Autumn is big game hunting time in western South Dakota. And the hunting opportunities are distinctly divided between prairie/range-land habitat and the mountainous Black Hills.
Drawings are held to get licenses to hunt prairie whitetail deer and prairie mulies, for both bow and rifle hunts. Hunting pronghorn antelope is also very popular. River and creek drainages on the plains also hold huntable numbers of wild turkeys. Sharptail grouse is probably the most popular bird hunting in western South Dakota, followed by ringneck pheasants, mourning doves and gray partridge.
Sport shooting prairie dogs is a real challenge in marksmanship and western South Dakota holds black-tail prairie dogs by the thousands. There is no season and you can hunt them anytime you want with a $5 non-resident General Hunting License.
Deer hunting takes center-stage in the Black Hills during November. Whitetails make up about 80% of the Black Hills deer herd, with the rest mulies. For the deer hunter that wants a mountain hunting experience without having to hire a guide, the Black Hills are great!
The Black Hills also has a reputation for high quality wild turkey hunts. There are both spring and autumn turkey season open to non-residents; the spring seasons is for gobblers only. Small game in the Black Hills include coyotes, fox, prairie dogs, squirrels, cottontails and jackrabbits. South Dakota residents are allowed chances for licenses to hunt elk, bighorn sheep or mountain goats.
South Dakota Hunting takes quite of thinking to really enjoy your hunting expericence, make sure that you get your licenses from the South Dakota Games Fish and Parks , or look that the Online Applications for hunting licenses, many local retaliers also offer a chance to buy your licenses while you get everything else that you would need. While planning your trip make sure that you look at Black Hills Maps to see if you are going to have a good spot.
Plenty of Winter Fun to be have when you are in the area, take a look at the Calendar of Events to see if there are any Special Events that will catch your elese while you are here.
