SOUTHEAST REGION Stop on any country road and you’re in a HUNTER’S PARADISE Our state bird, the Chinese Ring-necked Pheasant, thrives in the habitat provided by Southeast South Dakota’s landscape. Thousands of hunters descend upon the southeast region of the state in the fall for their chance at the wily pheasant. Southeast South Dakota towns are just waiting to host your hunting trip. Hotels and restaurants gear up for the season with special menus and friendly people to make your stay enjoyable. Hunting is a year-round sport in southeast South Dakota. Small game, waterfowl and big game dominate the fall hunting seasons. Predator hunting fills the winter months, and spring signals the start of turkey hunting. Though pheasant and deer are the most popular, hunters may find additional hunts for partridge, quail, dove, coyote and fox. draws, tree strips, wetlands and set-aside acres. Much of South Dakota pheasant hunting takes place on privately owned land and permission is required to hunt there. Public lands such as Game Production Areas and Walk-In Areas also offer choice habitat for pheasants. These areas are managed for wildlife, however the amount and quality of winter cover varies among them. The best bet is to look for tracts that have wide shelterbelts or terrain that provides protection from the wind. Early in the season, pheasants are scattered in small flocks, but winter’s fury pushes birds into heavy cover and concentrates them. Tree strips, cattail sloughs and dense weed patches hold pheasants this time of year. Search for small, out-of-the-way pockets that may have escaped the hunting pressure of large groups. Small sloughs, plum thickets or even fence line vegetation hold pheasants. Prepare for the weather. Fall weather conditions range from 70 degrees to below zero wind chill. PHEASANT Traditional season: Mid-October through early January. Season opens October 19, 2019. Preserve season: September through March. Range and Habitat: Pheasants prefer agricultural fields, wooded 236 // #HiFromSD
South Dakota Vacation Guide South Dakota Vacation Guide 2019: Page 236
