South Dakota Grouse & Rabbit Season 2026-27: Small Game Dates

Q: When does grouse season open in South Dakota in 2026-27?

Prairie Chicken and Sharp-tailed Grouse: September 19, 2026 to January 31, 2027. South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks publishes it under that name, and the zone table on this page was read from its own page on September 19, 2026.

Q: When is rabbit season in South Dakota?

Cottontail Rabbit: September 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027. South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks publishes it under that name, and the zone table on this page was read from its own page on September 19, 2026.

Q: Does South Dakota have a pheasant season?

Ring-necked Pheasant: October 17, 2026 to January 31, 2027, varying by zone across 3 rows in the agency table. South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks publishes it under that name, and the zone table on this page was read from its own page on September 19, 2026.

Q: Which small game zone am I in, in South Dakota?

South Dakota sets different dates by zone for at least one species, and the boundaries are the agency's own, drawn along interstates, highways and county lines. Your zone is determined from the agency's own map: South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks publishes the official zone map and boundary descriptions, linked from this page.

Q: Where are the bag limits, legal methods and licence rules for South Dakota small game?

At South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, whose regulations page is linked on this page. Those rules are legally binding, change annually and vary by species, by zone and by land ownership. This page carries the season windows themselves, with source and read date attached.

Q: Can these South Dakota small game dates change?

Yes. Agencies amend season orders, add or drop zones, and occasionally correct their own published tables mid season. This page covers the 2026-27 season year with data as of September 19, 2026, says so in the copy, and links the exact South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks page it read on September 19, 2026. Treat the agency page as the final word on the morning you hunt.

This page covers the 2026-27 season year. Dates were read from the agency sources linked below, last checked September 19, 2026. Seasons change annually and agencies correct their own pages; confirm against the linked agency page before you hunt.

October 17, 2026 to January 31, 2027

Pheasant

published

October 17, 2026 to January 31, 2027

Quail

published

September 19, 2026 to January 31, 2027

Grouse

published

September 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027

Rabbit

published

September 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027

Squirrel

published

3 zone rows

Zone structure

as the agency draws it

Five seasons, one state

South Dakota small game seasons, 2026-27

“When does small game season open” is five questions wearing one coat. South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks dates ring-necked pheasant, quail, prairie chicken and sharp-tailed grouse (including ruffed grouse), partridge and chukar, cottontail rabbit and tree squirrel separately, so each species is below under the agency’s own name for it, with the zone rows exactly as the agency lists them.

Ring-necked Pheasant

published

Ring-necked Pheasant runs October 17, 2026 to January 31, 2027 across all zones.

South Dakota ring-necked pheasant, as published by South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
All of South Dakota except the listed refuges	October 17, 2026	January 31, 2027
Renziehausen Game Production Area and Game Bird Refuge, Gerken Game Bird Refuge and White Lake Game Bird Refuge	December 1, 2026	January 31, 2027	Brown, Marshall and Faulk counties
Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge	December 14, 2026	January 31, 2027	Brown County

Dates read from 2026 South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook, SD GFP, accessed 2026-09-19.

South Dakota's traditional pheasant opener is the third Saturday of October, October 17 in 2026, and the season runs through January 31 across the state apart from a handful of refuges that open in December. A nine day youth season and a three day resident only public land season run ahead of it.

Opening day, the daily limit and the full season calendar are on the South Dakota pheasant season page.

Quail

published

Quail runs October 17, 2026 to January 31, 2027 across all zones.

South Dakota quail, as published by South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide	October 17, 2026	January 31, 2027

Dates read from 2026 South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook, SD GFP, accessed 2026-09-19.

Quail open the same third Saturday of October as pheasant and run through January 31 statewide.

Prairie Chicken and Sharp-tailed Grouse

published

Prairie Chicken and Sharp-tailed Grouse runs September 19, 2026 to January 31, 2027 across all zones.

South Dakota prairie chicken and sharp-tailed grouse, as published by South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide	September 19, 2026	January 31, 2027	Includes ruffed grouse

Dates read from 2026 South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook, SD GFP, accessed 2026-09-19.

South Dakota dates its grouse together: the handbook's Prairie Chicken and Sharp-tailed Grouse season, which the agency says includes ruffed grouse, opens the third Saturday of September and runs through January 31 statewide. The greater sage grouse season is closed.

Cottontail Rabbit

published

Cottontail Rabbit runs September 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 across all zones.

South Dakota cottontail rabbit, as published by South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide	September 1, 2026	March 31, 2027

Dates read from 2026 South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook, SD GFP, accessed 2026-09-19.

Cottontail rabbit runs September 1 through March 31 statewide in the handbook's Other Seasons table, the same window as tree squirrel.

Tree Squirrel

published

Tree Squirrel runs September 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 across all zones.

South Dakota tree squirrel, as published by South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide	September 1, 2026	March 31, 2027

Dates read from 2026 South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook, SD GFP, accessed 2026-09-19.

Tree squirrel runs September 1 through March 31 statewide, dated in the handbook's Other Seasons table on the same row structure as cottontail rabbit.

DATES: October 17 - January 31

South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, read September 19, 2026. Read it at the source

A rooster ring-necked pheasant with a red face, iridescent green head and white neck ring striding through dry pale crop stubble — A rooster in harvested crop stubble in North Dakota. Most pheasant openers land in October and November, once the fields are cut. Photo: Courtney Celley, USFWS. “Ring-necked pheasant (54120901581)”, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region, Public domain

The rest of the calendar

Other South Dakota small game seasons the agency names

Beyond the five main species, South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks dates 5 further seasons on the same small game pages. They are reproduced here under the agency’s own names, because a hunter reading a calendar needs to know which window a licence or stamp actually covers.

Youth Ring-necked Pheasant

published

Youth Ring-necked Pheasant runs September 26, 2026 to October 4, 2026 across all zones.

South Dakota youth ring-necked pheasant, as published by South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide on private and public land	September 26, 2026	October 4, 2026

Dates read from 2026 South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook, SD GFP, accessed 2026-09-19.

A nine day youth pheasant season three weeks before the regular opener.

Resident-Only Ring-necked Pheasant

published

Resident-Only Ring-necked Pheasant runs October 10, 2026 to October 12, 2026 across all zones.

South Dakota resident-only ring-necked pheasant, as published by South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Public lands, statewide	October 10, 2026	October 12, 2026

Dates read from 2026 South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook, SD GFP, accessed 2026-09-19.

A three day resident only pheasant season on public lands the weekend before the regular opener.

Partridge and Chukar

published

Partridge and Chukar runs September 19, 2026 to January 31, 2027 across all zones.

South Dakota partridge and chukar, as published by South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide	September 19, 2026	January 31, 2027

Dates read from 2026 South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook, SD GFP, accessed 2026-09-19.

Partridge and chukar are dated together on the grouse calendar, the third Saturday of September through January 31 statewide.

Greater Sage Grouse

no season

South Dakota has no open greater sage grouse for 2026-27. The 2026 handbook lists the greater sage grouse season as closed. Source: South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks.

Mourning Dove

published

Mourning Dove runs September 1, 2026 to November 9, 2026 across all zones.

South Dakota mourning dove, as published by South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks
Zone	Opens	Closes	Notes
Statewide	September 1, 2026	November 9, 2026

Dates read from 2026 South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook, SD GFP, accessed 2026-09-19.

Mourning dove sits in the handbook's Other Seasons table alongside cottontail rabbit and tree squirrel.

Rules

South Dakota small game hunting regulations

Season windows are carried here with their source and read date attached. Everything else a hunter is bound by is set by South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, and its regulations page is linked below.

Current South Dakota regulations

Bag and possession limits, legal methods, shooting hours, license and stamp requirements, and youth or special season rules for South Dakota are set by South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, are legally binding and change annually. Its current regulations page is linked here.

South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks: current regulations

Close view of an eastern cottontail rabbit in green grass, ears up, dark round eye and white chin catching the light — An eastern cottontail. Rabbit is usually the last small game season to close, running into February in most of the East and Midwest. Photo: Grayson Smith, USFWS. “Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (48935527872)”, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region, Public domain

Small game season dates in other Midwest states

Every state’s pheasant, quail, grouse, rabbit and squirrel dates are on the national small game season page.

A pair of northern bobwhite quail standing together in a carpet of purple violets, the male with a bold white throat and eye stripe, the female buff faced — A bobwhite pair. Quail seasons run from late autumn into winter across the South and Midwest; several western states date scaled, Gambel's and California quail on the same row. Photo: Steve Maslowski, USFWS. “Colinus virginianus USFWS”, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, Public domain

South Dakota pheasant seasonOpening day, the daily limit and the full South Dakota pheasant calendar, read from the same agency.South Dakota deer seasonArchery, firearms, muzzleloader and youth deer dates for 2026-27, under the same sourcing rules.South Dakota turkey seasonSpring and fall wild turkey windows for 2026-27, read from the same agency.South Dakota duck seasonDuck and goose season dates by zone and flyway, read from the same agency.South Dakota fall foliagePeak color and the first grouse and squirrel weeks overlap. Plan the same trip.

South Dakota small game season questions

When does grouse season open in South Dakota in 2026-27?

When is rabbit season in South Dakota?

Does South Dakota have a pheasant season?

Which small game zone am I in, in South Dakota?

Where are the bag limits, legal methods and licence rules for South Dakota small game?

Can these South Dakota small game dates change?

A fox squirrel with a grey back and rust orange belly crouched on a lichen covered branch against bare winter trees and blue sky — A fox squirrel in bare winter woods in Ohio. Squirrel is the earliest small game opener in many states, from mid August or September, and runs to January or February. “Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger vulpinus) (13255025953)” by Andrew C, CC BY 2.0

This page covers the 2026-27 season year with data as of September 19, 2026. Every season window is republished from the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks page linked beside it, read on September 19, 2026; windows the agency had not yet published are labelled not yet published. Bag and possession limits, legal methods, shooting hours and licence rules are set by South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, whose page is the final word on the day you hunt. See also the national small game season guide.