Pheasant

• The pheasant is South Dakota's state bird and the biggest attraction for hunters. The general hunting season for pheasant typically begins on the third Saturday of October and continues to January. Hunters are allowed to shoot three rooster pheasants per day with a seasonal limit of 15. The count only includes roosters and not hens, which are off-limits.
  
  

Grouse

• The grouse hunting season in South Dakota begins in the middle of September and goes to January. Hunters are allowed to shoot three grouse per day, including both roosters and hens. The seasonal maximum is 15. The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department requests hunters to submit wings from their kills so the state can use them in grouse population studies.
  
  

Partridge and Quail

• The South Dakota partridge hunting season also extends from the middle of September to January. Hunters are limited to five birds a day and 15 for the season. The count includes both roosters and hens. The state Game, Fish and Parks Department requests hunters to turn in wings to help the state determine partridge distribution and reproduction.
  
  The quail hunting season runs from the middle of October to January. The daily limit is five birds, including roosters and hens, with 15 the season maximum.
  
  

Duck

• South Dakota is divided into four boundaries for duck hunting season--the Low Plains Middle Zone, the High Plains Zone, the Low Plains South Zone and the Low Plains North Zone. The Low Plains Middle Zone and the Low Plains North Zone seasons run from the end of September to the beginning part of December. The Low Plains South Zone runs from the middle of October to the end of December and the High Plains season extends from the middle of October to the middle of January. A hunter can shoot no more than six ducks per day and 12 for the season.
  
  

Goose

• South Dakota is divided into three units for the Canada goose hunting season--Unit 1, Unit 2 and Unit 3. The goose hunting season in Unit 1 extends from the beginning of September to the middle of December. The season in Unit 2 runs from the end of October to the middle of February and the season in Unit 3 takes place from the beginning of January to the middle of the month. During September, only five Canada geese can be claimed by a hunter per day. During the rest of the season, the daily limit is three. Ten is the seasonal limit.
  
  The white-fronted goose and the light goose seasons are from the end of September to the end of December. Hunters can shoot one white-fronted goose per day and two for the season. Hunters can shoot up to 20 light geese per day and there is no seasonal limit.