Hunting Birds in South Dakota

There’s no place like South Dakota to hunt pheasants! Since 1919, the tradition of pheasant hunting has brought friends and families together in holiday-like fashion. Every year opening weekend brings unprecedented enthusiasm, excitement, and activity to cities and rural communities across the state. Are you hunting birds in South Dakota this year? We think you should.

South Dakota is the pheasant hunting capital of the world. The average annual pheasant harvest during the past 10 years is 1.2 million roosters!
In addition to pheasants, South Dakota has some great sharptail grouse hunting. You can also find the occasional Prairie chicken and covey of Hungarian partridge.
Great habitat, with a diverse mixture of grassland, crops, wetlands and shelterbelts.
High numbers of wild birds, and long seasons.
Most of South Dakota is privately owned, so permission to hunt is required, but public lands such as Game Production Areas and Walk-In Areas offer choice habitat for pheasants.
Early in the season, pheasants are scattered in small groups, but winter’s fury concentrates birds into heavy cover. Tree strips, cattail sloughs, and dense weed patches hold pheasants at this time of year.