solutions that help improve the overall outdoors experience. We are proud to be live with Kansas,” stated Brandt’s President, Mike Wons. 

Brandt Information Services Acquires Terra Technology Group

NEW YORK, March 17, 2022  Brandt Information Services (“Brandt” or the “Company”), a NexPhase Capital-backed company and a leading provider of outdoor recreational licensing and camping reservation software, today announced the acquisition of Terra Technology Group (“TTG”), a leading SaaS technology provider for outdoor licensing and recreational solutions.

Since 2011, Brandt has grown strategically and organically to become a market leader in outdoor recreational support. The Company provides innovative software, as well as a technology-enabled suite of services, including call center, fulfillment, credit card processing, billing reconciliation, and digital marketing. These services enable public agencies to more effectively engage and grow consumers of hunting & fishing licenses and parks reservations.

With the addition of TTG’s platform, Brandt will be able to provide even more choices to best meet each agency’s needs. Under the Brandt name, Brandt’s Go Outdoors platform and the Terra platform will serve more than 18 partners in the U.S. and abroad.

“Brandt and TTG are two highly successful organizations in the outdoor recreational space, and we are excited to be able to offer both Go Outdoors and the Terra platform to our customers,” said Richard Wise, President of Brandt. “With this acquisition, Brandt has expanded our ability to serve all agencies’ licensing and reservations needs, and we look forward to helping more customers deliver easy and reliable, web-based automated experiences for outdoor enthusiasts everywhere across licensing, permitting, reservations and other purchases.”

“TTG is proud to join Brandt, an outdoor industry leader, with its strong reputation of continuous innovation and technology improvements,” said Jeff Roberts, General Manager of TTG. “Our complementary platforms offer our customers and agency partners unique technology and services built to capture real-time, high quality data that is critical for their success. We are thrilled to be able to continue this mission as part of a broader platform.”

Financial terms were not disclosed.


About Brandt

Since 1985, Brandt Information Services has provided local, state and federal agencies, as well as private organizations, with innovative solutions to maintain large-scale technology projects, streamline business processes, manage a variety of transaction systems and support agency operations. The company has successfully scaled with organic growth in the outdoor recreational industry with products and services to support hunting, fishing, boating and camping transactions.

About Terra Technology Group

Terra Technology Group is a leading provider of next-generation outdoor licensing and recreational solutions. TTG partners with fish and wildlife agencies to provide innovative technology for conservation and natural resource licensing needs. The company offers more than a decade of experience in developing and operating license and permit point of sale, event management and CRM software throughout the United States.

About NexPhase Capital

NexPhase Capital (“NPC”) is a thematic and operationally focused private equity firm that invests in lower middle market growth-oriented companies within three distinct sectors: consumer, healthcare, and software. The firm partners with companies that have reached a growth inflection point and are seeking a value-added partner to help navigate the company’s “next phase.” The NPC team has extensive industry and operational experience and NPC’s partners have invested together for over a decade. The firm has completed over 80 investments, including add-ons, and targets control equity investments between $25 million and $150 million. For more information, please visit www.NexPhase.com.

Go Outdoors South Carolina is here!

SCDNR logo

COLUMBIA, S.C., March 15, 2022

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is excited to announce the launch of Go Outdoors South Carolina—our new licensing and boat titling system. The new system makes it easier for our customers to:

  • View and purchase hunting and fishing licenses, permits and tags.
  • Apply for lottery hunts.
  • Register and renew watercraft.
  • Report turkey harvest through SC Game Check.
  • Upgrade to a licensing hard card.
  • Purchase SCDNR gear or make a donation through the Go Outdoors SC Shop.

Additionally, the new system brings with it a new multi-functional app. The new GoOutdoorsSC app will allow users to:

  • Also view and purchase hunting and fishing licenses, permits and tags.
  • Report turkey harvest through SC Game Check.
  • Have online resources like regulations, harvest data, the new SC Public Fishing Access platform at your fingertips.

This app is available in both the Apple and Google Play Store.

We hope this transition brings with it an improved user experience.

Turkey Hunters make sure to delete the previous app and download the GoOutdoorsSC app to report your harvest. The app from last year is no longer functional.

Find our new licensing system here.