South Dakota pheasant season could be special, though no brood survey still frustrates some hunters

South Dakota’s most iconic hunt is back, and wildlife officials say 2025 is shaping up to be an excellent year.

At its September meeting, the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission heard reports showing that favorable weather and solid habitat conditions are once again setting the stage for pheasant hunters across the state.

Weather and habitat drive outlook

The 2024 pheasant season was one for the record books, according to the department. It reports that 140,000 hunters harvested more than 1.3 million pheasants – the most in over a decade. Hunters averaged more than nine birds each, the highest per-hunter take since 2011.

Those totals included more roosters taken in the first two weeks of October than some states reported during their entire seasons.

Officials say many of those same conditions are in place again this year. Relatively light snowfall last winter allowed for high over-winter survival, leaving more hens available for nesting. Spring brought near-normal temperatures and adequate rainfall, while summer rains came in time to keep grasslands healthy and supportive of brood survival, officials said.

Grasslands remain at the heart of the forecast. When grassland cover is abundant, pheasant reproduction responds positively, officials say.

That means programs such as the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program continue to be critical – which conserves grasslands and creates public access. And the department and its partners, including Pheasants Forever, have been working to enroll more acres in eastern South Dakota into that program.

The department said access remains a top priority, with more than 1.2 million acres enrolled in the state’s public access program, much of it within prime pheasant range.

As a result of all this, the department expects 2025 to deliver for hunters across the pheasant range.

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Where to find birds

Pheasants remain most abundant in east-central South Dakota, where a patchwork of idle grasslands, row crops, and winter cover creates ideal conditions. The department’s 2025 preview suggests hunters who focus on these areas will see the strongest numbers.

The agency reminds hunters that weather effects can be localized. Severe summer storms or drought may affect reproduction in specific areas, so it’s wise to talk with local landowners or department staff before traveling hours.

South Dakota’s pheasant season will again stretch deep into winter, giving hunters nearly four months in the field. Key dates include:

Residents-only hunt: Oct. 11-13.

Traditional season: Oct. 18 through Jan. 31.

Resident small-game licenses start at $36, with combination packages available. For nonresidents, the most common option is the small-game license (two five-day periods) at $142, plus a $25 habitat stamp.

The brood count question

Even as the state paints an optimistic picture, some pheasant hunters remain frustrated.

The state discontinued its annual roadside brood survey in 2019, ending decades of August counts that gave a clear pre-season snapshot of bird numbers.

Officials argued that the survey was resource-intensive and that publicizing low brood counts sometimes discouraged out-of-state hunters. Instead, the agency now relies on harvest surveys, habitat assessments, and weather data.

But many in the public still want the brood count back. Retired wildlife managers and professors have said it provided a more accurate, transparent picture of pheasant populations than what’s used now.

Dozens of public comments submitted as the department considered its most recent pheasant management plan called for reinstating the survey, reflecting a persistent desire for numbers that hunters can trust before opening day.

For now, the department is sticking with its new approach. That means hunters will have to rely on weather, habitat reports, and word of mouth when setting expectations.

Mountain lion rules expanded

In other action at the September meeting, the commission that oversees the department unanimously approved an expansion of the area in the Black Hills where hunters may use dogs to pursue mountain lions. The change opens new ground in the eastern and southern Hills.

Supporters said the rule would increase hunter success and allow better selectivity when treed lions can be examined before harvest. Opponents raised concerns about fair chase and questioned whether the change rests on solid science.

Harvest limits remain unchanged at 60 lions or 40 females, whichever comes first. The department estimates the Black Hills lion population at roughly 393, although officials acknowledge those counts are imprecise.