South Dakota’s own tradition fades amid success of nonresident pheasant hunting

By: Brad Johnson

Outlets: South Dakota Searchlight

Published: October 17, 2026

Words: 837

Last Updated: 9 hours, 50 minutes ago

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South Dakota has spent decades convincing out-of-staters to come here and hunt pheasants.

Tourism campaigns market pheasant hunting as a bucket-list experience, especially during the opening of the season, which is this weekend. Later this month, elected officials, business leaders and invited guests will gather for the Governor’s Pheasant Hunt, an event devoted as much to economic development as hunting.

Yet amid that success story sits an uncomfortable fact. Fewer South Dakotans …

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