It might seem odd to think of hunting as a celebration, but Opening Day of the hunt season for pheasants is one of South Dakota's most significant holidays. Not only is it a time for hunters to stalk through grasslands and marshes, but it's a favorite time for social gatherings of family and friends. SD pheasant hunting is a vital part of the economic and social fabric of the state.
People who wish to actually hunt the male birds (females are protected) need a small game license. Both residents and nonresidents can obtain these online or at special locations. A license permits the holder to hunt on two specified periods of five consecutive days. Dates must be set at the time of licensing. The limit is three birds a day and fifteen birds per year.
Apart from extensive preserves and refuges, hunting is allowed on most public and much private land. The state works with landowners to open as much grassland and woodland as possible. Over a million male Ring-neck pheasants, or roosters, are harvested every year, and it takes both state and private management to sustain the usual population of over 10 million birds.
Native grasslands, idle cropland, and brush give pheasants food and all-important cover to help them evade natural predators. The importance of cover is evident, as bird populations rise when land is fallow, such as during the Great Depression, during World War II, and under government programs that encourage farmers not to plant every field. Other species also benefit from habitats that favor pheasants.
The birds are relatively short-lived because of predators more than climactic conditions. Winter snows, which otherwise don't bother the birds to any great extent, make them more vulnerable to foxes, coyotes, and other animals which prey on them. Landowners are encouraged to plant plots of corn and sorghum near winter cover to help sustain the birds over the winter.
The Ring-neck is not native to the area but has been naturalized since the early 1900s. Since hunting has been restricted, the population has steadily grown and spread over the whole state. Trapping and relocating birds or breeding them in captivity for release into the wild is no longer necessary.
Figures from 2008 show that more than 76,000 state residents and over 100,000 visitors obtained small game license that year. Visitors came from all 50 states in the union. Many people come on a annual pilgrimage to enjoy the outdoor adventure and the congenial fellowship. The sport and its attendant social activities bring in over two million dollars for state and local economies every year.
South Dakota is beautiful, especially in the fall of the year. Come see what makes this time of the year so special in the Mount Rushmore State that visitors come from all fifty states and many foreign countries. It's a vacation destination for everyone, whether you hunt or not.
People who wish to actually hunt the male birds (females are protected) need a small game license. Both residents and nonresidents can obtain these online or at special locations. A license permits the holder to hunt on two specified periods of five consecutive days. Dates must be set at the time of licensing. The limit is three birds a day and fifteen birds per year.
Apart from extensive preserves and refuges, hunting is allowed on most public and much private land. The state works with landowners to open as much grassland and woodland as possible. Over a million male Ring-neck pheasants, or roosters, are harvested every year, and it takes both state and private management to sustain the usual population of over 10 million birds.
Native grasslands, idle cropland, and brush give pheasants food and all-important cover to help them evade natural predators. The importance of cover is evident, as bird populations rise when land is fallow, such as during the Great Depression, during World War II, and under government programs that encourage farmers not to plant every field. Other species also benefit from habitats that favor pheasants.
The birds are relatively short-lived because of predators more than climactic conditions. Winter snows, which otherwise don't bother the birds to any great extent, make them more vulnerable to foxes, coyotes, and other animals which prey on them. Landowners are encouraged to plant plots of corn and sorghum near winter cover to help sustain the birds over the winter.
The Ring-neck is not native to the area but has been naturalized since the early 1900s. Since hunting has been restricted, the population has steadily grown and spread over the whole state. Trapping and relocating birds or breeding them in captivity for release into the wild is no longer necessary.
Figures from 2008 show that more than 76,000 state residents and over 100,000 visitors obtained small game license that year. Visitors came from all 50 states in the union. Many people come on a annual pilgrimage to enjoy the outdoor adventure and the congenial fellowship. The sport and its attendant social activities bring in over two million dollars for state and local economies every year.
South Dakota is beautiful, especially in the fall of the year. Come see what makes this time of the year so special in the Mount Rushmore State that visitors come from all fifty states and many foreign countries. It's a vacation destination for everyone, whether you hunt or not.
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