The 2025 South Dakota Resident Only Pheasant Season will take place October 11-13. This season offers the first opportunity for resident hunters to enjoy pheasant hunting in South Dakota.
The season is open for public land only, which includes Game Production Areas (GPA), Walk-In Areas (WIA), Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), Waterfowl Production Areas, National Grasslands, School and Public Lands, and other U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation lands.
The daily limit of 3 rooster pheasants applies, and the possession limit is 9 roosters that may only be possessed after the third day of the season.
Shooting hours are the same as the traditional season, 10 a.m. Central Time to sunset, daily. All participating hunters are encouraged to wear fluorescent orange for safety.
The Youth Only and Resident Only seasons are the beginning of the South Dakota pheasant season, which is shaping up to be one of the best in recent memory. The 2024 season was extremely successful, and conditions are set for the 2025 season to be even greater.
Hunters are encouraged to check out the South Dakota Pheasant Season 2025 Hunting Outlook, which details everything regarding the past season’s harvest, nesting and brood rearing conditions, and what to expect on the landscape.
The Resident Only season is a great way for residents to get out and kick off the season, and the excitement for the Traditional Pheasant Season will only continue to build into the coming week!
Resident Only Pheasant Season Fast Facts
- South Dakota Residents Only
- Public Land Hunting Only
- Season Open October 11-13, 2025
- Shooting Hours Begin at 10 a.m. Central Time
- Daily Limit of Three Rooster Pheasants
- Possession Limit of Nine Roosters Following Day Three
South Dakota Pheasant License Requirement Options
- Combination;
- Senior Combination;
- Small Game;
- Youth Small Game;
- Mentored Small Game; or,
- 1-Day Small Game.
Optimistic Outlook Heading into 2025 Pheasant Season
The 2024 South Dakota pheasant season saw 1.3 million roosters harvested, and the stage is set for 2025 to be even greater! A mild winter, ideal precipitation, and strong nesting and brood rearing conditions have created an optimal situation for an abundance of birds on the landscape this fall. Learn all about these factors in our South Dakota Pheasant Season 2025 Hunting Outlook!
Last Chance to Support Habitat and Win a Can-Am
Time is running out to support additional habitat improvement efforts across South Dakota and enter for your chance to win a Can-Am Defender! The Defender for Habitat raffle will close October 25, 2025. Now is the time to purchase your tickets for your chance to win and to enhance pheasant habitat in South Dakota!
