South Dakota Travel Guide

Hunting

South Dakota Is A Hunters Paradise

 

South Dakota’s prairie pothole country, located in the heart of the Central Flyway, consistently leads the nation in duck production. More than 15 million ducks migrate annually through South Dakota. They include mallards, gadwall, pintails and teal. Ducks can be found and hunted statewide, with varying numbers of birds depending on the fall migration.

In the northeastern half of the state, numerous potholes, marshes and lakes, many state or federally owned, provide ideal early season hunting areas. Along the Missouri River, the migration peaks in mid November with 600,000 ducks, primarily mallards. Western reaches of the state also hold ducks on stock dams, rivers and small lakes.

The traditional season for hunting geese in the Central areas is early October to early January. Geese can be found and hunted statewide. Western and eastern reaches of the state harbor locally produced giant Canada geese. The Missouri River corridor is the main route for more than 400,000 migrating Canada geese, and eastern South Dakota attracts 350,000 snow- and blue-geese migrants.

Areas in and around Sand Lake Wildlife Refuge near Aberdeen hold large concentrations of snow and blue geese. Marshes in northeastern South Dakota usually freeze over by mid-November, pushing waterfowl further South. Bonus species on waterfowl hunts include sandhill crane and tundra swan. Each require special licensing to hunt.

Hunting Tips - Plan your hunting trip early since nonresident waterfowl licenses are limited and are purchased through a limited lottery system. Pass shooting and field shooting are available for Missouri River goose hunting, mostly on private land or through hunting clubs.

Hunting is also available on the river and limited public lands. Decoy placement can spell success or failure for your hunt. Group species accordingly and leave landing pockets for optimum shooting opportunities. Also, incorporate both ducks and geese into your decoy spread as confidence builders and in case either species pass by.

By Leroy Worley

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Plan Your Trip

Learn more about planning your trip to South Dakota

To learn more about planning your next vacation getaway visit the South Dakota Travel Bureau at http://www.travelsd.com.

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About The Author

Learn more about Leroy Worley

Stories That Touch Home - Arts, Culture, Nature, and Sports are among the adventures Editorial and Marketing Executive, and Photographer, Leroy Worley shares with Melody, as well as the desire to Give Back and Support those is need. Leroy finds that people like Laura Quinn at the Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center, who have dedicated their lives to preserving nature are an inspiration to everyone. These are the stories that touch home, and encourage Leroy to keep traveling, because he never knows who he'll find in need of help around the next bend!

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