South Dakota Bow hunting Season,Regulations and license fees
South Dakota is famous for its pheasant hunting. The state rightly deserves this appreciation as for the past 10 years it has had an annual pheasant harvest of 1.2 million.
Apart from pheasants hunters can also enjoy hunting a variety of game animals in different settings like forests, river bottom, grasslands, mountains, and the vast Missouri River reservoir system. Some other bowhunting species include antelope, deer, elk, turkey, etc.
South Dakota Bowhunting Season
| Bowhunting category | Months |
| Antelope | Aug. 21-Oct. 1 and Oct. 18-31 |
| Antelope Mentored Archery | Aug. 21-Oct. 31 |
| Deer | Sept. 1-Jan. 1 |
| Elk | Sept. 1-30 |
License Fee In South Dakota
| Category | License Type | Fee |
| Antelope (Archery) | Resident | $40 |
| Antelope (Archery) | Nonresident | $286 |
| Deer (Archery) | Resident | $40 |
| Deer (Archery) | Nonresident | $286 |
| Elk (Archery) | Resident | $185 |
| Turkey (Archery) | Resident | $25 |
Total Area And Regulations For Hunting By the State
South Dakota has over 5 million acres of public as well as private hunting land. For bowhunting, a hunter should not use any explosive, poisonous, hydraulic, or pneumatic points. They should also avoid arrow rests having more than three inches of continuous contact with the arrow and electronic devices mounted to the bow.
Hunters must use a bow that measures less than 50 pounds to pull while hunting an elk with a mechanical broadhead. For other big game, animals should use a bow with a mechanical broadhead that measures less than 40 pounds pull when hunting. Other choices include a bow that measures less than 40 pounds pull while hunting an elk with a fixed blade broadhead. Moreover, a bow that measures smaller than 30 pounds pull with a fixed blade broadhead for hunting any other big game animal.
Fun Facts About Bow Hunting In the State
Mountain lions will give hunters a tough time because they are both nocturnal and sneaky and hard to find.