When is Turkey Season in South Dakota? A Guide to Spring and Fall Hunting

For turkey hunters, South Dakota offers excellent opportunities to bag these challenging birds during both spring and fall seasons. The seasons vary across different regions of the state from the prairie to the Black Hills. Here, we’ll break down exactly when you can hunt turkey in South Dakota along with key details on licenses, limits, and application deadlines.

Overview of Turkey Season Dates

South Dakota offers turkey hunting in the spring and fall seasons

• Spring Turkey – Available for prairie, Black Hills, and Custer State Park regions from mid-April through May. Specific season start and end dates vary.

• Fall Turkey – Runs November 1st through January 31st with no region restrictions.

Within spring turkey there are also separate regular archery-only, and mentored hunting seasons. Below are the 2024 and 2025 turkey season dates for the major South Dakota hunting areas

Spring 2024

• Prairie: April 13 – May 31
• Prairie Archery: April 13 – May 31
• Black Hills: April 27 – May 31
• Black Hills Archery: April 27 – May 31
• Custer State Park: April 27 – May 19
• Mentored Hunting: April 13 – May 31

Spring 2025

• Prairie: April 12 – May 31
• Prairie Archery: April 12 – May 31
• Black Hills: April 26 – May 31
• Black Hills Archery: April 26 – May 31
• Custer State Park: April 26 – May 18

Fall

• November 1 – January 31 (both 2024 and 2025)

So your main options are prairie or Black Hills for spring turkey, plus statewide fall turkey. Application deadlines and license requirements vary.

Licensing and Fees for Turkey Hunting

To hunt turkey in South Dakota, you’ll need:

• Small game license
• State duck stamp
• Federal duck stamp
• Turkey tag or application

Residents pay $28 for a small game license, $7.50 for the state duck stamp, and $25 for the federal stamp. Nonresidents pay $125 for a small game license, $10 for the state stamp, and $25 for the federal.

Turkey tags cost $6 for residents and $106 for nonresidents. You can apply for spring turkey tags through an application lottery from January 24 – February 12 each year.Unincorporated counties near the Black Hills like Lawrence, Pennington, and Meade often have the most tag availability.

Bag Limits andREQUIREMENTSd Restrictions

Here are some key turkey hunting rules to be aware of if hunting in South Dakota:

• Bag limit is 1 bearded turkey in the spring, 2 turkeys total in the fall.
• Legal shooting hours are from 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset.
• Only bows allowed for archery seasons, no crossbows.
• Hunter orange required when hunting spring Black Hills and mentored seasons.
• Special Custer State Park license needed for that area’s season.

Pay close attention to hunting zone maps, as certain areas like state parks and refuges are closed. It’s also crucial to properly tag, register, and report your harvested turkey within deadlines. Consider hiring an experienced guide to show you the ropes your first time out.

Key Tips for Hunting Spring Gobblers

Since spring offers specialty turkey seasons, many hunters focus efforts then. Here are tips to target gobblers:

• Use turkey calls and decoys to attract toms looking to breed.
• Focus on areas like open fields near forests and roosting sites at dawn and dusk.
• Spend lots of time scouting pre-season to find signs like tracks, droppings, and feathers.
• Bring different camo patterns and sit still to avoid detection.
• Be patient and wait for the perfect 25 yard or less shot at their head/neck.

Follow the seasons and rules, avoid overhunted areas, master calling, and study turkey patterns and you’ll gain a real edge. Just be ready to wake up early – hunting spring gobblers takes dedication!

Get After Those Wily Birds

Hopefully this breakdown gives you a better picture of when you can target turkeys across South Dakota. With excellent hunting on both prairie and hills, it’s a top destination for bagging these challenging birds. Just be sure to apply for tags early, brush up on regulations, scout thoroughly, and bring your A-game. Waking up at dawn to hear a gobbler’s call ring out will make all the effort worthwhile. Good luck and safe hunting this turkey season!