The lead up to the 2024 South Dakota pheasant season was highly touted as one of the best years in recent memory, and the hunting has lived up to the hype and then some. Reports are pouring in from the field regarding the fantastic bird numbers, great hunting conditions, and the overall excitement surrounding the pheasant season.
The consensus is that the pheasant hunting has been the best it has been in a decade, with many stating since the early 2000s, and this is being echoed in the testimonials coming from the field. At the November Commission meeting, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Wildlife Director, Tom Kirschenmann, shared many of these testimonials with the Commission.
Across the state, throughout the first couple weeks, Conservation Officers are reporting seeing 1-2 birds/hunter when visiting with hunters in the field. These are strong indicators hunters are finding success wherever they may be hunting. This has been another theme of the season-the consistently positive hunting conditions across the state. In previous years, while there had been pockets of very good hunting, these areas were a bit more isolated. This year, the hunting is strong across much of the geographic area of the state.
The hunting is also continuing to get better, as crop harvest completes across much of the state. Over 90% of the corn and sorghum have been harvested, with the majority of sunflower harvest is complete or close to completion as well. The crop harvest being ahead of schedule means the prime hunting is coming that much sooner for many hunters.
Many resident hunters view their unofficial opener as approximately Thanksgiving. This is because at this time crop harvest is complete, temperatures are cooler and more conducive for dogs to hunt harder, and many hunters who had been in the fields throughout the first couple weeks of the season have shifted their focus to deer hunting or other fall activities. However, with crop harvest complete, extended forecasts looking promising, and excellent bird numbers this prime time to pheasant hunt has arrived early.
It’s easy to talk about all the reasons hunters who haven’t yet hit the field yet are missing out, but the pictures, reports, and testimonials tell this story better than anything. Check these out!
Reports from the Field
Below is a compilation of the reports from hunters and landowners across the state shared by GFP at the November Commission meeting. Pictures are from individuals who have utilized the hashtag, #SDintheField, on social media as well. These are truly the best reports, directly from the landowners and hunters who are in the field every day.
Central South Dakota
“Bird numbers are way more than last year-excellent hatch this spring. Probably 2-3 times as many birds this year as last year. We had a large group of hunters and got our limit within 3 hours each day of opening weekend.” -Stanley/Haakon County
IG: miked30107
“Overall, we are up from last year. Still recovering from the winter of 22-23, one of hte worst winters we experienced on our farm in my lifetime. Everyone I have talked to in Hughes, Sully, Stanley, and Potter counties said it’s been great.” -Lyman County
IG: lukecheno28
“I said the numbers in our immediate area in 2023 were the highest and probably higher than 2008-2011. I believe from what we have seen during the summer and fall that numbers are higher this year which would be competitive with the good old days of the early 1960s. It just goes to show what good grassland management, wide cedar tree belts, and near perfect weather in 2024 can do for bird numbers. Thanks to South Dakota GFP for making grass, shrubs, and pheasants a priority.” -Hand County
IG: fishingthe605
Eastern South Dakota
“Pheasant numbers are up from last year. Pheasants seem to be wild this time of year compared to other years. This I believe is because of the dry conditions. Brown County has a strong population of pheasants.” -Brown County
IG: kranzmike6
“Opening weekend had 18 guys hunt and they harvested about 1.5 birds per hunter. Saw plenty of birds but most of them were hens. Weather conditions were hot and dry. There was still plenty of corn around and believe that once it cools down and the rest of the corn comes out, we should see plenty of birds as we saw many birds during the summer brood season.” -Hamlin County
IG: jeremyhulce
“From my perspective, hen numbers have increased and early brood sightings this spring was the best I’ve seen in a decade. I hunted recently by Gettysburg with seven people and we limited out every day.” -Moody County
IG: cockeye_outdoors
Overall, reports have been extremely positive from the field. The peak pheasant hunting season is just beginning, and hunters are encouraged to get out and take advantage of one of the best South Dakota pheasant hunting seasons in recent memory.
Reports and photos courtesy of South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission presentation and Facebook page.
