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Landowner Deer

A resident farmer or rancher must own or lease for agricultural purposes a minimum of 160 acres of privately-owned farm or ranch land and actually reside on the land, or be an owner- operator of the land, to qualify. This license restricts the holder to the taking of the big game animals as designated on the license only from the privately-owned farm or ranch lands owned or leased by the resident farmer or rancher.

The applicant may not already have a license for the regular season. Either the owner or operator/lessee of the land may qualify for this preference. Immediate family members are eligible, and include spouse, children living at home, and children who reside on land owned and operated by the resident farmer or rancher.

Corporate landowner/operators who reside on and actively participate in and direct the daily workings on the farm or ranch may also purchase these licenses. Absentee corporate landowners do not qualify.

application Information

Additional Information

Surveys and reports

Reduced-price landowner deer

Landowners may purchase a 1-tag any-deer license or a 2-tag license that has one any-deer tag plus one any-antlerless deer tag for East River and West River Deer seasons, and one any-antelope license or one any-antelope plus one doe/fawn antelope tag for the Antelope season.

landowner free antlerless deer

Free antlerless deer licenses may be available to farmers and ranchers, including their immediate family living at home, in certain West River Deer and East River Deer units.

  • The Landowner Free Antlerless Deer license option is available in all West River Deer and East River Deer hunting units that had licenses remaining after the second drawing in 2010. In addition, licenses are valid to qualifying individuals for the Archery Deer, Muzzleloader Deer, and Youth Deer hunting seasons.
    • West River: The Landowner Free Antlerless Deer license option is available for all West River Deer units EXCEPT the Black Hills Fire Protection District and Shannon County.
    • East River: The Landowner Free Antlerless Deer license option is available in all East River Deer units EXCEPT: Brookings, Codington, Grant, Hutchinson, Lake, Lincoln, McCook, Minnehaha, Moody, Roberts, Turner and Yankton counties.
    • Archery Deer: Season dates Sept. 24-Jan. 15. The Landowner Free Antlerless Deer license option is available in all Archery Deer units EXCEPT: Black Hills Fire Protection District and the counties of Brookings, Codington, Grant, Hutchinson, Lake, Lincoln, McCook, Minnehaha, Moody, Roberts, Shannon, Turner and Yankton counties.
    • Muzzleloader Deer: Season dates Dec. 1-Jan. 15. The Landowner Free Antlerless Deer license option is available in all Muzzleloader Deer units EXCEPT: Black Hills Fire Protection District and the counties of Brookings, Codington, Grant, Hutchinson, Lake, Lincoln, McCook, Minnehaha, Moody, Roberts, Shannon, Turner and Yankton counties.
    • Youth Deer: Must be at least age 12 by Dec. 31, 2011 and younger than age 18 on June 30, 2011. Season dates Sept. 10-Jan. 15. The Landowner Free Antlerless Deer license option is available in all Youth Deer units EXCEPT: Black Hills Fire Protection District and the counties of Brookings, Codington, Grant, Hutchinson, Lake, Lincoln, McCook, Minnehaha, Moody, Roberts, Shannon, Turner and Yankton counties.

Archery Educational Requirements*

To be able to apply for a SD archery big game license, all big game archery licensees ages 11 through 15, all first-time archery big game licensees regardless of age, and all archery elk licensees must possess a National Bowhunter Education Foundation (NBEF) certificate or certification of completion from a bowhunter education course approved by any state or provincial government.

*Note: Applicants who have held a big game archery license in the past may apply for antelope without completing an NBEF course if they indicate on the application the year and state of a former archery license held.

HuntSafe courses

South Dakota's HuntSAFE program takes the responsibility of teaching hunter ethics seriously. The HuntSAFE program is a required course for young hunters in South Dakota before youth can enter the field and hunt game. With participation in this course, the young hunter learns about respect for our state's natural resources, respect for other hunter's and perhaps most importantly, respect for landowners.