Overview
Known For
With an average annual harvest of 1.2 million roosters over the last 10 years, South Dakota is world renowned for pheasant hunting. But the state also offers incredible hunting opportunities for elk, deer, antelope, turkey, waterfowl, mountain goats, and more.
Terrain
South Dakota’s terrain has a little bit of everything, from ponderosa pine forests, river bottoms, grassland prairies, and Black Hills mountains, to the vast Missouri River reservoir system.
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South Dakota Hunting Seasons
Hunters have a maximum of three consecutive days to hunt. Hunts are scheduled Monday through Friday excluding holidays. 3 days as scheduled Nov. 20, 2023 to Jan. 5, 2024 excluding holidays and weekends.
The mountain goat hunting season is closed.
South Dakota Licenses, Permits, and Regulations
South Dakota hunting licenses, permits, and regulations for resident and non-resident hunters can be purchased on the South Dakota Game, Fish, & Parks’ official website. Click below to view the website.
Hunting GPS Maps
Every South Dakota hunter should have hunting GPS maps on hand. South Dakota hunting maps are available from onX Hunt. With a paid membership you can access Satellite, Topo, or Hybrid Basemaps, over which you can view maps of hunting units, along with State, Forest Service, and other public and private property boundaries. You can view trails and roads, and even download maps to the Hunt App for use offline. Click below to get onX Hunt for South Dakota.
Hunting Units
South Dakota has over five million acres of hunting opportunities on public lands as well as on private land leased for public hunting. From Walk-In Areas and Game Production Areas (GPAs) to Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs), hunting units are established for each huntable species, including deer, elk, antelope, turkey, and other animals. Click below to view South Dakota’s hunting units in more detail through an interactive map.
Hunting Layers
SD Private Lands
Over 370,000 parcels mapped by the onX team, this layer helps you know who the property owners are in South Dakota. Tap any parcel to learn more info about the owner and acreage.
SD Gov Lands
onX has the most accurate maps of Gov Lands, covering over 14,000,000 acres in South Dakota. Not all Gov Lands offer access opportunities, check regulations before recreating.
SD Hunting Units
South Dakota Hunting Units. Please hunt responsibly, obey all signage and have a safe legal hunt.
Includes 25 Sublayers
- Antelope (Archery) Hunt Units
- Antelope (Firearm) Hunt Units
- Bighorn Sheep (Black Hills) Hunt Units
- Canada Goose Hunt Units
- Canada Goose (Non-resident) Hunt Units
- Deer (Antlerless Archery LM1) Hunt Units
- Deer (Muzzleloader LM1) Hunt Units
- Deer (Black Hills) Hunt Units
- Deer (East River) Hunt Units
- Deer (West River) Hunt Units
- Deer (Refuge) Hunt Units
- Deer (Custer State Park) Hunt Units
- Duck Hunt Zones
- Elk (Archery) Hunt Units
- Elk (Black Hills Firearm) Hunt Units
- Elk (Custer State Park) Hunt Units
- Elk (Prairie) Hunt Units
- Goose (Special Mgmt Area Early Fall) Hunt Units
- Turkey (Fall) Hunt Units
- Turkey (Spring Firearm) Hunt Units
- Tundra Swan Hunt Units
- Waterfowl (3 Day Fall) Hunt Units
- Waterfowl (10 Day Fall) Hunt Units
- Special Mgmt Area August Take Hunt Units
- Sandhill Crane Hunt Units
SD Walk Ins
South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Walk In hunt areas. All hunters are expected to know the rules of the program. Please hunt responsibly and have a safe legal hunt.
Controlled Hunting Access Program
Lands enrolled in CHAP require hunters to register and gain permission to access & hunt. Tap a property for a link to the CHAP rules.
SD Possible Access
onX has mapped many acres of possible access lands in South Dakota including timber companies and land conservation groups. Research rules on these private lands before recreating.
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