DeVine Delights
DeVine Delights produces vegan (non-dairy) ice creams, soups, sandwiches, salads, entrees, and frozen desserts. Visit us in downtown Rapid City 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Friday. We are located in the lobby of the Turnac Tower on the corner of 9th and Saint
Hippie Haven
Hippie Haven is a zero-waste retail store and community space in downtown Rapid City - the first of its kind in the state. The owner, Callee Ackland, is a U.S. Navy veteran and the owner of two earth conscious companies. The Rapid City shop is run by a team of women, with more than 70% of the
Good Earth Natural Foods & Sunshine Cafe
Good Earth Natural Foods in Spearfish started as a small co-op back in 1978. Over the years, we have grown in leaps and bounds, from a small operation in a garage, to a 6,000+ square foot retail space on Main Street. We strive to bring healthy, bio-dynamic, fair trade, organic, and/or sustainable
Vermillion Area Chamber & Development Co.
Vermillion is located in the southeastern corner of South Dakota near the intersection of Interstate 29 and South Dakota Highway 50. It lies atop a bluff along the last natural stretch of the beautiful and pristine Missouri River. Founded in 1859, Vermillion is a community known throughout the
South Dakota Pheasant Hunting Licenses
Get a Pheasant Hunting License
A small game license is required to pheasant hunt in South Dakota. It also allows you to hunt a wide variety of other game, like grouse, gray partridge, quail and more.
To purchase a hunting license online, create a Go Outdoors South Dakota account through the Department of Game, Fish & Parks. You can also download the free Go Outdoors SD mobile app with Google Play or the App Store to renew, purchase and store your licenses and reservations on your smartphone or tablet. Visitors will want to obtain the Nonresident Hunting & Trapping License (different fees apply depending on the species you’re hunting, the number of days and the hunters’ ages).
Please note: GF&P has a new registration system, so anyone with a pre-2022 account will need to create a new one. No problem! Whether you’re buying your first license or your 40th, it’s easy to set up your new account before you buy your license.
Resident & Nonresident Licenses
There are differences between resident and nonresident licenses, but the buying process is the same. Take note of the different season dates, get your license and plan your outdoor adventure.
Youth-Only Pheasant Season
Start Date: September 27, 2025
End Date: October 5, 2025
Resident-Only Pheasant Season
Start Date: October 11, 2025
End Date: October 13, 2025
Traditional Pheasant Season
Start Date: October 18, 2025
End Date: January 31, 2026
Buy in South Dakota
Hunters can buy licenses from more than 250 registered sales agents in South Dakota (like select gas stations and bait shops). Find locations online or call SD GFP at 605-223-7660 and they’ll point you in the direction of the nearest agent.
Buy Online
Save some time by purchasing your South Dakota pheasant hunting license online. To apply, set up your Go Outdoors SD account and follow the steps.
Always Carry Your License While Hunting
The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks requires every hunter to carry their small game, fishing or trapping license while hunting. Instead of a paper copy, you can carry a digital copy of your license. Paper copies are still valid, but the digital version’s barcode can be scanned and recognized as your official license. Do this by logging into your GF&P account on your smartphone, taking a screenshot of your license from your GF&P online account, or by downloading the free Go Outdoors SD mobile app.
Nonresident Licenses Special Information
Nonresident licenses are for anyone who does not live in the state of South Dakota. They are redeemable for two 5-day hunting periods. A little tip for selecting your dates: Choose your first hunting period for when you plan to visit South Dakota. Then, if you aren’t sure when you’ll be back for the second trip, choose the last week the calendar will allow. You can always move these dates up on the calendar, but you can’t move them back.
Nonresident Shooting Preserve Licenses
Shooting Preserve Licenses allow nonresidents to hunt on licensed shooting preserves and take the small game for which that preserve is licensed. They are available for the following periods: one day, 5-day period, season long.
Bringing Your Dog to South Dakota
Your hunting buddy is welcome in South Dakota! And while a rabies vaccination for your dog is mandatory, you don’t need to bring a health certificate if you’ll be here for less than 30 days. Check out the Hunting and Trapping Handbook for details.
Best SoDak Towns For Pheasant Hunting
South Dakota has more than 5 million free-access acres open to hunting. Some are federal and state-owned grounds, while even more are private areas leased for public hunting. Scout your outing with SD Game, Fish & Parks satellite maps. Some of the more sought-after areas in the state for pheasant hunting lie within the Central Missouri River region and the Northeast Glacial Lakes & Prairies region.
Premier pheasant hunting destinations in the Central region to set up your basecamp for hunting season include: Mobridge, with its 1960s Pheasant Drive-In movie theater; Winner and its vast Tripp County farmland (ranked #1 in South Dakota for pheasants harvested); Mitchell (home to the Pheasant Country Chapter of Pheasants Forever); the reservation lands and national grasslands of Pierre; and Chamberlain/Oacoma, known for one of the top pheasant-producing spots in South Dakota.
Towns best known for top-notch pheasant hunting in the Northeast are: Huron (known as "Ringneck Nation" and home to the World's Largest Pheasant statue); Aberdeen, with the most Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) walk-in hunting land in the state; Watertown; Brookings; and Redfield, aka the "Pheasant Capital of the World."
SD Game Fish & Parks Email
Stay informed on what's happening in South Dakota's great outdoors.
Free South Dakota Hunting Packet
Includes the Hunting & Trapping Handbook from Game, Fish & Parks, a South Dakota Vacation Guide and a State Highway Map.
Planning Tools
Whether you’re looking for a guided lodge experience or a public land adventure, we’ve got the resources to get you started.
To purchase a hunting license online, create a Go Outdoors South Dakota account through the...
Hunt the Greatest Giveaway
Hunt the Greatest Giveaway
For thrilling upland adventures, there's no destination like South Dakota. With the help of R&R Pheasant Hunting and Travel South Dakota, your trip to pheasant heaven can get even greater.
The Hunt the Greatest Giveaway is a chance to win a great trip and enjoy even greater times. One lucky winner is picked to bring their favorite hunting crew to South Dakota for a fall adventure like no other.
Get Ready for the Trip of a Lifetime
2021 Winner
Jace pestered his grandfather Jerry to find a place to hunt pheasants. One contest victory later, generations of hunters were in the fields of South Dakota, making memories, traditions and friends while realizing how a passion for hunting can make anyone feel young.
2023 Winner
Show up as yourself and make some powerful hunting memories – that’s the South Dakota way. See why winning the Hunt The Greatest trip led Michelle to some powerful personal revelations in the fields of South Dakota. “Hunting’s not just about the birds. It’s about the community.” Amen.
Prize includes:
- Three (3) days of guided pheasant hunting and four (4) nights of lodging & meals at R&R Pheasant Hunting for four
- Up to $1,000 in vouchers to cover travel expenses
Planning Tools
Whether you’re looking for a guided lodge experience or a public land adventure, we’ve got the resources to get you started.
Three (3) days of guided pheasant hunting and four (4) nights of lodging & meals...
South Dakota Pheasant Hunting Season Information
Pheasant Season Information
Planning your hunt can begin long before the season does. Read on to make sure you're all set for fall.
Learn about South Dakota pheasant season and licenses available to residents and nonresidents. Details on the pheasant hunting seasons are below. For more complete information, check out the South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook.
Traditional Pheasant Season
Dates:
October 18, 2025–January 31, 2026
Daily Limit:
3 Rooster Pheasants
Possession Limit:
15 Rooster Pheasants
Shooting Hours:
10 a.m. Central Time to sunset for the entire season
(Central Time is used for shooting hours statewide)
License Requirements:
Residents: Small Game License, any Combination License, Youth Small Game License or 1-Day Small Game License.
Nonresidents: Nonresident Small Game License or Nonresident Youth Small Game License (each valid for two 5-day hunting periods; start dates must be identified before license issued). Multiple licenses may be purchased to hunt more than the two 5-day periods allowed by one.
A Habitat Stamp is required for your first license purchase. Learn more about the Habitat Stamp in our FAQs.
Resident-Only Pheasant Season
Dates:
October 11–13, 2025
Daily Limit:
3 Rooster Pheasants
Possession Limit:
9 Rooster Pheasants
Shooting Hours:
10 a.m. Central Time to sunset
License Requirements:
Residents: Small Game License, any Combination License, Youth Small Game License or 1-Day Small Game License
Youth Pheasant Season
Resident and nonresident youth can hunt before the opening weekend when accompanied by an unarmed adult. Find more information about eligibility, season rules and license requirements from South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks.
Dates:
September 27–October 5, 2025
Daily Limit:
3 Rooster Pheasants
Possession Limit:
9 Rooster Pheasants
Shooting Hours:
10 a.m. Central Time to sunset.
Where Can I Hunt?
Private Lands & Public Access Areas
In addition to all the private ground you can hunt with landowner permission, South Dakota has millions of acres of free-access public lands. Find your field and see what land is open to the public on our Public Hunting Areas page.
Public Road Rights-of-Way
Road rights-of-way, excluding the Interstate highway system, are open for the hunting of small game and waterfowl. However, you may not shoot within 660 feet of an occupied building, church, schoolhouse, or livestock unless you are the owner or have written permission from the owner. More rules about hunting on public roads can be found in the South Dakota Hunting Handbook.
Planning Tools
Whether you’re looking for a guided lodge experience or a public land adventure, we’ve got the resources to get you started.
Learn about South Dakota pheasant season and licenses available to residents and nonresidents. Details on...
