GROWING UP IN THE SIXTIES IN WATERTOWN, S.D., PHEASANTS WERE EVERYWHERE AND WE DIDN’T HAVE TO GO FAR FROM TOWN TO GET OUR LIMITS.

THIS YEARS  SOUTH DAKOTA PHEASANT SEASON OPENS OCTOBER 18, 2025, STARTING AT 10:00 AM.

WALKING INTO THE WHEEL INN IN WATERTOWN FOR BREAKFAST,  IT WAS OBVIOUS THE SEASON WOULD BE OPENING, AS IT WAS FILLED  WITH HUNTERS  CLAD IN TRADITIONAL HUNTER’S ORANGE CLOTHING.

SINCE I MOVED BACK TO MY HOMETOWN IN DECEMBER, THIS WOULD BE MY FIRST RESIDENT HUNT AND I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.

MY CLASSMATE CRAIG MATTESON AND I PLANNED ON HUNTING SOME WETLANDS NEAR LAKE KAMPESKA, NO MATTER WHICH WAY WE’D LOOK, THERE WERE WETLANDS AND CRP, PERFECT HABITAT!

WE HAD A LATE START AND AS WE WORKED OUR WAY TOWARDS THE LOCATION WE INTENDED TO HUNT, WHERE WE SAW NUMEROUS GROUPS OF HUNTERS HUNTING TREE LINES, CRP AND WETLANDS.

THE  ONLY ROOSTER WE SAW CAME ACROSS THE ROAD  IN FRONT OF US INTO A CRP FIELD, MUCH TOO LARGE FOR THE TWO OF US TO HUNT.

THE SEASON RUNS INTO JANUARY, GIVING US PLENTY OF TIME TO GET BACK OUT AND DO SOME MORE HUNTING!