Pheasant hunters in South Dakota harvested over 1.3 million roosters during the 2024 hunting season– the highest harvest number in 13 years. The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks says an additional 380,000 pheasants were harvested by hunters on private shooting preserves.
GFP Secretary Kevin Robling says hunters averaged approximately nine birds per person. To put the success of the 2024 pheasant hunting season into perspective, he says more roosters were harvested in South Dakota in the first two weeks of the regular hunting season than were harvested in any other state during their entire season.
Robling says habitat and access have been a top priority for GFP and that’s played a key role in establishing both abundant bird numbers and ample locations for hunters to hunt on. He credits the success to partnerships between farmers, ranchers and landowners and habitat programs offered by the state and federal governments and various conservation groups.
Approximately 80% of South Dakota is privately owned, which Robling says puts farmers, ranchers and landowners on the front line of habitat management. He says as successful as the 2024 pheasant season was, the ingredients are there for 2025 to be even better.
South Dakota’s Traditional Pheasant Season will be from Oct. 18, 2025, to Jan. 31, 2026.
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The full news release from GFP is below.
The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (June 3, 2025) announced the 2024 pheasant season harvest numbers. Over 1.3 million roosters were harvested across the 2024 season, which is 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 Governor 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.”
This claim is supported by these harvest numbers, with South Dakota harvesting more roosters in two weeks of October than any other state during their entire season.
A deeper dive into the hunter harvest data indicates how strong the pheasant season was, with approximately 9 birds per hunter averaged 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.”
This 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 to put more habitat acres on the landscape.
Approximately 80% of South Dakota is privately owned, which means landowners and ag producers are at the front line of habitat management.
“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.”
One example of these programs would be the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) on the James River and Big Sioux River valleys, which provides the benefits of CRP 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, with all signs pointing towards 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 October 18 to January 31, 2026. Individuals can purchase their small game license through Go Outdoors South Dakota and are encouraged to make plans and take part in what should be another fantastic season.
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