Pheasant Hunting SOUTHEAST REGION Experience the open fields Our state bird, the 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 guides and outfitters are equipped to make your hunt successful and 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. The avid hunter will find South Dakota a virtual hunter’s paradise. On the Hunt Pheasants range statewide, and prefer agricultural fields, wooded 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 shelter belts 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 a comfortable 70 degrees to below zero wind chill. Pheasant Traditional season is Mid-October through early January, and the season opens October 15, 2022. Preserve season is September through March. 226 // #sesouthdakota
South Dakota Vacation Guide South Dakota Vacation Guide 2022: Page 226
