South Dakota Hunting Season 2025: Dates and Details

Fall in South Dakota means that we're getting into the real busy hunting seasons. Most of South Dakota's hunting season starts between now and the end of the year.

Pheasant season, South Dakota's most famous hunting season, kicks off soon. Hunting our state bird has been a tradition for over a century. Thousands of people make the trek to the wilderness of central South Dakota every year to test their hunting prowess.

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South Dakota Is a Hunter’s Paradise

According to Pheasants Forever, "South Dakota harvests more roosters in two weeks of October than any other state during their entire season." Last year (2024), more than  1.3 million pheasant roosters were harvested during the hunting season.

In addition to only hunting an animal during its designated hunting season, all South Dakota hunters 16 or older need a hunting license. To buy a hunting license, you can go to the South Dakota Game, Fish, Parks website or from an agent.

South Dakota's hunting seasons are often specific to one area of the state or another, and there are resident and non-resident seasons for many game animals as well.

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South Dakota's 2025 Hunting Seasons:

For a complete and up-to-date listing of South Dakota hunting seasons and other information, go to the South Dakota Game, Fish, Parks website.