Pheasant opener dates for South Dakota and Minnesota
In 2027 both states open pheasant season on the same day, Saturday, October 16. That does not happen every year. Neither state picks a date each fall; each has a rule, and the two rules only line up now and then. The tables below work both rules out for 2026 through 2032, with the source for each.
Agencies can change a season, close an area or add a rule for one county, and these tables cannot know about that ahead of time. Check the current hunting regulations for where you hunt before you plan a trip around a date. This page is a planning aid, not legal advice.
Opening day, 2026 to 2032
South Dakota counts Saturdays from the start of October and takes the third one. Minnesota takes the Saturday closest to October 13. Most years that puts Minnesota a week ahead, and in 2027 and 2032 the two land on the same Saturday. If your group hunts both states, those are the years you have to choose.
| Year | South Dakota opens | Minnesota opens |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sat, Oct 17 | Sat, Oct 10 |
| 2027 | Sat, Oct 16 | Sat, Oct 16same day |
| 2028 | Sat, Oct 21 | Sat, Oct 14 |
| 2029 | Sat, Oct 20 | Sat, Oct 13 |
| 2030 | Sat, Oct 19 | Sat, Oct 12 |
| 2031 | Sat, Oct 18 | Sat, Oct 11 |
| 2032 | Sat, Oct 16 | Sat, Oct 16same day |
South Dakota pheasant season
The regular season opens the third Saturday of October across the state, outside a few refuges that open later, and runs through January 31. Shooting starts at 10 a.m. central time and ends at sunset. The daily limit is three roosters, with 15 in possession. Two shorter seasons come first: a youth season of nine days that starts 21 days before the opener, and a three-day season for residents only, on public land and walk-in areas, starting the Saturday before the opener.
Source: ARSD 41:06:08:01, 41:06:55:01 and 41:06:58:01, checked October 28, 2026.
| Year | Youth | Residents only | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sat, Sep 26 to Sun, Oct 4 | Sat, Oct 10 to Mon, Oct 12 | Sat, Oct 17 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| 2027 | Sat, Sep 25 to Sun, Oct 3 | Sat, Oct 9 to Mon, Oct 11 | Sat, Oct 16 | Jan 31, 2028 |
| 2028 | Sat, Sep 30 to Sun, Oct 8 | Sat, Oct 14 to Mon, Oct 16 | Sat, Oct 21 | Jan 31, 2029 |
| 2029 | Sat, Sep 29 to Sun, Oct 7 | Sat, Oct 13 to Mon, Oct 15 | Sat, Oct 20 | Jan 31, 2030 |
| 2030 | Sat, Sep 28 to Sun, Oct 6 | Sat, Oct 12 to Mon, Oct 14 | Sat, Oct 19 | Jan 31, 2031 |
| 2031 | Sat, Sep 27 to Sun, Oct 5 | Sat, Oct 11 to Mon, Oct 13 | Sat, Oct 18 | Jan 31, 2032 |
| 2032 | Sat, Sep 25 to Sun, Oct 3 | Sat, Oct 9 to Mon, Oct 11 | Sat, Oct 16 | Jan 31, 2033 |
Minnesota pheasant season
Roosters only, from the Saturday on or nearest October 13 to January 1. When New Year's Day falls on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday, the season runs on to the Sunday after it, so the last weekend is not cut in half. Shooting hours are 9 a.m. to sunset. The limit is two a day through November 30 and three a day from December 1.
Source: Minnesota Rules, part 6234.0400, checked October 28, 2026.
| Year | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sat, Oct 10 | Jan 3, 2027 |
| 2027 | Sat, Oct 16 | Jan 2, 2028 |
| 2028 | Sat, Oct 14 | Jan 1, 2029 |
| 2029 | Sat, Oct 13 | Jan 1, 2030 |
| 2030 | Sat, Oct 12 | Jan 1, 2031 |
| 2031 | Sat, Oct 11 | Jan 4, 2032 |
| 2032 | Sat, Oct 16 | Jan 2, 2033 |
These are the general seasons. Minnesota's youth hunt, South Dakota's refuge units and season for disabled veterans, license rules and shooting hours on particular public lands all have their own lines in the regulations.
Who picks the first field on opening day
A group that leases ground or shares a lodge has the same argument every October: who gets the best field on opening morning. Settle it for seven seasons at once. Pick your state, put the names in this year's order, and each season moves everyone along one place. Then copy the link and send it to the group. Whoever opens it sees the same openers in the same order.
| Opener | First pick | Then |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 Sat, Oct 16 | Hunter 1 | Hunter 2, Hunter 3, Hunter 4 |
| 2028 Sat, Oct 21 | Hunter 2 | Hunter 3, Hunter 4, Hunter 1 |
| 2029 Sat, Oct 20 | Hunter 3 | Hunter 4, Hunter 1, Hunter 2 |
| 2030 Sat, Oct 19 | Hunter 4 | Hunter 1, Hunter 2, Hunter 3 |
| 2031 Sat, Oct 18 | Hunter 1 | Hunter 2, Hunter 3, Hunter 4 |
| 2032 Sat, Oct 16 | Hunter 2 | Hunter 3, Hunter 4, Hunter 1 |
| 2033 Sat, Oct 15 | Hunter 3 | Hunter 4, Hunter 1, Hunter 2 |
The names stay in the link you copy. Nothing you type here is sent to AllDibs or stored anywhere.
Questions about pheasant opener dates
When is the South Dakota pheasant opener in 2027?+
Saturday, October 16, 2027. The rule puts the statewide opener on the third Saturday of October, so it can fall anywhere from the 15th to the 21st. Shooting starts at 10 a.m. central time, and the season runs through January 31, 2028. In 2026 the opener was October 17.
When does pheasant season open in Minnesota in 2027?+
Saturday, October 16, 2027, the Saturday nearest October 13. That is the same day as South Dakota's opener, which only happens in some years; in 2026 Minnesota opened on October 10, a week before South Dakota. Shooting hours start at 9 a.m., and the season closes Jan 2, 2028.
What is South Dakota's resident pheasant season?+
Three days for South Dakota residents only, starting the second Saturday of October, so the week before the main opener. In 2027 it runs October 9 to 11. It is open only on public land, walk-in areas and the other areas the rule lists, not on private ground. A nonresident group can plan around it: the public land will have had a weekend of pressure by the time you arrive.
When is South Dakota's youth pheasant season?+
Nine days, starting 21 days before the main opener. In 2027 that is September 25 to October 3. The license rules for young hunters and their mentors are in the state's regulations, so read those before you bring a kid along.
How does a group decide who picks the first field on opening day?+
Write the order down for several seasons at once and move everyone along one place each year, so nobody picks first twice before everyone has had a turn. The pick order on this page does that with your group's names and your state's opener dates, and gives you a link to send so the order is settled before anyone loads the dogs.
Opening day is settled. The rest of the season is next.
Put the lodge rooms or the fields on AllDibs, send the group one invite link, and two people can never book the same one for the same day.
Put the lodge on AllDibs, freeHunting deer in November too? See deer opener dates for Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.