The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) have shared the 2025 Upland Outlook, which showcases both the pheasant and grouse season outlooks across the state of South Dakota. While it’s no secret South Dakota is the greatest state to pheasant hunt, the grouse hunting for many still flies under the radar. For any dedicated upland game hunter, this is an opportunity that’s waiting to be enjoyed!
While pheasants are predominantly along the central and eastern side of the state, many grouse hunting opportunities can be found on the western side of the state. Sharp-tail grouse can be found along the central region and western half of the state, excluding the Black Hills. Prairie chicken can be found predominantly along the central region of the state. Collectively, these two species are commonly referred to as prairie grouse.
(Image Credit South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks)
Similar to pheasants, grouse are a short lived species that reproduce at high levels. Many of the birds hunters are chasing in the fall are young-of-the-year birds, with these birds outnumbering adults in normal years.
The 2024 season was fantastic, and saw nearly 19,000 hunters harvest nearly 99,000 grouse. This harvest was the highest since 2000, as well as the highest birds per hunter since 2000 too.
Learn More: South Dakota Grouse Harvest Results Highlight Multispecies Opportunity
As successful as the 2024 season, the optimism for the 2025 season is just as great. The success of this season was in large part due to a mild winter and ideal grassland conditions across the primary grouse range. Heading into the 2025 season, the same is true.
The past winter was also an easy one across the state, which means it can be assumed that over winter survival was high. This was further supported by record spring lek counts. Heading into the nesting season, there was a high number of birds on the landscape, and well-timed spring rains and ideal summer moisture levels resulted in high production grasslands.
The combination of a successful 2024 season, mild winter, and ideal spring and summer moisture all are strong indicators towards an excellent season. A number of strong summer storms throughout July rolled across the state, but these events are often highly isolated and generally do not greatly influence grouse production negatively on a statewide level.
The benefit of these storms, as well as other rains, is that the majority of the state is in very little, if any, drought conditions. Drought is often the greatest factor in low grouse production, which means that all signs are pointing to the positive for grouse production across the state.
Overall, the 2025 grouse season is shaping up to be very similar to the highly successful 2024 season. There’s going to be an abundance of grouse on the landscape, and high quality habitat conditions that are holding them. While surpassing the 2024 season will be difficult, conditions are right for hunters to have an even greater year.
Upland game bird hunters are able to enjoy an earlier opportunity than the pheasant hunting season, with grouse season beginning September 20, 2025. Similarly to the South Dakota pheasant season, this season was recently extended to run through January 31, 2026.
Hunters will need the same license to hunt pheasants, with a combination or small game license covering residents and a 10 day small game license spanning two five-day periods for nonresidents. All hunters are required to have a habitat stamp, which is $10 for residents and $25 for nonresidents.
Hunters who successfully harvest a grouse are encouraged to provide a wing from each bird at a wing collection site, which is used to estimate reproductive success and future population modeling.
Hunters who are new to hunting grouse should target central and western South Dakota, with a great starting spot being the large sections of public land such as the Fort Pierre National Grasslands. School and Public lands, as well as large Walk-In Areas, are also excellent starting spots. These can be found on the GFP Public Hunting Atlas, and are also available through onX Hunt.
Additional information regarding both the prairie grouse and pheasant seasons can be found in GFP’s 2025 Upland Outlook. You can purchase your small game license through Go Outdoors South Dakota, and ensure you’re ready to hit the field when the season begins!
Whether you’ve logged thousands of miles across the prairie, are dipping your toes into upland game bird hunting, or want to expand and extend your season, prairie grouse hunting offers a unique opportunity across the state. Take advantage of this opportunity this year, as it’s likely to be a season you won’t want to miss! Have fun, good luck, and be safe!
Fast Facts on Prairie Grouse:
- 99,000 grouse harvested across South Dakota in 2024;
- 19,000 grouse hunters across South Dakota in 2024;
- 1.6 million acres of private land enrolled in public land across South Dakota;
- Prairie grouse season runs September 20, 2025 to January 31, 2026;
- Daily limit is three birds (prairie chickens and sharp-tailed grouse) of any combination; and,
- 1.25 million acres of land enrolled in the Walk-In Area program.
Hunters wishing to learn more about grouse hunting in South Dakota are encouraged to check out the 2025 Upland Outlook, which is published by South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks. Additional information can also be found on the Prairie Grouse page of the GFP website.
“South Dakota is indeed the greatest state to pheasant hunt, but you’re missing out if you aren’t enjoying the grouse hunting opportunities as well.”
-Alex Solem, GFP Senior Upland Game Biologist
(Images Credit South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks)
Support Conservation This Fall Through the Second Century Habitat Fund
The Second Century Habitat Fund is a nonprofit that works with landowners to educate them on the importance of grassland management while also raising funds and supporting conservation efforts. You can support conservation across South Dakota and ensure there are abundant grasslands available on the landscape for grouse and pheasants by donating to the Second Century Habitat Fund!
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