South Dakota Hunting Season For Big Game, Waterfowl& Small Game

*The latest season schedules have been updated on September 30, 2025.

For people who love outdoor activities: if you’re getting ready for exciting outdoor adventures in South Dakota, you’re in the right spot. The hunting season schedule is just around the corner, and we have listed the most up-to-date information on South Dakota hunting season, notices, and license details that all hunters should know.

Whether you’re hunting deer, birds, or a unique small game, we’ll assist you in preparing for a season this year. In this article, we have summarized and updated the necessary information regularly. Keep reading!

South Dakota Deer and Elk Hunting Seasons

The following table contains the different hunting seasons for deer and elk.

Elk Seasons

Deer Seasons

The most common species you can hunt in this state are white-tailed deer and mule deer. To hunt big game like deer, you will need to submit an application for hunting licenses. Select the hunting unit you want to hunt in, and then wait for the drawing result. Are you the lucky one? Check the result here: South Dakota Draw Statistics.

South Dakota Big Game Hunting Seasons

🔔Notes:

• The Mountain Lion Black Hills Fire Protection season will close early if the harvest limit of either 60 total mountain lions or 40 female mountain lions is reached.
• You can use decoys when hunting big game.
• Electronic calls are not allowed for big game hunting, except when hunting mountain lions.
• Dogs cannot be used for hunting big game, except that a leashed dog can be used to help track and retrieve wounded or dead big game animals.
• When hunting big game (except turkeys and mountain lions) with a firearm, you must wear visible fluorescent orange or pink clothing.
• You cannot use self-loading or auto-loading firearms that hold more than six cartridges for big game hunting.
• Only soft-point or expanding bullets are allowed.

Turkey Hunting Seasons 2025 In South Dakota

Spring Prairie: Apr 12 – May 31, 2025
Spring Archery: Apr 12 – May 31, 2025
Spring Mentored: Apr 12  – May 31, 2025
Spring Black Hills: Apr 26  – May 31, 2025
Spring Custer State Park: Apr 26 – May 18, 2025
Fall Mentored: Nov 1, 2025 – Jan 31, 2026
Fall Prairie: Nov 1, 2025 – Jan 31, 2026

South Dakota Waterfowl Hunting Seasons

Duck Hunting Season

• Low Plains North: Sep 27 – Dec 9, 2025
• Low Plains Middle: Sep 27 – Dec 9, 2025
• Low Plains South: Oct 25 – Jan 6, 2026
• High Plains: Oct 11 – Jan 15, 2026

Goose Hunting Season

• Light Goose: Sep 27 – Jan 9, 2026
• Non-resident Special: Sep 1 – 30, 2025
• Unit 1: Oct 1 – Dec 16, 2026
• Unit 2: Nov 3 – Feb 15, 2026
• Canada Goose Early: Sep 1 – 30, 2025
• White-fronted Goose: Sep 27 – Dec 9, 2025

Other Waterfowl Season

• Youth Waterfowl: Sep 13 – Sep 14, 2025
• Tundra Swan Season: Oct 4, 2025 – Jan 9, 2026

The bag limit and total possession limit for these waterfowl species are as follows:

South Dakota Upland Birds Hunting Seasons

Shooting hours for each season vary from:

• Pheasant: 10 a.m., central time, to sunset.
• Prairie and Grouse: sunrise to sunset statewide.
• Quail: sunrise to sunset statewide.

South Dakota Small Game Hunting Seasons

River Otter:  Nov 1 – Dec 31, 2025

Cottontail Rabbit Season: Sep 1 – Mar 31, 2026

Tree Squirrel Season: Sep 1 – Mar 31, 2026

Crow Season: Sep 1 – Oct 31, 2025

Crow – Second Season: Mar 1, 2025 – Apr 30, 2026

Quail: October 19 – January 31, 2025

Snipe Season: Sep 1  – Oct 31, 2025

Mourning Dove Season: Sep 1 – Nov 9, 2025

South Dakota Hunting Licenses

Here we listed some of the important licenses you will need to hunt in the state along with their costs.

🔔Note:

• Each hunter must have a Habitat Stamp and the correct license for their species and activity. Hunters may also need to buy required Waterfowl Stamps or a State Migratory Bird Certification.
• Youth hunters under 16 years old do not require a hunting license if accompanied by a licensed mentor.
• Resident landowners and their immediate family members are allowed to trap furbearers and hunt small game on their land without a license.
• Non-resident landowners need to buy a landowner-own-land license for West River deer season and firearm antelope hunting season. But some licenses for non-resident landowners can only be issued via lottery drawing only.
• Nonresidents who are at least 12years old are allowed to hunt and will need to purchase a license.

Conclusion

There it is! With the South Dakota hunting season schedule in hand, you’re already halfway there. You can be well-prepared for a successful hunting experience.

Don’t forget, the excitement of pursuing something is only a part of the hunting— it’s also about creating unforgettable memories and bringing home some great prizes. If you have any inquiries about the hunting season in this state, please leave a comment, and we will answer them all.

Plan to hunt in other states, check the schedules for neighboring states:

• US Hunting Seasons State By State
• Nevada Hunting Season
• Wyoming Turkey Seasons
• Bear Hunting In Minnesota: Seasons
• Nevada Hunting Seasons