South Dakota Hunting Season Dates
Recorded hunting windows for South Dakota, including historical and unverified entries.
Recorded dates, not hunting permission
Status assessment: 2026-10-14 UTC (static build snapshot). Static activity badges and day counts use this build assessment, not a live check. Interactive finder results show their own UTC assessment day.
1 of 9 recorded windows have date-review evidence. Other rows remain unverified. Historical records are retained and are not a current-season promise.
Check your current agency regulations, GMU or zone, hunt code, license and access restrictions before hunting. An agency link or successful publication fetch does not verify a row. Reviewed base dates do not cover every license-specific exception.
Date evidence: Official date source. Review dates apply only to the stated row scope, not an entire state or current license eligibility.
South Dakota Hunting Season Calendar
Find all hunting season dates for South Dakota including deer, elk, turkey, and waterfowl. Filter by species and hunting method.
Coming Up in South Dakota
Seasons opening in the next 60 days
Nov 21 - Dec 6, 2026
Opens in 38 days
Recorded Season Windows
All South Dakota hunting seasons organized by species
Deer 5 seasons
| Method | Dates | Zone | Status | Notes | Add to Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | Sep 27, 2025 - Jan 1, 2026 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Resident archery | |
| Rifle/Firearm | Nov 21 - Dec 6, 2026 Date window reviewed 2026-10-09; verify license-specific exceptions Official date source | Brookings ERD06A private nontribal adult resident white-tailed buck rifle — issued type01 one-any-deer license | Upcoming | Actual2026 agency combined application PDF4/printed1 East River Nov21–Dec6; Brookings ERD06A type01 one any deer, issued matching license required. Actual PDF-linked unit descriptions confirm Brookings County, not Minnehaha01A/Western Meade49A. Only ordinary private nontribal adult resident white-tailed buck rifle subset reviewed, not individual permission. Any Deer/Any Buck/Any Whitetail tags do not convert for Dec12–20 antlerless-only; no late bridge or other license substituted. May application quotas/deadlines not current remaining stock or permission; check current issued unit/type/eligibility/license/tag/bag. Actual canonical Big Game Regulations HTML: shoulder-held rifle ammunition rated at least1,000foot-pounds muzzle energy, soft-point/expanding bullets; no fully automatic; self-loading/autoloading firearm capacity at most six cartridges, not all-rifle or magazine-only rule. Elk .243/1,700 energy not deer minimum. Big-game hours sunrise/sunset±30minutes; date activity not hourly permission. Check exact private/access/consent/local/orange/tagging/transport/CWD/closures/amendments; no nonresident/public/Walk-In/tribal/other unit/species/sex/method/special/late coverage. Eight history rows/license metadata unverified. Application/unit PDFs/current weapons HTML read; statutory/emergency updates need checks; bare weapons URL advertises HTTP downgrade, canonical HTTPS used without transport-policy changes. | |
| Rifle/Firearm | Nov 15 - Dec 7, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Rifle season (East River) | |
| Rifle/Firearm | Nov 8-30, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Rifle season (West River) | |
| Muzzleloader | Dec 13-28, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Muzzleloader season | |
Turkey 1 season
| Method | Dates | Zone | Status | Notes | Add to Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any Legal Method | Apr 11 - May 31, 2026 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Spring prairie season | |
Elk 1 season
| Method | Dates | Zone | Status | Notes | Add to Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any Legal Method | Oct 1 - Nov 30, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Custer State Park draw | |
Pronghorn 1 season
| Method | Dates | Zone | Status | Notes | Add to Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any Legal Method | Oct 4-26, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Draw required | |
Pheasant 1 season
| Method | Dates | Zone | Status | Notes | Add to Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shotgun | Oct 18, 2025 - Jan 5, 2026 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | World-class pheasant | |
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South Dakota Hunting Regulations
License year, species, and agency information
- License Year
- Jan 1, 2025 - Dec 31, 2025
- Available Species
-
- Deer
- Elk
- Pheasant
- Pronghorn
- Turkey
- Hunting Methods
-
- Archery
- Rifle/Firearm
- Muzzleloader
- Any Legal Method
- Shotgun
- Wildlife Agency
- South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks
This information is for reference only. Always verify regulations with your state wildlife agency before hunting or fishing.
Important Note for South Dakota
Only Brookings ERD06A private nontribal ordinary adult resident white-tailed buck rifle Nov21–Dec6 with issued type01 one-any-deer license reviewed from actual2026 application/unit descriptions/current weapons page. Any Deer/Any Buck/Any Whitetail tags do not convert Dec12–20; application quotas are not current stock. Shoulder-held rifle ammo≥1,000ft-lb/soft-point-expanding, no full automatic; self-loading capacity six, not all rifles/magazine-only/elk .243-1,700 rule. Current unit/license/tag/bag/eligibility/access/orange/hours/transport/CWD/closures checks needed. Other units/public/Walk-In/tribal/nonresident/method/sex/special/late/eight history rows/license metadata unverified; not individual permission.
Hunting Method Legend
South Dakota Hunting FAQ
Common questions about hunting seasons in South Dakota
What are the hunting season dates for South Dakota?
Recorded South Dakota entries cover Deer, Elk, Pheasant, Pronghorn, Turkey. Dates include history and unverified records; the recorded license-year metadata is not current verification. Check row evidence and current agency regulations and your license.
When does deer season start in South Dakota?
Recorded windows, not one continuous season: 2025-09-27 to 2026-01-01; 2026-11-21 to 2026-12-06; 2025-11-15 to 2025-12-07; 2025-11-08 to 2025-11-30; 2025-12-13 to 2025-12-28. Historical and unverified records may be included. Check each row's evidence and your current GMU/hunt code and license before hunting.
Does South Dakota require a draw for hunting?
Draw requirements depend on species, GMU or zone, hunt code and license type. Recorded date windows do not establish eligibility. Check the current South Dakota agency rules and your actual license.
Which recorded windows include the assessment date 2026-10-14 UTC in South Dakota?
The next recorded window is Deer starting Nov 21, 2026. Check its row evidence and current regulations; the record may be unverified.
What should I know about hunting in South Dakota?
Only Brookings ERD06A private nontribal ordinary adult resident white-tailed buck rifle Nov21–Dec6 with issued type01 one-any-deer license reviewed from actual2026 application/unit descriptions/current weapons page. Any Deer/Any Buck/Any Whitetail tags do not convert Dec12–20; application quotas are not current stock. Shoulder-held rifle ammo≥1,000ft-lb/soft-point-expanding, no full automatic; self-loading capacity six, not all rifles/magazine-only/elk .243-1,700 rule. Current unit/license/tag/bag/eligibility/access/orange/hours/transport/CWD/closures checks needed. Other units/public/Walk-In/tribal/nonresident/method/sex/special/late/eight history rows/license metadata unverified; not individual permission.
Other States
Compare hunting seasons across states
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