SOUTH DAKOTA PHEASANT HUNTS

South Dakota Pheasant Hunting Season usually opens the 3rd Saturday in October each year.  The pheasant hunting typically remains very good through Thanksgiving.

South Dakota Pheasant Hunting rates:

October 17 - November 30 Peak South Dakota Pheasant Hunting Dates

$570.00 per day Executive Service South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

$470 per day Basic Service South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

$1,710 Standard 3-day Executive Service South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

$1,410 Standard 3-day Basic Service South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

$190 per day hunt-only guided South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

$175 per day hunt-only unguided South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

September 1 - October 15, December through January Off-Peak South Dakota Pheasant Hunting Dates

$470 per day Executive Service South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

$395 per day Basic Service South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

$1,410 Standard 3-day Executive Service South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

$1,185 Standard 3-day Basic Service South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

$175 per day hunt-only guided South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

$150 per day hunt-only unguided South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

Deposits: A 50% deposit of hunt price is required to reserve South dakota pheasant hunting dates.  Hunt balances are due 60 days prior to the hunt.

*Special family rates are available for South Dakota Pheasant Hunting packages: Spouses and youths 16 years old or younger, provided that the entire family shares a room.  Youth hunters pay $25 per bird only for pheasants killed.

If you're a wingshooter, and particularly an upland bird hunting enthusiast, experiencing these magnificant birds is a must-do. South Dakota pheasant hunting here will provide a premium shooting experience that all upland hunters will enjoy.

Click here to read the full South Dakota pheasant hunting field report by Gordon Shaw, October 2010

We suggest the following for South Dakota Pheasant Hunting:

Shooting glasses are recommended. They protect your eyes from brush, accidents and, depending on the color, can enable you to detect the bird faster.  

Bring ear plugs or muffs. You may not want or wear them during hunting, but most people do some target shooting in the morning or evening.  

Bring a quality shears or scissors if you intend to clean birds yourself. Bring plastic bags and an ice chest if you're transporting the birds.

South Dakota Pheasant Hunting:

Be prepared to dress in layers. It may be windy, wet, warmer or colder. You may be pushing or blocking. Consult the weather forecast for Mitchell, South Dakota, before your departure from home.

• Protective eyewear
• Brush pants
• Orange cap and vest
• Shell vest or shell belt
• Long underwear
• Well broken-in boots or waterproof boots
• Wool or leather shooting gloves
• Warm, long-sleeved shirt
• Rain gear
• Camera/Film/Batteries/Chargers/Etc.
• Heavy coat if in cooler months
• Ammunition: #5 heavy loads are an excellent choice

South Dakota Waterfowl Hunting:

• Above Marked Items - and -
• Wool socks
• Insulated boots
• Camouflage insulated hat
• Insulated gloves
• Camouflage insulated coat and bibs
• Ammunition: Steel 2s or BBs, hevishot 4s or equivalent

Other:

• Ice chest and duct tape for transport of frozen game (head or wing must remain attached to pheasants and waterfowl while being transported)
• Locked gun case for airline flights (shotshells must be packed separately and in their original container)
• Gun sleeves for daily transport
• Chapstick, prescriptions, shaving kit, etc.
• Casual clothes and house shoes

The South Dakota Pheasant Hunting Tradition

The diverse landscape of South Dakota is characterized by an assortment of habitats and an abundant array of natural resources. For many outdoor enthusiasts, no other wildlife species in the state is as recognized or valued as the ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus). Though pheasants are not a native species to North America, they have become naturalized to the mosaic of grassland and agricultural land habitat found throughout South Dakota.

From the first successful releases of pheasants in 1908 to the current estimated population of around 10 million birds, South Dakotans pheasant hunting has become a rich and deeply rooted tradition. The opening weekend in October is an event anticipated not only by pheasant hunters, but also family and friends who are reunited during this social gathering.

With a high rate of annual mortality, pheasants are a short-lived bird with a capability of high reproductive rates. The quantity, quality, and distribution of season-specific habitats and weather conditions are the primary factors that influence pheasant populations. As a result, private landowners and wildlife managers focus on the development and management of suitable habitat to meet the needs of pheasants throughout their annual life cycle.

Since their introduction and expansion in areas of interspersed cropland, grassland and other habitats, pheasant populations have been notably high on four occasions: the early 1930's following the Great Depression and drought period when much farmland was idle; the mid-1940's during and just after World War II when again much habitat was unintentionally created on idled cropland; the early 1960's at the peak of the Soil Bank Program; and currently as a result of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres and favorable weather conditions.

Today, there are far more pheasant in South Dakota than people! In 2008, an estimated 76,000 residents and 100,000 non-residents, from all 50 states, harvested approximately 1.9 million pheasants in South Dakota.  Pheasant hunting in South Dakota tops the list for upland bird hunters, and has become an annual event for many.

Related Links - South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

South Dakota Pheasant Hunting License fees

South Dakota Pheasant Hunting License Sales (Online)

South Dakota Hunting Handbook PDF (2009 ed.)

Field Care of Trophy Waterfowl & Birds 

South Dakota Pheasant Hunting Facts

Opening Date: The pheasant season traditional opening is the third Saturday in October.

Daily Limit: 3 rooster pheasants (wild pheasants)

Possession Limit: 15 rooster pheasants, taken according to the daily limit. The limit accrues at the rate of 3 birds a day, and 15 birds may not be possessed until after the fifth day of hunting.

Shooting Hours: 12 Noon, Central Time, to sunset Oct. 17-23; 10 a.m., Central Time, to sunset the rest of the season. NOTE: Central Time is used for opening shooting hours statewide.

Getting There - South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

Northwest Airlines, United Airlines, and American Airlines are service Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Rental vehicles are available at the airport. Ground travel time to the lodge is about 1 hour. Transportation is available for all guests arriving by air. We will pick you up in either Sioux Falls or Mitchell and deliver you back to the airport when your stay is complete.

Suggested airports those piloting their own private planes include Sioux Falls, Madison and Mitchell, South Dakota.

Other Local Attractions - South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

Cabela's Mitchell, South Dakota Retail Store is located just off I-90. In addition to offering quality outdoor merchandise, the 80,000 sq. ft. showroom has educational and entertainment attractions, featuring a décor of museum-quality animal displays, huge aquariums and trophy animals interacting in realistic re-creations of their natural habitats. 

The World's only Corn Palace is Mitchell's Premier tourist attraction. Some 500,000 tourists come from around the nation each year to see the uniquely designed corn murals. The city's first Corn Palace was build in 1897 as a way to prove to the world that South Dakota had a healthy agricultural climate. The needle of the corn compass points to Mitchell, a prairie town that is corn crazy and proud of it. Mitchell's high school sports teams are the Kernels. Its local radio station's call letters are KORN.

Mitchell's Corn Palace is built out of reinforced concrete, not corn. Every spring, however, its exterior is completely covered with thousands of bushels of native South Dakota corn, grain and grasses that are arranged into large murals. Corn Palace Week marks the end of the harvest - and the beginning of the planning for next year's Palace theme.  The Corn Palace has one more title - the World's Largest Bird Feeder. After Corn Palace Week is over and winter sets it, local pigeons and squirrels make a feast of the tasty murals.

Contact us about special corporate pricing and seminar opportunities for this exciting South Dakota Pheasant Hunting package!

South Dakota Pheasant Hunting packages include:

• 3 wild pheasants daily (and/or additional birds available on managed preserve preserve grounds)
• Friendly, experienced guides
• Bird Dogs (pointers or flushers)
• Your dogs welcomed; Kennel Use
• Lodging in Main Lodge with B&B furnishing and bar with top-shelf liquors (Executive Services package) or in seperate Covey Building with modest, hotel-like furnishings (Basic Services package).
• 3 meals daily
• Cartridges for 12, 20 or 28 gauges
• Trout fishing and fishing license
• Daily Maid Services
• Wireless Internet Access
• Bird processing and Freezing
• FREE lodging and meals for hunter's spouse and children during your hunt with same-room booking.

Not included in South Dakota Pheasant Hunting packages:

• Additional Birds (State limit is 3 birds.  Additional birds are early-released).
• Bird Shipping
• Clay Targets
• Airport Transfer
• Travel Protection Plan (Trip Insurance)

South Dakota duck hunting or goose hunting is available with the purchase any pheasant hunting package. Hunters must apply for the appropriate State and Federal licenses.  Non-resident waterfowl license applications must be made prior to 14 July.  Good waterfowling in South Dakota is all about timing - being where they are when the migration comes through.  These combination packages may require alternate lodging within South Dakota depending on time of season and migration patterns.

Trophy white-tail deer archery hunts available for $400 with the purchase of a pheasant hunting package. A limited offering of white-tail deer archery hunts are available during the first 2 weeks of the archery-only season. Then, stretch your legs afterward lunch while hunting those wiley roosters. Our deer hunting is conducted from ground blinds and tree stands. Hunters are responsible for purchasing the required SD State licenses.

"The South Dakota pheasant hunt was amazing.  We limited on long-tailed roosters daily, and quickly.  Lodge, staff, and hunting were absolutely wonderful.   Thanks for the direction.  We look forward to doing something next year."

Sammy Porter

Referenced Hunt: South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

"The Midwest Dentistry South Dakota Pheasant Hunting Seminar was my first hunting trip. I had a great time and learned a lot about bird hunting and clay target shooting. Sitting around the lodge after a good day of pheasant hunting with old college friends, drinking and cracking jokes, was a major highlight. There were plenty of birds to shoot. I recommend Ramsey Russell's services."

~ Roderick Coleman

Referenced Hunt: Midwest Dentistry Seminar South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

"We had a great time hunting South Dakota pheasants.  Good hunting, good food and good friends."

- Lem Adams, III 

Referenced Hunt: South Dakota Pheasant Hunt