Hunting in the Mount Ruhsmore, SD Area

If hunting game is your game, you'll find plenty of it year-round in South Dakota, with nearly 5 million acres at your disposal. Start off the Spring hunting season with turkey and light geese. In the Fall, hunting season consists of upland game, waterfowl, small game and big game, and predator hunting in the Winter months.

Of course, you must have a license to do any kind of hunting, and any U.S. or Canadian Citizen can purchase an over-the -counter license online. You need a printer to be able to print out the license receipt, which will have all your current hunting and fishing privileges printed on it, and a Drivers License or State-issued ID. Youth hunters will need their Hunter Safety Certificate as an ID. You will need to have the hunting receipt with you every time you go hunting or fishing, as well as the ID used when purchasing the license. Restrictions do apply: you must be 16 years-old and have a valid social security number; Otherwise a parent must purchase a youth license. (Social security number is not required for Canadian Citizens).

You can also purchase hunting licenses from store-front agents as well. So, now you have your license and you're all set to go! Beginning April 8 to May 21 is the starting Spring hunting season in South Dakota. There is also a Fall turkey hunting season later in the year. License options include a Black Hills license or a Prairie-turkey license.

The Black Hills elevation reaches more than 7,000 feet, and the terrain ranges from rolling hills to high mountains and deep gorges. Much of the area is covered with thick pines, white spruce, aspen and burr oaks. If you have a truck, you'll find you can reach almost any hunting area, and the roads are very accessible. There are many area campgrounds where hunters choose to stay, in cities like: Custer, Deadwood, Lead, Hill City, Rapid City, Spearfish and Hot Springs. A Black Hills map is available from the U.S. Forest Service, to help you locate your favorite hunting areas, campgrounds, motels, and other places to stay.

Early October through January brings hunts for ducks and geese. The state is divided into specific regions, and hunting seasons vary with some areas ending these seasons in December. More than 15 million ducks per year migrate through South Dakota. In the northeastern half of the state, many areas, including federally or state-owned marshes, potholes or lakes provide some of the best hunting in the early season. In mid-november, around the Missouri river, migration peaks to about 600,000 ducks.

Geese of many varieties can be found and hunted statewide. 400,000 migrating Canadian geese can be found along the Missouri River Corridor, and eastern South Dakota attracts 350,000 snow-and blue-geese. Snow and blue-geese can also be found in large numbers near Aberdeen, as well as in or around Sand Lake Wildlife Refuge.

Southeast South Dakota is the chosen area for avid hunters, and the most popular to hunt are pheasant and deer. Pheasant are most likely to be found in wooded areas, agricultural draws, tree strips, wet-lands and set-aside acres. Most of South Dakota is privately owned, and you must have permission to hunt there, but you'll find many Game Production Areas, and Walk-in areas that are great locations to hunt pheasants. Traditional season for pheasant is mid-October through December.

As for deer, the season begins mid to late September to December. Crops of corn, oats, wheat, soybeans, and sunflowers are excellent for attracting whitetail deer. Mule deer hunting is limited to counties bordering the Missouri River. Rolling Pastures, tree strips, river bottoms and cattail sloughs are some prevalent areas for deer to hide.

South Dakota is considered by many a "Hunter's Paradise." Many of the towns host hunting trips, area restaurants and hotels plan special menus and events for the all the hunting seasons. And, because it is a year-round sport, it gives hunters a choice of when they want to plan their hunting adventures, as well as what to hunt. For more information about hunting seasons, fees, and regulations, contact the South Dakota Dept. of Game, Fish, and Parks.