It’s no secret that South Dakota is the greatest state to pheasant hunt, but while pheasants steal the show many other upland game hunting seasons fly under the radar. Notably is the grouse season, which has quietly offered spectacular hunting throughout recent seasons. Beginning for the 2024 season, upland game bird hunters will have even more time to enjoy this season!
At their May 2024 meeting in Custer, the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Commission extended the quail, partridge, and grouse seasons to January 31, aligning these seasons closing date with the close of the pheasant season.
This gives upland game bird hunters an extra month to hit the field, whether it is in conjunction with their late-season pheasant hunts or specifically targeting grouse, quail, or partridge. Late season hunting has become popular among pheasant hunters in recent years, as late season conditions often see birds holding in predictable locations and patterns. When the weather allows, hunters are fortunate to enjoy some of the best hunting of the year.
The 2024 season has been spectacular for grouse hunting, as the United States Forest Service at the Fort Pierre National Grasslands collected a record 1,542 total grouse winds, which surpassed the 2023 total of 1,217 wings. GFP also collected 502 grouse wings across western and central South Dakota, surpassing the previous record of 474 wings in 2015.
This wing data, combined with reports from the field, suggest both exceptional prairie grouse production and hunter success. Hunters are encouraged to take advantage of all the upland game bird hunting opportunities available across the state, and this season extension gives them even more time to do so!
Images Courtesy South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Facebook Page
