Dawn Rye | Writer
Whether hunting as an individual or a family, the tradition of pheasant hunting is an experience for all ages. Each year, the South Dakota pheasant hunting season runs from October through January, giving hunters plenty of opportunities to hunt pheasants.
On Saturday, Oct. 17, the pheasant season’s opening day begins with an abundance of hunters statewide in South Dakota walking thousands of miles in cornfields to hunt the rooster. The season then lasts through Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021.
Turner County Game Fish and Parks (GFP) representative Brian Humphrey said the daily limit is three birds per hunter with a possession limit of 15 pheasants.
According to gameandfishmag.com, pheasant hunting is at its peak in the morning when the pheasants are often found in grasses looking for food.
Humphrey explained hunter hours begin at 12 p.m. and can hunt until sunset for the first seven days, and after that, it will begin at 10 a.m. until sunset for the remainder of the season.
He noted a small game license is required and hunters can obtain the permit at https://gfp.sd.gov. Humphrey explained a small games license cost is $33.00 for residents aged 19 or older and youth under age 16 $5.00.
He said there is also a $10.00 habitat stamp, which helps fund habitat animals or hunting accidents passed by the state legislature.
Humphrey explained law does not require fluorescent orange vests, but he highly recommends all hunters wear orange. He explained most of the hunting accidents come from when other hunters swing on the game and did not see their partner. Humphrey said the best gun to use for the pheasant season is a 12-gauge or personal preference.
He explained his recommendation when taking out the first time hunters are to be patient with them and gear the hunt towards having fun and learning hunting safety.
Humphrey said a 20 gauge is the gun most commonly used for most 10-year-olds and older.