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South Dakota

Hunting

Hunting

Nonresident Waterfowl Seasons

Nonresident Waterfowl

South Dakota nonresident waterfowl licenses during the fall are limited in number and distributed by a lottery drawing. Hunters must submit an online application and fee.

See application for specific dates.

SEASON INFORMATION

Applicants must be a minimum of age 12, or will turn 12 by December 31, to be eligible for the drawing. Hunters age 16 and older must have a valid, signed Federal Waterfowl Stamp in possession to be legal.

The application process and the license issued include the Migratory Bird Certification privileges. A separate nonresident small game license is required to hunt small game, such as pheasants and grouse.

Applicants may receive:

  • There is no limit to the number of Nonresident Waterfowl Licenses a hunter may possess.

Nonresident Youth Waterfowl:

There are 100 licenses available in the youth drawing. Nonresident youth can hunt statewide. Nonresidents who have not reached the age of 16 by September 12, 2021, are eligible for this license.

Nonresident September Canada Goose:

Nonresidents may hunt within the Unit 1 boundaries.

Daily Limit:

Unit 1 Only: 15

Possession Limit

Three times the daily limit, taken according to the daily limit.

LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must be a minimum of age 12, or will turn 12 by December 31, to be eligible for the drawing. Hunters age 16 and older must have a valid, signed Federal Waterfowl Stamp in possession to be legal. Applicants need to purchase their Migratory Bird Certificate prior to hunting in the season. A separate nonresident small game license is required to hunt small game such as pheasants and grouse.

Applicants may receive no more than one Nonresident Waterfowl license before November 1. Beginning November 1, there is no limit to the number of Nonresident Waterfowl Licenses a hunter may possess. Applicants are also eligible for one Nonresident September Canada Goose licenses, which does not count against the harvest limit of regular Nonresident Waterfowl licenses.

UNIT MAPS

See Waterfowl Hunting Zones map below.

  • NRW-00A-86: Charles Mix, Bon Homme, Yankton, Clay and Union counties. License valid for entire season.
  • NRW-00B-86: Statewide, except area in units NRW-00A and NRW-11A. Effective July 1, 2020: License valid for two 5 day periods.
  • NRW-11A-86: Bennett County. Applicants must choose two 5-day periods between (Oct. 16 -Dec. 19, 2021 and Jan. 8-16, 2022) in this unit. Successful applicants will receive two tags for Canada geese that may be taken according to daily and possession limits.
  • NRW-00V-86: License valid on private land only in Brown, Campbell, Edmunds, Faulk, McPherson and Walworth counties. License valid for 3 consecutive days.
  • NRW-00X-86: License valid on private land only in Hughes, Lyman, Potter, Stanley and Sully counties. License valid for 3 consecutive days.
  • NRW-00Y-86: License valid on public and private land in Clark, Codington, Day, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Marshall, Roberts and Spink counties. License valid for 3 consecutive days.
  • NRW-00Z-86: Statewide, except area in units 00A, 00X, 00V, 00Y and 11A. Valid on private land only. License valid for 3 consecutive days.

All applications close at 8 a.m. Central Time on date of deadline.

Key Dates

DescriptionDates
Youth Waterfowl - NonresidentSee respective unit and species for specific dates.Online Application Dates
Start: Jun 14, 2023
End: Jul 7, 2023
Nonresident Waterfowl-Varies by unit and speciesSee respective unit and species for specific dates.Application Dates
Start: Jun 14, 2023
End: Jul 7, 2023
Canada Goose - Bennett County | 2024Season Dates
Start: Oct 19, 2024
End: Dec 22, 2024
Canada Goose - Bennett County, Second SeasonSeason Dates
Start: Jan 11, 2025
End: Jan 19, 2025