The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) announced this month that more than 1.3-million pheasant roosters were harvested across the states during the 2024 season. That’s the highest harvest in 13 years. An additional 380,000 pheasants were also harvested by hunters within a defined private shooting preserve.
“The 2024 South Dakota pheasant season was absolutely spectacular,” said South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden. “Hunters come from across the world to enjoy South Dakota’s pheasant season because they know they are going to find, and harvest birds, which makes South Dakota truly the greatest state to pheasant hunt.”
That claim is supported by harvest numbers. South Dakota hunters took more roosters in two weeks of October than they did the entire season in any other state. Each hunter in South Dakota averaged nine birds for the season.
“Habitat and access have been a top priority for the department, and that has played a key role in both abundant bird numbers and ample locations for hunters to target them,” said Kevin Robling, GFP secretary. “We are extremely pleased with the success of the 2024 season and plan to build on this success for 2025.”
The success is accomplished by partnering with landowners and ag producers through habitat programs offered by the State of South Dakota, the federal government and multiple conservation groups. Working together they put more habitat acres on the landscape. Approximately 80 percent of South Dakota is privately owned, which means landowners and ag producers are on that management front line.
“Conservation is a team effort, and South Dakota’s conservation delivery team is truly amazing,” elaborated Robling. “Taking care of the land is important to us as South Dakotans, and this land ethic mindset is what results in abundant wildlife populations.”
An example of the programs is the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) on the James River and Big Sioux River valleys. It provides the benefits of Conservation Reserve Program with the additional component of access.
“These CREP lands are directly in the primary pheasant range and provide high-quality grassland habitat and access as well,” added Robling. “This is just one example of the many great habitat programs offered, and ultimately what makes South Dakota such a successful story for conservation as a whole.”
The combination of landowners and ag producers who are willing to set a few acres aside for wildlife habitat, a great conservation delivery team, and help from Mother Nature resulted in a fantastic 2024 season. All signs point toward even better results in 2025.
“We are seeing great numbers of birds on the landscape currently and are in the heart of nesting season at this moment,” concluded Robling. “As successful as the 2024 season was, the ingredients are there for 2025 to be even greater.”
The 2025 South Dakota Traditional Pheasant Season will take place Oct. 18 to Jan. 31, 2026.
