Where to hunt pheasants in South Dakota: Part 4

South Dakota is a big and diverse state, and pheasant country over here isn’t the same as pheasant country over there.

Everybody knows South Dakota is the Pheasant Capital of the World. But South Dakota is a big state, and the ability to chase wild roosters in a wide variety of landscapes and habitats is also why South Dakota remains the world’s premier pheasant hunting destination. In short, it's like four states in one. 

With that in mind, here’s a rundown from east to west of South Dakota's primary pheasant regions and the opportunities you can find in each.

Part 4: Western High Plains

Years ago, there weren’t many opportunities to hunt pheasants in the high plains of western South Dakota. However, as corn and other row crops have made their way west, so have pheasants.

Hunting in the western South Dakota hinterlands means targeting birds in small pockets of cover. Think outside the box and walk areas like creek bottoms that are more conducive to only one or two guys.

Pockets of birds can be found in select portions of Perkins and Meade counties, as well as areas of Ziebach and Dewey counties, to name a few. Further west and south of these counties, though, you’ll run into the sage-brush steppe, Badlands or Black Hills, where the only pheasants you’ll likely find are hanging on a wall as decorations.

While there are not as many pheasants as there are along the Missouri River or most of eastern South Dakota, “West River” birds are often concentrated in slivers of cover that run through a coulee or along the base of a butte. Because the cover is limited in most cases, a solo hunter or smaller groups of only a couple hunters fare much better than a large group.

It’s a different style of hunting compared to East River, which is much flatter and primarily a prairie pothole region with mostly crop fields. When hunting out west, you have to think outside the box and walk areas like creek bottoms that are more conducive to only one or two guys.

In addition, heat and treacherous terrain can really do a number on dogs, not to mention what a cactus can do to their paws.. With that in mind, it pays to have a pliers or mulitool handy in this neck of the prairie, as removing a barb of prickly pear cactus on the fly can help keep a dog in the game longer.

For hunters looking to get away from it all and escape the crowds, hunting way out west is worth considering. There’s far less pressure, so if you’re willing to travel and put in some time, hunting pheasants in the western high plains can be rewarding.